Author: C_Berghorn

Pilgrims of Hope (12): Dignity

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in December: Hope for Dignity

Human dignity is inviolable: how wonderful it would be if this sentence were not only enshrined in our German constitution, but were also a matter of course throughout the world. Yet even today, many people still have to fight for their dignity and suffer from exclusion, injustice, and hardship. Sometimes entire groups are affected because of their religion or because of wars and natural disasters; sometimes it is personal misfortunes or illnesses that push people to the margins of society. Especially in December, when we await the arrival of our Lord, I think about this particularly often. For as romantic as the birth in a stable is portrayed today, the Holy Family would certainly have preferred to make themselves comfortable at home.

Also, I think of the patron saint of our Congregation, St. Francis of Assisi, who dedicated his life to the sick and marginalized. One of his most formative and fateful encounters was that with a leper outside the gates of Assisi. At that time, people suffering from leprosy lived outside the city. But even today, leprosy still exists, as does this marginalization – for example in India, in Ramgarh in the state of Jharkhand. Since 1982, the Sisters of our international Congregation have been supporting people in a leprosy settlement there – both medically and by enabling their children to attend school. Health and education: two important aspects for a life of dignity.

Sister M. Stefania Gembalczyk (left) with Sisters from our Indian Province in the Ramgarh convent

The convent in Ramgarh was founded by Sister M. Vulmara Hannöver, who was the first Hospital Sister of St. Francis to go from Münster to India in 1973. From 1989 onwards, one of our Polish Sisters, Sister M. Stefania Gembalczyk, was particularly involved in Ramgarh. For more than 25 years, she cared for leprosy patients as a nurse; they called her “our Mother Theresa.”

In addition to health care, our Indian Sisters in Ramgarh are primarily involved in education. Two years ago, they opened a new English-language school, which now teaches 914 children.

During my visits there, I have seen for myself how important the work of our Sisters in Ramgarh is. Once, it was already dark when we reached the leprosy colony. Open fires lit up the narrow streets and cast a soft light on the people who lived there. They invited us into their poor huts – huts that resembled the depictions of the stable in Bethlehem. Later, we met an old man; he greeted us warmly by leaning forward and raising his hands to his forehead – or so we thought. Then we realized that he no longer had hands, only stumps.

He was very happy about our visit, but sad that we had come so late. And he asked us to come back during daylight hours so that he could see our faces. Although this old man was scantily clad in rags, he radiated great dignity. His invitation touched our hearts deeply. We felt small and ashamed—tears welled up in our eyes in the darkness.

In the light of the Holy Night, this memory has a special impact. God invites us into the poor huts of this world. He invites us into the poor stable in Bethlehem so that we can see Jesus Christ, who became man and already gives us “prestige” through the mystery of his love. He gives us his light and a dignity that can never be taken away from us. For “in him was life, and that life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness.”

Our faith is visible in the way we treat people, regardless of illness or social position. The child in the manger is the guarantee that human beings will never lose their royal dignity. Today more than ever, it is important for us Christians to bear personal witness to the healing presence of God. Let us pray for one another that our faith in the incarnation of God may deepen. Looking at Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born in a stable, we see all those people who have become homeless, poor, and sick, who are hungry and have to endure suffering; the list is long. Christmas invites us to listen anew to God’s word and to seek His will for us and for our Church at this moment in our history.

By Schwester M. Margarete Ulager and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in December 2025.

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Wishing you a Blessed Christmas

Christmas letter of Sister M. Margarete Ulager, General Superiour of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis

Dear Sisters, dear colleagues, dear friends,

On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, three US astronauts – Frank Borman, William Anders, and James Lovell – reached the moon aboard Apollo 8. From there, the astronauts sent back to Earth what were probably the most distant Christmas greetings in history. The three astronauts had set off on the first manned moon flight three days earlier, on December 21, 1968. The NASA mission was intended to photograph the lunar surface and find a suitable landing site for a future moon landing. But on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, during the fourth of a total of ten planned orbits around the moon, something completely unexpected happened: the astronauts suddenly saw the far side of the moon, and the Earth “rise” above the moon’s horizon in the vast universe, in infinite silence, similar to how one sees the Moon rise on Earth. Amazed by this magnificent sight and by how small our Earth seemed in the vastness of space, astronaut Frank Borman became deeply aware of the presence of God and our humble human reality on Earth. To everyone’s surprise, he said a prayer:

Grant us, O God, the ability to see Your love in this world, despite our human failings.

Grant us the faith to trust in Your goodness despite our ignorance and weakness. 

Grant us insight so that we may not cease to pray with an understanding heart.

And show us what each of us can do to bring peace to the world.

Frank Borman, US Astronaut, December 24, 1968

This historical review reminds us that the feast of the Incarnation of God is not a simple event on the calendar, not an event in the annual cycle, not a historical milestone in the course of the centuries. Rather, it is the ALMIGHTY WORD (John 1:14), born into our human being, when deepest silence enveloped the universe and night in its swift course was half spent (Wis 18:14), the fundament and source of all life.

We sincerely wish you and all those close to your heart a blessed, peaceful, and grace-filled Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Thank you very much your prayers and for all your support! May the Christmas Star shine gently or brightly upon us in 2026, just as we need it.

With heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the New Year from Father Michael Plattig O.Carm. and your Sisters: Sr. M. Rita, Sr. M. Lima, Sr. M. Hiltrud, Sr. M. Teresa, Sr. M. Beata, Sr. M. Laetitia, Sr. Christa Maria, as well as our team,

Yours in Christ,

Sister M. Margarete Ulager

Photos: Michael Kestin

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Advent in our International Congregation

For around 2.5 billion Christians worldwide, Advent is a very special time in the Church year: a time full of anticipation and preparations for Christmas, the celebration of the incarnation of our Lord. A time of silence, reflection, and diverse traditions.

We wanted to take a closer look at these traditions and asked the members of our multinational and multicultural community how Advent is celebrated in their home countries. The result: there are many similarities! At all our locations, festive Advent services are celebrated, candles are lit on Advent wreaths, and the doors of Advent calendars are opened every day in December. The wait for Christmas is also used everywhere as a time of prayer and spiritual reflection. And light plays an important role: lights in dark times, the star on the horizon: for the Lord is coming. But there are also differences.

Advent with our international Sisters at the Motherhouse in Münster, from left to right: Sister M. Laetitia with a poinsettia, which is just as popular in Japan as it is in Germany. Sister M. Lima shows a “Stutenkerl” and Sister M. Benedikte a shoe that was filled by St. Nicholas. Sister M. Teresa presents homemade gingerbread from the Polish Province.

Germany

In Germany, on the eve of December 6, children place their nicely polished shoes or boots outside the front door – and in the morning, they find small gifts and sweets from St. Nicholas. The “Stutenkerl”, a traditional German pastry, is also said to represent this Saint. In the past, as a sign of blessing, the pastry was given to the sick or those who were unable to attend church.

The beginning of Advent is celebrated in the Motherhouse Church in Münster with a particularly solemn vespers service. During the service, a priest lights the first candle on the Advent wreath while the Sisters sing the song “Wir sagen Euch an den lieben Advent…” (We announce to you the beloved Advent…). For several years now, a festive charity concert with Christmas carols has also been held in the Motherhouse Church in aid of Johannes Hospice in Münster. 400 candles burned at the “Christmas Carols 2025” on December 7, 2025, with the Münster Concert Choir; many children also took part. The impressive light show and our organist Markus Schröder also contributed to the great success of the concert.

I remember a tradition from my elementary school days: during Advent, every child who had done a good deed placed a straw in the manger so that the divine child could be softly bedded at Christmas.

Sister M. Benedikte

What would Advent be without cookies? At our Motherhouse in Münster, our Vietnamese Sisters baked lots of cookies with Sister M. Vera and then decorated them with chocolate with Sister M. Rita in the Generalate kitchen. The Sisters also traveled to the convent in Kroge for an Advent visit.

Poland

In many areas of Poland, children symbolically bring light to people’s homes, and nativity scenes and Advent cribs are lovingly crafted in monasteries. The Sisters of our Polish Province offer spiritual and material assistance by organizing Christmas packages for the needy, and offering meetings and conversations with socially marginalized people.

One of the most characteristic features of Advent in Poland is the Rorate Mass – a liturgy celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the early hours of the morning, usually before sunrise. Participants bring candles or lanterns symbolizing the expectation of the coming “Light of the World” – Jesus Christ.

Sister M. Teresa

In Oldrzychowice in our Polish Province, Sister M. Franciska Wanat and several volunteers organized a visit from St. Nicholas for children affected by the flood disaster of September 2024. Fifty-two children took part in the event and spent a wonderful afternoon together.

USA

In the USA, Advent calendars have 25 doors because Christmas is not celebrated on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day, December 25.

I love to sing Advent songs to prepare for the coming of our Lord. I discovered Handel’s Messiah about 40 years ago and listen to it often. When I was a child the crib was very special in our home. In the Novitiate we practiced the spiritual building of the crib with special thoughts each day. 

Japan

In our convent in Himeji, we have been using purple and pink candles for about 20 years, which we brought back from the Korean mission. Purple represents repentance, pink represents joy. As the colors of the candles change from three deep purple to three light purple and then to one pink candle, Christmas draws nearer.

Our community has adopted the tradition of the Missionaries of creating a “spiritual manger.” We prepare to welcome Christ by building this manger and laying “straw” in our hearts, gathering prayers, sacrifices, and good deeds.

Sister M. Laetitia

Indien

In some regions of India, rose cookies, kulkuls, and fruit bread are baked during Advent. Through social media and parish groups, many also take part in charity activities and outreach programs, making Advent a time not only for spiritual preparation but also for sharing love and joy with others.

In India, a land rich in prayer, color, and celebration, we understand deeply what it means to wait with expectation — for the monsoon rains, for the harvest, for light to overcome darkness. As we light the Advent candles, I am reminded of the diyas (lamp) we light during Diwali — both shining as symbols of hope and the triumph of light over darkness, of God’s presence in our lives.

To all my sisters around the world: may this Advent help us rediscover the beauty of waiting — not with anxiety, but with peace and trust. May our hearts become humble cradles of hope, ready to receive the Prince of Peace. And may our lives, wherever we are, shine like little lamps, spreading the warmth and light of Christ’s love to all we meet.

Sister M. Renita

We would like to thank the Sisters of our international Congregation who sent us information about Advent in their home countries: Sister M. Benedikte (Germany), Sister M. Teresa (Poland), Sister Janelle (USA), Sister M. Laetitia (Japan), and Sister M. Renita (India).

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Sister Mary Kelly, OSF

Born: July 27, 1932
Entrance: September 12, 1951
Professed: June 13, 1954
Died: December 5, 2025

Our fellow Sister in the U.S. Canonical House, Sister Mary Kelly, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, was called home to the Lord, our God.

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

(Matthew 13:43)

Similar to turning a page in a book, the earthly life of Sister Mary Kelly gently changed as God turned the page, and her eternal life began – the life she had waited for 93 years – on December 5 at 7:30 a.m. with Sister Josephine Vanitha, Lori Wright, and Rylie Ackman by her side. As she prepared for her passing in the previous days, Sister Mary was lovingly cared for by the Loretto Home employees. She was often visited by Sisters and employees who expressed their love and appreciation.

Sister Mary, the former Sister Masseo and the daughter of Clarence and Mary Rose (Ferrari) Kelly, was born in Kincaid, IL, on July 27, 1932, and was raised in Nokomis, IL. Following her 8th-grade school trip to the Motherhouse, she began to sense God’s calling to consider religious life and nursing, which deepened throughout high school. Upon enrolling in St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1949, she witnessed the spirit and example of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, and on January 1, 1951, at 3:45 p.m., before beginning her evening shift, in the chapel of St. John’s Hospital, she accepted God’s invitation. Four months later, she shared the decision with her mother, and on August 19, 1951, she wrote, “Happy Birthday, Dad…I’m entering the Convent.” She entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on September 12, 1951, and professed her first vows on June 13, 1954.

With Italian culture from her mother and Irish culture from her father, Sister Mary blended these cultures with kindness, empathy, a sense of humor, and a peaceful spirituality in her relationship with God. It might be said that the warmth of her spirit was enriched by her favorite pastime of spending time in the sun, often expressed because she was half Italian. Leadership abilities were enhanced through her trademark serene voice, which she often shared in Community prayer. Love was what motivated her – especially for her family, friends, and her Sisters.

Sister Mary was a 1955 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marquette University in 1958 and a master’s degree in nursing service administration from The Catholic University of America in 1965. Her life of service included nursing leadership at HSHS hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, nursing education at Marillac College, Provincial Vicaress, and Motherhouse Superior of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, the HSHS board of directors, and HSHS receptionist.

May she rest in peace in the warmth of Brother Sun.

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Pilgrims of Hope (11): Respect

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in November: Hope for Respect

Another year is drawing to a close. Beginning with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, November is traditionally a month in which we look back on our own lives and on the lives of those who came before us. It is often a reflective time. Many people think about what has become of their plans of the year’s beginning, and what they have already achieved in their lives overall. And when we light candles on the graves of our deceased loved ones, this gesture is also an expression of respect for their lives, and their achievements. This is also the case with us Hospital Sisters of St Francis.

The Sisters’ graveyard at the Motherhouse in Muenster/Germany on All Saints’ Day ©Michael Kestin

Our international Congregation’s 180-year history is marked by strong female leadership, pioneering spirit, and courage. In terms of their careers and their position in society, our Sisters were often ahead of their time. Women have always held leadership positions in the institutions founded by our Congregation. In their hospitals, not only was the care of patients entirely in the hands of the Sisters, but so was the overall management. For a long time, women in religious orders were able to realize their professional potential much more freely than women outside a convent: in Germany, for example, married women were not considered legally competent until 1969, and until 1977, if they wanted to get a job, they had to ask their husbands for permission. At that time, Sister M. Ambrosina Bettmer was in charge of St. Francis Hospital in Münster with a team of several hundred Sisters and civilian employees.

Traditionally, all the young women who joined our Congregation studied nursing – but depending on the positions and tasks that needed to be filled in the congregation, this training was often not the only one. This was the case for Sister M. Dietmara Ahlmann, born in 1937: when the order’s leadership decided in the early 1960s to provide dental care for the many Sisters in Münster “in-house,” Sister Dietmara was chosen for this task.

Dentist Sister M. Dietmara Ahlman in her practice at St. Francis Hospital

The trained nurse completed her high school diploma through adult education and, as the only woman in her year, studied dentistry at Münster University from 1968 onwards. As a dentist, she then cared for her fellow sisters for 35 years in a fully equipped practice in the basement of St. Francis Hospital. At the same time, she was active in the Provincial and General Administration from 1983 onwards and traveled to the Provinces and projects of our Congregation in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, India, the USA, Haiti, Arizona, Poland, and Czechia.

General Councilor Sister M. Dietmara (2nd from the right) visiting the Medical Sisters of St. Francis in India

Our Sisters were also characterized by a pioneering spirit, setting out into the world for missionary projects, combined with courage drawn from the strength of their faith. One example is the young women who, 100 years ago, in September 1925, left the American Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis for Tsinan (now Jinan) in China to build a hospital there. Beforehand, there was an application process among the American Sisters for this mission, searching for volunteers “in good health and younger than 40”. It went without saying that they had to be trained nurses. Sixty-seven Sisters applied; five were ultimately selected. The youngest of them, 29-year-old Sister Evangelista Sanders, paid for her courage with her life: she died after only a year and a half of her service. However, the presence of the Hospital Sisters in China continued until the Sisters were expropriated and expelled by the Communist regime after World War II. Two of the Sisters fled to Shanghai, from where they were called to Japan in 1948 to take over a hospital in Nagasaki – the nucleus of today’s Japan Province.

Sister Engelberta Beyer and Sister Euphrosine Fischer in China, 1926

We remember all these Sisters with great respect. But our respect also extends to those of our fellow Sisters who had less eventful lives, and who served and continue to serve quietly and faithfully, whether in a hospital, a school, or a parish, whether in housekeeping or in contemplation and prayer. In keeping with the spirit of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, we actually look upon the life of every human being with the greatest respect: each and every one of us is placed in this world with individual abilities and hopes, with goals and challenges. On our journey through life, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don’t. That, too, is deeply human. So as we look back now in November, we should always appreciate our efforts – with respect, and with the eyes of love.

By Schwester M. Rita Edakkoottathil and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in November 2025.

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Sister M. Waldemara

Born: August 26, 1943
Entrance: August 12, 1965
Professed: May 3, 1968
Died: November 22, 2025

Our fellow sister, Sr. M. Waldemara, née Anna Koop, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, died after a serious illness at the University Hospital in Münster.

Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

(John 14:6)

Sister M. Waldemara was born on the Koop family farm in Altenberge, near Meppen, and grew up with her six siblings. Two years after her older sister, Sister M. Herlinde, joined our community, Sister M. Waldemara followed her example.

Sister M. Waldemara was a typical nurse who worked on the wards at St Franziskus Hospital in Münster, Ennigerloh, Waldniel, Dorsten and Haltern. She completed the ward manager course in Freiburg and later took part in the pastoral course for the care of the elderly and sick in Münster. From 2013 onwards, she lived in the parish of Ahaus-Wüllen, caring for the elderly and immobile by visiting them and bringing them Holy Communion. She was also the superior of the convent, welcoming many guests.

In mid-2025, Sister M. Waldemara requested to be relieved of her duties and transferred to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde. Her strength was visibly declining. After a lengthy stay at St Franziskus Hospital in Münster, she went to Nordwalde to recuperate. Sadly, she was no longer well enough to say goodbye to the sisters in the convent and the people of Wüllen. A few days ago, she was taken to Münster University Hospital due to an acute illness, where she peacefully gave her life back into God’s hands. 

Sister M. Waldemara drew strength in her life from the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” She was familiar with this saying from the altarpiece in her parish church in Altenberge. When asked once whom she would like to meet in heaven, she replied, “Jesus and all my loved ones.” May she be granted just that. 

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Waldemara. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united to her as sisters.

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Pilgrims of Hope (10): Future

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in October: Hope for Future

“The Future of Thinking” — this was the recent cover story of the weekly newspaper Die Zeit. It featured a major interview with the American scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil (77), who has been fascinated by technology since childhood and has contributed to the development of artificial intelligence ever since he first encountered a computer in New York in 1960, at the age of twelve. Kurzweil is convinced that in just four years, by 2029, AI will be more intelligent than humans. It will then be possible, he says, to make that knowledge directly accessible to humans through implants in the brain. “Merging with AI is the only way not to be dominated by it,” says Kurzweil, without offering any ethical evaluation of this development.

What is possible — and what is right? Are we allowed to do everything that is possible? These questions have always occupied humanity, not only in science and technology, but also when it comes to our personal life paths. That was already true in the 13th century. Back then, the patron saint of our religious community, Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy merchant, could have chosen a life of luxury and comfort. Yet after personal, physical, and spiritual crises, he decided at the age of 25 to take the more difficult path, the one that was right and meaningful for him. Inspired by the Gospel, he gave away his worldly possessions to serve God and others. He could not have foreseen how profoundly his decision would shape the future: many people joined him, and to this day, the Franciscan orders and lay communitiescelebrate his life and work every year on the Feast of St. Francis in early October.

Classes for the candidates in India ©Mauritzer Franziskanerinnen

Predicting the future remains impossible, even with AI. We can only try our best to prepare for the challenges that new developments bring. And we can take a stand when it comes to the Christian and Franciscan values that guide us and will continue to shape our life and work in the future: to refuse to reduce people to their thinking and performance, and instead to see each person as a unique and precious creation of God — as a whole being of body, soul, and spirit.

Since the founding of our community in 1844, this holistic understanding has guided our commitment to people in sickness, old age, and need. It also shapes the education and formation through which we prepare the young members of our international order for their future. Of course, the young women in Poland, Japan, and India receive solid professional training — for example, to become nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers, pastoral assistants, auditors, lawyers, or theologians, and eventually to take on leadership roles within our community. The curriculum includes English as the common language of our congregation, as well as the traditions and customs of each culture — such as special dances or the tea ceremony. At the same time, we emphasize deep spiritual and emotional formation, enabling our sisters to bear witness through their service to God and humanity, and to live a human life in all its fullness — a life in which AI will surely play a role in the future, both on the curriculum and, hopefully, through medical progress that our sisters can use for the good of their patients.

Returning to Ray Kurzweil: he leaves no doubt that he considers some developments inevitable, saying, “The advancement of AI is a global competition — if we don’t take part, other countries will.”

Perhaps we Christians should claim the freedom to start a parallel competition for the future, a competition in humanity. Because if we don’t lead the way, who will?

Begegnungsfest der Kulturen beim Generalkapitel 2024 © Kestin

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in July 2025.

By Schwester M. Rita Edakkoottathil and Claudia Berghorn

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New Provincial Leadership of the Japan Province Elected

Shortly after the conclusion of the Provincial Chapter of the German Province, the Provincial Chapter of the Japan Province began on October 10, 2025, in Himeji under the theme
“God Is with Us – Burning Hearts, Stepping Feet.”

Election of the New Provincial Leadership

On October 13, 2025, Sister Maria Fidelis Furukawa was re-elected Provincial Superior of the Japan Province for a second term of office.
As a Congregation, we extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to Sister Maria Fidelis for her willingness to once again take up this important ministry.

Sister M. Nichola Truong Thi Hoang Oanh was elected Provincial Vicaress and First Provincial Councilor. We thank Sister M. Nichola wholeheartedly for accepting this service and for her readiness to serve the Japan Province in this new role.
We ask everyone to remember the newly elected Provincial Superior and Vicaress in prayer – they rely on our support.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Capitulars continued the election process and chose the following Sisters as Provincial Councilors:

  • Sister M. Theodora Wakatsuki
  • Sister M. Philippa Sato
  • Sister M. Martina Du The Thanh

We warmly congratulate each Sister on her election and thank them for accepting the ministry of service in the Provincial Leadership.

On the evening of October 13, 2025, Sister Maria Fidelis and the newly elected Councilors were officially installed during Vespers.
Father Prof. Dr. Dr. Michael Plattig bestowed his blessing upon them, saying:

“The foundation of all our actions is the conviction that God is always with us.
May you walk in this faith and trust, guided by the Holy Spirit,
with a listening and loving heart.”

Sister Maria Fidelis, Sister M. Nichola, Sister M. Theodora, Sister M. Philippa, Sister M. Martina

Gratitude for the Former Provincial Council

We express our heartfelt thanks to Sister M. Vianney Kawaguchi, Sister M. Pacis Kyonoku, and Sister M. Goretti Vien Tran Nha Quyen for their dedicated service as Provincial Councilors during the past term.

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Sister M. Princy

Born: October 18, 1962
Entrance: September 8, 1983
Professed: January 21, 1988
Died: October 27, 2025

Believing wholeheartedly on the words attributed to Saint Clare of Assisi on her deathbed, Sister M. Princy Vadakkadath, stepped into eternity this morning at 10:30, October 27, 2025.

…Blessed be You, O God, for having created me.

(St. Clare of Assisi)

Diagnosed with a malignant illness for more than a decade, she lived her earthly life in complete surrender to God’s will—following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom she deeply loved and faithfully imitated both in times of health and in suffering. Sr. M. Princy was born on October 18, 1962, in Poovathussery, Thrissur District, Kerala, to Mr. Varghese and late Mrs. Rosy. She was the eldest of five children, with three brothers and one sister.

After completing her high school education, she entered our Congregation on September 8, 1983. She made her First Profession on January 21, 1988, and her Final Profession on January 25, 1993. Sr. M. Princy was a sincere and dedicated religious who lived her life with steadfast endurance and love.

After her first profession, she underwent training in tailoring. From 1989 to 1991, she served as a seamstress at Anjali Niketan, Pithora. From 1992 to 2001, she was entrusted with the responsibility of the Tailoring School at the newly established St. Francis Convent, Valiaveli, Kerala. She later returned to Anjali Niketan, Pithora, where she once again assumed charge of the sewing room from2001 to 2003. During this period, she took the initiative to stitch uniforms for the students of Anjali Vidyalaya and Anjali Bal Niketan, Pithora. She also successfully completed a diploma course in embroidery and sewing at Wardha, Maharashtra.

Two years later, Sr. M. Princy was appointed teacher at Anjali Bal Niketan, Pithora. She fulfilled this responsibility with great love and dedication, caring deeply for the little children entrusted to her.

Her joy in teaching and her affection for children were evident in all she did. However, in 2012, she faced a severe trial when she was diagnosed with a malignant disease. During the following four years, she underwent treatment at the Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum, and at Sanjivani Hospital, Raipur. The treatment brought positive results, and her health gradually improved. In May 2016, Sr. M. Princy was transferred to St. Francis Vidya Bhawan, Kapa, where she faithfully served as the Sister-in-charge of the community for about four years.In October 2020, Sr. M. Princy was transferred to Anjali Niketan, Pithora. Gradually, her healthbegan to decline, and she required greater care and rest. Desiring to spend this period meaningfully and productively, she devoted herself to a work of love. A faithful devotee of the Blessed Mother, she began making rosaries by hand with deep devotion and dedication. With joy and contentment, she shared these rosaries with our sisters and well-wishers. On Mission Sundays, her handmade rosaries were placed in auctions to help raise funds for the missions.

A true Franciscan at heart, Sr. M. Princy was simple, hardworking, and cheerful. She showed great dedication and commitment to the growth of every ministry entrusted to her. Firm in her faith in God and her devotion to the Blessed Mother, she stood as a steadfast witness and a shining example, especially to the younger members of the Province.

We express our heartfelt condolences to Father Thomas Vadakadath, her paternal uncle, who guided and encouraged Sr. M. Princy to join our Congregation. We also stand in prayerful solidarity with her beloved father, brothers, sister, and all members of her family during this time of sorrow.

Dear Sisters, the passing away of Sr. M. Princy leaves us with a deep sense of loss and void. Her life of dedication, quiet service, and unwavering faith has touched each of us profoundly, and her absence will be felt in many ways.

We believe that Sister M. Princy now rejoices in the eternal presence of the Lord, in the loving company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom she so ardently loved and imitated throughout her life.

The mortal remains of Sr. M. Princy will be laid to rest at 10:30 a.m. on October 29, 2025, in our cemetery at Anjali Niketan Campus.

Farewell, dear Sister M. Princy. In gratitude for the gift of your life, we commend you to God’s loving embrace, rejoicing that you now rest in the Lord you so faithfully praised and served. May you rest in the eternal peace of Christ, whom you served so faithfully.

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Sister M. Eufredis

Born: July 19, 1932
Entrance: August 4, 1951
Professed: May 3, 1954
Died: October 21, 2025

Christ, whom she trusted in her life, took our dear Sister M. Eufredis, née Helga Magdalena Scharnet, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, to Himself.

Christ, my Christ!

(Prayer by Sr. M. Eufredis)

Sister M. Eufredis was born in Marienburg in West Prussia, where she spent the first years of her childhood. Her father was transferred to Briesen as a police officer, where Helga was able to attend secondary school. As the Eastern Front drew closer, the family had to leave their home in 1944 and, after many detours, ended up in the Protestant city of Bremerhaven. At that time, it was common for Catholic families to be deliberately sent to Protestant areas. This difficult time had a profound effect on her. She talked about it repeatedly. To graduate from school, the girl attended elementary school and then business school. 

At St. Joseph’s Hospital, she got to know the Franciscan sisters as an apprentice cook and was able to join them in Münster in 1951. 

After passing her nursing exam, she worked in several hospitals in nursing and in the laboratory. Many of us know Sister M. Eufredis as the friendly sister with sparkling eyes at the gate in Kroge. She was then allowed to spend a few more years in Brake, overlooking Bremerhaven, her second home. In 2006, Sister M. Eufredis came to St. Heriburg House and took over the visiting service for her sisters for a long time. Since 2015, she had been a senior there and, for the past year, a resident of the St. Klara residential group, where she lovingly cared for until she passed away at 7:00 a.m.. Sister M. Eufredis was deeply affected by her experiences as a refugee, which never left her. Her anchor was always Christ, to whom she prayed: “Christ, my Christ!”

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Eufredis. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterhood.

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New Provincial Leadership of the German Province Elected

Shortly after the conclusion of the Provincial Chapter of the German Province, the Provincial Chapter of the JapUnder the motto “Pilgrims of Hope,” we were able to experience days of prayer, exchange, counsel, and decision-making.

Spiritual Opening

Father Michael Plattig opened the chapter with a Eucharistic celebration in which he invited us to trust in the Spirit of God—and at the same time to celebrate the chapter as a feast. A special sign was the lighting of the chapter candle by Sr. Leemary, a symbol of the light of the Holy Spirit that accompanied us.

Work and Spiritual Impulses

Sr. M. Margarete, in her reflection on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” provided a valuable foundation for exchange and shared reflection. Our days were marked by discussion groups, times of prayer, a daily bibliolog, and the sharing of personal stories of hope. In this way, a deep sense of connection and orientation toward the future grew.

Gratitude and Remembrance

During Vespers, we commemorated with reverence the 104 sisters who passed away over the past four years. Their witness remains alive in our community.

Election of the New Provincial Leadership

On September 13, the electoral chapter began under the chairmanship of our Superior General, Sr. M. Margarete, and moderator Sr. Ruth Pucher.
We joyfully announce the newly elected provincial leadership:

  • Sr. M. Diethilde Bövingloh
  • Sr. Marianne Kamlage
  • Sr. Leemary Sebastian
  • Sr. M. Vera Lütkebohmert

We thank them for their willingness to take on this service and wish them God’s abundant blessing.

A festive evening, a shared pilgrimage to Telgte—our place of foundation—and the solemn signing of the closing document rounded off these days.

With great gratitude, we look back on the 2025 Provincial Chapter. Strengthened by shared prayer and carried by God’s encouragement, we continue our journey—as Pilgrims of Hope.

Sister Leemary, Sister M. Diethilde, Sister Marianne, Sister M. Vera

Gratitude for the Former Provincial Council

We express our heartfelt thanks to Sister M. Cäcilia for her dedicated service as Provincial Councilor during the past term.

Sr. M. Irmgardis

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Sister M. Lea

Born: May 20,1942
Entrance: October 01, 1971
Professed: May 01, 1974
Died: October 02, 2025

The good and merciful God called our sister to him after a long period of illness, our dear Sister M. Lea, née Hilde Leusmann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Now, Lord, you let your servant
depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.

(From the evening prayer of the Church)

Sister M. Lea was born the third child to the farming family of Leusmann in Greven. From an early age, she wanted to become a religious sister, but her parents had other plans for her. After finishing school, she was expected to stay at home and look after her grandparents, and later her parents. It was not until the age of 29 that Hilde was finally able to join our congregation.

After completing her nursing exam at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster, she later attended a ward manager course in Freiburg. Following this training, she worked at St. Josef’s Home in Bremen from 1983 to 1988, after which she moved to St. Rochus Hospital in Telgte. There, she cared for mentally ill women in the St. Michael protected ward.  She then took over foot care of her fellow sisters and reception duties at the Maria Hilf House in Telgte.

In 2018, Sister M. Lea moved into the St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde as a resident, as her strength was steadily declining. For a long time, she was unable to leave her room. When people visited her, she was always open and friendly. She prayed a lot, read, and did needlework with Sister M. Marialdis. Now the Lord has allowed his servant Sister M. Lea to depart in peace, on the day after her 54th anniversary of joining the religious community.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Lea. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Sister M. Johanna

Born: December 30, 1936
Entrance: February 11, 1956
Professed: September 17, 1958
Died: October 3, 2025

On Friday, October 3rd, 2025, at 6:08 AM, our sister Sr. M. Johanna Hisako Kataoka, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, having completed her earthly mission, was called home to the Lord while being cared for by Sr. M. Vianney, leaving behind a peaceful, peaceful expression. 

Lord, you are the light of my path, my all

(Ps. 119)

Sr. M. Johanna was born in Nagasaki and experienced the atomic bombing at age 9. Blessed with good health, she always seemed full of energy as she carried out her ministry. About a year and a half ago, during a routine checkup, her primary physician found an abnormal value in one test result. Further examination led to a diagnosis of “intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.” Sr. M. Johanna received detailed explanations from several specialist physicians regarding the options for medical or surgical treatment and the prognosis. After prayerful consideration, she chose “not to undergo active treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy, but to leave things to God’s will and follow nature’s course.” She expressed her wish to spend her final days in the palliative care unit (hospice). On September 3rd, the anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese Province, she was admitted to the palliative care ward, marking exactly one month of her battle with illness. Serving in her second term as Superior of the Himeji Convent, she poured her whole heart and soul into demonstrating her love for the sisters entrusted to her care, as well as for the international sisters, including the General Superior, faithfully fulfilling her sacred duties.

Sr. M. Johanna wrote a letter titled “Gratitude and Thanks” to us sisters this past July. In it, she reflected on her life and expressed her thoughts on the many graces she had received through the sisters in this congregation. 

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Sister M. Aloysi

Born: June 15, 1943
Entrance: August 15, 1962
Professed: May 3,1965
Died: September 30, 2025

In this confidence, our dear Sister M. Aloysi, née Barbara Stroinski, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back into the hands of God.

Into your hands I place with confidence my spirit

(Psalm 31:6)

Sister M. Aloysi was the last Provincial Superior of the former Rheinisch Province in Kamp-Lintfort, from 1993 until its dissolution in 1998. Before that, she was Provincial Vicaress there. She led the province with prudence and foresight and led it into the chapter in which the merger of the two German provinces was decided. We would like to thank Sister M. Aloysi most sincerely for her ministry.

Sister M. Aloysi was born in Cottbus in the former DDR. She later came to West Germany with her parents and got to know our community as a student at the nursing school in Datteln. It was there that the principal, Sister M. Ludowika, made a particular impression on the young woman.

After joining the religious community, she completed the school for social pedagogy and trained as a home manager. She then managed the student hostel in Datteln. She later became convent superior at the seminary in Bochum-Querenburg. After her time as provincial superior, she lived in a small convent in Krefeld and was involved in pastoral work there. She also did this in Billerbeck and Hamminkeln-Dingden.

In 2017, Sister M. Aloysi came to St. Heriburg House as a resident and took part in the convent and prayer life for as long as she was able. In recent times, she was completely dependent on the help of the staff and sisters, who were very happy to have her, as she accepted her numerous ailments, trusting that God always carried her and supported her even in the most difficult moments. This is what she told us in her personal will.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Aloysi. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain connected to her as sisters.

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Sister M. Innozentia

Born: December 22, 1926
Entrance: January 30, 1953
Professed: October 28, 1955
Died: September 26, 2025

In the early hours of the morning, Jesus Christ, to whom she had entrusted her life, called to himself our dear Sister M. Innozentia née Paula Vaske, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Jesus be Jesus to me!

(Nils Stensen)

Sister M. Innozentia was born the eighth child of the Vaske family in Diekhaus, near Emstek. She grew up in a sheltered environment on her parents’ farm. She spoke fondly of her happy childhood, which was shaped by the Catholic faith and a down-to-earth attitude.  Two of her older sisters, Sister M. Bercharia and Sister M. Melita, joined our congregation. They were her great role models. At the age of 27, Paula followed them and also became a fellow sister in our congregation, taking the name Sister M. Innozentia.

Sister M. Innozentia served as superior and convent leader in Epe, Ibbenbüren-Püsselbüren and Epe again, for a total of 24 years. She then managed housekeeping at the seminary in Bochum and at the Bernsmeyer House in Telgte. In 2011, she returned to the mother house, moving to St. Heriburg House as a resident in 2021. In recent times, her strength had declined significantly, leaving her increasingly dependent on assistance. Sister M. Maris accompanied her on her journey for many years, supporting her and standing by her side until the final phase of her life. She gave her life back to God after 98 years, and prayed trustingly to him until the end, saying: ‘Jesus, be Jesus to me!’

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Innozentia. We remain united with her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.  We offer our sympathy to her faithful companion, Sister M. Maris.

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Sister M. Ingeburg

Born: May 04, 1940
Entrance: August 15, 1963
Professed: May 03, 1966
Died: September 25, 2025

The good and faithful God whom she worshipped in the Eucharist called our sister, Sister M. Ingeburg, née Annemarie Heidermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis to Himself.

Praise and glory be given without end to

 Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament! 

(Eucharistic Adoration)

Sister M. Ingeburg was born in Erle, near Dorsten. Her parents owned a hairdressing salon. Their daughter trained as a hairdresser and worked in the salon for several years. However, this was not her life’s goal. In 1962, aged 23, she joined the domestic service at Dorsten Hospital and subsequently entered our congregation.  After passing her nursing exams, she worked at St Rochus Hospital in Telgte for twenty years. She then had the opportunity to attend a one-year spiritual seminar in Munich, preparing her for her pastoral ministry at St Josef’s Foundation in Bremen and Löningen. From 2014 onwards, Sister M. Ingeburg welcomed guests to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde. A few months ago, she fell seriously ill. As she had wished, she died in the presence of a fellow sister.

Sister M. Ingeburg drew strength from the Eucharist and from the words of Holy Scripture. 

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ingeburg. We remain united with her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Sister M. Kunhildis

Born: September 20, 1936
Entrance: October 08, 1960
Professed: May 03, 1946
Died: September 12, 2025

On the evening of her 89th birthday, the good and merciful GOD took
the cross from her shoulders and called our sister, née Agnes Tappehorn, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis to Himself.

In the cross is salvation,
in the cross is life,
in the cross is hope.

(Edith Stein)

Sister M. Kunhildis was born in Friesoythe in September 1936. In November 1936, Hitler ordered that crosses be removed from schools in the Oldenburg region. This obviously had a profound effect on Agnes Tappehorn. She wanted the key cross from the church in Friesoythe for her death notice. She also always had a good relationship with Our Lady of Bethen. Thus, she lived until the end from the strength of her Catholic faith, which she had come to know and appreciate through her family and her Oldenburg homeland.

At the age of 24, she joined our congregation. Sister M. Kunhildis became a nurse and completed further training as a massage therapist and medical bath attendant. From 1966 to 1989, she worked in physical therapy in Kamp-Lintfort and Meerbusch-Lank in the Rhineland. She was later able to express her creative side when she worked as a night nurse for her elderly sisters in Kamp-Lintfort and at the Maria Hilf retirement home in Telgte. Sister M. Kunhildis lived in Kroge from 2008 onwards. For many years, she lovingly cared for the guests of the convent and took care of the laundry. In recent months, her health had deteriorated, and she wished to devote herself to God, to whom she had made a promise when she took her vows. Sister M. Kunhildis had always had a good relationship with her family.  That is why she was very happy to be able to spend the last phase of her life in Kroge. She always enjoyed visits from her relatives. They were with her on the day she died, actually for a birthday visit, which was to be their last. We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Kunhildis. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

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Pilgrims of Hope (9): Support

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in September: Hope for Support

A year ago, in mid-September 2024, large parts of Eastern Europe were hit by heavy rain and flooding. Many people lost their lives. In Poland, the region where the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis have been active since 1848 was particularly affected: when a dam broke, a flood wave poured into the Lower Silesian town of Ołdrzychowice Kłodzkie, home to the Motherhouse of our Polish Province. Roads, walls, cars, fences, and trees were simply swept away, and houses were flooded. When the water finally receded, the full extent of the devastation became apparent.

View from the Motherhouse of the Polish Province after the flood

At that time, the Provincial Superior of the Polish Province, Sister M. Maksymiliana Pilarska, was in Münster with a delegation of fellow Sisters to attend the General Chapter of the international Congregation. “Half of our group traveled back to our Motherhouse as quickly as possible,” she recalls today. What the Sisters found exceeded their worst fears. “The buildings were filled with water meters high. There was no electricity, no heating, no fresh water, no telephone, no internet.” Even a year later, the renovation work is still not complete.

Sister M. Stella Kowalska helped provide warmth and food

But looking back, it is not only horror that stands out, but also gratitude. “The support we received in this emergency situation was incredible – both locally and internationally.” This support came from neighbors, people from the region, the Polish government, the Sisters’ families, and the international Congregation. “The Generalate, our International Leadership in Münster, procured generators, drying equipment, and materials that were immediately sold out in our region,” reports Sister Maksymiliana. “They also provided medicine, water, food, and much more.” The German Province of the Congregation, the St. Franziskus Foundation, and the St. Antonius Parish in Münster also participated in the emergency aid, as did the shipping company Fiege Healthcare Logistics, which provided transportation. Urgently needed financial aid also came from Münster and from many people in Poland and around the world. By November 2024, the Sisters had received 369 monetary donations, both small and large. The Sisters shared their materials and funds with other affected people in the area. “We would like to once again express our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters,” emphasizes Sister Maksymiliana.

Provincial Superior Sister M. Maksymiliana Pilarska after chopping wood for the stoves

“The fact that we can help each other in times of need is one of the great gifts of our internationality,” says the Superior General of the Mauritzer Franciscan Sisters, Sister M. Margarete Ulager. However, the Franciscan Sisters’ worldwide aid is not limited to acute situations or to their own community. The sisters in the USA, who have been active in health care since 1875 and have founded many hospitals in the Midwest, have launched “Mission Outreach”: Based in Springfield, Illinois, the organization addresses the urgent medical needs of people in resource-poor areas around the world by collecting medical supplies and equipment from US hospitals, sorting them, repairing them if necessary, and then distributing them to hospitals and medical aid organizations worldwide. Mission Outreach’s biomedical engineering department tests and manages 700 medical devices and their associated consumables each year. The organization can count on the support of more than 300 volunteers to pack, inventory, and ship the relief supplies.

“Mission Outreach” is supported by more than 300 volunteers

Since its founding in 2002, it has saved more than $85 million worth of medical supplies and equipment that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. It has already supported 530 medical aid organizations worldwide; and in August 2024, the Mission Outreach team was delighted to reach its 100th country with a delivery to Burundi.

“What can I personally do to alleviate suffering – here and now, with my resources and capabilities?” This question already moved our namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, 800 years ago. He gave away all his worldly possessions and dedicated his life to serving God, and the sick and marginalized. Inspired by his example, we Hospital Sisters have been searching for new answers to this question ever since our Congregation was founded in 1844. And we have gratefully accepted the support we have been given. For example, from Leoś, a 10-year-old Polish boy: with the money he received as a gift for his First Communion, he bought a dehumidifier for the Sisters in Ołdrzychowice Kłodzkie.

By Sister M. Beata Kapica and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben”(Church+Life), in September 2025.

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Sister Maureen Fagan, OSF

I was born on December 25, 1945, in Madison, Wisconsin, and I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I enjoyed swimming in Lake Michigan, ice skating, and sports. My goal was to be a nurse, and while the idea of religious life crossed my mind, I knew that most Sisters were teachers, nurses, or social workers.

I entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on September 8, 1964, and professed First Vows on August 22, 1967. I earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marillac College, St. Louis, Missouri, and received certification as a Neonatal Nurse Clinician from Georgetown University (Washington, DC). I also completed studies from the Institute for Religious Formation (Catholic Theological Union) and the Institute for Spiritual Leadership (Chicago, Illinois). Throughout my religious life, I have served as a nurse at some of our hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, along with another Franciscan hospital in Illinois and a health center in Missouri. In addition, I served as the Pre-Novitiate Minister.

For the past 18 years, my ministry has been in Chicago serving at a homeless shelter, was a spiritual director, and taught the 12-Step Program (an international program supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions, and compulsions). I gave retreats to university students and homeless women where I used my knowledge of nursing, religious formation, the 12 Steps, and community outreach. It was a rewarding experience to live and work with others from various cultures.

Throughout my life, I have learned the importance of not cutting off communication with God during tough times, always doing what you love, and finding ways to nurture your spirituality.

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Sister Maria Fidelis

I, Sister Maria Fidelis was born on October 18, 1951, the feast of St. Luke, in a clinic room on the second floor of my grandfather’s house, who had a clinic in Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture. At the time of my birth, I had two elder brothers and a sister three years older than me. When I was born, my sister was playing in the yard with a helper when she heard the baby’s birth and went around to everyone she met saying, “The baby was born from the roof.” I was often teased, “You were born from the roof.” I was blessed with the opportunity to play in the waiting area and medicine room of this clinic and meet the neighbors who came as patients, especially the poor-feeling people who were taught that as Christians they had met persecution and lost everything to defend their faith. I grew up and lived here until I graduated from high school.

When I was 23 days old, I was baptized without my family being present. It is true that I was baptized, as my name is listed as Maria in the baptismal register of the church. My father was baptized as a Protestant from Buddhism as an adult and later converted to Catholicism, where he found the truth after a serious search. My mother, when she married and had her first son, thought it would not be good for our family to be divided, so my eldest brother and my mom were baptized together. None of her relatives were Catholics. In the church at that time, it was said that if the child born was not baptized early, the child would be taken by the devil, and the lady sent to my mother from the church disappeared with me for about an hour. My father was on a business trip and my mother was on leave after childbirth, so she was grounded. It was a long time for her, and she felt uncomfortable and on edge. I once heard my parents being verbally abused and persecuted by their relatives because they had joined the Catholic faith. I was saddened at the time, but I can only thank my parents for planting the seeds of faith in me.

My hometown, Hirado City, located at the westernmost tip of the mainland Japanese archipelago, is a port city with a long tradition of prosperity as a stage for trade with overseas countries, mainly in East Asia, since the time of the Sui Dynasty envoys, and as an international city with ties to Western countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands during the Age of Exploration in the 16th century. It also had ties with the Asian missionary Francis Xavier and was one of the places where the seeds of the Catholic faith were planted. Later, when the persecution of Christianity began, the area became a refuge for those who met persecution as Christians and lost everything to defend their faith, and many of them were poor. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps because of the strong image that joining the Christian faith equals poverty, the opposition of the people around them to my parents was extraordinary.

From the time I was in elementary school, I had decided to become a doctor like my grandfather, and I followed that path until my sophomore year of high school. However, during my sophomore year of high school, for some reason, “Through Mary to Christ” became etched in my mind. I thought it must have been one of the many books I enjoyed reading, but I could not find the passage anywhere. When I think of my religious vocation, I don’t even know when I first realized that the path of a sister was available to me.

People around me including my family could not believe that I would so easily change my mind about becoming a medical doctor, which had been my goal since I was a small child, and in line with my parents’ wishes, it was decided that my career decision would be withheld until I turned 20, and I was encouraged to study to become a homemaker and move to Tokyo to earn time at a college run by the Salesian Sisters. The study itself was interesting and I was blessed with friends. During that time, I experienced being a surrogate mother for the baptism and confirmation of several of my classmates and juniors. It was around this time that my father introduced me to a Franciscan priest he knew, and I began attending Seta on a regular basis. I had no contact with the Congregation or the sisters, so I had only a vague idea that I wanted to become a Sister, but my desire to become a Sister became stronger and stronger.

I was not sure which congregation I wanted to join, so I said, “I want to be involved with the sick.” There seemed to be many sisters in that field, and he gave me one name after another. I decided on the spot to join the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis Hospital, which was the first one the priest mentioned. During school vacations, instead of going home, I visited convents in Tokyo, Himeji, and Nagasaki.

After graduation, I took a job in the office of St. Francis Hospital in Nagasaki, where I received my first salary in my life and worked there until I was admitted to membership the following year. At that time, I met Sister M. Vianney, who was already working as a nurse, and we attended Mass every morning, even while sleeping, and shared a full meal together in the cafeteria. I became a member of our Congregation on February 11 at the age of 22 and have gone through each step of the process until today.

When I made my First Vows, I was sent to the office work of St. Mary’s Hospital in Himeji, and toward the end of my temporary vows, I was sent to the office wok at Easter Village in Ashikaga. After making my Final Vows, it was suggested that I obtain a pharmacist’s license, and I was able to enroll in a university within walking distance from our Tokyo Convent. As a result, I passed the national exam and was able to serve as a pharmacist at St. Mary’s Hospital for several years. At St. Francis Hospital, I was appreciated that I managed to be of service even when there was a shortage of Pharmacists. I have been sent to administrative positions for quite some time in the formation and administration of the Sisters in the province, as well as in the apostolate.

Next year will the 50th anniversary of my First Vows. Recently, I have been looking forward to the next successor.

On this occasion of this opportunity to share my story, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Congregation and the love of God who has accepted me, nurtured me, and given me the opportunity to serve you.

February 20th, 2025 at Himeji Convent
Sr. Maria Fidelis Furukawa Masako

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Sister M. Kunibalda

Born: September 21, 1938
Entrance: February 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: August 26, 2025

Our Sister completed her earthly life by the hand of the Mother of God and under her protection, Sister M. Kunibalda, née Katharina Heuer, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Virgin, Mother of God,
let me be wholly yours!
Yours for time and eternity!

(Prayer to Mary)

Sister M. Kunibalda was born into a mining family in Bottrop. She spent her childhood with her thirteen siblings, first in the Ruhr area and then in Legden near Ahaus from 1950 onwards. The family was characterized by a deep Christian faith and active involvement in the Catholic Church.

After finishing school, she helped her mother with the housework and earned money working on a farm before joining as the staff at Ahaus Hospital. She then joined our congregation in Muenster and was named Sister M. Kunibalda.

Following her nursing exams, she worked on a men’s internal medicine ward in Waltrop, in an intensive care unit in Gladbeck, and on another men’s ward in Wadersloh. In Kamp-Lintfort, she gained proficiency in ECG examinations. She then spent 38 years at Elisabeth Hospital in Meerbusch-Lank: 20 years in the ECG department, followed by a period in charge of the Sisters department. When the convent was dissolved in 2020, she moved to Nordwalde, where she spent her final days lovingly cared for by her fellow Sisters, the staff and her niece, who visited her on the day she died.

Sister M. Kunibalda was a great devotee of the Virgin Mary. She often entrusted herself to the Mother of God and loved praying to her. The months of May and October, traditionally associated with the rosary, were particularly precious to her.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Kunibalda. We remain united with her through sisterly love and the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Sister M. Ulrike

Born: May 15, 1941
Entrance: April 24, 1965
Professed: October 28, 1967
Died: August 26, 2025

After a long illness, the good and merciful God called to Himself our dear Sister M. Ulrike, née Hedwig Wienand, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

I am certain to see
God’s goodness in the land of the living.

(From Psalm 25)

Sister M. Ulrike was born in Stadtlohn, where she was raised alongside her four brothers and one sister. Her father died in a bombing raid when she was just three years old. During the war, their family home was destroyed in a fire, leaving her mother to raise six young children alone. This event had a profound effect on her and on family life. The young woman tried to support her family with the money she earned herself. At the age of 24, she met our Sisters at the hospital in Stadtlohn and joined our congregation. Following her religious profession, Sister M. Ulrike completed her secondary education in Münster and passed her nursing exam. From 1971 to 1986, she was Head Nurse on the women’s surgical ward at St. Bernhard Hospital in Kamp-Lintfort. She then attended the annual seminar for senior nurses in Göttingen.

During this time, she had a serious bicycle accident that changed her life. Unfortunately, she was never able to return to her previous level of activity. She worked as a sacristan at Haus Maria Trost and at the newly opened convent in Bardowick. She then worked at the reception desk in Bremen, Südlohn, and Telgte. In 2021, her strength declined so much that Sister M. Ulrike came to St. Heriburg House as a senior sister. Since 2022, she had been a resident of the Sylvia ward in Kroge, where she now gave her life back into God’s hands. Sister M. Simone lovingly accompanied her through her final years and remained by her side until her death.

Sister M. Ulrike was a deeply devout woman who lived by the teachings of the Gospel. She took a keen interest in all new theological topics. It was always a joy to discuss things with her.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ulrike. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

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Sister M. Liobalda

Born: August 20, 1930
Entrance: August 13, 1954
Professed: May 3, 1957
Died: August 25, 2025

GOD, the good shepherd to whom she entrusted her life, led our Sister home to complete her 95-year journey through life, Sister M. Liobalda, née Johanna Muhle, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“The Lord is my sheperd;
I have everything I need.”

(Psalm 23,1)

Sister M. Liobalda was born in Olfen in the district of Lüdinghausen and grew up with her uncle. Her parents died when she was three years old. Two of her four siblings also became nuns. She learned cooking from the Franciscan Sisters at the Seppenraden hospital. At the age of 24, she joined the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, became a nurse, and a dietitian.

IIn Emstek and Ankum, Sister M. Liobalda managed the hospital kitchen and then, from 1984 to 1998, served as the Superior and housekeeper at the priests’ seminary in Muenster. This was the time when Pope John Paul II visited Muenster. He stayed at the seminary at that time. For the next ten years, Sister M. Liobalda was the convent superior at the Ahaus hospital. After that, she worked in the library of the Lüdinghausen hospital. Then she moved to the motherhouse and took care of the chapel of Maria-Trost home in Muenster.

In 2016, Sister M. Liobalda moved into St. Heriburg House as a resident. She was increasingly limited by her illnesses. However, this did not prevent her from regularly attending church services in her wheelchair for as long as she could. It was her wish that the psalm verse “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” should appear on her death notice. In this way, she wanted to tell us that she always knew she was in the hands of the Good Shepherd and was thus able to master her long life, even after the early loss of her parents and with her serious illnesses.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Liobalda. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterly love.

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Pilgrims of Hope (8): Arrival

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in August: Hope for Arrival.

Pilgrimages have been very popular for some time now. One example is the Way of St. James or “Camino”, which was designated a European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in 1987 and is highly recommended. The official website of the German Way of St. James headquarters states that in the “record year” of 2024, almost half a million people traveled the “Camino” for the first time. They came from almost 200 countries, with pilgrims from Germany statistically ranking fourth – after Spain, America, and Italy.

The media also plays a major role in the growing awareness and popularity of pilgrimage routes. After German comedian and author Hape Kerkeling published his travelogue “Ich bin dann mal weg” (I’m off then) in 2006, the number of Germans on the Camino rose so sharply that statisticians even speak of a “Kerkeling effect.” The thousands of photos of the beautiful landscape posted on social media are also fueling this trend.

View from Subiaco Monastery

Even if modern pilgrimages are not always religiously motivated, there is often a spiritual longing behind them: the search for the essential, for one’s own path, and ultimately for the meaning of life. Many associate the pilgrimage experience with the hope of finding themselves. This begins long before the actual journey, when pilgrims plan their hiking stages, leave everyday life behind and consider what is absolutely essential in a backpack that, in the best case, weighs only six kilos.

It’s easier to travel with light luggage: pilgrimage has always been a metaphor for the journey of life. Its first boom can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Even then, Santiago de Compostela was one of the three most important Christian pilgrimage destinations, alongside Jerusalem and Rome. Our namesake, Francis of Assisi, made a pilgrimage there at the beginning of the 13th century – and as the son of a wealthy merchant family, he was one of the few who could afford to do so. In this Jubilee Year 2025, more than 40 million pilgrims are expected in the Eternal City, responding to Pope Francis’ call and invitation to be “pilgrims of hope.”

Among them will be several Sisters of various nationalities from our international Congregation, including German, Indian, and Japanese. Other Sisters from our German province, for example, have made a pilgrimage to Gerleve on the Ludgerusweg, and Sisters from the Japanese province have followed in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Philip to Assisi and Florence.

All pilgrimages have one thing in common: they are spiritual journeys that take place in our earthly world – in the here and now. That has always been challenging. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims were warned about highwaymen; today, they are warned about pickpockets. The queues of people waiting in front of the Holy Doors in Rome are long. The security guards at St. Peter’s Basilica ensure that no one dawdles when entering through the “Porta Santa,” while their colleagues at Santa Maria Maggiore try to prevent visitors from taking selfies at the tomb of Pope Francis.

There is little silence and contemplation, but all the more distraction. And pilgrims are also people who get hungry and thirsty, who get sunburned and suffer from sore feet. Therefore, a successful pilgrimage requires not only good preparation, but also a lot of patience with oneself and with others, as well as a great deal of determination.

Pilgrimage is and remains a life experience that can be very enriching, both spiritually and personally. Given all the possibilities available today, and the many people who are on the move, it is more worthwhile than ever to think carefully in advance about where you actually want to arrive: in Santiago, Assisi, or Rome. On Instagram, in your center, or a little closer to God.

By Sister M. Hiltrud Vacker and Claudia Berghorn
Photos: Kestin

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in August 2025.

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Sister M. Siegharda

Born: May 7, 1938
Entrance: February 7, 1958
Professed: October 28, 1960
Died: August 19, 2025

The good and benevolent God called to Himself our dear fellow sister, born by the name Elisabeth Grevenstette, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Mary said:

 “Do whatever he tells you.”

(Wedding at Cana, John 2:5)

Sister M. Siegharda was born on a farm in Gramdorf-Langwege in the district of Vechta. After finishing school, she began working in the kitchen of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Cloppenburg. Here she got to know and appreciate the sisters and her future profession. In the convent, she became a nurse and also trained as a dietitian. To be able to support the practical training of dietetic students at St Franziskus Hospital, Sister M. Siegharda attended the annual seminar at Werner School in Göttingen. For almost 30 years, she has helped many students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. Consequently, the hospital’s patients always received appropriate and varied diets. As well as caring for the sick, Sister M. Siegharda always had something to spare for those in need who came to her in the kitchen. Her open and positive attitude made it easy for her to connect with people.

As a devotee of Mary, the words of the Mother of God were important to her. ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Deeply rooted in her faith, after the Vatican II, she examined the innovations that were emerging within religious orders. In her limited free time, she attended theological seminars, further training courses, and discussions.

Following her time as diet kitchen manager at St. Franziskus Hospital, Sister M. Siegharda first served in the kitchen of Priests seminary in Münster, thereafter served in the Franciscan’s kitchen in Werl, and, as she grew older, became involved in Billerbeck and Vreden. In 2018, she moved to St. Anna-Stift as a senior citizen. Even here, she continued to devote herself wholeheartedly. For instance, she picked apples and cooked them in the kitchen. She also made sure to regularly clean the garden benches so that the sisters could use them. In the presence of her niece and fellow sisters, she now entrusted her rich life back into God’s hands.  

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Siegharda. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

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Sister M. Bernreda

Born: August 13, 1936
Entrance: January 31, 1959
Professed: October 28, 1961
Died: August 14, 2025

He who gives us flowers and herbs called his “flower friend” and fellow sister, born by the name Antonia Fastermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, to him.

“Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”

(Canticle of the Sun)

Sister M. Bernreda was a true Franciscan who made the Canticle of the Sun her life’s song. We knew her as a true flower lover. In all the convents, you could tell that Sister M. Bernreda was there by the floral decorations in the chapel and in the house. We especially remember her 26 years in Seppenrade. The flowers in the convent garden and on the Sisters’ graves bloomed much larger than elsewhere. When asked about this, she said that you had to talk to them and give good fertilizer to the roots. In winter, she grew the flowers in the greenhouse and then planted them in the spring. People came from near and far to admire her garden.

In addition to being a nurse, Sister M. Bernreda was also a dietitian and head of the kitchen in Dorsten for 18 years. She then completed the annual seminar for senior sisters in Göttingen and became the assistant to the superior in Gladbeck and Oberhausen-Osterfeld and herself superior in Liesborn.

In Seppenrade, she was finally able to turn her hobby of gardening into her main profession. She was put in charge of the garden. She also took over the driving service for the Sisters and contributed her beautiful singing voice to the convent’s prayers.

When the convent in Seppenrade was dissolved in 2021, she moved to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde as a senior citizen. By then, she had exhausted her strength, so she lovingly allowed herself to be cared for by the staff of the nursing station until she gave her life back into God’s hands on the afternoon after her 89th birthday.

Zur Übersicht

Donation of Ambulance in Pithora

How the Anjali family helps saving lives in Pithora

On February 2, 2025, the Sisters of the Indian Province had their newly built Anjali Hospital in Pithora, Raipur, blessed and dedicated. As a gesture of goodwill, Mr. Anil, the contractor responsible for constructing the hospital building, presented the Sisters with an ambulance to serve the hospital’s needs.

When Mr. Anil handed over the key to Sister M. Johncy, the Provincial Superior of the Indian Province, he was very moved. In his address, he shared both his painful memories and his joy:

“I present this ambulance for the use of the hospital, for its patients, in memory of my beloved parents.  When I was a young man, my family was involved in a tragic car accident. I vividly remember the incident which occurred just four days before my wedding. My parents were severely injured. Although we made every effort to get an ambulance to take my parents to the hospital on time, we failed.  We stood helplessly around my father as he died.  A short time later, my mother was taken to the nearest hospital, which was 80 kilometers away from the accident site. However, she also died a few months later.

Through this haunting experience, I realized how vulnerable our human life is. I also witnessed several other critical cases in the hospital, how people suffer when timely care is not available in critical situations. The pain of that loss remained, a pain I carry with me to this day. I would not have lost my father if an ambulance had been available on time…

Mr Anil and his family, who donated the ambulance

Now, standing here, offering you the very thing that might have saved my father, my heart is full of painful memory and yet full of joy. When I began working on this hospital project, my family and I made a heartfelt decision—to gift an ambulance to your hospital, with the hope of saving as many lives as possible. What happened to my father, and the pain endured by my mother, should never happen to another victim of an accident.  We are happy to be able to do this. To purchase this vehicle, the money is raised as a joint effort of my family. My children even spared every bit of their pocket money to raise this amount.”

Mr Anlil handing over the ambulance key to Sister M. Johncy, Provincial Superior of the Indian Province

The Sisters of our Indian Province and of our International Congregation are deeply grateful to Mr. Anil and his family for this wonderful and life-saving donation.

With the establishment of this hospital in Pithora, a lifelong dream of the pioneer missionaries, Sister M. Vulmara Hannöver and Sister M. Gerburg Aufderheide, the Sisters of the Indian Province and all our Sisters of the Congregation who have been involved in the planning and care of the Indian Mission has come true.  It was 52 years ago that Sister M. Vulmara left for India and the following year, 1974, when Sister M. Gerburg arrived in Pithora, they had to start from scratch.

Life was very hard for both of them.  The people in the village were very poor. If someone in the village was sick, they would ask the Sisters to give them some tablets against fever, malaria, typhoid, scabies… In those days, childbirth was often done at home. If it was a complicated case, they would help the baby to be born… This experience must have led them to set up a small dispensary, in a very humble way…

Sr. Gerburg caring for children in Pithora in the 70s

Inaugurating the newly built structure, Anjali Hospital, in her address to the Sisters, Sister M. Margarete Ulager, our General Superior stated: “Recalling all that has happened here during these fifty-two years of the life of the Indian Province, dear Sisters, I feel humbled to stand before you. You all have accomplished so much, and you have always tried to find God’s will within the reality of your daily life. What came into being out of the humble beginnings of Sister M. Gerburg, more than 50 years ago, is incredible. Sister M. Gerburg, you made India your home, and at the same time, you became Amma, a Mother for so many people: their nurse, their midwife, their teacher, provider, their comfort, life-saver and their consolation.”

The Indian province has nearly a hundred members serving in 17 different locations across India. Guided by the vision of Father Christopher Bernsmeyer, our founder in 1844, the Sisters carry forward his mission of rebuilding lives. They continue to serve as health professionals, teachers, and social activists – in striving to being and becoming Christ’s Healing Presence.  

Sister M. Lima Arackal

Memories of the Anjali Hospital Building site
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Pilgrims of Hope (7): Brothers and Sisters

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in July: Hope for Brothers and Sisters.

25.07.25. In 2018, a headline from the UK attracted a lot of attention: the world’s first “Ministry for Loneliness” was established in the United Kingdom. Two years later, Japan followed suit. In October 2023, an international study covering 140 countries found that almost one in four people worldwide suffers from loneliness. At almost the same time, the German government developed a “strategy against loneliness” and recently presented its latest “loneliness barometer,” which analyzes the experience of loneliness among the German population every year and states a rising trend.

Everyone agrees that loneliness is a major problem of our time, as loneliness not only weighs on the soul, but also on the body. Its toxic effect is said to be equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. Some studies even point to a threat to democracy, as lonely people show significantly less trust in political institutions and a stronger tendency toward extremism.

People who experience exclusion and discrimination have always been particularly affected by loneliness. During the lifetime of St. Francis of Assisi, it was lepers who were banished from the city gates and left to their fate. The Franciscan chronicles report that a personal encounter with a leper changed Francis’ life: The rich, spoiled young man dismounted from his horse and embraced the sick man, in whom he recognized his brother, in whom he recognized Jesus. Later, Francis and his companions dedicated their lives to these very sick and marginalized people, and included all of creation in their brotherly care. This is also evidenced by the “Canticle of the Sun,” which Francis wrote 800 years ago. In it, he refers to all fellow creatures, as well as the sun, moon, and the elements, as his brothers and sisters.

Since the founding of our Congregation in 1844, inspired by the example of St. Francis, we Hospital Sisters have always tried to live this kind of “brotherhood” or “sisterhood” in our service to God and humanity. In the early 1990s, this attitude led Sister M. Juvenalis Lammers and me to Berlin. It was a time when HIV, then a new virus, was spreading fear and terror, and infection was tantamount to a death sentence. Within Germany, a particularly large number of infected people lived and died in the capital, lonely and marginalized like “new lepers,” rejected by society, by the Church, and some even by their own families.

Sister M. Hannelore Huesmann, Sister M. Juvenalis Lammers and Sister M. Margret Steggemann in front of the “memorial curtain” in memory of the people who were accompanied by the Tauwerk hospice service

In November 1992, with the approval of our Congregation’s leadership in Münster, we moved to Berlin-Pankow, a district in the former East Germany. As trained nurses, we worked for four years in clinics and outpatient care to gain experience in treating AIDS patients. It quickly became clear to us that there was a gap in the care for these patients, especially in accompanying tose dying with AIDS. To fill this gap, we founded the outpatient hospice service “Hospizdienst Tauwerk e.V.” in 1997 together with like-minded people.

Sister M. Juvenalis and Sister M. Margret in the midst of Tauwerk volunteers

Since then, with the help specially trained volunteers and Sister M. Margret Steggemann, who joined us in Berlin in 2009, we have accompanied more than 500 AIDS patients till their death, offering them acceptance, interest, dialogue, and solidarity instead of loneliness and exclusion. We are delighted to be able to continue this commitment to people with AIDS under the umbrella of the Caritas Association for the Archdiocese of Berlin, starting this year.

Sister M. Juvenalis supporting an AIDS patient

St. Francis did not need international studies to know that the best medicine for loneliness is social contact and good relationships. In accompanying the dying, we too have repeatedly felt how much comfort there is in simply having someone there—when, instead of exclusion, a healing bond becomes palpable because we encounter each other as human beings, as brothers and sisters. Not only in sickness and in death, but also in the midst of our life; not only in Assisi and Berlin, but everywhere. And if, statistically speaking, one in four people is lonely, then, in very practical terms, there is lots to do for each and every one of us, wherever we are.

By Sister M. Hannelore Huesmann and Claudia Berghorn
Photos: private

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in July 2025.

Further information on the Hospice Service in Berlin can be found in the following video, which was created in 2022 in co-operation with St. Francis Foundation and the German Province of our Congregation.

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Sister M. Viventia

Born: January 3, 1932
Entrance: February 2, 1952
Professed: October 28, 1954
Died: July 16, 2025

On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 2:45 p.m., our beloved God called to himself our dear Sister M. Viventia, born by the name of Genowefa Herman, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Neh.8:10

Sister M. Viventia was born in Katowice/Chebzie.

During her postulancy, Sister M. Viventia worked as a nursing assistant in the surgical ward of St. Adalbert Hospital in Opole. She studied at a nursing school in Krakow and obtained her nursing diploma in 1964. She then worked as a highly competent nurse at the Children’s Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Wroclaw until September 1989. During this time, she was provincial councillor for six years and Superior of the local convent for twelve years. For another seven years, she worked in housekeeping and as matron at the bishop’s residence in Opole. From 1996, she lived in the provincial house, where she took on various household tasks and helped in the infirmary. In 2017, she was transferred to the nursing home in Opole-Stephanshöh because she needed treatment and rehabilitation.

Sister M. Viventia distinguished herself in her service as a nurse and by her superior kindness, goodwill, hospitality, gentleness toward all, and a great sense of humour. She had a generous and kind heart for the poor and needy who knocked on the doors of our convents. She showed great openness toward those who visited our provincial house, offering them a kind word, time, and friendliness. Many who came unexpectedly felt welcome and cared for by Sister M. Viventia, who received them at the gate. She was very conscientious in her duties.

From an early age, she had a special love for St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She claimed to be as stubborn as little Teresa herself. Sister M. Viventia was as persistent on the path to holiness as Saint Teresa and, like her, had a gentle and boundless love for Jesus.

She cultivated relationships with her family, showed them love and kindness, and surrounded them with prayer and gratitude.

In her last years, her physical strength declined more and more, which she accepted with resignation to God’s will, and on July 16, in the 71st year of her religious life, she slept peacefully under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and entered the Kingdom of Heaven.

She is grateful to her fellow sisters for all the kindness and service they have shown her, especially to the sisters in Opole Szczepanowice. We continue to commend herself to our prayers and trust that she will support us from heaven.

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Sister M. Alfriedis

Born: February 2, 1931
Entrance: August 8, 1952
Professed: May 3, 1955
Died: July 19, 2025

In the hope that Christ, her strength and light, would guide her on her way, our fellow sister, born by the name Gertrud Schölpen, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back into the hands of the good and merciful God.

My hope and my joy, my strength, my light,

Christ my confidence. I trust in you and am not afraid.

(Gotteslob No. 365)

Sister M. Alfriedis was born in Homberg on the Lower Rhine shortly before the beginning of the Third Reich. Her childhood and school years fell during the time of National Socialism.

Her school certificate bears a stamp with the swastika. Her Catholic family did not have an easy time, but their strong faith carried them through these difficult times and had a lasting impact on their lives.

At the age of 21, Gertrud Schölpen joined our religious order and became Sister M. Alfriedis.

Caring for the sick and elderly was always a deep concern of hers. After qualifying, she worked for 33 years as a nurse and ward sister in Hückeswagen and Waldniel. She then completed a geriatric care seminar while working, in Holthausen, and moved from the Rhineland into elder care at Körbecke on Lake Möhne, with intermediate stops in Dortmund and Sevelen. In 2012, she was finally able to rest from her long service and moved as a senior to the Maria Hilf convent in Telgte. In 2015, she transferred to the St. Heriburg House, where she spent her final months in the new ward St. Klara, enjoying the special atmosphere of this residential group.

According to reports, her namesake, Saint Alfried, died “rich in days”—and so did Sister M. Alfriedis, who lived to be 94 years old.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Alfriedis. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Zur Übersicht

Pilgrims of Hope (6): Understanding

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in June: Hope for Understanding.

We recently celebrated the birth of the Church at Pentecost. Every year, the text of the Gospel fascinates us anew: The Disciples had gathered together in fear and had hid themselves. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon them as tongues of fire, encouraging and inspiring them. The Disciples began to preach, and the miracle happened: “Everyone heard them speaking in their own language.”

This reference makes it clear that language has always been of great importance for proclaiming the Good News, first in the multi-ethnic state of Israel, which at that time belonged to the Roman Empire.

Francis of Assisi, our patron saint, and the Brothers of his community would probably have wished for such a Pentecost miracle at times. They were filled with the desire to spread the message of Jesus throughout the world, and to bear witness to it through their simple life according to the Gospel, in the service of God and the people. Even during the saint’s lifetime, they set out from Assisi to the whole world, mostly in pairs or small groups. But their faith and courage were clearly greater than their knowledge of the world, so that some of their missionary journeys failed.

This was the case in 1219, for example, when about 60 brothers crossed the Alps into what is now Germany without speaking the language. They were asked if they needed shelter and food. They tried answering “Ja!” (“yes”) and were welcomed kindly. The Brothers decided to answer every question with “Ja!” from then on. Were they heretics? “Ja!” they replied, and were astonished to be chased away with insults and shame. A failed but instructive encounter. When the Brothers crossed the Alps again two years later, their mission was successful thanks to careful preparation and better language skills: with their settlement in Augsburg in 1221, the history of the Franciscans in Germany began.

Statue of St. Francis in Assisi (Photo: Kestin)

Language has always been very important to us Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. This was already the case in 1875, when 20 of our young Sisters went to the USA – trained nurses without any knowledge of English, who initially mainly cared for German immigrants. After a short time, they found the language barrier so hindering to their work that they studied English alongside primary school children. Their new language skills helped them to establish the American Province, to found hospitals, and to set up the first Catholic nursing school in the USA. Of course, it also helped them to proclaim their faith. During further missions in Europe, East Asia, Africa, and India, our Sisters were repeatedly confronted with the task of communication.

Today, 500 Hospital Sisters of St. Francis live in our international Congregation worldwide. The diversity of nations, languages, and cultures is both a great treasure and a great challenge. We have chosen English as the common language that unites us—although it is a foreign language for most of our Sisters! This is also true for our Polish Sister, Sr. M. Teresa Wawrovicz. “At school, I was more interested in maths,” says the 36-year-old. She studied financial management and accounting and worked as Provincial Treasurer in the Polish province since 2019 before being elected General Councilor at the General Chapter in Münster in September 2024. She immediately realized that she would need to improve her language skills for her new responsibilities in the international leadership of the Congregation. She has been living in Dublin since the beginning of the year to learn English for six months. As soon as she returns to Münster, she will start learning German.

Our Polish Sisters studying language and culture in Ireland, from the left: Sister M. Katarzyna, General Councilor Sister M. Teresa and Sister M. Dominika
Leaving for Dublin, Jan. 2025
Studying English together
From learning to understanding

For us, studying languages is not just about understanding the content, but also about intercultural understanding. This is an important skill for the future that we have incorporated into the training program for the young Sisters in our community. Sr. M. Katarzyna and Sr. M. Dominka, two more Sisters from the Polish Province, are now also learning English in Ireland; as Europeans, they do not need a visa there.

In the case of three of our young Vietnamese Sisters from our Japan Province, it was difficult to obtain one-year visas for Germany. Sr. M. Hilary Nguyen, Sr. M. Josepha Bui, and Sr. M Angela Hoang are currently living with us in the German Motherhouse. They will spend six months learning German in Muenster, after which they will go to Malta to learn English. They were accompanied on their long journey to Germany by Sister Maria Fidelis Furukawa, Provincial Superior of our Japan Province, and Japanese Provincial Councilor Sister M. Vianney Kawaguchi. Incidentally, their first foreign language when they entered our religious community was Japanese.

From the left: Japanese Provincial Superior Sister Maria Fidelis Furukawa and Provincial Councilor Sister M. Vianney Kawaguchi with the Vietnamese Sisters Sr. M. Angela Hoang, Sr. M. Hilary Nguyen, Sr. M. Josepha Bui (Photo: Kestin)
Enjoying the garden at the Motherhouse in Muenster
Our common language – an investment into our future!

The language that unites our community is important not only for our personal contact, but also for our spiritual life. “First I learned the prayers and the liturgy in English,” reports Sister Teresa. Because religious life is about relationships – relationships with God, with our fellow sisters, and with all the people we meet. Intercultural competence promotes our tolerance and understanding, wherever we are and whatever we do.

By Sister M. Rita Edakkoottathil and Claudia Berghorn
Photos: Michael Kestin

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in June 2025.

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Sister Mary Evelyn, OSF

Born: December 27, 1922
Entrance: September 8, 1949
Professed: June 13, 1952
Died: June 21, 2025

Jesus Christ called our Sister to join him in his heavenly home, Sister Mary Evelyn Lamb, OSF, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

But the Lord has been my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Psalm 94:22

When you are the oldest of 12 children, your parents will need your assistance with cooking, household chores, and the care of your younger siblings. By doing so, you will learn many things, including the value of strength, and such is the character of Sister Mary Evelyn, OSF. The strength she leamed as a child, and which carried her through her 102 years of life, was what gently guided her feet as she stepped into heaven on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 11 :15 a.m. with Sisters Jamesine and Marilyn, along with Associate Pat Goldsmith, at her side.

Mary Evelyn Lamb was born in Aud, MO, on December 27, 1922, the daughter of James Earl end Hada (Mantle) Lamb. She enjoyed school and was the valedictorian of her graduating class. While she taught first through eighth grades in a one-room school, and worked in a pants factory and the superintendent of schools’ office, she felt a calling to religious life to be a missionary nurse.

In 1945, she was in a boat on a man-made lake on the family’s property with her 18-year-old sister Eartine and a friend. As the boat capsized, her friend swam to safety, while Sister Mary Evelyn, who could not swim, climbed onto the boat. As she watched Earline drown in the lake, Sister Mary Evelyn asked God to save her life, and in doing so, she could follow her calling to religious life. Four years later, an advertisement for the Hospital Sisters in a vocation magazine caught her eye, and following her visit to the Motherhouse, she entered on September 8, 1949. She professed her first vows on June 13, 1952, and two of her sisters joined her in this community: Jane Marie (1954) and Jamesine (1955).

Sister Mary Evelyn was a 1958 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She also earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Quincy University in 1956 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Sangamon State University in 1975.

Sister Mary Evelyn served in nursing at HSHS lllinois and Wisconsin hospitals and St. Francis Convent. In addition, she served at Springfleld & Sangamon County Community Action, Alverna Horne Nursing Center, Chicago, IL (she enjoyed drivlng in the city), and at lnterfaith Caregivers, Eau Claire, WI, where she was the assistant director.

Sister Mary Evelyn returned to St. Francis Convent in 1995 and, in the years that followed, she remained active by painting in various styles, including icons, healing touch, regular exercise, playing Rummikub, and showcasing her sense of humor, which was one of her trademarks. She was dedicated to the life she chose and lived it fully.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers: Melvin Mark, James Earl 11, Paul David, Dale George, Walter William, and Robert Owen: and sisters: Earline Lucy Lamb and Sister Jane Marie Lamb, OSF (2005). She is survived by a brother, Charles Joseph (Kansas City, MO), and sisters: Sister Jamesine Lamb, OSF, and Esther Ann Brandt (Kansas City, MO}, many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Services and burial will be at St. Francis Convent. The Visitation wlll be held on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 4-7 p.m. with a Wake Service at 6:00 p.m. The Eucharistie Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Gregory Dick, O.Praem., on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 10 a.m. in the St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel, and burial will be in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery. Butler Funeral Horne is in charge of arrangements.

As her family greeted her in heaven, her parents and siblings joined in God’s proclamation of “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” May she rest in peace.

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Sister M. Ancilla

Born: October 25, 1935
Entrance: August 10, 1956
Professed: May 3, 1959
Died: June 30, 2025

Jesus Christ called our Sister to join him in his heavenly home, Sister M. Ancilla, née Theresia Schomaker, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.”

Phil 3, 20

Sister M. Ancilla grew up with her twelve siblings on the Schomaker family farm in Westendorf near Glandorf. Like her four sisters, Gottharda, Alderika, Emilianis and Rosalia, she became a member of our congregation.

Until 1983, Sister M. Ancilla worked as a nurse in Legden and Issum-Sevelen. Then she attended a geriatric nursing seminar in Munich and cared for the elderly and for her fellow sisters in Issum-Sevelen, Alpen and in the St. Heriburg House. From 2007, she lived in Lingen-Biene, where she took care of the household and the parish church in the small convent with Sister M. Emilianis. She particularly enjoyed this service, as it allowed her to make good use of her creative skills and the sisters there had a lot of contact with the people in the parish. When the convent was dissolved, she returned to the motherhouse together with Sister M. Emilianis. There, too, she continued to work in the sewing room, despite her dwindling strength.

Together, the two siblings moved to St. Heriburg House as seniors in April of this year, where Sister M. Ancilla gave her life back to God in the early hours of the morning of June 30. Her sisters Gottharda, Alderika, and Rosalia are waiting for her in heaven.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ancilla. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and we remain united with her in sisterly love.  Our sympathy goes out to Sister M. Emilianis, who accompanied her until her dying hour.

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Sister M. Reginata

Born: June 29, 1927
Entrance: January 25, 1952
Professed: October 28, 1954
Died: June 16, 2025

Under the protection and guidance of the Blessed Mother, our sister, born Elisabeth Brinker-Ohmscheiper, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back to God at the age of 98.

Mary said: “Do whatever he tells you.”

Wedding at Cana, Joh. 2,5

‘Active charity has defined her life since her youth,’ wrote the local newspaper WAZ in Lünen in 1987 about Sister M. Reginata.  In 1990, she was honored with an honorary certificate as ‘the most popular helper in white’. Friendliness, helpfulness and tireless dedication were cited as her outstanding qualities. This is how we have known and appreciated her for 73 years.

Sister M. Reginata was born in Wettringen 98 years ago and joined our congregation at the age of 25. Following her training as a nurse and ward sister, she became a hospital chaplain, working in Ahaus for the first three years and then at the Marienhospital in Lünen for six years. She then worked as a pastoral care worker at the Maria Frieden rehabilitation clinic in Telgte for another 25 years, where she managed the library as well as providing pastoral care and enjoying interacting with people.

Sister M. Reginata was a pastoral care worker through and through, and she was affectionately known as the ‘Bishop’. She introduced several Nigerian priests to both the German language and the way of life. Had it been possible, she would have been well suited to leading a parish.  Sister M. Reginata had a wealth of prayers which accompanied her into old age. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother and enjoyed making pilgrimages to the Chapel of Grace in Telgte to feel close to her.

Ten years ago, Sister M. Reginata came to St. Heriburg House, where she lived in the new 
St. Klara residential area for the last few months due to her dementia.  She resided here for the rest of her life, where she received devoted care from her fellow sisters and staff.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Reginata. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Sister M. Elsy

I was born in 1968 in the village of Purapuzha in the Idukki district of Kerala. My parents are Mrs. Mariyam and the late Mr. Devassy. I am the third child among six siblings (two boys and four girls). My father was a farmer, and my mother is a homemaker.

Initially, I lived with my grandparents in Ramapuram. Seeing their deep prayer life, the seed of faith began to grow in me. They encouraged me to learn all the prayers and took me along with them to church.

Later, my parents moved from Purapuzha to Upuzha in the Thrissur district, and since then, I stayed with them and my siblings. I gratefully remember and cherish the wonderful time we shared as a family. I always thank God for my parents, who were role models in both physical and spiritual growth.

I studied at St. Anne’s Girls High School and stayed in the hostel run by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC Sisters). There, I had the opportunity to take part in the Holy Eucharist every day, which helped me realize the importance of being close to God. The Sisters organized various spiritual and cultural programmes to guide and inspire us to choose the right path in life. Looking back, I had no intention of becoming a religious sister during my early school years, even though the CMC Sisters often spoke about vocations to religious life.

Sometimes, God speaks to us through friends, family members, people of faith, and even through life’s circumstances. These moments of insight can awaken thoughts we never had before. When I was in 9th standard, a priest who worked in North India visited our school and shared his missionary experiences. I was deeply inspired by his service and felt that Jesus was calling me too.

I am especially grateful to Sr. Baylon of the CMC sisters, who encouraged me to attend vocation camps. These helped me discern my calling to religious life. When I expressed my desire to her, she invited me to join their congregation. However, I felt a strong desire to be a missionary in North India.

I shared this with my elder sister, who was in Indore at that time. She connected me with the Medical Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Pithora. Later, Sister M. Gerburg contacted me through Father Thomas Vadakekary, the then parish priest of Pithora, who was on home holidays. Everything that followed felt like a miracle in my life.

Two other girls from Kerala joined me to travel with Father Thomas. We reached Pithora on December 7, 1985.

During my candidacy, I was sent to Tatibandh for my Higher Secondary studies at an English medium school run by the Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ). After completing this two years’ curriculum, I went through the various stages of formation that helped me discern and commit myself to Jesus Christ.

I made my First Profession on January 25,1992 and my Final Vows on December 9, 1997. I celebrated my Silver Jubilee in 2017.

“What shall I render to the Lord for all His goodness to me?”
(Psalm 116:12)

Over the years, I have lived in different communities. At present, I am serving as a Lab Technician in the hospital at Anjali Niketan, Pithora. I am happy and content in my religious life and ever grateful to God for His countless blessings. I thank God for His mighty hand upon me throughout these years.

Lord, I thank You for choosing me and using me for Your mission. Direct and guide me as I continue this journey with You.

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Sister M. Bernaldis

Born: September 16, 1939
Entrance: february 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: June 7, 2025

The good God, in whose hands her name has been written for 86 years, now took our fellow Sisters by the hand and led her to himself, Sister M. Bernaldis, née Helene Eilermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

God has written us in his hand, and God’s hands are good hands.

Cardinal Höffner

Sister M. Bernaldis was born in Spahnharrenstätte, near Sögel, in the German Emsland. Despite the early death of mother, she and her siblings were able to stay together as a family. Sister M. Bernaldis was very grateful for this. It was through her training with Sister M. Landeline in the Cloppenburg hospital kitchen that she became acquainted with the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.

Following her nursing exams, Sister M. Bernaldis spent the next ten years working as a surgical nurse at Marienhospital in Luenen. However, she missed having direct contact with patients. She therefore completed her training in outpatient care and geriatric nursing at Arenberg, after which she was employed in social care units in Dingden, Datteln, and Muenster-Roxel. Subsequently, she took over the outpatient hospice service in Recklinghausen, followed by the pastoral care service in Emsdetten and Ahaus.

Many people knew and appreciated Sister M. Bernaldis, who always drove up in her little car with a friendly face, as well as a great deal of expertise and empathy.

Sister M. Bernaldis had lived at St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde as a senior since 2016. She repeatedly supported her fellow Sisters who were sick or dying, spending many hours praying at their bedsides. She was always available to help when needed. She managed to continue doing so until a few weeks ago, when she fell ill with cancer herself. She was very aware of her mortality and approached her death calmly. She received a great deal of support from her family and the nursing staff, particularly Sisters M. Seraphinis and M. Vincentia. Thus, protected and sheltered, she was able to put her life back in God’s hands in the early hours of the Saturday before Pentecost.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Bernaldis. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Sister M. Reingardis

Born: April 3, 1938
Entrance: August 12, 1960
Professed: Mai 3, 1963
Died: June 6, 2025

One day after celebrating the 70th anniversary of her religious profession, the Lord God “”At the age of 87, she returned her life to the hands of God, our dear Sister M. Reingardis, née Lucia Wiewel, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Into your hand Lord I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me,
O Lord, God of truth.

Psalm 31:6

Sister M. Reingardis was born in Neuenkirchen Vörden/Germany, where she grew up with her six siblings. She was particularly good at housework. After leaving school, she worked as a housekeeper on a farm in Lage-Rieste. It was through her aunt, Sister M. Baldimera, who was a kitchen nurse in Damme, that Lucia found her way to the Hospital Sisters at the age of 22.

After her Profession, she completed her nursing training in Muenster, underwent training as a healthcare trainer in Essen, and completed a ward manager course in Freiburg. Well equipped with these qualifications, she worked as a nurse and ward manager in several hospitals until 1980. She then turned her attention to housekeeping, a subject in which she was greatly interested. She worked in Dingden, Gladbeck and Dorsten, and from 1995 to 2015 she worked in the refectory of the Motherhouse in Muenster. She particularly enjoyed helping the guests who came to the Elisabeth Oasis for their daily breakfast.

From 2015 onwards, Sister M. Reingardis lived as a senior citizen, most recently in St. Heriburg House in Muenster, where she returned her life to God in the presence of her fellow sisters.

Her final years were characterized by her deteriorating hearing, which caused her great distress. However, this did not stop her from participating in community life, especially daily prayer and celebrating the Eucharist.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Reingardis. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Pilgrims of Hope (5): Peace

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in Mai: Hope for Peace.

On May 8, 2025, the German Bundestag held a memorial service to commemorate the end of World War II and the liberation from National Socialism 80 years ago. Back then, in 1945, peace finally returned to Europe. However, this peace did not last until the memorial service.

On the same day, Robert Francis Prevost was elected the 267th Pontifex of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. The first words he spoke as Pope Leo XIV were: “Peace be with you all!” In fact, “peace” was a key word in his speech, and since then many have hoped that he, as the “Pope of Peace,” will help end the current wars and overcome the major crises in the world.

War and peace have always been among the most pressing issues in human history. St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of our Congregation, took part in a war against the neighboring city of Perugia in 1202 and spent more than a year as a prisoner of war in a dungeon. He returned to Assisi a sick and broken man and changed his life: he renounced all his worldly possessions and turned to God, and to the poor and marginalized. Peace between people, nations, and religions became an important concern for him: in 1219, Francis traveled to Palestine as a missionary and joined the Crusaders. Hoping to bring peace, he preached in the camp of the Muslim army before Sultan Al-Kamil. Unfortunately, his hope was not fulfilled.

Many of our Sisters can also tell of war experiences that have influenced their lives. This is also true of Sister M. Manuela Musholt, who was born in February 1940 on a small farm in Gescher-Estern as the eleventh of 15 children.

“My two oldest brothers were taken from the farm shortly before the end of the war and sent to the front when they were 17 and 16 years old,” she reports. “They were missing for four years before returning sick and traumatized from captivity in Siberia on Christmas Day 1949.” Sister Manuela remembers the nights toward the end of the war when all the windows were blacked out in the evening and the sound of Allied bombers flying over the house. “We prayed a lot during those nights,” she says, “for our brothers at the front, for our whole family, and for peace for all.” Religious life was always very important in her family. Sister Manuela developed an early desire to serve God, and the people—as a nurse. So, at the age of 19, she joined the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and began her nursing training in the hospital during her novitiate.

After many years working as a nurse as well as in occupational therapy and later in the Provincial Administration of the German Province, Sister Manuela has been looking after the museum in the Motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters since 2018. Here, visitors can also learn about the many Sisters who served in military hospitals – first in the German-Danish War of 1864, just 20 years after the Congregation was founded. Thirty-four sisters from Münster cared for the war wounded in the Austrian army’s military hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein in the North of Germany. As a token of gratitude, the then Mother Superior received a chasuble from the Austrian imperial couple, which now attracts many visitors to the museum as “Sissi’s chasuble.”

The sisters also served in military hospitals during the wars of 1866 and 1870/71, as well as in both World Wars, both on the front lines and in the hospitals and convents of the Congregation where military hospitals had been set up. They were called upon to do so by the Red Cross, among others. Many Sisters received medals and awards for their work, and quite a few died side by side with the wounded they cared for.

Longuyon, France, 1917
Our Sisters in the operating theatre during WWI
St. Quentin, France

The old photos in the museum clearly show the suffering and inhumanity of war. “Both as nurses and as Franciscan Sisters, we will always be advocates of peace,” says Sister Manuela. This is entirely in keeping with the spirit of St. Francis, whose greeting unites us: “Pace e bene,” peace and all good.

By Sister M. Margarete Ulager and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in Mai 2025.

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Sister M. Zita Hisako Sugita

My name is Sister M. Zita Hisako Sugita. I was born in 1938 in Yashiro, Asago-cho, Asago City, in the Hyogo prefecture. My family’s religion is Buddhism (Zen). I have two brothers. My mother died when I was three years old, and my father’s cousin (my adoptive father) took me in. My adoptive father lived alone and raised me up.

When I was at Junior Highschool, a man from the Ikuno Catholic Church came to the school and distributed devotional pictures. It was through these pictures that I first encountered Catholicism. After that, a relative in Kyoto introduced me to a dentist’s family, and I went to work there as a housekeeper. Everyone in the house was Catholic. Next door to the dentist was the Saiin Church. I attended that church with the members of this family and received the grace of baptism. My baptismal name is Gracia.

Then I returned to my birthplace. I belonged to the Ikuno Church. My adoptive father heard me praying before my meal and became interested. I began to teach him the Catholic catechism. When my adoptive father became ill, he was entered to St. Mary’s Hospital. He was baptized by Fr. Daniel, the chief priest of Ikuno Catholic Church.

I worked at Himeji St. Mary’s Hospital for about three years through the introduction of Fr. Daniel. I met sisters here and learned about religious life. Then four young women I met at Ikuno Catholic Church entered the Congregation. This led me to consider religious life, and at the age of 23, I decided to entered our congregation. However, my adoptive father was against it and strongly recommended me to get married. I spent my time taking care of my adoptive father, keeping my mind set. After seven years, my adoptive father passed away. Before he died, he told me to live the happiest life, and knocked on the doors of our congregation.　

I joined our congregation on February 11, 1973, made my first vows on April 18, 1976, and pronounced my final vows in 1979. I worked in the laundry of our convent after my first vows, and after a while I also worked as a housekeeper at St. Mary’s Hospital.

After pronouncing my final vows, I worked in the kitchen of Francis Villa in Tokyo for 4 years, in the kitchen of St. Mary’s Hospital for 3 years, and then in the laundry for 8 years. I worked for 2 years as an assistant in the rehabilitation department of Nagasaki St. Francis Hospital. At that time, the Korean mission had started already. It was asked to go on a mission to Korea, so I volunteered. There, I spent a year at a formation house in Seoul, sharing the Bible once a month in Japanese, and helping out at a
nursing home（belong OFM）in Jang Seong prefecture. When I went shopping, I communicated in broken Korean.

After returning to Japan, I spent 2 years as a volunteer at Nibuno Villa, where a retired priests and sisters lived. And I have spent 11 years as a volunteer with sisters at the chapel of Himeji convent and Maria Villa. I have experienced many places of apostolate and had many encounters.

One of the most memorable moments for me was when I was doing my apostolate at the chapel of Himeji convent. A man of about 65 years came to the chapel every day crying and praying. I asked him what happened. He told me his son had committed suicide, his wife had died trying to help him, and he had buried both of them. I listened to what he said and replied, “If you cry every day, your son in heaven must be incredibly sad. Your son would be so relieved and pleased to know that you are living a positive, happy, and healthy life.” About a week later, he came to the chapel and changed completely, became cheerful and energetic, and thanked me. I was so happy and thanked God.

Currently, I am a flower attendant at the Ritiro chapel of the Retreat House in Himeji, and my apostolate is prayer. I grow flowers and vegetables in a small space in a field. The flowers are displayed in the chapel. I also spend time with my hobbies, calligraphy and Japanese paintings.

I give everything to God through what I can do. I thank God for the religious life and apostolate God has given me since my first vows.

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Sister M. Benediktis

Born: April 1, 1928
Entrance: August 9, 1952
Professed: Mai 3, 1955
Died: May 7, 2025

One day after celebrating the 70th anniversary of her religious profession, the Lord God completed the earthly life of our dear Sister M. Benediktis Brügge, Anna Feldhacke, Hosptial Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

When God calls us home, it is the greatest holiday for our soul, because we come to the one who loves us most.

(St. Francis de Sales)

Sister M. Benediktis was born in Recke 97 years ago and grew up with her five siblings on her parents’ farm. After primary school she attended a commercial college in Osnabrück. There she received an “emergency diploma”, as the school had to be closed in 1944 due to the many bomb raids on the city. In the same year, her father died and her brothers were at war, so Anna had to help with the farm work at home. She met our Sisters in the hospital at Recke in 1952 and joined our congregation at the age of 24.

From 1961 to 1979, Sister M. Benediktis was in charge of the laboratory in Lingen and Cloppenburg. It was then that she had the opportunity for training in pastoral care. This was her heart’s desire. From 1980 to 2006 she worked as a pastoral counselor in Lünen and Gronau. There she was able to share her deep faith with many people. Because of her age, she then moved to St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde. There she loved to spend time in the library until her strength no longer allowed it.

Sister M. Benediktis was given the great grace of celebrating her Jubilee of Grace the day before her death in the company of her sisters and relatives. She was especially grateful to her brothers and sisters, as well as to her nieces and nephews, who, together with her fellow Sisters, were always there for her.

Her wish was that Jesus Christ would meet her at the hour of death and that she would then be able to see all those who were dear to her again. We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Benediktis. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Pilgrims of Hope (4): Renewal

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in March: Hope for Renewal.

In the cycle of nature, April is a month of renewal: finally, the days are getting longer again, and every year, we can enjoy the bright yellow of the daffodils and the delicate green of the first leaves.

Our church year also follows a cycle of growth and decay, which culminates in the Holy Week. Here, death and renewal are particularly close together. The good news is that Jesus’ death on the cross is not the end, but the prerequisite for a new beginning, for Resurrection. Every year, this Easter message strengthens our faith, and our hope that a new beginning, that renewal is possible.

Our patron, St. Francis of Assisi, who had a particularly close relationship with nature, was also convinced of this. In 1225, when he was already terminally ill, Francis wrote his hymn of praise to God’s creation, the “Canticle of the Creatures,” known to many as “Laudato Si.” This year, 2025, the Franciscan family celebrates the 800th anniversary of this important work.

At a time when the word “sustainability” was still a long way from being invented, Francis lived in true harmony with nature. In his “Canticle of the Creatures,” he thanked God for his creation. Full of respect and at the same time very intimately, he speaks of the sun, the moon and the elements as his “brothers and sisters”, and he is not afraid of “Brother Death,” who is, after all, a natural part of the cycle called life. In 1979, Pope John Paul II named St. Francis the patron saint of environmental protection and ecology.

St. Francis’ way of life would also be described as “sustainable” today: He renounced personal possessions and consumption, and only had the bare necessities for life – a conscious restriction that set him free to serve God and humanity.

As Franciscan Sisters, we have based our lives on these principles of St. Francis since the founding of our religious community in 1844. When we entered the Congregation, we vowed to live in “poverty, celibacy, and obedience.” In the past, this also meant that the Congregation lived as self-sufficiently as possible, and in harmony with nature: Until well after World War II, our Motherhouse in Muenster also comprised a farm; we Sisters ran a nursery and a bakery, our own wash house and a large kitchen, which we used to feed not only ourselves but also the patients at St. Francis Hospital and many people in need.

Aerial view around 1930
Motherhouse kitchen, 1979
Motherhouse nursery

This has changed step by step, but we remain self-sufficient in one area: In our German Motherhouse, we run a tailor’s workshop where the clothes and veils for all the Sisters of the German Province and the General Administration are made to measure.

Sister M. Pankratia Stuewe has been working here since 1976. She turned 86 in February and celebrated her 60th anniversary last year. “We currently dress about 250 Sisters,” Sister Pankratia says. Like all the Sisters in the past, she originally trained as a nurse and worked in nursing for several years. But when help was needed in the tailor’s workshop, Sister Pankratia changed her place of work and learned the tailoring trade from scratch from her fellow Sisters. Today, she works with two bespoke tailors and specializes in sewing and adjusting the Sisters’ habits and veils. In her almost 50 years of service, she has only seen the Sisters’ clothing change twice – most recently in 1989. “The dress is much more practical than the former habit,” she explains. All the fabrics are robust and durable. For the veil, we Sisters can choose between a festive black and a white model, and the dress is available in four colors: anthracite or light gray for everyday wear, black for festive occasions and Church Holidays, and white for work. This means that we are always dressed appropriately. What more could a woman want?

Sister Pankratia with a veil
Fitting Sr. Teresa’s veil
Taking measure

Sustainable clothing, sustainably produced: We have been using renewable energy since 2022, when 690 solar modules installed on 1316 square meters of roof space. This photovoltaic system covers more than half of the energy requirements of our mother house and saves 122 tons of CO2 annually. St. Francis would certainly approve of that. And of the view of the roof of our Motherhouse Church in the dark: the solar panels form a cross shape that is illuminated by LEDs at night. And this shining cross reminds us again and again of God, the source of our faith, and of our hope for renewal.

By Sister M. Diethilde Boevingloh and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published in German, online and in print, in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in April 2025.

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Schwester M. Maristella

Born: April 28, 1928
Entrance: January 27, 1956
Profession: October 28, 1958
Died: April 27, 2025

On the morning of Divine Mercy Sunday, our sister, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis and born by the name of Maria Willen gave her life back into God’s hands.

Virgin, Mother of God,
let me be wholly yours!

(Prayer to Mary)

Sister M. Maristella was born in Lewinghausen near Löningen on the Willen family farm, where she grew up with her three sisters and four brothers. Before joining the congregation, she completed her nursing training at the Augusta Hospital in Düsseldorf. She came to our congregation through the Franciscans sisters in Glandorf near Osnabrück. She initially worked as a ward nurse in several hospitals and, from 1979, as a community nurse in her old home town of Essen/Oldbg., Lastrup and Löningen. Sister M. Maristella was very popular there and is still fondly remembered by some of the families she cared for. In 2012, she moved to the St. Heriburg-Haus in Münster as a senior citizen. One day before her 98th birthday, God called her home.

Daily Holy Mass had been familiar to her since childhood and gave her strength for her long journey through life.

Born Maria and later Sister Maristella, she felt a special connection to the Mother of God. She was very fond of praying the Rosary. She wanted the image of Our Lady of Telgte on her death card, also as a sign of her connection to the founding place of our congregation.
She consciously lived her faith until the end and walked the path hand in hand with the Mother of God. May she now accompany her on her final journey to God.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Maristella. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and remain united with her in sisterly love

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Schwester M. Hermana

Born: January 21, 1924
Entrance: January 30, 1948
Professed: October 28, 1950
Died: April 15, 2025

Our sister, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, born by the name of Ida Kohls, was able to celebrate her resurrection on Tuesday in the Holy Week.

Resurrection is our faith.

Reunion is our hope.

Remembrance is our love.

(Hl.Augustinus)

Sister M. Hermana was able to look back over a whole century before she died at the age of 101. In three weeks, she would have been able to celebrate her crown jewel anniversary 75 years after her first profession.

Ida Kohls was born in Ellenstedt during the Weimar Republic and grew up with her six siblings on her parents’ farm. She experienced the “Third Reich” as a schoolgirl and helped on her parents’ farm during the Second World War. Her Catholic family actively campaigned against National Socialism in the region “Oldenburger Muensterland” in the North-West of Germany.

When the Federal Republic of Germany was rebuilt after the war, the young woman joined our congregation. In addition to her nursing training, she also trained as a manager for nursing homes. She took on the role of the superior in Everswinkel, Straelen, Körbecke and St Heriburg House.
She then looked after the refectory at St. Josefs-Haus in Ennigerloh and returned to St. Heriburg-Haus as a senior in 2018, where she was still able to take part in the community’s convent and prayer life until a few weeks ago. Weak and tired with age, she placed her life back in God’s hands, as calmly and quietly as we had come to know and appreciate her.

Sister M. Hermana did not make a fuss about herself, but was very present with her large, radiant eyes. She loved going on pilgrimage to the Mother of Sorrows in Buddenbaum. She said that she loved praying in the community, but especially enjoyed the quiet times in the chapel.

We bid a grateful farewell to Sister M. Hermana. We remember her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain connected to her as sisters.

Zur Übersicht

Sister Gertrude O’Connor, OSF

I was born in a rural area near O’Fallon, Illinois, on January 4, 1939, and the oldest of nine children in a family with Irish, German, French, and Italian heritage. As a child, I would visit the Motherhouse in Springfield, Illinois where Sister Joyce Gerardi, my aunt, lived.

When the time came to choose where I would attend high school, my parents gave me permission to leave home and enroll at St. Francis High School at the Motherhouse. After completing three years of education, I also sensed that my call in life was to be a member of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. On September 8, 1956, I entered the Community. I completed my education as a postulant while beginning formation. Soon after earning my diploma, I became a novice and focused my attention on learning about religious life.

Following my first profession of vows in 1959, I enrolled at St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing, Springfield, and it was during my surgery rotation that I felt most at home. I have served in surgical nursing at our hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, as a faculty member at St. John’s School of Nursing, the supervisor of Loretto Home at St. Francis Convent, and as a clinical nurse specialist for surgery at St. John’s Hospital (Springfield). In addition, I have served in community leadership and on the board of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS).

In 1971, I earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marillac College (St. Louis, Missouri). I also earned a master’s degree in nursing education from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, Illinois) in 1979 and a master’s degree in nursing from Rush University (Chicago, Illinois) in 1988.

My 66 years of religious life have been filled with many blessings. Each day, I have prayerfully journeyed with the Spirit who has led me along a beautiful path. I give thanks to God for this wonderful life.

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Schwester M. Camilis Zysk

Im Jahr 1939, am 26. August wurde ich  in  Gladbeck, geboren. Meine Eltern, die Mutter, Helene geb. Hartmann und mein Vater, Anton Zysk, waren gut katholisch. Mein Vater, der Bergmann warm, wurde einige Tage vor meiner Geburt schon einberufen, so dass er mich nicht mehr kennen lernte. Und so wurde ich mitten im Ruhrgebiet groß. Ich besuchte die Kath Volksschule am Rosenhügel. Nach dem 8. Schuljahr wurde ich entlassen. Wir lebten in ganz normalen Verhältnissen, wie sie nach dem Krieg eben waren. Reich waren wir nicht, aber meine Eltern haben uns eine gute glückliche Kindheit geschenkt. In unserem Drei-Mädel–Haus  hatten wir alle von einem bestimmten Alter an unser kleinen Aufgaben mit zu erledigen. Da meine Mutter krank war, und ich die Älteste, fielen mir schon früh viele Aufgaben zu.

Bei uns gingen oft die Schwestern von der Familienpflege durch die Straße. Schon sehr früh, ich kann mich nicht genau erinnern wann, habe ich zu meiner Mutter gesagt, so will ich auch werden. Doch wie das so ist, dieses Hingezogen sein verlor sich später bis hin zu dem Tag, der für mich die Entscheidung brachte.

In der Rückschau auf mein Leben, fallen mir besonders einige Ereignisse ein, die zwar klein sind, aber für mich weg- und lebensweisend sind. In meinem Elternhaus wurde  das Tischgebet immer gut gepflegt und uns Kindern wurde das Beten auch gelehrt. Für meine Mutter war die Kriegszeit eine sehr schwierige Zeit, da wir immer mal wieder in eine andere Gegend evakuiert  wurden. Aber meine Mutter hielt im Glauben stand und führte auch uns Kinder dorthin.

Dann bekamen wir auf einmal Post aus Amerika und  meine Großtante, Schwester M. Camilla, geb. Klara Achtermann  meldete sich.  Sie war Mauritzer Franziskanerinn und schon als Postulantin nach Amerika  gekommen. Dadurch entspann sich nun nach dem Krieg ein reger Briefwechsel. Ich durfte dann immer die Briefe schreiben und aus unserem Alltag berichten.

Nach meiner Schulentlassung fand ich Arbeit im Horster Krankenhaus, zunächst an der Pforte und später im Labor. Ich begann die Schwestern zu beobachten, ihre Art mit den Menschen und auch mit den Mitarbeitern umzugehen. Etwas wurde in mir wach, was ich nicht zu deuten wusste Da ich jung war, ging ich auch oft mit einigen Arbeitskloleginnen zum Tanz, doch manchmal  hatte ich das Gefühl, da nicht hin zugehören und die Lust am Tanz verging mir.

An einem Sonntagnachmittag war ich in der Kapelle. Dann kamen die Schwestern und als  Ruhe eingekehrt war, gab es ein Klopfzeichen und alle Schwestern erhoben auf einmal die Hände zum Gebet. Das war für mich ein erschütterndes Erlebnis, das mich sehr lange beschäftigte. Einmal sprach ich mit Schwester M. Gilduina darüber und sie erklärte mir das. Ich glaube, dass dieses Erlebnis den Ausschlag gegeben hat meinem inneren  Anruf zu folgen. 1959 fand ich Aufnahme bei den Mauritzer Franziskanerinnen. Meine erste Profess legt ich 1962 ab und 1967 die ewige Profess.

Die Ausbildung zur Krankenschwester fand im Franziskus Hospital statt. Nach dem Krankenpflegeexamen fand ich meinen ersten Einsatz in Havixbeck , einem kleinen Krankenhaus auf dem Land. Einige Zeit später in Emsdetten im Labor und Röntgen Nachdem ich dann  9 Jahre in Haselünne meinen Dienst tat, sollte ich eine andere Aufgabe übernehmen. Über die Diözese Münster machte ich ein Bonn beim Borromäusverein eine Ausbildung zur Büchereiassistentin. In dieser Aufgabe  war ich viele Jahre tätig  und habe vier Büchereien in den Krankenhäusern in Emsdetten, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven und Leer eingerichtet. 2002 begann ich ein Fernstudium zur Leiterin von Wort Gottes Feiern an Sonn-und Feiertagen über das theologische Institut Trier, welches ich dann 2004 mit Erfolg abschloss. Dankbar war ich meiner Oberin, dass sie mir dieses Studium erlaubte.

Viele Wort Gottes-Feiern habe ich für die Gemeinde und im Krankenaus gehalten. Diese Aufgabe habe ich mit viel Herzblut getan. Nun heißt es Abschied nehmen aus Alters- und Gesundheitsgründen. Ich weiß, dass viele Schwestern, auch in den USA, meinen Weg mit ihrem Gebet begleitet haben. Viele davon sind schon lange heimgeholt zu Gott, aber ich denke noch immer an sie. Ein besonderer Dank gilt aber meinen Eltern, die mir Vorbild und Beispiel waren und uns gelehrt haben was wichtig ist im Leben.

Zur Übersicht

Sister M. Celina

We know that God makes all things work together
for the good of those who have been called according to his decree.
(Rom. 8:28)

In 1941, I was born in Tottori, the second of four children.  When I was 20 years old, I received the gift of Baptism.  In Nursing School, a classmate invited me to go with her to see the church.  Both of us had just entered nursing school and were not acquainted with the area.  One day, we found a small church. Timidly we opened the door and found a sign: “Little Flower Kindergarten” and “CATHOLIC KURAYOSHI CHURCH”.  On the first floor was the kindergarten, and on the second was the chapel.  The kindergarten teacher introduced us to the pastor, who was a young Jesuit priest.  Then my friend and I started instructions on the Catholic teachings from this priest.  I told the priest: “I would like to hear the teachings, but I will not receive the Catholic baptism”. At that time, I was afraid that if become a Catholic, I would be tied up by restrictions, and loose my freedom. 

We came regularly to listen to the priest.  However, I noticed that my friend who invited me to go with her, had quit coming after a while. I was alone to receive the instructions.  Father used romaji script, and was not fluent in Japanese, but with all his heart talked about the Scriptures.  This little church community was like a family, and the Christians were very friendly and kind.  After the Mass on Sundays we mixed familiarly in the conference room and spent precious times.

During a period of two year experience, I joined the activities of the Legion of Mary, visiting the sick in the apartment next to the Church and in the surrounding area. During that time, I began to realize that I would not become as restricted as I thought.I received the grace of baptism at the age of 20.

Thinking of my past experiences, I had become familiar with the words of Scripture at the age of 16. About the time we graduated from Middle School, as classmates we exchanged messages in a notebook which we passed around.  When my notebook was passed back to me, the message that caught my eye was: “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it.  But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is narrow, and there are few people who find it.” (Matthew 7:13).  When I looked at who signed the message, it was that of our music directress, and I felt a whole new impulse.  However, at that time, I did not search for the Scripture at the church.

In a certain book I read an article:  “In that person ‘the Word of God’ may be found fermenting as yeast. It takes time for the yeast to ferment within me, and it may be guiding me…” 

When I was thinking of religious life, Father Van de Vijver (CICM) was the pastor.  As I went to speak to Father about it, he said, “I only know of communities in Himeji”, and referred me to this Community.  I had worked at St. Mary’s Hospital for a while from April, 1965, as a nurse, and knew it was an Order which came from America, and from which Sister Ruth came, and Japanese Sisters belonged.

In September 1965, I entered the Community with two other candidates, and pronounced First Vows in 1968. I studied the Sophia University Religious course two years in Osaka; then I was sent to St. Francis Hospital in Nagasaki, where I worked as a nurse. For me, it was a great grace from God that I could meet with the people of Nagasaki, who had a history of deep faith. In October, 1973, I pronounced my Final Vows.

In 1986 I was appointed as the religious formation director for the junior sisters for four years.  After which, I was sent again to St. Francis Hospital in Nagasaki.

From January, 2000, I went to the American Province to study English. From September 2000 to July, 2001, I took the ETU Religious Formation Course in Chicago.  This was a very interesting opportunity and afforded me precious experiences in meeting these international students.

In October 2001, as the beginners’ formation directress, I stayed for a short time in the Formation House of our Province in Seoul (of which Sister Laetitia was the responsible person).  I lived with the Korean Candidates, and was able to get a feeling for the Korean culture.

In the autumn of 2004, at the invitation of a Conventual Franciscan Father, I participated in a vocation activity in which five Religious Communities of Sisters visited Ho Chi Minh, Phan Thiet, Nha Trang Provinces.  This was an incentive for which we have been gifted with new energy and membership.

 Dear God, please renew daily my heart, wanting to live always according to your will!

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Pilgrims of Hope (3): Healing

The series “Pilgrims of Hope” is a monthly spiritual contribution to the Holy Year – a collaboration between the international Generalate of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis and the Muenster-based German church publication “Kirche und Leben” (“Church+Life”). Our topic in March: Hope for Healing.

Fasting is trendy. This is the result of a recent survey by the German health insurance company DAK: While in 2013, around 50 percent of Germans were willing to give up alcohol, sweets or cigarettes for a while for the sake of their health, today, the number has gone up to 72 percent.

Conscious abstinence with a healing effect: This positive aspect of our pre-Easter fasting period hardly needs any explanation anymore these days. But what are the religious aspects that can also be beneficial?

Personally, I appreciate the time of Lent as an opportunity for an inner process that begins with a mindful inventory. It is important to me to pause in my tracks and ask my heart: How do I live with God and with the people, here and now? Could there be something that might need healing? – An inventory that can lead to an inner and outer realignment.

This process of reorientation, which accompanies me during Lent, also runs through the history of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis, founded in 1844 as a Congregation of nurses. At the time, this was a concrete response to social need and the lack of health care. Since then, additional fields of work have developed alongside nursing because the Sisters have always responded attentively to the signs of the times, and have asked God for guidance, as well as their hearts. So today, our international Congregation also includes high school and kindergarden teachers, social workers, doctors and lawyers.

What unites all these activities is the inner attitude of “bringing Christ’s healing presence to the people” in the footsteps of St. Francis, as outlined in our mission statement. In other words, our goal is to bring God’s love to the people – in any way that people need it right now. This also means that we are always ready to develop further – as a Congregation, but also each of us personally.

This can be a huge challenge. For example for Sister M. Gerburg Aufderheide, who went to India in 1974 and founded the first convent there. Sister Gerburg, born in the German village of Ennigerloh in 1935. As tradition required, she had learned housekeeping as a young girl, then she became a kindergarten teacher and became a nurse after entering the convent.

Sr. Gerburg traveling in Germany
Sr. Gerburg, Kindergarden teacher
Beginnings in India
Sr. M. Gerburg caring for children in Pithora

In India, she was able to draw on these qualifications when setting up a medical and nursing care center. What she hadn’t reckoned with was that people brought her children – babies and toddlers, found in the garbage or on train tracks, left to die, because no one wanted them. Sister Gerburg took these children in and raised them, later ensuring their education and, in due course, finding suitable marriage partners for them – tasks that would traditionally have fallen to the parents. This way, she saved 27 girls and boys.

Sister M. Gerburg Aufderheide with the children she saved from certain death

At the same time, Sister Gerburg laid the foundations for our first convent in India, starting in 1979 with four Indian candidates. She continued to provide nursing care and also served as the housekeeper, driver and handywoman in the young community. Communicating in English and Hindi was difficult, the climate was strange, and so were the symptoms of the illnesses. “Fortunately, I liked the hot climate from the beginning,” says Sister Gerburg, who will turn 90 in the fall, “but I had to learn from scratch how to treat snakebites.”

Sister Gerburg in Münster in 2023 at the occasion of her 65th Jubilee, in the midst of Sisters from the Indian Province

Today, in our Indian Province, almost 100 Sisters live in 17 convents in seven federal states, and a hospital has just been opened at the very place where Sister Gerburg began her work more than 50 years ago. Sister Gerburg’s example shows me how much each and every one of us can achieve when our hearts are open to being an instrument of God’s love in our contact with people. Even if it might not be the snake bites that we have to heal, but our relationship with God and the people around us.

By Sister M. Hiltrud Vacker and Claudia Berghorn

This article was published online and in print in the Diocese of Muenster’s magazine, “Kirche+Leben” (Church+Life), in March 2025.

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Schwester Pacis Bao

Am 8. April 1921 wurde ich in Shan-Tung, China geboren. Mir wurde der Name Yuan Ying (Catherine) gegeben. Ich war das jüngste Kind von vier Mädchen und drei Jungen. Meine Eltern, antichinesische Landbesitzer, waren angesichts der zunehmenden Präsenz der Japaner, die gegen die römisch-katholische Kirche eingestellt waren, sehr um meine Sicherheit besorgt. Deswegen brachten sie mich im Jahr 1925 in ein Waisenhaus mit Schule im nahe gelegenen Ping Yin. 1932 wechselte ich zu einer weiter entfernten Schule in Jinan, China. Dort lernte ich die Krankenschwestern des hl. Franziskus kennen. Schwester Clementia, zusammen mit anderen Schwestern, besuchte uns mehrfach und sprach über das Ordensleben und die Arbeit im St. Joseph’s Hospital in Jinan. Ich war sehr beeindruckt von ihnen und beschloss, mich ihnen nach Abschluss meiner Ausbildung anzuschließen.

Am 8. September 1944 trat ich in die Gemeinschaft ein. Es war die Zeit des Zweiten Weltkrieges und die Schwestern kümmerten sich um die verletzten Soldaten. Am 17. Oktober 1945 wurde ich eingekleidet und erhielt wegen des gerade unterzeichneten Friedensvertrages den Namen Pacis, der „Frieden“ bedeutet.

Am 24. September 1947 legte ich meine erste Profess ab. Aufgrund der zunehmend instabiler werdenden politischen Situation in China mussten die Schwestern gehen, und so segelten einige von uns am 12. Mai 1948 auf dem Passagierschiff „SS General Meigs“ Richtung USA. Nach unserer Ankunft in San Francisco, Kalifornien, fuhren wir mit dem Zug nach Springfield, Illinois, und kamen dort am 5. Juni 1948 an. Der Plan war, drei Jahre zu bleiben und dann nach China zurückzukehren. Da sich die Bedingungen in China jedoch nicht verbesserten, kehrten wir nicht zurück und hatten über 30 Jahre auch nur sehr begrenzten Kontakt mit unseren Familien.Leider waren viele Mitglieder meiner Familie getötet worden.

Ich bin Absolventin der St. John’s Krankenpflegeschule in Springfield, Illinois (1963). Ungefähr fünf Jahre lang war ich als Krankenschwester im St. John’s Hospital in Springfield und im St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin, tätig. Im Jahr 1968 verbesserte sich die politische Situation in Taiwan und die Schwestern beschlossen, eine Mission zu eröffnen. Drei chinesische Schwestern und ich meldeten uns freiwillig, um den Armen in Kaohsiung in der „Star of the Sea-Klinik“ zu dienen.

Im Jahr 2000 besuchte ich einen Gebetsgottesdienst über Vergebung in Kaohsiung. Ich wusste, dass ich denen vergeben musste, die meine Familie getötet hatten, dass ich den Hass loslassen musste, den ich seit fast 50 Jahren hatte. Es waren über 5.000 Menschen im Gottesdienst und der Heilige Geist kam zu mir und berührte meine Seele. Ich war endlich in Frieden und vergab ihnen. Nach 34 Jahren in Taiwan kehrte ich 2002 nach Springfield zurück und bin seither aktiv geblieben. Heute, halte ich täglich meine Gebetszeit und ich verehre weiterhin in besonderer Weise die Gottesmutter.

Zur Übersicht

Schwester M. Sixta

Born: February 12,1942
Entrance: February 11,1964
Profession: October 28,1966
Died: April 5, 2025

In the early morning hours, our Sister,Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, born by the name of Margret Hinxlage, surrendered her life into God’s hands.

My days are in your hand.

(Psalm 31, 16a)

Sister M. Sixta grew up with her twelve siblings on the Hinxlage farm in Kellerhöhe in the Oldenburg region. After finishing school, she attended the agricultural school in Garrel and did her practical training on her parents’ farm. Since she had always wanted to become a nun, she was allowed to go to the hospital in Waltrop for two years to get to know the work of the Franciscan Sisters there, and then she joined the Congregation. She followed her older sisters, Sister M. Johanna and Sister M. Raymira.
Sister M. Sixta worked in the convent mainly as a nurse and in housekeeping.

We have fond memories of our large cemetery in Telgte, which she lovingly tended for many years. She was able to contribute her experience from her agricultural training. The flowers always bloomed beautifully in her care. She also devoted her time to the bees and was able to harvest a lot of honey from them.

We also have to thank her for the decorative bouquets that the Sisters received on their jubilees. Until two years ago, she always made them for everyone.

Since 2017, Sister M. Sixta lived together with Sister M. Raymira in St. Anna-Stift in Kroge. After a long illness, she followed her sister M. Johanna and other Sisters on their way to heaven.

With gratitude, we say goodbye to Sister M. Sixta. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her as Sisters.”

Zur Übersicht

Schwester M. Gudrun Konert

Ich wurde am 28. April 1958 als Gisela Konert in Holtwick, einem Ortsteil der Gemeinde Rosendahl im Kreis Coesfeld geboren. Aufgewachsen bin ich mit 6 Geschwister auf einem Bauernhof mit allen Tieren und was sonst noch so zu einem Münsterländer Hof dazugehört. Da alle Geschwister zwischen 1958 und 1967 geboren sind, herrschte immer „Leben in der Hütte“. Meine Mutter versorgte den großen Haushalt, neben den 7 Kindern gehörten noch die Eltern und einige Geschwister meines Vaters dazu. Mein Vater war Holzschuhmacher, arbeitete als Landwirt und Schreiner.

Nach meinem Schulbesuch absolvierte ich im St. Anna Stift in Stadtlohn eine 3-jährige Ausbildung als Hauswirtschafterin und später als Wirtschafterin.

Mit der Entscheidung für ein Leben im Kloster haben meine Eltern schon beinahe gerechnet. Eine Großtante und Tante, Schwester meines Vaters, lebten in der Gemeinschaft der Hiltruper Missionsschwestern, so ist diese Lebensform bereits Bestandteil der Familie. Als junge Frau auf der Suche nach dem richtigen Weg, waren Empfindungen und Gefühle wichtige Entscheidungsträger. Die Besinnungswochenenden bei den Mauritzer Franziskanerinnen brachte die Erleuchtung: „Das ist es!“ Ich fühlte mich wohl und aufgenommen in dieser Gemeinschaft.  Die Spiritualität des Hl. Franziskus, sein Leben und Wirken ist meine Berufung.

Im Rückblick auf meinen Lebensweg war die Entscheidung gut so. Ich würde mich heute wieder so entscheiden, denn ich betrachte mein Leben als eine Berufung. Nach der Entscheidung für das Ordensleben, trat ich dann am 27. April 1983 in die Gemeinschaft der Mauritzer Franziskanerinnen ein. Die Zeit des Postulates diente als Einführungszeit. Mit der Aufnahme ins Noviziat am 27. November1983 erfolgte die zweijährige Noviziats Ausbildung. Inhalte dieser Zeit waren das persönliche und gemeinschaftliche Gebet und das Leben in der Gemeinschaft, vertieft und geprägt vom Geist des Evangeliums und der franziskanischen Tradition. Nach dieser Zeit legte ich am 27. Oktober 1985 die erste Profess und am 1. Juli 1990 meine ewige Profess ab, in der ich mich für immer an Gott und die Gemeinschaft gebunden habe.

Gemeinschaft ist ein großes Geschenk, das ich nicht alleine auf dem Weg bin, das immer einer da ist, der mich trägt: Psalm 23 Vers 1+3:“DerHerr ist mein Hirte, nichts wird mir fehlen, er stillt mein Verlangen, er leitet mich auf rechten Pfaden, treu seinem Namen!“

Mein Hobby ist das Backen. Ich backe gerne und konnte dieses in verschiedenen Häusern unserer Gemeinschaft ausführen, Konvente im Rheinland und Münsterland, sowie 15 Jahre im Kapuzinerkloster in Münster und 6 Jahre im Konvent in Werne. Seit Ende Mai 2020 lebe ich in der St. Antonius von Padua Gruppe im neuen Haus des Mutterhauses in Münster. Ich lebe hier mit 4 Mitschwestern und sorge für die vielfältigen Aufgaben im Haus. Ich lebe gerne hier und bin meiner Berufung dankbar. Mit Blick auf mein Ordensleben möchte ich schließen mit Franziskus: Das ist es was ich will, das ist es was ich suche, danach verlange ich aus meinem Herzen!

Zur Übersicht