Sister Annice McClure, OSF

As the fifth of 15 children born to Norman and Anna (Turan) McClure, I born on April 2, 1932, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My mother was 100 percent Slavic and Roman Catholic and my father, who was Scottish-Irish and Baptist, converted to Catholicism.

I graduated from St. Patrick Grade School and St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay. During high school, I worked at St. Vincent Hospital to earn money for my tuition and to learn if nursing was to be my profession.

While attending Catholic schools and being taught by religious Sisters, I witnessed the example of the Sisters, which led to my consideration of religious life. The consideration was confirmed when one evening when I was watching my younger siblings, I encouraged them to say their bedtime prayers. It was at this moment that I sensed that God was leading me to the next chapter of my life.

Having met the Hospital Sisters at St. Vincent Hospital, I entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on February 2, 1951, and I professed my first vows on October 4, 1953. In 1957, I earned a diploma from St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing (Springfield, Illinois) and two years later a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Fontbonne College (St. Louis, Missouri). In addition, I completed an internship in dietetics in 1960 at Saint Mary’s Hospital (Rochester, Minnesota) and I earned a master’s degree in Community Health Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) in 1978. I am grateful to have received an education that assisted me in my ministries in nursing, dietetics, home nursing, hospice nursing, parish ministry, organizational development, and as a missionary in Haiti. For many years, I have been active in programs on the issues of peace and justice and continue to do so.

Since 2001, I have resided in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and I currently volunteer at the Green Bay hospitals of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, along with HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital (Sheboygan, Wisconsin), and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital (Oconto Falls, Wisconsin). I am pleased to witness the ways in which our colleagues continue the mission in their care for patients, families, and each other. The future of our healthcare ministry is in good hands.

Since July 2024, I reside with the Sisters at St.Francis Convent, Springfield, Illinois.