Historical Timeline

The Sisters did not choose Joliet. Joliet chose them. In 1863, they received a request from Father Carl Kuemin, pastor of St. John the Baptist to teach in the school he had just opened in Joliet. St. John’s Church was founded in 1852 – to serve the needs of German speaking Catholics. Being fluent in German and English, Mother Alfred taught her students in both languages.

By 1865, the Sisters were teaching at St. John the Baptist in Joliet and St. Mary/St. Patrick in Kickapoo, Illinois. The congregation was growing as were the requests for teachers at more schools, not only in Joliet and Chicago, but in communities elsewhere in Illinois and other states. At the end of Mother Alfred’s term as General Superior in 1876, the Sisters were teaching in twenty-three locations in Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

In the years from 1880 – 1890, the United States population saw enormous growth with the addition of two and one-half million immigrants. People from Poland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bohemia were among the many who were making their way to what they hoped would be a better life in this country of ours, little more than a hundred years old at the time.

The growth of the country brought new challenges. Many of the immigrants were Catholic, a faith they lived deeply – a faith in which they wanted their children to be educated. Teachers who spoke languages other than English were needed in many schools where English was spoken little, if at all. Sisters were sent to St. Wenceslaus, the first Czech school in Chicago, and St. Procopius, also a Czech school. Working side by side with a pastor or lay teacher who spoke the Czech language, the Sisters provided the education the children needed.

As the Czech immigrant population continued to grow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, so did the number of Czech schools. And the Joliet Franciscans were with them every step of the way. This fact was not lost on Chicago Archbishop Feehan who said on one occasion that “many…Bohemian children” would have been lost if not for the Joliet Franciscan Sisters.

The Sisters began the “first Slovak parochial school in the Western Hemisphere” at St. Stephen’s in Streator, Illinois. The Irish-born principal, Sister John Rooney along with another teacher opened the school in 1889 for fifteen pupils. Working with the pastor, Father Erwin Gellhof and a lay member of the parish, teachers and pupils overcame the language barrier.

In Joliet, St. Joseph’s was a Slovenian parish and school. Sister Ferdinand Stalzer would be tutored by the pastor in the Slovenian language and go on to lead the school as its principal for 35 years. So important was she to the school that when she was to be transferred to Bayfield, Wisconsin to work with the Native American students, St. Joseph’s pastor asked that she remain in Joliet. His request was granted and Sister Ferdinand remained at St. Joseph’s until poor health intervened. Ferdinand Hall at St. Joseph’s commemorates her devoted service to the parish.

In 1863, Sister M. Chrysantha Hoefling wrote of the Joliet Franciscans’ contributions to the education of the immigrant population by adapting a statement from the Congregation’s Annals. She wrote, “‘There never had been a national spirit’ in the early years, nor is there now. The Sisters were and are not German, not Irish, not Czech, Slovenian, French or Slovak; they were

and are ‘simply the children of our common Father, the dear St. Francis,’ helping one another and those entrusted to their care to become loyal American citizens without losing their own national identity, to become brothers and sisters under the Fatherhood of God. This has ever been our goal.”

The Joliet Catholic schools were greatly influenced by the Joliet Franciscan Sisters throughout their long history. Every parish in Joliet has been impacted by their presence. The Sisters have ministered as educators in thirty states, as well as other countries, particularly Brazil.

Today, Joliet Franciscans are still teaching in all levels of education from preschool to higher education in many areas of the United States, as well as Brazil. They serve as administrators, teachers, campus ministers, tutors and librarians. They continue to teach English as a second language (ESL) and assist in preparing individuals for their High School Equivalency Diploma (GED).

The Joliet Franciscans continue to serve and educate the student in each of us.

The first St. Francis Convent and Academy in 1871 was located on the corner of Broadway and Division Streets in Joliet, Illinois.

In 1869, Mother Alfred Moes realized one of her dreams to begin an academy for both boarding and day students. St. Francis Academy became a reality and was located within the Motherhouse. As both the congregation of Sisters and the student body grew, they needed to provide more space. Mother Alfred purchased land and additions were built in 1869, 1870 and 1871 using money raised at the eleven mission houses in existence at the time, as well as the inheritance received by Mother Alfred and her sister, Sister Barbara Moes.

In 1874, Mother Alfred acquired the Oak Hill Nursery, where Nowell Park stands today. Her hope was to have a building separate of the Motherhouse for St. Francis Academy. Plans were drawn up for an E-shaped four-story stone building complete with elevator, gymnasium and a museum. In 1876, bids were taken from contractors, work was ready to begin, and the landscaping was completed. However, the project was never completed.

Mother Francis Shanahan

In 1880, Mother Francis Shanahan purchased 13+ acres on Plank Road (the predecessor of Plainfield Road). The groundbreaking took place in October 1880 and the cornerstone laying on May 15, 1881. In September 1881, classes began. The Taylor wing and Tower Hall were added in 1915 and 1922 respectively.

When Mother Alfred came to the United States, her hope had been to work with the Native Americans in Wisconsin. Although she herself would never achieve this goal, beginning in 1879 and continuing still today, Joliet Franciscans have committed themselves to serving Native Americans in the Bayfield-Red Cliff area of northern Wisconsin.

The first Native American Sister from Bayfield was Sr. Cordula Neveaux. She joined in 1891. Sister Grace Ann Rabideau joined in 1945.

In 1879, the Sisters were invited to join the Franciscan Fathers of the Sacred Heart Province of St. Louis in establishing the first Catholic school in the Bayfield-Red Cliff area. A small two-room log cabin located halfway between Bayfield and Red Cliff served as both the school and the Sisters’ home. Over the next few years, the Sisters would open more schools in the area.

In 1880, the Congregation took charge of the government-owned Indian Day School at Buffalo Bay, which was on the Red Cliff Reservation. Two of the earliest teachers at the school were Sisters Seraphia Reinick and Victoria Steidl, who served in Red Cliff for 37 and 68 years respectively. In appreciation for their many years of service, the Sisters were adopted into the Chippewa tribe in a special ceremony.

From the beginning, maintenance of the Indian Day School depended on the kindness of others. The school was sold in 1893 and a new school built and paid for partially by a government contract. The government also provided books and much of the furnishings. The Sisters needed to find the means for supplying other necessities. Eventually, the government abolished the Indian Day School, but the Indian people agreed to work with the priests and sisters to find ways through fundraising to keep the school open, now known as St. Francis of Assisi School.

Students at Holy Family School in Bayfield, Wisconsin taken on December 19, 1904.

On March 29, 1947, the school, along with the church, convent and rectory all burned to the ground. After much reflection, and not without some stormy times, a decision was made by the Congregation to consolidate St. Francis of Assisi School in Red Cliff and Holy Family School in Bayfield.

Some Sisters have been born, lived and died in the Bayfield area. The first Native American Sister was Sister Lucille Rabideaux who was educated at one of the Sisters’ schools in Bayfield in the late 1891. Later Sister Gran Ann Rabideau, another Native American Sister, would join and work in this same area.

Looking back to the beginning of the Congregation’s history in Bayfield, Sisters have ministered to the Native American population for over a collective 1,000 years.

The care for children came right after the fire at St. John’s Church in 1864. Mother Alfred agreed to care for the Harmann’s children when Mrs. Harmann perished in the fire. In 1897, a cottage behind the Motherhouse became the first Guardian Angel Home. Fifteen children, whose names appear on the blackboard, were in residence.

The care of children has always been at the core of the Sisters’ work. So, when John Hartmann – who had lost his wife in the 1864 fire at St. John the Baptist Church – asked the Sisters to care for his children, they said, “Yes” without hesitation. This simple act of compassion and caring was the beginning of the Congregation’s commitment to the care of orphaned children.

Over the years, the Hartmann children would be joined by others, always living in the Motherhouse with the Sisters. In 1897, a cottage behind the Motherhouse became the first Guardian Angel Home. As the number of children grew, the need for space grew, as well. The next year, the Fox Estate on Buell was purchased and within a year fifty children were in residence. The need for additional space continued until in 1925, ground was broken and the cornerstone laid for the building that still stands today on Theodore and Plainfield. Archbishop Mundelein of Chicago dedicated the building on May 16, 1926.

Although primarily a home for orphaned, neglected or dependent children in its first seventy years, societal needs were changing in the late 1960s. Foster care was now becoming a viable alternative for these children. After a comprehensive study of community needs, the Sisters responded with major changes to its programs at Guardian Angel Home in 1971. Programs were developed to help children with severe emotional needs or who were in crisis. In 1973, Guardian Angel Home became a licensed child welfare agency.

Guardian Angel Home’s need for additional space continued until in 1925, ground was broken and the cornerstone laid for the building that still stands today on Theodore and Plainfield. Archbishop Quigley of Chicago dedicated the building on May 16, 1926.

The dedication ceremony took place on May 16, 1926 by Cardinal Mundelein.

Although primarily a home for orphaned, neglected or dependent children in its first seventy years, societal needs were changing in the late 1960s. Foster care was now becoming a viable alternative for these children. After a comprehensive study of community needs, the Sisters responded with major changes to its programs at Guardian Angel Home in 1971. Programs were developed to help children with severe emotional needs or who were in crisis. In 1973, Guardian Angel Home became a licensed child welfare agency. And in 2005, its name was changed to Guardian Angel Community Services to reflect the wide array of services that are now offered.

The groundbreaking invitation was sent in 1925 for the new Guardian Angel Home.

Guardian Angel Community Services (GACS) remained a Sponsored Institution of the Sisters until 2011. In 2014 GACS relocated to downtown Joliet, the Guardian Angel Home building was acquired by the University of St. Francis and renamed Guardian Angel Hall. The University of St. Francis Leach College of Nursing is now located within Guardian Angel Hall.

Mother Thomasine Fryewska became the first president of the College of St. Francis, serving from 1926-1938.

By 1930, with a growing student population, it was decided to expand to a four-year liberal arts college, changing the name from Assisi Junior College to the College of St. Francis. Mother Thomasine Frye, the college’s first president articulated what she considered its primary purpose. “Our college exists first for the education of our own sisters to prepare them for teaching apostolate, and then to help in the education of sisters from smaller communities not fortunate enough to have their own colleges.” The first graduation class numbered 19.

Mother Borromeo Mack at groundbreaking of OLA on May 1, 1960.

Like Mother Alfred, Mother Borromeo Mack, the Congregation’s General Superior from 1960 – 1968, was a woman with an eye to the future needs of the Congregation.

In the early 1960s, with many of the Sisters aging, she made the decision to build a new facility that would serve as a retirement home for the Congregation, as well as lay seniors. There was sufficient land near Guardian Angel Home and St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy). In January 1962, the Sisters moved from the Motherhouse’s infirmary to Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home.

Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home is a sponsored institution of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.

The St. Clare House of Prayer was first located in Kankakee, Illinois before moving to Joliet.

The St. Clare House of Prayer opened in 1969 in Kankakee, Illinois in a farmhouse along the Kankakee River. Throughout its history, it has been a place where Sisters and others can renew their spirit in peaceful surroundings. Although it ended its ministry in Kankakee in the summer of 2008, by the end of the same year, it reopened in Joliet returning to its original roots as a contemplative community.

St. Clare House of Prayer is a sponsored ministry of the Joliet Franciscan Sisters.

Sisters Carol Jander and Margaret McGuckin were the Co-Directors of the Franciscan Learning Center.

In 1979, the Sisters opened the Franciscan Learning Center, which provided a faith-based pre-school and kindergarten education. Some of the Center’s earliest students sent their own children to the school.

The Franciscan Learning Center was a sponsored institution of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate until it closed in 2016.

With the St. Joseph College of Nursing’s affiliation with the College of St. Francis in January 1997, the Board of Trustees voted to move to university of status, effective January 1, 1998. and on January 1, 1998, the College of St. Francis became the University of St. Francis.

University of St. Francis, statue of Mother Alfred Moes

From its earliest days in 1920, the University of St. Francis has embraced our Franciscan values and charism through its respect for creation, compassion and peacemaking.