Below you will find historical photos from the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. Click the photo to view and learn more details.
Sisters at the Motherhouse
Sisters celebrate their Jubilee day.
Original Guardian Angel Home – Joliet IL
Photo taken August 27, 1898
Mother Alfred
Mother Alfred (seated) pictured with a companion Sister.
Mother Borromeo Mack
Mother Borromeo Mack served as the General Superior from 1956 – 1968. During her service, Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home was built and the mission in Brazil began. After her time in office ended, she returned to her first love – teaching. On the last day of her life, she taught a class on the Constitution at the Joliet Adult Education Center which was located at St. Francis Academy. She died later that day.
Early SFA
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.
St. Mary’s School | Fairfield, Alabama
In September, 1945, the Joliet Franciscans began a teaching ministry in St. Mary’s all-black school in Fairfield, Alabama. Two rooms at the rear of the church were set up by the pastor. Not a single Catholic child was enrolled. By the end of 1962, the school was operating in a newly-built, two-story brick building in a parish of more than 400 baptized Catholics. The Sisters served at St. Mary’s School until 1980. Forty-eight Sisters, many still in active ministry today, were part of St. Mary’s over the years.
St. Francis Academy
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.
Sisters Out Walking
Novices process to Mass as part of a Congregation celebration.
Our Lady of Mercy School
In July 1953, the Catholic Times of Columbus said, “Our Lady of Mercy School, Granville, is a house of love.” Our Lady of Mercy opened as a private school in 1932 for elementary and high school-aged girls. Nine years later, the need for help for the mentally challenged was growing. The Sisters responded by offering a separate curriculum for mentally-challenged girls. But by 1943, with the enrollment in the special classes having grown to fifteen students from the original five, the Sisters made the decision to transform Our Lady of Mercy to a school exclusively for the mentally challenged. The Sisters who were assigned to Our Lady of Mercy were dedicated to their students and worked with them to become as productive as their limitations would allow. The students were educated in normal grade school subjects, including reading and writing. But there was also a large emphasis on crafts, particularly different forms of needlework. The girls were also taught how to care for themselves, make their beds and, in some cases, learn to speak. Our Lady of Mercy closed its doors in1958. At the time of its closing, a writer with the Catholic Times said in his “On The Square” column that “If there is a Crown of Glory awaiting in the Great Beyond for those who have rendered selfless service, the Sisters of the school will deserve one.”
Historical Drawings
A collection of drawings by one of the earlier Sisters depicting a “year in the life” of the Sisters was on display at the Sisters’ historical exhibit in 2010 at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.
Motherhouse
It was the late 1870s, and the Joliet Franciscans needed more space to accommodate the growing Congregation and the St. Francis Academy students. Mr. Jacob Adler offered to sell a piece of land on Plank Road. With the necessary approval obtained, the Sisters became the owner of the property in November 1879. The groundbreaking took place on October 8, 1880. The cornerstone was laid on May 15, 1881, and work progressed steadily. By the end of the year, Mother Celestine Sontag led the Congregation into the new Motherhouse.