"To make a pilgrimage is to surrender to a place until it changes you," shares Sister Laura Nettles. "We knew that to honor her [Sister Thea Bowman] holiness meant finally confronting the painful truths she had always compelled us to see."
Read the initial statement by FSPA at www.fspa.org/news/a-histo...
PBS Wisconsin shared a story regarding the land transfer between the FSPA and the Native Tribe, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
pbswisconsin.org/news-item/wh...
Over 100 community members joined us for Desperate Journeys, an interactive training for community members to learn about families in migration.
We are grateful to have partnered with La Crosse Habitat, Couleecap, Inc. and Franciscan Spirituality Center.
www.wxow.com/news/la-cros...
“Continued spills along the pipeline’s route through Wisconsin are a real threat.” — Sister Georgia Christensen.
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki: On the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, join our virtual prayer service to remember lives lost & commit to a nuclear-free world. Catholic sisters will lead this event on August 6 at 6 p.m. Central. Let us unite in meaningful prayer and commit to peace.
Sweet moments at St. Rose with sisters and affiliates! 🐝🍯FSPA affiliates Meg and Priamo Paulino shared their beekeeping skills by demonstrating honey extraction collected from the beehives at St. Joseph's Ridge.
Sister Julia Walsh recently traveled to Rome, Italy for Hope 2025, a global gathering of Catholic Sisters, where she met and interviewed Nancy Uelmen from Gen Verde!
This month, we're featuring "Five Peso Treasure", a poem by Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Linda Mershon, written during her time in Mexico with the GATE program. A single moment of pure humanity on the train became a lasting memory for Sister Linda.
"This wasn't just about economic justice; we recognize our partners in mission serving on staff are gold. We advocated for livable wages, and we wanted it to start at home."—Sister Sue Ernster.
Read "FSPA's 'Fight for $15' Compensation Project" in A Matter of Spirit, p. 10.
issuu.com/ipjc/docs/a_...
"As Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman encouraged in her address to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1989, the church must be a prophetic voice"
Call to action!
Sister Julia Walsh appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio to share her excitement about Pope Leo XIV. 🎙️
Fun fact: Pope Leo XIV and Sister Julia are both graduates from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL! 🎓
Tune in at the 5:50 mark to hear her segment. www.wpr.org/shows/wiscon...
Be sure to catch ABC World News Tonight with David Muir!
FSPA President Sister Sue Ernster reached out to let us know that she and Sister Joanne Schatzlein, a Sister of St. Francis of Assisi, were interviewed today in Rome. Their interview should air tonight!
“We are blessed to have a pope who is of the people, for the people and with the people." Sister Sue Ernster
www.fspa.org/news/fspa-jo...
"I told her [Sister Marguerite Bruening] that our Kuemper teachers are working hard to continue her tradition — and her FSPA tradition — of their education ministry." — John Steffes President of Kuemper Catholic Schools.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!🍎👩🏫 carrollspaper.com/news/the-pat...
Happy Affiliate Week!
FSPA affiliates live all over the country, and after completing their discernment are invited to be part of a companion community (either virtually or in-person) to continue to support their growth, relationships and connections to the wider FSPA community.
As Franciscans worldwide commemorate 800 years of "The Canticle of the Creatures," Sister Eloise Nees is honored as April's Poet of the Month for her poem, "Canticle of the Seasons." Shared in loving memory of Sister Eloise, her words remind us to find the sacred in every season. 🌿☀️🍂❄️
An affiliate is someone who is drawn to the charism of FSPA and chooses to live out the Franciscan tradition and values in their own life through commitments in the areas of prayer, community and ministry.
Visit fspa.org/content/join... to learn more about FSPA affiliation!
Happy Affiliate Week!
This week, we're honoring all who are part of our FSPA Affiliation program.
Affiliates, unlike members of the FSPA congregation, do not make religious vows; rather, they make a commitment to be people of the Gospel through their daily lives and actions.
Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Sue Ernster is pictured among women religious who met Pope Francis in 2024 and now share the loss felt, both internationally and personally, with his death.
Sister Katie Mitchell attended a memorial at Holy Name Cathedral to honor her hero, Pope Francis: "Pope Francis had been her hero for years and she is grateful for what he gave to the world as pontiff."
Sister Sarah Hennessey shares that FSPA is "hopeful that the next pope 'can continue to speak to the needs of the world,' and lift up hope, joy, and love."
As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, Sister Sarah Hennessey shares why he was known and loved as "The People's Pope."
www.fayobserver.com/story/news/2...
Join us online (link below). Following Mass, that stream will be live from our adoration chapel for those who would like to spend time in prayer.
"A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just." -Pope Francis
us02web.zoom.us/j/82267779899
"Today we mourn the loss of Pope Francis. We are grateful for his humble leadership. We pray for him as his words and actions continue to teach us how to live with mercy and hope."- Sister Sue Ernster
We'll gather at Mass today at 11 a.m. (CST) to pray for and remember our Pope.
Nearly 300 gathered at The Catholic University of America for the first Sister Thea Bowman conference. Sister Sue Ernster shared Sister Thea’s courageous entrance into religious life in the 1950s as the only Black member of her community.
In “The promise of a beautiful chapel: 160 years in the making,” Sister Carrie Kirsch shares how the chapel's beauty, history, and atmosphere continue to create meaningful connections for all. www.fspa.org/stories/draf...
Exterior image of Mary of the Angels Chapel
Portraits of Mother Antonia Herb and Mother Ludovica Keller with text descriptions
Mary of the Angels Chapel and Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Carrie Kirsch
This year, we celebrate 160 years of Mother Antonia Herb's promise—to establish Perpetual Adoration and build a chapel as beautiful as their means would allow. Now, as spring chapel tours resume, all are invited to step into history and experience the living presence of Mary of the Angels Chapel. ✨