Sharing the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare
The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio are engaged in such diverse ministries as education, health care, social services, religious education, media, law, art, parish and retreat ministries, and spiritual direction. Click on a Sisters’ story below to learn more about their service.
Five Sisters, 98 lives, one new ministry
1918 Pandemic Launched Sisters’ Ministry in Medicine Covid-19 is the second pandemic weathered by Sylva nia Franciscans. The Influenza of 1918 swept the world just two years after Mother M. Adelaide and 24 Rochester Franciscans […]
Sister Pam’s Very Franciscan Call
Sister Pamela Nosbusch in 1993 on her Reception Day; with Sister Barb Vano, OSF. Sometimes learning where God needs you to be in life requires good listening skills. Clarinet player Sister Pam Nosbusch discovered that [...]
Sister Sharon’s path of peace, justice and art
Sister Sharon joined Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition (NWOPC) in 2001, after 9/11. "I wanted to do something to remain faithful to who I am and be able to stand up for what I believe in, [...]
Sister Gretchen Faerber’s Blue-Ribbon Ministry
Sister Gretchen Faerber Hildegarde (Sister Gretchen) Faerber grew up the seventh out of ten children in New Ulm, Minnesota and she entered the Sylvania Franciscan community in 1956. Before arriving in Sylvania, she stayed in […]
Sister Verona makes hard work a beautiful habit
Sister Verona Kurtzman August 11, 1946 – November 12, 2018 Recorded in October, 2018 Sister Verona first heard God’s call when she was five years old and she looked up to see four Sylvania Franciscans […]
Sister Ann Lorette offers a hand to hold
Sister Ann Lorette Piekarz is a blessing sent by God to the many individuals living at Rosary Care Center who are impacted by the isolating symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Several days each week you’ll […]
Sister Margaret Hall – Light and Compassion
Before I sat down to talk with Sister Margaret Hall, she warned me that she doesn’t talk very much. “And really,” she added, her baby blue eyes looking at me with concern, “there isn’t very [...]
Sister Aloise Paluszak – A Lifetime of Service
The Sisters Paluszak It’s not uncommon to meet a Sister who has a sister. . . who is also a Sister. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, families often proudly had two or [...]
Sister Geraldine Paluszak – How did we DO all of that?
Sister Geraldine remembers the year she taught 75 first graders in the morning – and another 75 first graders in the afternoon at St. Ann’s in Cincinnati. She was part of a group known as the Angels from Sylvania.
Sister Sharon White – Responding to Need
As a Sylvania Franciscan, Sister Sharon White has always lived as a “joyful servant among all people,” but her current ministry truly emulates the phrase in the congregation’s mission Statement that says to “embrace the [...]
