Our Mission
“Called like Francis of Assisi to live the Gospel in joyful servanthood among all people, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, as messengers of peace, commit themselves to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized, and respect the gift of all creation.”
Mission Statement of the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania
Our Sponsored Ministries
Sponsorship is the relationship within the Catholic Church that allows a Juridic Person (in our case, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis) to carry out the mission of Jesus. Sponsorship of an incorporated apostolic work involves both canonical and civil realities.
Sponsorship is the relationship between the religious congregation and a particular ministry.
- It is a commitment to share responsibility.
- It is a means for perpetuating the spirit and mission of the Church.
- It is a means for perpetuating the spirit and mission of the congregation.
The Sylvania Franciscan ministries of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania are founded on the elements of the following core values:
- Reverence
- Service
- Community
- Stewardship
Lourdes University
Rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan tradition, Lourdes University offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 academic majors as well as graduate degrees in business, education, nursing, organizational leadership, social work, and theology. Community outreach programs include the Appold Planetarium and Lifelong Learning.
Learn More About Lourdes University
- Lourdes University
6832 Convent Boulevard
Sylvania, OH 43560
Sylvania Franciscan Ministries
The Sylvania Franciscan Ministries of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania are founded on four core values.
- Reverence: We recognize that all are God’s children; all creation is unique; each of us and every person that we serve is a blessing from God.
- Service: Like Francis and Clare, whose lives were marked by a spirit of gratitude, we acknowledge that all is gift from God and that talents are to be shared.
- Community: Francis and Clare realized the importance of relationships; like them we work together to shape a common vision and to make a difference in our world.
- Stewardship: We are called to use all our available resources – time, talent, finance, environment, reputation and more – to give life to our mission.
Our health and human services ministry is made up of the following entities.
Bethany House
Providing safe, long-term transitional shelter for victims of domestic violence
Bethany House provides shelter and resources for victims of domestic violence and their children to safely rebuild their lives. While most homeless shelters offer limited, short-term stays, Bethany House is the only organization in northwest Ohio to offer long-term, apartment-style transitional shelter, combined with emotional, spiritual and financial support. Their Trauma-Informed program is tailored to the unique situation of each individual.
Learn More About Bethany House
- Bethany House
P.O. Box 5930
Toledo, OH 43613
Rosary Care Center
24-hour skilled nursing care
Rosary Care Center is a 76-bed, licensed nursing home facility with Medicare and Medicaid certification as well as accreditation by The Joint Commission. RCC now offers skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services to vowed religious women and men as well as to those from the greater community.
Learn More About Rosary Care Center
- 6832 Convent Blvd.
Sylvania, Ohio 43560
Learn More About Our Lady of Grace Hall
- 6832 Convent Blvd.
Sylvania, Ohio 43560
Sophia Center
Nurturing wellness in mind, body and heart – for 30 years.
The Sophia Center offers a full spectrum of therapeutic services by licensed therapists that provide an integrated and holistic approach to achieving inner health and well-being. The Sophia Center staff strives to help their clients heal and live life to its fullest despite any personal challenges they may face by providing a wide range of services including individual, group, marriage and family counseling. Psycho-educational and psychological testing along with educational consultation provides diagnosis and a realistic treatment plan for children through adults.
Learn More About The Sophia Center
- The Sophia Center
5335 Silica Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
Convent Park Apartments
Senior living apartments
Built in 1988, Convent Park Apartments include 98 one and two-bedroom apartments adjacent to the Motherhouse grounds of the Sisters of St. Francis.
Learn More About Convent Park Apartments
- 6600 Convent Blvd
Sylvania, OH 43560
Catholic Health Initiatives
Faith-based health system
In 2014 the Sisters of St. Francis transferred sponsorship of Sylvania Franciscan Health, their health system ministry, to Catholic Health Initiatives, a Colorado-based health system that operates 98 hospitals in 18 states. The Sylvania Franciscans became the 13th participating religious congregation of CHI. Recently CHI merged with Dignity Health to form CommonSpirit Health, a new nonprofit Catholic health system focused on advancing health for all people and serving communities in 21 states. The Sisters of St. Francis will continue to influence healthcare in their role as a participating congregation for the new system and by having individual Sisters serve on various healthcare boards.
The 13 participating congregations are the foundation in values and resources for Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI).
Learn More About Catholic Health Initiatives
- 198 Inverness Drive West
Englewood, CO 80112
