Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration
Contact
Vocation Director
1515 W. Dragoon Trail
P.O. Box 766
Mishawaka, IN 46546-0766
ssfpavocations@gmail.com
ssfpa.org
Dioceses
Chicago, IL Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN Gary, IN Indianapolis, IN Lafayette, IN
Mission
Blessed Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in her hometown of Olpe, Germany in 1863. She and her Sisters seek to answer the call that Love may be loved through dedication to Perpetual Adoration, Sisterly Love, and Franciscan Joy. For over 160 years, the Sisters have remained faithful to their charism of perpetual adoration and to the active apostolates of healthcare and education. The Sisters have been established in the United States since 1875 and currently serve in schools and hospitals primarily in Indiana and south suburban Chicago.
Blessed Mother Maria Theresia’s love for Jesus in the Eucharist continues to be expressed by the prayer and apostolate of her Sisters. As she wrote, “…how innumerable the graces the Lord bestows on us during the quiet hours of adoration. Let us fulfill this obligation faithfully; then we can look forward to our last hour with confidence, for in eternity, we shall continue the loving labor of our grateful hearts: the adoration of God.”
Qualifications
Sound mental and physical health, between the ages of 18-35, and a desire to give one's life to the Lord.
Formation
Initial formation includes candidacy, postulancy, two year novitiate, and a five year period of temporary profession. Postulants and novices take classes and reside at the motherhouse in Mishawaka. They engage in works of mercy in the local area but the primary focus is on development of the spiritual life and instructions in their Catholic faith, Franciscan spirituality, and religious life. Temporary professed sisters engage in full time studies or the apostolate as they learn to integrate the active and contemplative life.
Province
Immaculate Heart of Mary - Mishawaka, Indiana
International
Provinces located in Germany, USA, and the Philippines.
Belated Vocations
Persons over the age of 35 are not ordinarily admitted.