ALTON, Ill. – The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr Saint George celebrate the 150th anniversary of their founding in Thuine, Germany, Nov. 25, 1869.
In the Diocese of Lincoln, the sisters serve at Bonacum House for retired priests in Lincoln, and at Hastings Catholic Schools.
The foundress, Mother M. Anselma Bopp, and another sister were sent in 1857 to the small German village of Thuine. They went there at the request of Father Gerhard Dall, the pastor of St. George the Martyr Parish, who wanted the sisters to help care for needy children and the sick. After receiving permission, Mother M. Anselma separated from her original community, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, to serve the people of Thuine. The Sisters lived in extreme poverty, thus, the new community adopted the Rule of St. Francis; their mission was to “be ready in obedience to God’s call.” 
The spirituality of the community focuses on the Sacred Heart, striving to make His merciful love visible through service to others: in hospital work, care of the elderly and day care, academic and religious education, parish work and social services.
The Sisters arrived in the United States in 1923. They began work at Father Dunne’s Newsboys Home in St. Louis, an institution for neglected boys, but the sisters were unable to continue because of the language barrier. Two years later, April 1, 1925, the community purchased its first establishment in the United States—Nazareth Home in Alton, Ill.
Over time, Nazareth Home became St. Anthony’s Infirmary, then St. Anthony’s Health Center. Today it is known as OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center.
In 1985, the Sisters began serving in the Diocese of Lincoln in a variety of apostolates including Pius X High School, St. Teresa School, the Diocesan Religious Education Department and the Chancery. When Bonacum House opened in 1987, the Sisters began the service to the retired priests of the diocese that continues today. In 1992, the Sisters left Pius X High School and began teaching in the Hastings Catholic Schools.
Presently, there are sisters living and working in 12 convents located in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Nebraska. They also have sisters outside the U.S. in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Albania, Cuba, Japan, Brazil, and Indonesia.
This month, for three days, all the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George living in the United States will gather at the Provincial House in Alton for a Mass of Thanksgiving and community celebrations.
For more information, visit www.altonfranciscans.org.
