History

The Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, came to the United States in 1872 and have a history rich in responding to the needs of a constantly changing society, with a particular preference for serving the poor. Just as many remarkable stories can trace their roots to humble beginnings, the Sisters' proud heritage stems from the vision and courage of a young German woman.

Mother Clara Pfaender

Clara Pfaender founded the community of women religious in 1860 in Olpe, Germany. The sisters were called into nursing duty when Germany was at war in 1866 and the 1870's. It was also a time of severe religious persecution under the German government's Kulturkampf laws. Mother Clara often partnered with the laity in ministry, noting that "unusual situations call for unusual actions".

Responding to a call to provide health services, the first three German Sisters settled in the United States in 1872, near St. Louis, Missouri. Later, in 1875 five Sisters left Germany to join the new U.S. foundation. They never arrived, but rather sacrificed their lives, giving others seats on lifeboats when the steamer "Deutschland" sank off the cost of England. These sisters are memorialized in "The Wreck of The Deutschland" by Gerard Manly Hopkins.

During the ensuing years, the growth of the U.S. Province was matched by an expanding scope of human services. As human needs were encountered and the Sisters were invited to serve in other areas of the country, they responded by establishing hospitals, schools, orphanages and other ministries. Headquarters for the U.S. Province of St. Clara were relocated to Wheaton, Illinois in 1947, and the Sisters later became known as Wheaton Franciscans. Ongoing ministry development faced challenges posed by social changes, as well as by a decrease in the number of women religious. In spirit and in service the Sisters worked increasingly with others who shared the Gospel values of the Wheaton Franciscans.

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