“How fortunate we are that we were born in the bosom of the Catholic Church, and how gratified we should be for the inestimable grace of our vocation.”

~ Blessed Maria Theresia

St. Francis was thoroughly Catholic as a loyal son of the Church who sought the approval of his way of life from the Holy Father. With the same love, the Sisters “promise obedience and reverence to the Pope and the Catholic Church” (Third Order Regular Rule of St. Francis, 3).

We endeavor to be informed about and support Church teaching and to give allegiance to the Magisterium.

In 1931, our community was recognized as a congregation of pontifical right. This means that the Holy See (the Pope and the Vatican) approved of our community by official decree, and in matters of internal governance, we are subject to the authority of the Pope.

We are blessed to be officially recognized by the Church to be of pontifical right, but also enjoy being truly part of the diocesan family, with the bishop as our Shepherd.