We look to the future with changes in governance structure and leadership

The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis implemented a new governance structure and welcomed a new leadership team on July 15, 2023. Sister M. Margarete Ulager, OSF, General Superior of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, announced the establishment of the U.S. Canonical House, the new governance structure for the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in Springfield. Sister Margarete also announced the leadership team who will serve a three-year term: Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, superior, and Sister Anna Phiri, OSF, and Sister Janice Schneider, OSF, assistant superiors. (Pictured left to right: Sisters Anna, Maureen, and Janice)

Since 1903, the Springfield-based Hospital Sisters of St. Francis has been a province in their international community with a leadership team of a provincial superior who served with a small team of Sisters. Mindful of their decreasing membership and increasing age, and after evaluating their present and future needs, the Sisters recommended and received approval for this new structure from their leadership team in Muenster, Germany in 2023.

The recommendation for a new governance structure follows two decisions regarding the Sisters’ Springfield property and their healthcare ministry. In January 2022, the Sisters entered into an agreement with the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois in which the diocese assumed ownership and responsibility for St. Francis Convent at 4849 LaVerna Road, Springfield. The Sisters will continue to live on the property indefinitely through a long-term lease agreement. Second, on July 2, 2015, the Sisters received Vatican approval for Hospital Sisters Ministries to assume sponsorship of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and its related organizations in Illinois and Wisconsin. Established under Church law as a public juridic person, Hospital Sisters Ministries is governed by a board accountable to the Church. This action follows a national movement in Catholic healthcare in which religious communities transition leadership to men and women who are formed in the highest governance of Catholic healthcare.

Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, is a native of Springfield, IL, and is a graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marillac College, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Colorado Denver, and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She began her career as a registered nurse in HSHS hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin. From 1988 to 2007, she served as the provincial secretary and treasurer of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. From 2007-15, she served as provincial vicaress and from 2015-23 she served as provincial superior. She made her first profession of vows in 1968.

Sister Anna Phiri, OSF, is a native of Chipata, Zambia. She holds a diploma in religious studies from Regina Mundi, Rome, Italy, a master’s degree in religious sciences from Gregorian University, Rome, and a certificate in spiritual direction. She made her first profession of vows with the Teresian Sisters in 1973 and served for 10 years with her community’s leadership team in Malawi. She transferred to the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in 2003 and served as the membership invitation minister. Since 2008, she has volunteered at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur, IL, in spiritual care and with other organizations in Decatur.

Sister Janice Schneider, OSF, is a native of Olney, IL, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield, a master’s degree in business administration from Lakeland College, and a master’s degree in health care mission from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Sister Janice began her career in accounting at HSHS hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin. From 2007-15, she served as the provincial secretary and treasurer of the Hospital Sisters and from 2015-23 she served as a provincial councilor and canonical treasurer. She made her first profession of vows in 1992.

The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is a congregation of Franciscan Sisters founded in Germany in 1844. Their Provinces include Germany, Poland, Japan, and India, and a Canonical House in America. In 1875, Sisters from Germany arrived in America and began a healthcare ministry. The Sisters provided healthcare services in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Indiana, along with China, Japan, Taiwan, Tanzania, and Haiti. It is the Founding Institute of Hospital Sisters Ministries which is the public juridic sponsor of HSHS – a multi-institutional healthcare system in 14 communities in Illinois and Wisconsin with 15 hospitals, health centers, and clinics, nearly 2,300 physician partners, and more than 14,000 colleagues. In addition, the Sisters founded St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing, now St. John’s College, in 1886 and it is the first Catholic nursing school in the United States. In 2002, the Sisters founded Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach which collects medical supplies and equipment from hospitals across the Midwest and makes them available to healthcare facilities in low-resource areas around the world. The Sisters also founded the Franciscan Apostolic Center in 1974 and Chiara Center in 2007 – both of which served as retreat and conference centers for people of all faith traditions.

Sister Therese Fang, OSF, 102, died on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8:46 p.m. at St. Francis Convent, Springfield, IL.

The Visitation will be held at St. Francis Convent on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 4-7 p.m. with a Wake Service at 6 p.m. The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Richard Chiola on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel at St. Francis Convent. The burial will be in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery.

Sister Therese, the former Bibiana Fang, was born in Shang Tung, Tung Ping, China, on November 27, 1920, the daughter of Peter and Mary (Young) Fang. She entered the Congregation at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Jinan, China, on March 25, 1944, and professed her religious vows on September 17, 1946.

Due to political instability in China, it was necessary for the Chinese and American Sisters serving in Jinan to come to the United States for their safety and so they sailed from Shanghai on the SS General Meigs on May 12, 1948, to San Francisco, CA. After traveling on the train, they arrived in Springfield on June 5. After learning English, Sister Therese attended St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing, Springfield, and she earned a certificate from St. John’s Hospital School of X-Ray in 1956. Sister Therese became a registered radiological technician and served at St. John’s Tuberculosis Sanitarium, Springfield, along with HSHS hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin. Sister Therese rendered her service at HSHS St. Francis Hospital, Litchfield, IL, from 1960 to 1996.

Sister Therese was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Peter Fang, Jr. She is survived by her cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ma of Flushing, NY, Shaun and Chloe Liang of Kensington, MD, and her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared her life for over 79 years.

Feature Story from 2005

Staab Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

We are honored to announce our 2023 Jubilarians who will celebrate the anniversary of their first profession of vows in June.

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We congratulate Sister Chaminade Kelley, OSF, as she observes her 75th Jubilee.


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Feature Story from 2003

We congratulate Sister Leonardine Sconzert, OSF, as she observes her 75th Jubilee.


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Feature Story from 2007

We congratulate Sister Annice McClure, OSF, as she observes her 70th Jubilee.


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Feature Story from 2004

We congratulate Sister Josepha Schaeffer, OSF, as she observes her 70th Jubilee.


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We honor Sister Ruth Brueggemann, OSF, who passed away on April 15, 2023. This year is her 70th Jubilee.


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We congratulate Sister Marybeth Culnan, OSF, as she observes her 60th Jubilee.


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Feature Story from 2006

We congratulate Sister Anna Phiri, OSF, as she observes her 50th Jubilee.


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Feature Story from 2006

We are pleased to announce the new leaders of our religious community in the USA: Sister Maureen O’Connor, OSF, leader; Sister Janice Schneider, OSF, assistant leader; and Sister Anna Phiri, OSF, assistant leader.

After evaluating our present and future needs, we recommended and received approval for this new leadership model from our General leadership team in Muenster, Germany. This recommendation for a simpler structure of governance and management follows our previous reorganization decisions in regard to our property and healthcare ministry.

Our new leaders will be installed on July 15, 2023.