The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Aston, PA—More than 300 members of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia gathered for their congregational chapter from June 22-28, 2008. The chapter

Newly elected leadership team of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia:  (L-R) Sisters Anne Amati, Ruth E. Goodwin, Donna Desien, Annette Lucchese, Marijane Hresko, and Esther Anderson

culminated in the election of a new leadership team that will assume office on September 12, 2008. Sister Esther Anderson, OSF, was elected congregational minister. Sister Esther was born in Galway, Ireland, and currently ministers as Executive Director of Operations and Services for the Sisters of St. Francis. She holds a B.A. from Marylhurst University, an M.A. in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College, an M.A. in Religious Studies from Gonzaga University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Development from Union Institute and University.

The six-person team also includes five newly elected council members. Sister Anne Amati, OSF, was born in Trenton. New Jersey. She holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Villanova University and currently serves as a retreat director at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, Pennsylvania.

Sister Donna Desien, OSF, was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Prior to her recent sabbatical studies, Sister Donna ministered as principal of Corpus Christi School in Wilmington, Delaware, for twenty-one years. She holds a B.A. in English from Neumann College and an M.A. in Administration and Supervision from the Catholic University of America.

Sister Ruth E. Goodwin, OSF, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but lived in Maynard, Massachusetts, prior to her entrance into the congregation. Sister Ruth currently serves as the interim Vice President of Mission for Bon Secour St. Mary Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. She holds a B.A. in English from Neumann College and an M.S. in Nursing from Pace University.

Sister Marijane Hresko, OSF, was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She holds a B.A. in History from Neumann College and an M.A. in Theology from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Sister Marijane currently serves as the Director of Sponsorship for the Sisters of St. Francis.

Sister Annette Marie Lucchese, OSF, was born in Brooklyn, New York, and currently ministers as program director for the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Ringwood, New Jersey. Sister Annette holds a B.S. in Education and an M.A. as a Reading Specialist, both from Seton Hall University, and a Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision from Fordham University.

For the Sisters of St. Francis, the congregational chapter, while it is in session, is the primary authority of the congregation and aims to revitalize the spiritual, communal, and ministerial life of the congregation. Setting direction for the future, the 2008 general chapter adopted the following statement with accompanying directives for implementation:

Claiming our identity as prophetic Franciscan women and opening ourselves to God’s radical hospitality, we move forward communally and personally by choosing to live more deeply, intentionally, and hospitably into the truth of our mission statement.