Aston, PA-Sister Francis Damian Recker, OSF, 94, died in on March 3. She had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 70 years. Sister Francis Damian (Bertha Mary Recker) was born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where she was a member of Holy Family Parish. Prior to her entrance into the congregation in 1936, she worked at Nazareth Waste Mill. Her sister, Sister Paracleta Recker (now deceased), was also a member of the congregation. Sister Francis Damian ministered primarily in domestic work, especially cooking for the sisters with whom she lived or in hospitals. In her leisure time, she enjoyed collecting and sorting stamps.
Sister Francis Damian ministered for 48 years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She ministered to the needs of her sisters in All Saints Convent (1939-1942), St. Benedict Convent (1942-1946), and Our Lady of Angels Convent, the congregation’s motherhouse in Aston (1946-1948, 1949-1950). Her hospital ministry included working at St. Agnes Hospital (1948-1949); St. Mary Hospital, Philadelphia (1957-1958); and St. Mary Hospital, Langhorne (1973-1990). In 1990-1991 she served in parish ministry at St. Casimir Parish. From 1991-2001 she lived at Portiuncula Convent in Aston, one of the congregation’s independent living units, and did various volunteer work. In 2001 she moved to Assisi House where she served in prayer ministry until her death.
Sister Francis Damian’s six years of ministry in the Diocese of Trenton included working at Holy Angels School and Immaculate Conception School (1950-1951). She also worked with children at St. Michael Home in Hopewell from 1954-1955 and again from 1968-1972).
Sister Francis Damian also ministered for six years in the Diocese of Wilmington, seeing to the needs of her sisters at the Padua Convent (1962-1968).
Additional ministry experience included serving at Holy Trinity Convent, Boston (1955-1957); St. Mary Convent, York (1951-1954); St. Joseph Hospital, Lancaster (1972-1973); and St. Anthony Convent, Baltimore (1958-1962).
All services will be held in Assisi House, 600 Red Hill Road, on Friday, March 6. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 9:30 A.M followed by viewing. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 A.M. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston. Sister Francis Damian is survived by her sister-in-law Mary Recker, a niece, nephews, and by her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to Franciscan Ministries Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.
