On April 9, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia celebrate Founders’ Day, commemorating the moment when the three foundresses knelt in prayer before Bishop John Neumann CSsR, who invested them with the Franciscan habit. Each was given a new name, and Mother Francis Bachmann was designated as their first leader. When the Franciscan Sisters in Buffalo and Syracuse became independent congregations, Mother Francis Bachmann continued her leadership and inspiration of the Philadelphia community until her death in 1863. Future leaders would shepherd its rapid growth over the years, which contributed to the congregation’s rich history of mission and ministry here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and beyond. (Sponsored/given by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia)

Zoom Webinar – join using the following link: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/92077066920

Panelists:

Sister Anne Amati OSF, a native of Trenton, NJ, is a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Over the years, her ministries have taken her to various religious congregations, parishes, schools, hospitals, and dioceses in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as an educator, retreat director, workshop presenter, musician/leader of song, facilitator, theological reflector at assemblies of Franciscan congregations, and participant in congregational services. Anne was also a staff member of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs for 17 summers, traversing the streets of Rome and Assisi leading and celebrating with groups of pilgrims as they visited the sacred sites of Saints Francis and Clare in Italy. In 2015, Anne lead a pilgrimage to the sites of the first Christian communities in Greece and Turkey. Presently, Anne has returned to retreat ministry after six years as a council member in the congregational leadership of her community.

Sister Mary Kennedy OSF is a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis for almost 55 years. She has worked for Catholic Social Services in various capacities, and is currently serving as a parish social worker with a focus on the Hispanic Immigrant Community, and ministering to the communities associated with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and Annunciation in South Philadelphia. She recently became an Accredited Representative with the Department of Justice, and has broad experience and expertise in immigration work, a ministry she has embraced in the spirit of the call of Pope Francis to accompany newcomers and share their journeys. Her Franciscan life is what leads her to reach out to serve as sister to all.

Sister Pat Warman OSF has been a Franciscan community member for over 50 years, and has served as the coordinator of the Franciscan Companion group that has met regularly in Langhorne, Bucks County for the last 9 years. A number of years ago the group realized that they needed to broaden their outreach and did so with the help of Sister Noelita, who ministers to Hispanic families in Philadelphia. Since that time, the group has been able to support her with food, clothing, and gifts at Christmas, including much needed basic cleaning products. Sister Pat has a passion for serving the poor, which her mother modeled for her when she was growing up.

Anne Pullis is a Companion in Mission with the Sisters of St. Francis, whose affiliation began through her friendship with Sr. Pat Warman. She became involved not from a solely religious perspective, but as a human being who cares deeply about the needs and struggles of other human beings. In her spare time, she collects donations (toiletries, cash, gift cards, household items) from neighbors and community members to give to needy individuals in the local community through the Sisters of St. Francis—especially engaging with the ministries of Sisters Mary Kennedy and Noelita Rodriguez, and recently to the immigrant communities at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Carol Baiocchi has been a Companion in Mission with the Sisters of St. Francis since 1986, after meeting the sisters while working at St. Mary Hospital in Langhorne, PA. In her varied volunteer positions over the years, Carol has served as a lector, distributed communion, assisted with healing ceremonies, and produced prayer services for all occasions. She has also worked at the food pantry in Penndel and helped the Bucks County Housing group, where she oversaw a variety of charitable activities for needy employees and children. From her wealth of experience as a Franciscan Companion, Carol shares ways to improve and strengthen her local group and enriches the program with her welcoming presence and creative contributions.