Sr. Theresa Firenze, a native from New Jersey,
has found peace and comfort living with her sisters in Aston.

With a heart as big as her smile, Sr. Theresa Firenze has used her gifts as an educator, administrator, spiritual director, caregiver, sister, and friend. Now as the congregational minister, Sr. Theresa is focusing her gifts on the well-being of our sisters and helping the sisters to experience the joy of community and deepen their Franciscan hearts.

Sr. Theresa was born in Nyack, New York, to Fred and Rose Firenze, the eighth of nine children. She explained, “By the time I was 34, both parents, a brother, and two sisters were deceased.” Today, Theresa and her four living siblings remain very close. In fact, when Sr. Theresa was recently elected to leadership, she was caregiving for her sister Muriel. Muriel is now a resident at Assisi House and Sr. Theresa makes sure to visit her often.

Sr. Theresa with her brother and sisters, a family that remains very close.

Beginning in first grade, Sr. Theresa attended Assumption School in Emerson, New Jersey. It was at Assumption that she first met the Franciscan Sisters of Ringwood. She completed elementary school at St. Joseph in Demarest, New Jersey, with the Felician Sisters, and went on to Immaculate Heart High School in Washington Township, New Jersey, where she met Sisters of St. Joseph. However, It was the Franciscan Sisters of Ringwood who made the biggest impression on the young Theresa because after working for one year at a book company, she entered the congregation in 1973 and was professed in 1976. During formation, she studied theology at Caldwell and Felician Colleges. She then went on to Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, New Jersey, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with a dual major in Theology and Elementary Education.

Sr. Theresa valued her relationship with Sr. Annette Lucchese as they shared many great moments over the years prior to Sr. Annette’s death in 2020.

“My first year teaching, I was back at Assumption School in Emerson, teaching first grade in the same classroom where I was a student,” Sr. Theresa explained. After one year at Assumption, Sr. Theresa’s career in education continued at St. Catherine Parish in Ringwood, New Jersey, where she taught junior high mathematics and religion for eight years while also serving as the religion coordinator and service coordinator. For five of those eight years, she was also the assistant principal. During this time, she also attended the Center for Spirituality and Justice in Bronx, New York, and became a certified spiritual director.

After spending the 80s at St. Catherine’s, Sr. Theresa’s ministry sites were varied. She spent one year as the administrator at St. Joseph’s Residence in Ringwood where fourteen infirmed and retired sisters made their home. It was during this year that she graduated from Fordham University with a Master of Sciences in Religious Studies with a concentration in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction. Next she taught for a year at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, New Jersey, and for a year at Paterson Catholic High School. During the summers from 1988 until 1993, Sr. Theresa was the director of vacation week for children in need at Mt. Saint Francis in Ringwood.

After three years away from St. Catherine’s, Sr. Theresa returned in 1993 as principal. She served in this role until 2018. Sr. Theresa shared, “My experiences at St. Joseph’s and teaching high school helped me to be a better administrator when I returned to St. Catherine’s.” Sr. Theresa left St. Catherine’s to be a full-time caregiver for Sr. Annette Lucchese and her sister Muriel Firenze. She shared, “Caregiving taught me to be realistic about what I could do to meet the needs of those in my care and to have strategies to preserve my own health amidst caring for those with whom I lived.” Sr. Theresa cared for Sr. Annette until her death in 2020. She explained, “If we had our elections when they were originally scheduled, I would not have been available because I was caring for Annette at the time.”

Ringwood holds a special place in Sr. Theresa’s
heart, so on the day of the closing, she was honored to offer a blessing on the former convent.

Sr. Theresa first met the Franciscan Sisters of Ringwood in the first grade, but her journey to becoming a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia is a different story. “I was on the merger committee and we went to visit many different communities. Some, you could tell right away were not a fit. Then in 1998, I was making a 30-day retreat at the Franciscan Spiritual Center with Sr. Ellen Duffy. I couldn’t talk with the sisters because I was on a silent retreat, but I watched and listened. I knew that the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia were a fit. The merger was officially approved on April 14, 2003. It is going to be 20 years this April.”

As the congregational minister, Sr. Theresa stresses that the leadership of the congregation is a team effort and feels blessed to share this ministry with a great group of sisters. (L-R) Sr. Karen Pourby, Sr. Celeste Crine, Sr. Florence Hee, Sr. Marian Leaf, and Sr. Theresa.

Writing about her life as a Sister of St. Francis, Sr. Theresa said, “the process leading to the merger of the Franciscan Sisters of Ringwood with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia revealed what is intrinsic to my call as a Franciscan sister: trust in God, discernment, conversion, compassion, and sister-to-sister relationships. Relinquishing title, Constitutions, and property challenged me to a poverty beyond a mere concept. Letting go and listening to the Spirit’s promptings freed me to embrace the evangelical life with a heart that truly knows the extravagance of a loving God.

When asked about her current ministry as congregational minister, Sr. Theresa lit up as she talked about the leadership team: “I work with a wonderful team of very gifted and talented women who love our sisters.” She went on to share, “My primary responsibility is the well-being of our sisters. There are administrative and operational responsibilities that must be done but the heart of my mission is to help our sisters reawaken their love of the congregation and our life together.”

Sr. Theresa and Dr. Chris Domes signing the paperwork for the sale of the motherhouse.

She shared that the blessings of her ministry include interacting with our sisters, ministry partners, and staff. She also enjoys networking with other religious congregations. The biggest challenge to her ministry is “balancing everyday situations and the vision necessary for the future of our congregation.” She said, “Relational most describes my leadership strength. As principal for 25 years, putting people first harvested positive results.” Sr. Theresa has varied interests and hobbies. She enjoys spending time with friends, cooking, and grilling. She likes to use tools and has a tool chest in her office closet, should the need to fix something arise. She loves going to the ocean, lighthouses, and has even para-sailed twice!

Sr. Theresa knows how to have fun. Here she is para-sailing with her niece, Alyssa, in Long Beach Island.

Sr. Theresa also has a fondness for hot air balloons and baseball. Her favorite pleasure reading subjects are self-help books and books about angels. She becomes very animated when she talks about angels. When asked what she would like others to know about her, Sr. Theresa shared, “My love for our Franciscan life and for our congregation motivate me to do what I can to nurture relationships and to make the world a better place. I am comfortable being my own person, while being sensitive to the needs of our sisters. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been because I know that I’m right where God wants me to be!”

Colleen Collins