Side A: In 1916, Bishop of Toledo Joseph Schrembs requested that the Sisters of Saint Francis, Rochester, Minnesota, send nuns to work with Polish immigrant children that were flooding into greater Toledo. Mother Mary Adelaide Sandusky (1874-1964) brought 22 sisters who quickly established a new order, their Toledo motherhouse, and began teaching in parish schools. Under her steady guidance, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sylvania, Ohio, transformed 89-acres of farmland into a tranquil campus that included gardens, shrines, and an arboretum. Mother Adelaide designed buildings modeled on the California missions and filled them with European art as well as original ceramic murals made by the Sisters. The Sylvania Franciscans flourished and over 500 new members joined between 1916 and 1964. (Continued on other side)
Side B: (Continued from other side) Over the ensuing century, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, collectively staffed 110 elementary schools and 16 high schools in 13 states. With the establishment of Lourdes University in 1958, they extended their educational ministry to include college-age and adult learners. During the 1918 pandemic the Sisters began a healthcare ministry, and have sponsored and staffed 16 acute care hospitals in 7 states. The Sisters continue to respond to changing needs and offer counseling services for women and children, safe refuge for victims of domestic violence, housing and supportive services for refugee families, and promote peace and justice. In everything, the Sisters strive to live the Gospel as St. Francis of Assisi did: “joyfully and with profound respect for all God’s people and all of God’s creation.”
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