Franciscan Sisters of Chicago

History

The Heritage Hall of The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago is a testament of God’s loving providence in the life of our foundress, Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik, and in the foundation and growth of our Congregation. Click here to view The Heritage Hall virtual tour.

1881

Polish immigrant, Josephine Dudzik (later, Sister Mary Theresa Dudzik), and her family, immigrate to Chicago.

1894

Josephine invites members of the Third Order of St. Francis to join her in a life of prayer and service to the poor, aged, and disabled. She establishes the nucleus of a new congregation, originally called The Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda and later renamed The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.

1898

The Sisters open St. Joseph Home for the Aged and Crippled on Chicago's Northwest side and build their first motherhouse on the same site.

1910

Mother Mary Anna Wysinski is elected first general superior of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.

1918

Sister Mary Theresa Dudzik dies. She is later given the honorary title of "Mother".

1926

The Sisters purchase the Walker estate in Lemont, Illinois, which serves as the congregation's novitiate for 37 years.

1936

Our Lady of Victory Convent opens as a home for retired and infirm Sisters in Lemont, Illinois.

1939

St. Anthony Home for the Aged opens in Crown Point, Indiana.

1940 - 1976

The Sisters serve with Father Flanagan at Boys Town, Nebraska.

1947

The Sisters extend their ministry into acute care hospitals in South Dakota and Nebraska and a school of nursing.

1953

Mount Alverna Rest Home (renamed Mount Alverna Home & Annex in 1981) is dedicated in Parma, Ohio.

1963

The motherhouse is moved from Chicago to Lemont, Illinois.

A request is made to Cardinal Meyer to approve Rev. Henry Malak as Postulator in the Archdiocese of Chicago for the Beatification Cause of Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik.

1972

Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik’s body is exhumed as part of the process for the Cause of Beatification. Her body is later reinterred in a sarcophagus in the motherhouse chapel.

1979

John Cardinal Cody officially opens the Cognitive Process for the Cause of Beatification. Testimonies are given from 1970 –1981.

1982

"Positio Super Scriptis" published by the Sacred Congregation for the cause of Saints in Rome, contains the opinions of the first two Theologian Censors regarding the writings attributed to the Servant of God, Mary Theresa Dudzik.

1989

Franciscan Village in Lemont, Illinois opens as the first continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in the ministry.

1994

Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik is declared "Venerable".

1995

St. Jude House, a family violence prevention center in Crown Point, Indiana, opens.

1997

Addolorata Villa, a retirement community in Wheeling, Illinois, is purchased from the Servite Sisters and expanded.

1998

Marian Village, independent and assisted living residences in Homer Glen, Illinois, is completed.

2001

The Madonna Foundation begins providing scholarships, tutoring, funds for diagnostic testing and other social and psychological services for underprivileged, young, urban women on Chicago’s north side.

2002

The new Our Lady of Victory Convent opens.

The casket containing the remains of Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik is made available for public viewing before being moved to the new motherhouse.

2003

Opening of the Archdiocesan Trial for the Cause of Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik. Doctors give testimony regarding the possible miracle attributed to Mother Mary Theresa in the case of Jerry Lisiecki.

As the sessions come to a close, Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving in the convent chapel.

2005

Mount Alverna Village, Parma, Ohio, opens with assisted living and skilled nursing.

St. Mary of the Woods, a continuing care retirement community located in Avon, Ohio, opens.

Marian Village in Homer Glen, Illinois, opens 93 additional independent living apartments. Also, the Loyola Center for Health opens on the Marian Village campus.

2006

St. Joseph Village of Chicago opens, replacing St. Joseph Home of Chicago, which was Chicago’s oldest skilled nursing community.

2007

Villa de San Antonio, an independent and assisted living community in San Antonio, Texas opens.

The Cause for the Beatification of Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik is now in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Please visit our new website dedicated to the Cause for Beatification, www.marytheresadudzik.org. for more information about the Cause.

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This brief history has only highlighted a few of our ministries. Please click here for a more complete listing of where we have served.

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