Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
125 Years in the USA About Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Frances Siedliska)Born into a wealthy and cultured family at the palatial estates of her parents, Adolph and Cecilia Siedliska near Warsaw, Poland, on Nov. 12, 1842, Frances, a very gifted child, was educated privately by governesses, and her keen intelligence, vivacity, and personal warmth offered prospects for a bright future in Poland’s noble society. Yet, another deeper yearning had captured her heart from her youth, and a strong relationship of love with God and firm faith were dominant features of Frances’ life.  After the death of her father, she consecrated herself to the service of God, becoming the foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, which was established in Rome in 1875. Her religious name was ‘Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd’. In her role as foundress, Mother Mary worked zealously to inspire her Sisters to make God’s love known in their service to others throughout the world without regard for distinctions in nationality, race or social standing. A naturalized American citizen, she died in Rome on Nov. 21, 1902, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1989.
About the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in the United States In 1885, Mother Mary received a request to bring her community to America to minister to the thousands of immigrant Poles who, at the time, were seeking a better life in the United States. Responding with characteristic generosity and courage, she and 11 sisters - half of the fledgling community - arrived in New York Harbor on July 4, 1885, and proceeded to Chicago, IL, where they immediately set about establishing schools and caring for orphans. The congregation in America grew quickly, and from the original foundation in Chicago, during the lifetime of the foundress, the ministry of the Sisters had spread to Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. During their 125 years of service in America, the Sisters have ministered to the family of God in 19 states: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, as well as in the territory of Puerto Rico. Today, more than 340 Sisters in the U.S. continue to bring God’s message of love and goodness to families. Additionally, more than 1,000 sisters serve God’s people in Australia, the Philippines and in nine countries of Europe. The CSFNs, an international apostolic congregation of 1,400 sisters, have their generalate in Rome.
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