Sisters of St. Francis, Part II
Continuing to bring the history of the Sisters of St. Francis up to the present, this article contains additional information from Sisters of the Third order of St. Francis of Penance and of Charity, Tiffin, Ohio, 1942-1989.
In 1934, there were 134 Sisters, 9 novices, and 4 postulants. Sixty-three of the Sisters lived at the Mother House.
From 1869 to 1961, 1,200 elderly had been cared for. A new St. Francis Home, completed in 1961, provided rooms for elderly couples as well as single persons. The incorporated facility had 117 beds by 1986. Now, in 1997, 173 people live in the Home.
A St. Francis Home Auxiliary was established in 1962 with charter members: Mrs. Walter Daniel, Mrs. Walter Frederick, Mrs. Leland Fullerton, Mrs. Charles Miller, Mrs. Wilbur Miller, Helen Schera and Mrs. Herbert Wetta. The membership of the auxiliary had increased to 1,101 by late 1963.
St. Francis High School, started in 1934, had 14 girls the first year and received their charter in 1935. Many of the first students lived on campus and wore uniforms. With the press of space, Elizabeth Schaefer Hall was dedicated May 26, 1968. In 1971-72, the school became co-educational. At its closing in 1978, there were 78 girls and 36 boys. The Punkin Patch, a pre-school fine arts center, closed at the same time. All together 593 students benefited from the Sister’s efforts.
Music had been very important from the beginning of the Sisters’ community, so a natural development was the establishment of the state approved and certified St. Francis School of Music in 1939.
In 1968, 104 music students were brought together for the first time in Elizabeth Schaefer Hall. The music program has led to outstanding congregational singing in the Convent Chapel. Many piano students won prizes over the years. In 1986, it was necessary to transfer the School of Music to the North wing of St. Joseph Hall.
In 1980, the Sisters saw an opportunity to better utilize their buildings and converted Elizabeth Schaefer Hall into apartments intended for those 62 or older with independent living. Today there are 33 apartments with 35 people. Two apartments are empty at this time.
In 1989, plans were drawn for the building of sixteen duplex cottage living units. Today there are thirteen beautiful duplex units and one single unit, that are known as the Villas.
In 1983, the Sisters moved out of the convent part of the St. Francis Home, and that space became available for other uses. The Community Hospice Care, serving Seneca County, used some of the space. Mrs. Leonard Gaydos provided leadership along with Mercy Hospital in establishing the Community Hospice Care.
Today, there are 149 Sisters of St. Francis. About forty percent of them live on the Tiffin campus. The rest are widely scattered over the U. S. and some are abroad. They serve many different kinds of ministries. Some are in hospitals, others are serving the poor even in Chiapas in Mexico and in Nicaragua.
My historical presentation omits the names and services rendered by hundreds of the Sisters. The world is a better place for their many contributions. Many of their names are cited in the reference mentioned in the first paragraph of this column. They have been and are a tremendous asset to the Tiffin community. They have my deepest admiration and respect.
My story for the next time is about one of the Sisters, Sister Rita Wienken, who became manager of the gardens, berry patches, and grape arbor in 1986. It will be mostly about her accomplishments related to the goal of the Rural Life Ministry- “concern for justice, justice for the land, to protect it from abuse either by ownership or use; justice to the tenant; justice to the Community; justice to the world.”
--Percy