Sisters of St. Francis, Sacred Heart Province
Awake to the transforming love of God throughout creation, we compassionately serve all as sister and brother by our contemplation, presence, forgiveness, hope and joy. (SSF-SHP mission)
Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity is an international congregation of Catholic women religious who follow St. Francis of Assisi. Our origins are in the Netherlands, where we were founded by Mother Magdalen Damen in 1835 in the small village of Maaseik. After our foundation the congregation spread to other regions of the world, with three provinces (regions) located in the United States. Sacred Heart Province is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Mother Magdalen Damen’s life-long motto was “God will Provide.” She and her early companions were faith-filled women who leaned on God as they served God and God’s people, responding to particular needs of the people right in front of them: by teaching children, offering care to the sick, and serving in a number of other ways in the parish church and in the villages around them.
Today we, Sisters of St. Francis of Sacred Heart Province, likewise respond to particular needs of the times through our various ministries, one of which is to provide grants from the Sisters of St. Francis – Sacred Heart Charitable Fund, through which we address the following areas:
- Peace, justice, and advocacy for the dignity of every person, especially the poor and disenfranchised
- Education that empowers people
- Care of the earth, recognizing God’s creation and the need to protect it
We are Sisters of St. Francis of Sacred Heart Province