There are over 70 School Sisters of St. Francis of the ULAF Province who minister in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.

Service to the people of Latin America began in 1932 when sisters from our European Province came to Honduras at the request of the local Church "to do whatever is needed." American School Sisters went to Latin America (Honduras) in 1945. Compassionate service to those who are poor continues in Honduras today in health care, education, and social and pastoral outreach. The six mission sites are now staffed mainly by native Honduran sisters.

In 1957, North American sisters arrived in Moravia, Costa Rica, a suburb of San José, and opened St. Clare College, a secondary school for girls. Their initial intent was to provide support for a novitiate training center for Honduran and Costa Rican vocations. More recently, native sisters have collaborated in diocesan training programs and administer a pastoral retreat center offering programs to youth and adults.

In 1968, following the call of The Second Vatican Council, two North American sisters collaborated with a Claretian pastoral team in Santo Tomas, Izabal, Guatemala, to build the Christian community among poor, indigenous people. Today, mostly native School Sisters serve the pastoral, educational and health needs of those who are poor in seven rural and urban sites. This includes an orphanage that serves 95 Guatemalan children orphaned by violence, poverty and neglect.

In 1969, at the request of the Bishop of the Chulucanas Diocese, two sisters from the United States began pastoral work in the remote mountain villages of Montero, Peru. Today, mostly native Peruvian sisters operate an elementary-secondary school, Colegio Santa Clara, and serve the needs of families of fishermen in Paita, Piura through pastoral and health ministries.

The first of our four Nicaraguan School Sisters of St. Francis entered the community in 1979. Currently we have three sisters in Managua and rural Paiwas, Matagalpa. These sisters minister among those who are poor by offering pastoral, educational and health services and working in community development.

The presence of our community in Mexico began in 1981 when School Sisters from Guatemala fled as refugees to San Cristobal, Chiapas. The presence of Guatemalan School Sisters resulted in vocations from Mexico. The mission in San Cristobal continues with pastoral outreach to basic Christian communities. The mission also provides pastoral services and opportunities for educating indigenous women.

The sisters in Latin America have initiated a collaborative mission with the U.S. Province. This mission is called Casa Alexia: A Border Ministry and has sites in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

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For more information about our Sisters of the ULAF Province contact:

Hermanas Franciscanas
Sede de la Provincia de ULAF
10 Avenida, 5 Calle #502
Tegucigalpa
HONDURAS

ulaf@sssf.org