Words cannot express the true spirit of this 100-year-old sister as she celebrates her 80th Jubilee as a School Sister of St. Francis. There was excitement at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee in mid-May as Sister Frances and her friends celebrated her 100-year mark. Now, in mid-June, there will be another celebration as Sister Frances celebrates 80 years in our community.
Two decades ago, Sister Frances celebrated her 80th birthday by taking a trip to Italy. There may not be a trip in a plane this year, but she surely plans to continue to take her sister friends to and from Sacred Heart’s chapel for Mass by wheelchair as she herself hangs on to her trusted cane.
Let’s reminisce a bit. Frances was born in Westphalia, Iowa, the fourth child in a family of ten children. One sister, Margaret, and two brothers, Charles and Mike, are still living. Frances’ religious name was Sister Bennet, in honor and memory of a brother who was killed in combat.
After High School, Frances and a friend wanted to join the School Sisters of St. Francis. They boarded a train on December 2 and arrived in Milwaukee at midnight. Frances was wearing hard-soled shoes so when she reached the convent and was walking in the bedroom under the Adoration Chapel, the sisters who were praying above the dorm were wondering what the loud noise was. We can be sure that Frances didn’t have those shoes for long!
Before Sister Frances was assigned to any ministry outside of the convent, her first years were spent in the basement office of the Seraphic Press. This printing operation produced all the printed materials for the convent, books on the lives of the saints, and thousands of St. Francis coloring books for many of the schools where our sisters taught.
Sister Frances’ wish was to become a teacher, and this wish came true when she was assigned to her first class of 50 kindergarten students at Immaculate Conception School in Chicago. In her many years of ministry, she was a passionate and energizing teacher for her many kindergarten classes. Students were engaged in learning. When one entered her classroom, the children were actively involved in meaningful projects that were much more than play. Her classroom was an exhibit of learning experiences that changed by the season for her students.
Each ministry assignment was special to Sister Frances, whether it was in Illinois, Mississippi, Iowa, or Nebraska. She ministered within primarily Black communities in Yazoo and Jackson, Mississippi, from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, as America struggled with school desegregation. Sister brought the true spirit of the gospel to everyone within her influence. To her, education was about more than textbook knowledge; it was about building character and showing respect. She mirrored the love of Christ with her quiet and gentle ministry to the children she taught in school as well as to the parish and the whole community.
Sister Frances also has lived through profound changes within religious life. When she was asked, “Did you mind not having to wear the habit after the changes of Vatican II?,” she quickly responded, “It is the way we live our lives, not what we wear!”
In her last years in ministry, Sister Frances was grateful for being in or community’s Western Province, based in Omaha, so she could be near her aging parents. She attended classes to become a librarian and then was a school librarian in Earling, Iowa. Her library was filled with attractive displays and exhibits that encouraged informational and leisurely reading. She enjoyed being able to continue educating children without the pressure of precise lesson plans and office duties as a principal.
We thank Sister Frances for sharing 80 years of ministry with the people of God in so many situations. Congratulations, Sister Frances, and God bless you!