Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at Olpe
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at Olpe , abbreviation OSF (Ordo Sancti Francisci) , are a Catholic women's congregation that was established in Olpe in the Sauerland in 1863 under the direction of Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel . The main duties of the sisters are childcare and nursing.
history
Mother Maria Theresa is venerated as the founder of the mother house in Olpe. Her real name was Wilhelmine (called Aline) Bonzel (* September 17, 1830 - February 6, 1905) and came from a long-established Olper merchant family. Since her early youth she tried to follow the Franciscan ideal, in 1850 she became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. In 1859 she began a life in Olpe with Clara Pfänder and Regina Loeser. Initially under the leadership of Clara Pfänder, the common intention was to found a new congregation. On October 30, 1860, the Paderborn Bishop Konrad Martin confirmed the convention under the name "Sisters of St. Francis, Daughters of the Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary". On December 20, 1860, the first nine sisters, six choir sisters and three lay sisters, were dressed in the Olper St. Martinus Church. Ever since December 21, 1860, eternal adoration was practiced in the community (Holy Mass), which was intended to emphasize the constant presence of Christ in the spirituality of the sisters. On July 31, 1861, the move to the so-called Weber House followed. A radical structural change took place on March 19, 1863: Mother M. Clara Pfänder moved the motherhouse to Salzkotten , where from then on 14 sisters and 15 postulants did their service. From now on, eternal adoration should also take place in Salzkotten. However, at the request of the citizens of Olpe, eternal adoration was reintroduced in the monastery in Olpe. Olpe remained - now in the responsibility of Mother Maria Theresa - initially a branch monastery. On July 20, 1863, however, the church's independence was confirmed by the Paderborn Bishop Konrad Martin. This day is therefore the official founding date of the independent convention. Ten sisters were also assigned to the monastery. Mother Maria Theresa officially took over the management in Olpe on August 3, 1863. The name of the institution also changed, it was now "Poor Franciscan Sisters of Eternal Adoration".
The community spread quickly after difficult founding years and in the 1860s had over 2,300 members in four provinces. Mother Maria Theresa led the community until her death in 1905, at that time there were over 1,500 sisters. Right from the start, the area of responsibility included the education of young people, nursing of the sick and the elderly. For example, the girls' high school in Jülich was built in 1891 .
During the time of the Kulturkampf , the sisters' work in schools and kindergartens was banned, only nursing was allowed. In 1875 the admission of new members was banned. Therefore, the Olper Franciscan Sisters opened branches in the USA, which still exist today.
In 1902, with the establishment of today's “ Non-Profit Society of the Franciscan Sisters in Olpe ” (GFO), the financial basis of the houses of the community was secured.
During the First World War , a large number of the German nurses worked in military hospitals. During the time of National Socialism , the sisters were released from schools and forced into labor. Numerous houses were also confiscated. A new period of prosperity followed in the 1960s. Since 1961 the community has been a " congregation under papal law ", which facilitates the leadership of the international community.
In 1966 the mother house (generalate) with novitiate, retreat house and guest house was rebuilt on the Kimicker Berg in Olpe, the architect of the spacious new building was Hans Schilling . Today there are still around 650 Sisters who work in Germany , North America , the Philippines and Brazil . The provincial government of the German province is located in Olpe . The Provincial Superior is Sr. Scholastica Kaiser. Superior General is Sr. Magdalena Krol.
The process of beatification of the founder Mother Maria Theresa, which has been ongoing since 1961, was completed on March 28, 2013. The solemn beatification took place on November 10, 2013 in the High Cathedral in Paderborn .
Facilities
The first children's hospice in Germany, “Balthasar”, belongs to the GFO (“non-profit society of the Franciscan women in Olpe mbH”) . In addition, there are twelve hospitals, several nursing homes and service living facilities, child and youth welfare facilities such as the special educational children's home “Josefshaus”, the mother-child house “Aline”, kindergartens, a grammar school and “Kompass” as a youth and family counseling service .
In total, the GFO has around 40 facilities with more than 8,000 employees.
See also
- Society of the Franciscan Sisters in Olpe
- List of the spiritual institutes in the Duchy of Westphalia
- Sankt-Elisabeth-Hospital Gütersloh
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Franciscan Sisters in Olpe celebrate their anniversary , in: Die Tagespost, July 20, 2013, p. 4.
- ↑ Provincial Office in Olpe , accessed on August 24, 2020.
- ^ Generalate in Olpe , accessed on August 24, 2020.