Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady OSF with the mother house in Bonlanden , a suburb of Berkheim an der Iller in the district of Biberach an der Riss in Upper Swabia , is a Roman Catholic women's order that lives according to the third order rule of St. Francis .
history
The congregation was founded by the priest Faustin Mennel , who wanted to remedy the spiritual and material need in his parish by founding a monastery for the education of young women . In 1854 the construction of the mother house began. Three Franciscan nuns were asked from the Oggelsbeuren monastery to introduce the young women that Pastor Mennel had won over to monastic life. The congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Bonlanden emerged from these young women and was officially recognized by Bishop Josef von Lipp in January 1859 . The statutes of the young congregation were based on those of the Dillingen Franciscan Sisters .
distribution
The number of sisters grew rapidly. At the beginning of the 20th century, further branches were opened in Riedlingen (St. Agnes Girls School) and Ulm ( St. Hildegard School ). In addition, two children's homes were founded in Hürbel and Schwenningen . In 1926 six sisters immigrated to Argentina to work in the mission . Today the Bonlanden sisters are represented in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay in 40 branches. In addition to running schools and hospitals, the sisters also look after people in the slums of cities. A contemplative branch of the sisters has also emerged. In the United States , too , the sisters are active in nursing at a convent in Buffalo .
In the 1960s there were five branches in Germany and 33 abroad, with a total of 507 women religious. Today the number of sisters in Germany has decreased, but in South America the number is still increasing.
In addition to the parent company with a conference center and crib museum in Bonlanden, there are still branches in Ulm and Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany today .
literature
- Paul Kopf: The Franciscan Sisters of Bonlanden. Light and shadow. Sigmaringen 1992.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Work of the Orders and Monasteries in Germany, Volume II Female Orders. Wienand-Verlag Cologne 1964