Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity

A third order Regular [not Secular] group, the sisters are not cloistered nuns but active in the world, having historically been primarily involved in teaching, although they have participated in the care of the sick and poor, hospital work, mission work, and other activities.

The international congregation was founded by Mother Magdalen (Catherine) Daemen (1787–1858) in 1835[1] in the town of Heythuysen in the Netherlands.

[2] The Sisters were asked by Jesuit priests in Buffalo to come and serve the Catholic families of German descent who were living there.

[1] In 1874, the first three missionary sisters, accompanied by General Superior Mother Aloysia Lenders, arrived in Buffalo, New York.

[6] The Sisters of St. Francis of Stella Niagara (Holy Name Province, USA) additionally minister in the American states of Ohio, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida.