Nonetheless, the Kulturkampf, an anticlerical reaction against the Catholic Church, placed convents under government control, and in 1876 the orphanage was closed.
[1] Anticipating further anti-Catholic measures, Mother Maria Theresia accepted the invitation of Bishop Joseph Dwenger of Fort Wayne, Indiana, to send missionary Sisters to work in his diocese.
The sisters strive to combine the contemplative life with the active through perpetual adoration and the works of mercy in education, healthcare, and other ecclesial ministries.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration are the founding congregation of Franciscan Health, which operates eleven hospitals serving Indiana and one in Illinois.
The sisters of St. Joseph Province sponsor the non-profit Mount St. Francis Nursing Center in Colorado Springs.