Timeline
Nov. 1864 - With nationalistic tension rising, the Sisters of the Holy Cross withdraw
from Herford. Sister M. Xavier remains behind to establish a local community under
the Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. She is joined by two postulants
who had been Sisters in her previous community. They are then joined by two new postulants
from the area, one of whom was Theresia Krasse.
Feb. 11, 1868 - Sixteen Postulants receive the habit of the new community, the “Poor
Sisters of Mercy of the Third Order of Saint Francis”. Theresia Krasse takes the
name Sister M. Frances.
Nov. 19, 1869 - The sixteen novices pronounce vows for five years and seven postulants
receive the habit.
1870 - The Franco-Prussian War starts. A number of Sisters volunteer to nurse the
wounded and dying soldiers. Five Sisters died of tuberculosis contracted while nursing
the soldiers.
Jan. 1872 - The Iron Cross for distinguished service was presented to Sister M. Xavier
in recognition of the services rendered by the Sisters. Father Pywick, S.J. warns
them “Do not be elated by the praise you are receiving now. In a few years these
same officials that now flatter you will banish you.”
May 31, 1875 - A law passed under Bismarck’s Kulterkampf “closed all monasteries
in Prussia, and expelled from Prussian territory all members of religious orders,
with the exception of those who cared for the sick—and they were variously restricted.”
Aug. 21, 1875 - As a result of Bismark’s May Laws, the whole community of 25 sisters
and four postulants boarded the P. Caland and sailed to America.
Sept. 5, 1875 - The Sisters land in New York
Sept. 8, 1875 - The Sisters are welcomed in Iowa City, Iowa. (see Sisters of St.
Francis of the Holy Family)
May 22, 1876 - The Sisters open their new orphanage and school “Mount Mary”. Due
to their poverty, Mother Xavier had to send Sisters out on extensive begging trips
to raise funds to support them. They came to Peoria on one of these begging trips
and met a Father Bernard Baak, pastor of St. Joseph Church, who asked them to set
up a hospital in Peoria.
Oct. 28, 1876 - Six sisters, led by Sister M. Frances Krasse, arrive in Peoria to
set up a Hospital in a rented three-story house on Adam’s Street. They named the
hospital St. Francis Hospital.
Nov. 4, 1876 - They admit their first patient to the hospital.
Feb. 16, 1877 - Mother Xavier comes to visit. After seeing their great need for help,
she sends them more Sisters.
March, 1877 - The city requests that the Sisters take charge of the old city hospital
and the connected contagious hospital.
May 1, 1877 - The first Bishop of Peoria, Bishop John Lancaster Spalding, was consecrated
in New York.
May 22, 1877 - Bishop Spalding arrives in Peoria.
July 16, 1877 - At the request of the new Bishop, the Sisters are released to form
their own separate congregation, The Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis
of Peoria, Illinois. Mother M. Frances Krasse is elected their first Mother General.
Sept. 30, 1877 - The cornerstone for the new St. Francis Hospital is laid by Bishop
Spalding. The House and 30 acres of land had been purchased from Lydia Bradley and
construction of an addition to the original house was begun.
May 1878 - The Bishop dedicated the new hospital.
Mar. 11, 1880 - The Sisters open St. Joseph Hospital in Bloomington, IL.
1881 - The Sisters Were Asked to take charge of the Diocesan Orphanage in Metamora,
IL.
May 1, 1882 - The Sisters open the doors to patients at St. Francis Hospital in Burlington,
Iowa.
Dec. 1883 - The Sisters open St. Mary Hospital in Rock Island at the request of Bishop
Spalding. The endeavor proved to be unsuccessful and they closed it that spring.
Feb. 12, 1884 - At the request of the officials in Escanaba Michigan, the running
of Delta County Hospital is given to the Sisters.
1884 - St. Francis Hospital is overcrowded and the addition of 18 more rooms and
a Chapel is started.
Oct. 28, 1885 - Mother M. Frances Krasse dies of consumption.
Jun. 19, 1887 - The Sisters open St. Joseph hospital in Keokuk, Iowa.
Jun. 10, 1889 - At the request of the Citizens of Menominee, Michigan the Sisters
take over the running of Providence Hospital. (This hospital is later bought by the
Sisters and named St. Joseph.)
1890 - The Sisters give up the orphanage because they were unable to staff it adequately.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception take charge there.
Oct. 4, 1890 - The Sisters open a new hospital, St. Mary, in Marquette Michigan and
the request of Bishop John Vertin.
Jul. 1, 1899 - At the request of citizens, the Sisters arrive to start St. Anthony
Hospital in Rockford, IL.
1901 - A School of Nursing is established at St. Joseph in Keokuk.
1902 - In order to bring in more Sisters, a novitiate is set up in Echt, Holland.
1905 - St. Francis School of Nursing is established.
Jan. 6, 1905 - Bishop Spalding suffers a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.
Jan. 29, 1907 - At the request of Father James Dollard, the Sisters open St. James
Hospital in Pontiac, IL.
1908 - At the request of Father Joseph Costa, I.C. the Sisters start St. Mary Hospital
in Galesburg, IL.
1908 - Bishop Spalding resigns and is named Titular Archbishop of Scythopolis.
1910 - The present Chapel at St Francis was constructed with seating for 400.
Oct. 7, 1912 - Sacred Heart Hospital in Fort Madison, Iowa is dedicated. (The Sisters
came to start the hospital at the request of Father Peter Hoffmann.)
1915 - At the suggestion of the mayor of Escanaba, the Sisters purchase Delta County
Hospital and rename it St. Francis Hospital.
Nov. 2, 1915 - St. Anthony School of Nursing in Rockford opens.
1918 - St. Francis School of nursing opened its doors to lay student nurses. A nursing
school is established at St. Joseph in Menominee.
May 4, 1919 - St. James Hospital in Pontiac, IL is struck by lightening and is destroyed.
The locals begin the work of raising funds to rebuild the next day.
1921 - The nursing school at St. Joseph in Menominee closes.
1925 - St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba is destroyed by fire.
1927 - Construction of the new St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba is completed.
Fall of 1929 - The cornerstone for the new motherhouse was laid by Bishop Dunne.
Nov 25, 1930 - The Motherhouse is dedicated by Bishop Schlarman.
May 1931 - The Novitiate in Echt is transferred to Bad Pyrmont, Germany due to increased
problems with immigration. (Approximately 300 girls had entered the community from
the novitiate in Echt.)
Aug. 15, 1935 - The Sisters arrive in Rock Hill, South Carolina to start St. Philip’s
Hospital at the request of Father Paul Hatch, O.C.
1940 - The oldest part of St. Francis hospital in Peoria is torn down.
Apr. 1942 - The new eight story building at St. Francis was completed.
Nov. 1942 - St. Francis Community Clinic was established to provide out-patient medical
care to those unable to afford a private physician.
1945 - The School of Nursing in Keokuk closes.
1945 - The Motherhouse Novitiate transferred to a more secluded area on Heading Avenue,
Mount Alverno Novitiate.
1953 - New Children’s Hospital Constructed at St. Francis in Peoria.
1957 - A lay General Advisory Committee and a central office is set up.
1958 - The Sisters close the Novitiate in Bad Pyrmont due to difficulties with immigration.
(In the 27 years of its existence the novitiate had admitted 127 novices.)
1958 - The Sisters in Burlington build a new hospital, St. Francis Continuing Care
Center.
Aug. 15, 1958 - The sisters have to close Sacred Heart Hospital in Rock Hill.
1959 - A centralized data processing system is begun for accounting purposes.
May 17, 1962 - Ground is broken for a new Novitiate near Germantown hills.
Sep. 4, 1962 - At the request of Bishop Franz the sisters begin work at St. Joseph
School in Pesotum.
1963 - St. Joseph School of Nursing in Bloomington closes.
Dec. 9, 1963 - The Mount Alverno Novitiate is transferred to the new site.
Jun. 23, 1964 - Construction of a new motherhouse, which would be attached to the
novitiate, began.
Aug. 25, 1965 - The new Motherhouse is dedicated by Bishop Franz.
Sep. 15, 1965 - The infirmary Sisters arrive in the new Motherhouse.
Dec. 1965 - The Sisters’ Governing Board decided to implement an IBM Hospital Information
system.
To be continued…
