Mary Frances Schervier
Roman Catholic Church | |
---|---|
Beatified | 28 April 1974, Rome, Italy by Pope Paul VI |
Feast | 15 December |
Attributes | Religious habit |
Patronage | Aachen |
Mary Frances Schervier, TOSF (3 January 1819 – 14 December 1876) was a German Catholic nun who founded two congregations of
Schervier was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1974.
Early life
Frances Schervier (
In a dispute over the rights of the Catholic Church in 1837 (Kölner Wirren), the
Founder
In 1845 Schervier's life took an unexpected turn: her father died and a family friend, Getrude Frank, told Schervier that she was called to serve God and He would show her in whose company. She considered joining the
From 1845 until 1848, the Sisters continued to care for the sick in their homes and to operate a
The congregation obtained formal church recognition from the local
In 1857, she encouraged Philip Hoever, a
Schervier visited the United States in 1863, and helped her Sisters nurse soldiers wounded in the American Civil War.[2] St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken, New Jersey, was founded for this work. She visited the United States one more time in 1868. During this second visit, she attended the dedication of the new location of the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Covington, Kentucky, staffed by twelve sisters of her congregation.
Legacy
When Schervier died, there were 2,500 members of her congregation worldwide. The number kept growing until the 1970s, when, like many other religious orders, they began to experience a sharp decline in membership. After a formal investigation into her life requested of the
In 1959, the American
Veneration
Frances Schervier died in Aachen, Germany, on December 14, 1876.
In 1934 the Apostolic Process was opened in Rome, Decree issued for Introduction of the Cause of Mary Frances Schervier, of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis. On January 30, 1969, Pope Paul VI proclaimed the "heroicity of the virtues" of Schervier and declared her "Venerable".
On October 18, 1972,
In 1973 the "medically inexplicable" and sudden cure of Ludwig Braun from a life-threatening pancreatic and intestinal ailment was recognized as the miracle necessary for the beatification of Schervier. The decree recognizing the miracle was signed on October 18, 1973, by Pope Paul VI. Schervier was beatified on April 28, 1974, in Rome by Pope Paul VI, and became "Blessed Frances".[5]
In March 1989 an unexplainable and sudden cure was experienced by Thomas Siemers, who had a massive brain hemorrhage. Three medical doctors had no scientific explanation: one said it was "divine intervention" and another said "somebody up there likes him."
In 2008 The Cause for Canonization of Blessed Frances Schervier was introduced in Rome on July 16 jointly by Tiziana Merletti, Congregational Minister of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, and Sister Katharina Maria Finken, S.P.S.F.,
In 2009 The Opening Session of the Diocesan Inquiry Process took place on April 17 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to gather evidence on the cure of Thomas Siemers, with a closing session on December 14.
On March 17, 2010, the official documents from the Diocesan Inquiry in Cincinnati were opened in Rome.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Foley, Leonard. "Blessed Mary Frances Schervier", Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey), Franciscan Media". Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ^ a b c "Frances Schervier | Saints Resource". saintsresource.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- ^ Jeiler, P. I. The Venerable Mother Frances Schervier Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor of Saint Francis: a Sketch of her Life and Character, (trans. by Bonaventura Hammer) 3d ed St. Louis, Missouri: B. Herder ,1924
- ^ "Franciscan Sisters of the Poor". Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ^ Seligsprechung von schwester Franziska Schervier vatican.va, article in German
- ^ "Blessed Frances". Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
Sources
- Mccloskey, Patrick (1999). Day by Day with Followers of Francis & Clare. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press. ISBN 978-0-86716-336-0.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Jeiler, P. I. (1924). The Venerable Mother Frances Schervier, Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor of Saint Francis: a Sketch of her Life and Character. Translated by Bonaventura Hammer. St. Louis, Missouri: B. Herder.