|
Frances Siedliska was born on November 12, 1842.
Because her family was of nobility, she spent her
childhood amidst ease and comfort. Frances'
excellent education, including the arts, was
entrusted to tutors.
From
her early childhood, Frances became sensitive to
the action of grace in her soul. An ardent love
and reverence for God awakened in her soul and
intensified as the years passed. She was
attracted to a contemplative life.
In
1875, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth began under the leadership of
Mother Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. She
presented to Pope Pius IX plans for the
Congregation. Mother Mary desired that her
Congregation transcend national boundaries and be
dedicated to the universal Church and its needs.
Her desire to spread the Kingdom of God to all
corners of the earth began to realize as homes
were opened in Poland, France, England and in
1885, in the United States.
The
number of women entering the Congregation
increased rapidly during the formative years of
the community. On November 21, 1902, at the time
of her death, 29 foundations had been established
in the 27 years of the young Congregation's
history.
On
April 23, 1989, Mother Mary of Jesus the Good
Shepherd was declared Blessed in an official
ceremony of the Church. Her Feast Day is November
21, the date of her death.
Sister Stella and her companions, members of the
Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth, sacrificed their lives on August 1, 1943
in Nowogrodek, Poland (now Belarus). Prior to
their death, the Sisters witnessed the arrest of
many men from their village and they asked God to
accept the sacrifice the lives in order to spare
the lives of the men who had families. The
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth rejoice in
their Sister's gift of life for others and hope
that the attention of the world will focus on
their faithful witness to God and their
unconditional love for others.
For
more information, please go to:
http://www.csfn.org/mother.htm. | 
