School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King
Province of St. Francis of Assisi, Lemont, IL USA
Congregational History
The congregation of the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King was founded September 13, 1869 with the Motherhouse in Maribor, Slovenia, having its origins with Sister Antonia Lampel and the Congregation of School Sisters of St. Francis of Graz (Austria) in 1843. In fact, the Sisters of Graz had opened a daughter house in Maribor in 1864 thanks to Bishop A.M. Slomšek*, who desired to have within his diocese, a religious community for promoting education among the youth in a spirit of faith and the tradition of the Slovenian people. Guided under the will and care of Sr. Margareta Pucher (born Kapela-Radgona, March 6, 1818, died Maribor, March 6, 1901), the daughter house in Maribor subsequently separated from the Motherhouse in Graz, and became for the new congregation the Motherhouse. In this sense, Sr. Margareta is the founder of the new Institute.
The Bishop of Maribor, S.E. Maksimilijan Stepišnik, named Sr. Margareta the first Superior General of the new Congregation whose charism was the promotion of education and the instruction of youth in the diocese of Maribor. In the first years the congregation spread throughout Slovenia. Towards the end of the 19th century came the opening of a daughter house in Mostar (Bosnia/Hercegovina), and at the beginning of the 20th century in Split (Croatia). In the first decade of the 20th century the first daughter houses in the United States and in Egypt were opened, following within thirty years also in South America. The settling of the community in other continents was related to problems of the migration of Croatian and Slovenian people. In fact, the sisters had followed the people, dedicating themselves to the works of education and instruction of Croatian and Slovenian children in parochial schools, or lending their assistance in other ways (Egypt).
By the end of 1922 the Congregation was a structured unity. All the houses were directly connected to the Motherhouse in Maribor and depended on her. The Congregation had diocesan rights and the community life was regulated by the Third Order Rule of St. Francis and by the Statutes approved by Bishop Attems for the Congregation of School Sisters of Graz.
In 1922 the Congregation, with the document “Decretum laudis” (SCR, n.2393/22 of May 9, 1922), came under pontifical rights and received approval of its own Constitution. In the same year the Congregation was divided into four provinces with their respective provincial centers in Chicago, Maribor, Tomadio (now Trieste) and Split. (SCR, n.5876/22 of November 18, 1922.)
The expansion of the Congregation between the two world wars contributed to the birth of other provinces: the first in Herzegovina, with the center in Mostar and the second in Argentina, with its center in Rosario (now at San Lorenzo.) At the present time, the Congregation consists of nine provinces and the Region of Rome. Furthermore, the Trieste Province has two houses in Egypt, and the Split Province has three houses in the Congo.
In 1904 the Congregation was added to the First Order of Friars Minor and able to participate in its spiritual privileges. The addition of “Christ the King” to the title of the Congregation was made in 1935, decided by the General Chapter, and subsequently approved by the Sacred Congregation (SCR, n.2776/47 of March 14, 1947.)
In 1941, during the Second World War when the Germans and the Italians occupied Slovenia, the sisters were forced to abandon the Motherhouse and all the other houses of Slovenia. Following such dramatic circumstances, Mother Terezija Hanželič, the General Superior in office, transferred the Generalate to Rome. The institution of the Generalate in Rome was approved by the Sacred Congregation on July 19, 1941 (SCR, n. 4893/41.)
By decree of the Sacred Congregation, n.03710/58 of January 31, 1966, the Congregation came to be called international and with the Generalate in Rome, Italian became the official language of the Congregation.
After Vatican Council II, in compliance with the directives of the Council for the renewal of religious Institutes, the General Chapter of 1969 initiated this renewal and approval of our Constitution from the Sacred Congregation “for experimentation.” Re-adjustments and completion came with the two successive General Chapters. The final text was approved by the Sacred Congregation on June 24, 1983, Prot. n.L.68-1/82.
The principal mission of the sisters is to live the Gospel in community, observing the vows in the Franciscan spirit of penance, joy and simplicity, according to the Rule of the Third Order Regular and our Constitution. The apostolate revolves around the education and instruction of children and youth in general, although in the 20th century, some provinces have come to exercise other forms of apostolic activity, dictated by historical circumstances. At present, there is a reclaiming of this apostolate among the youth, which is accomplished in every single province, along with other apostolic ministries in service to the Church.