On February 2, 2011, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception will celebrate the 120th anniversary of their founding. Their origins date from November 1890, when Mother Mary Pacifica Forrestal, their foundress, and a small group of companions responded to Archbishop Lancaster Spalding's request to staff the diocesan orphanage in Metamora. During the following years, the congregation grew in number and increased their works to include teaching in fourteen parish schools and staffing two homes for the aging.
When the motherhouse (headquarters) was built on Heading Avenue in West Peoria in 1912, the sisters became known as the "Heading Avenue Franciscans." That site was originally reached by traveling a dirt (or muddy, depending on the weather!) road and was numbered "500 Heading Avenue" until the change to "2408 West Heading Avenue" in the early
1950s.
The mission of the sisters is "to make God's compassionate presence known through their vowed life in community," expressing this mission in all they do. Their life of prayer supports and nourishes them as they serve others in their various ministries. Likewise, the sisters support each other by living their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in community in order to be strengthened to minister to each other and to others.
Their ministries in the dioceses of Peoria and Springfield are varied and many. In addition to caring for the elderly through St. Joseph's Home Care of Peoria and St. Joseph's Home of Springfield, the sisters serve in areas of education (including Immaculate Conception Pre-School at the motherhouse), adult literacy, campus ministry, child care, counseling, social work, spirituality and massage therapy, pastoral care (St. Francis Medical Center), respect for life advocacy, and the Marriage Tribunal and Permanent Diaconate program for the Peoria Diocese.
Also, the sisters consider their ministry of prayer to be a vital part of their vowed life and encourage people to make their prayer requests known to them. The sisters are particularly devoted to praying for the residents of West Peoria. For the past five years, the sisters have had a mass offered in early August in their motherhouse chapel for the West Peoria residents and all who have requested the prayers of the sisters. They ask to be contacted at the Heading Avenue address or stop in or call the motherhouse (674-6168) to express prayer needs.
The sisters have always considered West Peoria their home. They have expressed that commitment by their participation in the West Peoria 4th of July parade and the Night Out Against Crime activities held in recent years.
The sisters are in the midst of planning activities for the celebration of their 120th anniversary and are looking forward to this happy event. These celebration plans will be shared with the West Peoria community as soon as possible.
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