Poor Sisters of St. Francis

The Catholic Order of the Poor Sisters of St. Francis was founded by Franziska shear Four.

On October 3, 1845 it decided with four like-minded girls to start a common monastic life in a house on Jakobstor in Aachen. First, they assisted former prostitute. After the Revolution of 1848, King Frederick William IV of Prussia in Aachen allowed the establishment of an institute for the care of vulnerable girls, they moved the inmates of the monastic community in the new home.

Since at the same time in Aachen threatened a cholera epidemic, Franziska shear Four offered to the Lord Mayor of Aachen, together with her ​​sisters to take over the care of future cholera patients. Already on July 5, 1849, the first cholera victims in Aachen was reported. The epidemic lasted 169 days.

On 2 July 1851, the Community of the Sisters was raised by Cardinal scourge from Cologne to a monastic, approved by the Episcopal Ordinariate community under the name " poor sisters of St. Francis ". On August 12, 1851 Franziska shear Four and their now twenty-three companions in the baptistery Frances, St. Paul in Aachen, dressed solemnly. On 6 August 1852, the sisters purchased the later mother's house in the Kleinmarschierstraße in Aachen.

By strengthening the community as a church congregation requests grew back ups in different regions. First, two houses were built in Cologne for outpatient nursing and catering poor sick. 1853 took over the poor sisters taking care of the opened in Burtscheid at Aachen Marienhospitals. 1854 was followed by a Foundation in Ratingen near Dusseldorf. Other branches joined in Jülich, Mainz, Koblenz, Kaiserwerth and so on. In 1858 was the first establishment of a Convention in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA).

In 1959, the U.S. became independent provinces of the Congregation of the Order as "Franciscan Sisters of the Poor " ( "Franciscan Sisters of the Poor " ) and now have their religious headquarters in New York, USA.

The main activities of the sisters are now working with old people who work in hospitals and in the open social work, as well as working with marginalized groups of society.

The Catholic religious order, the Sisters of St - arms. Francis sole shareholder of " Franziska shear Four " elderly gem. GmbH in Aachen, the nationwide operates facilities for inpatient care according to SGB XI, to assisted living, senior housing, schools for nursing care and preschool care.