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Sisters of St. Joseph celebrate 100 years

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The Sisters of St. Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis, are celebrating their centennial this weekend in Stevens Point.

The religious order has its roots in Stevens Point. It was incorporated here 100 years ago on July 1, 1901.

From Friday through Sunday, members of the order are gathering at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center to participate in various events celebrating the founding of the congregation.

"The celebration is particularly significant for the Stevens Point area," said Sister Jeanne Conzemius, president of the Sisters of St. Joseph, TSCO, "because the sisters then teaching at St. Peter's in Stevens Point initiated the movement toward a new congregation."

That movement was instituted by the Rev. Lucas Pescinski, the pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Stevens Point, who had an active period in Stevens Point.

Rev. Pescinski came to the city in 1896 from Menasha to build a new church after St. Peter Church had burned.

After the new church was completed in 1897, Rev. Pescinski led the effort to build a new school for the parish (which was replaced in 1931 by the present building).

The church's school had been staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, but they pulled out in 1895, and Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee came in 1896.

Because St. Peter was a parish of mainly Polish immigrants, its members mainly spoke Polish, while the nuns often spoke German, or some other European language, plus English.

Six young women from St. Peter who spoke Polish had entered the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis hoping to become teachers, but all were assigned to domestic duties.

So Rev. Pescinski and some other pastors of Polish-American parishes approached Bishop Sebastian G. Mesmer of the Green Bay Diocese, who gave permission for an order of Polish school sisters who would teach in schools of Polish parishes.

Sisters Clara Bialkowski and Felicia Jaskulski, former School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF), who had their motherhouse in Milwaukee, were teaching at a Polish parish in Chicago and joined with 44 other members of the SSSF congregation to form the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Originally known as the Polish Sisters of St. Joseph, the congregation was centered in Stevens Point and authorized by Bishop Mesmer in a July 1, 1901, ceremony at St. Peter Church.

Sister Felicia was appointed first superior general of the order and Rev. Pescinski was first spiritual director.

The congregation then built its motherhouse on property purchased by Rev. Pescinski, the same property the order occupies today at 1300 Maria Drive.

By September 1901, the members of the order were teaching 3,930 children at seven schools, including St. Peter in Stevens Point. The others were in Menasha, Pulaski, Green Bay, Chicago, Ill., and Detroit, Mich.
On May 20,1902, the new motherhouse was dedicated, providing space for St. Joseph Academy, a high school originally operated for sisters, novices and postulants who were finishing their high school education.

The school was opened to the public in 1922, becoming the first high school taught by members of the order. In 1954, the school was renamed Maria High School and in 1957 the school moved across the street to a new facility, which is today's Pacelli High School.

The Sisters of St. Joseph have served other schools in Portage County, in addition to St. Peter. Members of the order taught at St. Casimir in the town of Hull from 1903-1910, St. Michael School in Junction City from 1908-1960, St. Adalbert School in Rosholt from 1909-1998, St. Mary of Mount Carmel School in Fancher from 1912-1970, St. Bronislava School in Plover from 1918-1936, St. Stanislaus School from 1925-1984, St. Joseph School from 1966-1988 and St. Joseph Academy and Maria High School from 122-1972.

In addition, individual members of the order taught at Pacelli, Sacred Heart School in Polonia and St. Stephen School in Stevens Point.

Sisters of St. Joseph have also taught summer school programs at St. Mary Church in Custer, St. John Church in Heffron, St. Patrick Church in Lanark and St. Bartholomew Church in Mill Creek.

Members of the order have also held pastoral ministry positions at Sacred Heart in Polonia, St. James in Amherst, St. Mary in Torun, St. Casimir in Hull, St. Bronislava in Plover, St. Adalbert in Rosholt and St. Stanislaus, St. Peter, St. Stephen and St. Joseph in Stevens Point.

Sisters have also served the migrant ministry in various areas of Portage County and the jail ministry in the county.

Newman Parish in Stevens Point has an ongoing liturgical relationship with St. Joseph Convent, beginning in 1972, with the parish using the convent chapel for services.

In addition, the Sisters of St. Joseph entered health care services, purchasing the 62-bed River Pines Sanitorium in Whiting in 1938 and managing the facility until selling it in 1971. Individual sisters have also worked at St. Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point.

Other details of the history of the congregation are open for viewing in the archival display at the St. Joseph Congregational Home, 1300 Maria Drive, Stevens Point.

The Sisters of St. Joseph is a Franciscan community of nearly 500 members, with congregational homes in Stevens Point, Illinois and Ohio. They serve in diverse ministries, including education, parish work, health care, diocesan positions and community services in 14 states and four foreign locations.

The weekend celebration begins with a 9 a.m. Mass on Friday in the convent chapel, followed by a memorial service in the cemetery on the property of St. Joseph Congregational Home. At the memorial service, a new monument bearing the names of all the sisters who are buried in places other than Stevens Point will be dedicated.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Norm Dombrowski and the Happy Notes will provide special entertainment for the celebration at the Holiday Inn.
On Saturday, Sister Nancy Schreck, OSF, will deliver the keynote address at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn. She was vice president of the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa, and has a doctor of ministry degree, with an emphasis on Biblical studies. She serves on the National Board of the National Assembly of Women Religious and is national membership coordinator for the Center for Women and Religion in Berkeley, Calif.
In Salon I of the Holiday Inn, a ministry display will feature a variety of artifacts and information from the various ministries of the sisters.

At 2 p.m. Sunday the Jubilee Liturgy will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Joseph Congregational Home, with the Beacon Street Performing Arts Ministry assisting in the implementation of the liturgy.

The Jubilee Banquet will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn, with the Rev. James Presta, rector and president of St. Joseph College Seminary, Loyola University in Chicago, Ill., serving as emcee. The Monteverdi Master Choral of Stevens Point will perform "Americana," a program of folk songs, hymns and other spiritual songs as entertainment.



	Sisters of St. Joseph celebrate 100 years By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette The Sisters of St. Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis, are celebrating their centennial this weekend in Stevens Point. The religious order has its roots in Stevens Point. It was incorporated here 100 years ago on July 1, 1901. From Friday through Sunday, members of the order are gathering at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center to participate in various events celebrating the founding of the congregation. "The celebration is particularly significant for the Stevens Point area," said Sister Jeanne Conzemius, president of the Sisters of St. Joseph, TSCO, "because the sisters then teaching at St. Peter's in Stevens Point initiated the movement toward a new congregation." That movement was instituted by the Rev. Lucas Pescinski, the pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Stevens Point, who had an active period in Stevens Point. Rev. Pescinski came to the city in 1896 from Menasha to build a new church after St. Peter Church had burned. After the new church was completed in 1897, Rev. Pescinski led the effort to build a new school for the parish (which was replaced in 1931 by the present building). The church's school had been staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, but they pulled out in 1895, and Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee came in 1896. Because St. Peter was a parish of mainly Polish immigrants, its members mainly spoke Polish, while the nuns often spoke German, or some other European language, plus English. Six young women from St. Peter who spoke Polish had entered the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis hoping to become teachers, but all were assigned to domestic duties. So Rev. Pescinski and some other pastors of Polish-American parishes approached Bishop Sebastian G. Mesmer of the Green Bay Diocese, who gave permission for an order of Polish school sisters who would teach in schools of Polish parishes. Sisters Clara Bialkowski and Felicia Jaskulski, former School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF), who had their motherhouse in Milwaukee, were teaching at a Polish parish in Chicago and joined with 44 other members of the SSSF congregation to form the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. Originally known as the Polish Sisters of St. Joseph, the congregation was centered in Stevens Point and authorized by Bishop Mesmer in a July 1, 1901, ceremony at St. Peter Church. Sister Felicia was appointed first superior general of the order and Rev. Pescinski was first spiritual director. The congregation then built its motherhouse on property purchased by Rev. Pescinski, the same property the order occupies today at 1300 Maria Drive. By September 1901, the members of the order were teaching 3,930 children at seven schools, including St. Peter in Stevens Point. The others were in Menasha, Pulaski, Green Bay, Chicago, Ill., and Detroit, Mich. On May 20,1902, the new motherhouse was dedicated, providing space for St. Joseph Academy, a high school originally operated for sisters, novices and postulants who were finishing their high school education. The school was opened to the public in 1922, becoming the first high school taught by members of the order. In 1954, the school was renamed Maria High School and in 1957 the school moved across the street to a new facility, which is today's Pacelli High School. The Sisters of St. Joseph have served other schools in Portage County, in addition to St. Peter. Members of the order taught at St. Casimir in the town of Hull from 1903-1910, St. Michael School in Junction City from 1908-1960, St. Adalbert School in Rosholt from 1909-1998, St. Mary of Mount Carmel School in Fancher from 1912-1970, St. Bronislava School in Plover from 1918-1936, St. Stanislaus School from 1925-1984, St. Joseph School from 1966-1988 and St. Joseph Academy and Maria High School from 122-1972. In addition, individual members of the order taught at Pacelli, Sacred Heart School in Polonia and St. Stephen School in Stevens Point. Sisters of St. Joseph have also taught summer school programs at St. Mary Church in Custer, St. John Church in Heffron, St. Patrick Church in Lanark and St. Bartholomew Church in Mill Creek. Members of the order have also held pastoral ministry positions at Sacred Heart in Polonia, St. James in Amherst, St. Mary in Torun, St. Casimir in Hull, St. Bronislava in Plover, St. Adalbert in Rosholt and St. Stanislaus, St. Peter, St. Stephen and St. Joseph in Stevens Point. Sisters have also served the migrant ministry in various areas of Portage County and the jail ministry in the county. Newman Parish in Stevens Point has an ongoing liturgical relationship with St. Joseph Convent, beginning in 1972, with the parish using the convent chapel for services. In addition, the Sisters of St. Joseph entered health care services, purchasing the 62-bed River Pines Sanitorium in Whiting in 1938 and managing the facility until selling it in 1971. Individual sisters have also worked at St. Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point. Other details of the history of the congregation are open for viewing in the archival display at the St. Joseph Congregational Home, 1300 Maria Drive, Stevens Point. The Sisters of St. Joseph is a Franciscan community of nearly 500 members, with congregational homes in Stevens Point, Illinois and Ohio. They serve in diverse ministries, including education, parish work, health care, diocesan positions and community services in 14 states and four foreign locations. The weekend celebration begins with a 9 a.m. Mass on Friday in the convent chapel, followed by a memorial service in the cemetery on the property of St. Joseph Congregational Home. At the memorial service, a new monument bearing the names of all the sisters who are buried in places other than Stevens Point will be dedicated. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Norm Dombrowski and the Happy Notes will provide special entertainment for the celebration at the Holiday Inn. On Saturday, Sister Nancy Schreck, OSF, will deliver the keynote address at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn. She was vice president of the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa, and has a doctor of ministry degree, with an emphasis on Biblical studies. She serves on the National Board of the National Assembly of Women Religious and is national membership coordinator for the Center for Women and Religion in Berkeley, Calif. In Salon I of the Holiday Inn, a ministry display will feature a variety of artifacts and information from the various ministries of the sisters. At 2 p.m. Sunday the Jubilee Liturgy will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Joseph Congregational Home, with the Beacon Street Performing Arts Ministry assisting in the implementation of the liturgy. The Jubilee Banquet will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn, with the Rev. James Presta, rector and president of St. Joseph College Seminary, Loyola University in Chicago, Ill., serving as emcee. The Monteverdi Master Choral of Stevens Point will perform "Americana," a program of folk songs, hymns and other spiritual songs as entertainment.