Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes

The Congregation of Sisters of Saint Agnes is a Catholic religious institute for women founded in 1858 and named in honor of Saint Agnes.[1] The Motherhouse is located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Congregation of Sisters of Saint Agnes
Formationc. AD 1858 (1858)
FounderCaspar Rehrl, Francis Haas, Mother Agnes Hazotte
TypeCatholic religious order
HeadquartersFond du Lac, Wisconsin Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Websitecsasisters.org

History
Motherhouse of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes was founded in Barton, Wisconsin, on August 12, 1858. Father Caspar Rehrl (1809 - 1881), an Austrian missionary, established a sisterhood of pioneer women under the patronage of St. Agnes of Rome to whom he had a special devotion. At first the group suffered such untold hardship that, for a few months in 1861, it was reduced to one blind sister.[2]

The arrival of Mary Hazotte in 1863 gave the fledgling community a new life and leadership when she, in 1864 at the age of 17, was elected general superior. Mother Agnes Hazotte (1847 - 1905)[3] directed the move from Barton to Fond du Lac, WI, in 1870 and served as the community's leader until her death in 1905. In 1870, Father Francis Haas became the spiritual director of the community and assisted in revising the original rule.[2]

In 1893, land was purchased adjoining the convent grounds for the establishment of St. Agnes Hospital, which was dedicated on June 23, 1896.[4]

These three founders paved the ways for growth and expansion. As of 2023, more than 125 vowed members of the Congregation minister throughout the United States and Nicaragua.

Membership

Catholic women who profess the vows of celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience are known as vowed members. Women and men of any religious background who are single, married, or divorced and desire to live out the Congregation's mission without professing the three vows are known as Associates.

Ministries

Vowed members are involved in the work of education, health care, social services, community service, church ministry, retreat ministry, prison ministry, spirituality and wellness, and non-profit service. The Congregation sponsors Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The Congregation sponsored Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until 2018, when it transferred sponsorship of its medical ministries to SSM Health.

Recognition

In 2023, the congregation was recognized by Catholic Climate Covenant with a "U.S. Laudato Si' Champions Award" in the "Religious Order" category.[5]

References
  1. Blied, Rev. Benjamin J. (1980). St. John the Baptist Congregation. p. 42.
  2. "History", Congregation of Sisters of Saint Agnes
  3. "1864", SSM Health
  4. "Sisters of Saint Agnes", The Catholic Church in the United States of America, Catholic Editing Company, 1914, p. 1Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. "Catholic Climate Covenant"

Further reading
  • Margaret Lorimer, Ordinary Sisters: The Story of the Sisters of St. Agnes, Action Printing, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9769983-1-0 OCLC 180852464
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