Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family

The Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family (German: Armen Franziskanerinnen von der Heiligen Familie) are a congregation of Religious Sisters of the Franciscan Third Order Regular. They were founded in Pirmasens, Germany, in 1855 by the Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini. They are therefore commonly known as the Nardini Sisters, or the Mallersdorfer Sisters from the German town where they are headquartered.

The Blessed Paul Nardini had been born out of wedlock in 1821 in the Palatinate, then within the Kingdom of Bavaria. He had suffered a deprived childhood until he was adopted by a great-aunt and her Italian husband. He later developed a strong calling to the priesthood, and began the studies needed to prepare for this. He was sent by Johannes von Geissel, the Bishop of Speyer, to do his study of theology at the University of Munich, where he graduated summa cum laude. Despite the encouragement of his professors to remain at the University and teach, Nardini was determined to be a parish priest.

After his ordination in 1846, Nardini served in various positions in the vicinity of Speyer, until on 17 February 1851 he was entrusted by the bishop with the pastoral care of the poor parish of Pirmasens. It would be a post he held until his death. The pastorate of Pirmasens was a difficult post as it was in a town divided between a Catholic population and the dominant Protestant populace. The Catholics suffered economic discrimination, forced into menial jobs, with their children reduced to begging on the streets. Their new pastor was determined to improve the conditions of his congregation. He began to develop programs of charity to meet their needs.

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