Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity

The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. A third order secular group, the sisters are not cloistered nuns but active in the world, having historically been primarily involved in teaching, although they have participated in the care of the sick and poor, hospital work, mission work, and other activities.

The international congregation was founded by Mother Magdalen (Catherine) Damen in 1835 in the town of Heythuysen in what is now part of the Netherlands. The Sisters were asked by Jesuit priests in Buffalo to come and serve the Roman Catholic families of German descent who were living there. In 1874, the first three missionary sisters, accompanied by General Superior Mother Aloysia Lenders, arrived in Buffalo, New York. The Sisters began serving in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. There are now ten provinces, worldwide, with the central administration in Rome, Italy.

The province in Tanzania is designated as an international province.

The Sisters of St. Francis of Stella Niagara additionally minister in the American states of Ohio, West Virginia, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Florida. They also operate a school, convent, peace site, and hospitality center in New York State. The school is known as Stella Niagara Education Park.

International ministries also exist in other countries throughout the world. Those additional ministries are currently located in Belarus, East Timor, Guatemala, and the Philippines.

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