The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are one branch of the Third Order of St. Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1843, by Sophia Truszkowska, and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to children. The Felician Sisters have always sought to harmonize a deep spiritual and community life with dedication to diverse acts of mercy. In North America, the Felician Sisters have ministered primarily to Polish Americans since their arrival from Poland in 1874. Their Foundress, Mother Mary Angela Truszkowska, was beatified by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
Most Felician Sisters maintain the religious garb of their Foundress, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, consisting of a brown habit (beige during summer months), scapular, (jacket at specified times), headdress, black veil, collar, Felician wooden crucifix suspended on tape or cord, and simple ring received at final profession. This remains a discipline in the Krakkow, Przemyśl and Warsaw provinces in Poland, as well as the Livonia and Enfield provinces in North America.
As of the beginning of 2005, there were just under 2,000 professed members of the Felician Sisters. [1]
Provinces
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Kraków, Poland (1861)
- Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Livonia, Michigan USA (1874)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Buffalo, New York USA (1900)
- Mother of Good Counsel, Chicago, Illinois USA (1910)
- Our Lady of Czestochowa, Przemyśl, Poland (1910)
- Immaculate Conception, Lodi, New Jersey USA (1913)
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania USA (1920)
- Our Lady Queen of Poland, Warsaw, Poland (1922)
- Our Lady of the Angels, Enfield, Connecticut USA (1932)
- Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil (1950)
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Rio Rancho, New Mexico USA (1953)
- Holy Name of Mary, Mississauga, Ontario Canada (1953)
- Our Lady Mediatrix of Graces, Rome, Italy (1953) (Generalate)
See also
- Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska student of the Felicians who went on to become a religious Founder, Teacher, and Missionary
- St. Florian Church (Hamtramck, Michigan)
External links
- Felician Sisters Congregational website
- Felician Sisters of Livonia website
- summary at Felician College
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Felician Sisters
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