October 21, 2025 // Bishop

Nine Sisters of St. Francis Celebrate Milestones

Kasia Balsbaugh

It was a special day for several of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. At the order’s Mishawaka motherhouse on Saturday, October 11, these sisters, referred to as “jubilarians,” celebrated milestone anniversaries and jubilees of joining the religious community.

Bishop Rhoades celebrated Jubilee Mass as priests from throughout the diocese – and even from some of the sister jubilarians’ home dioceses – assisted. Family, friends, and fellow sisters attended, with one sister mentioning how beautiful the jubilee Mass is because of the celebrating sisters’ “fidelity” to the faith and the order.

This year, nine sisters celebrated significant anniversaries of their vows. Sister James Kuzell celebrated her 75th jubilee; Sisters Marcene Franz, Lenore Schwartz, Ann Kathleen Magiera, Marlene Shapley, Jeanne Esther Niswonger, and Julianne Wenzel marked their 60th anniversaries; Sister Cheryl Dazey celebrated her 50th jubilee; and Sister Rose Hasser observed her 40th anniversary.

“Our sister jubilarians have not come to focus on themselves or their accomplishments during their many years of consecrated life,” Bishop Rhoades said in his homily. “They are here to rejoice heartily in the One who is the joy of their souls, who clothed them in a robe of salvation and called them to consecrate their lives to Him 75, 60, 50, and 40 years ago.”

Bishop Rhoades added, “So today they sing in their hearts not ‘jubilate mihi’ – ‘rejoice in me’ – but ‘jubilate Deo’ – ‘rejoice in God!’”

At different points in the jubilee Mass, the nine sisters renewed their vows before Bishop Rhoades and their provincial superior, asking for the gift of a jubilee year.

Bishop Rhoades did not miss the opportunity to point out that the sisters were celebrating their jubilee Mass during the worldwide Jubilee Year of Hope. Hope and joy were themes throughout his homily – and indeed throughout the liturgy and the celebration of the day.

“When our sister jubilarians entered the convent and professed their vows, they did so with this living hope that was in their hearts because of their faith in the Lord and their experience of His love,” Bishop Rhoades said, pointing out the interconnection among the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

The 2025 jubilee Mass was celebrated on October 11, the feast day of Pope St. John XXIII, who was canonized in 2014.

“He was called ‘Good Pope John’ … the way he spoke, the way he smiled, the way he talked – he in many ways made the world hopeful,” Bishop Rhoades said. “He just exuded joy – the joy of faith, the joy of the Gospel.”

Bishop Rhoades also pointed to the joy of two important holy people for the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration – St. Francis of Assisi and the community’s foundress, Blessed Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel – noting how full of happiness they were even through their various sufferings. He mentioned the beautiful Canticle of the Sun, which St. Francis wrote while blind, and quoted the writings of Mother Maria Theresia, who wrote, “We want to place all our sufferings, griefs, and disappointments into the divine heart of Jesus, to find in His heart alleviation and consolation.”

“How often our sister jubilarians have followed their holy mother’s advice!” Bishop Rhoades said. “From the Sacred Heart of Jesus, they have received the graces they have needed to persevere in faith, hope, and charity. Sister jubilarians, I pray that you will continue to grow in these virtues and be filled with joy in view of attaining the goal St. Peter pointed out: the salvation of your souls, the inheritance of the saints in heaven.”