The School Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis

Praying and Working Together for the Christian Education of Youth

A Stained Glass Window of St. Francis from our Motherhouse in Vienna, Austria

Our Charism:

The charism of our religious family, the School Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, is threefold:

We first strive to follow Christ in the spirit of St. Francis by living the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience after our Seraphic Father's example of continual conversion, simplicity, humility, profound love for God and man, and prayer.
Furthermore, we endeavor to follow the example of our foundress, Mother Maria Hyacintha, who devoted her God-given talents to the good of others, namely children. She pursued the Christian education of youth with "selfless love and joyful sacrifice," and also had a special charism of caring for priests. It is in this small way that our religious family seeks to imitate Christ and continue His saving work. Yet, "we gladly dedicate ourselves to works of Christian charity wherever the need calls us, according to our strength" (from our Constitutions).

Finally, as brides of Christ, we are to be signs of the age to come -- living witnesses of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the Bride of Christ. With this responsibility in hand, we are ever mindful of loving and obeying Holy Mother Church in the fullness of her divine teaching in the Magisterium, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ". . . the Virgin made Church," who knows best how we should love her Son and His Body, the Church (quote from the Franciscan Rule).

For more information, contact the Vocation Directress:

School Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis

Sancta Maria Convent

P.O. Box 906

Panhandle, TX 79068

(806)537-3182

School Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Panhandle, Texas.

Last revised: March 30, 2005.