Total Membership

Women who have entered since our founding: 2,043

Current Living Membership:

Sisters in Final Profession: 260

Sisters in Transfer Process: 0

Sisters in Temporary Profession: 3

Novices: 2

Associates: 0

Proudly joined in the FSPA mission and ministry are our affiliates, prayer partners and our partners in sponsored ministries.

Locations

Members of FSPA minister in 16 states or U.S. territories and four countries:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin; Ontario, Canada; and Mexico City, Mexico.

Our sisters are located in 29 dioceses in the United States, including La Crosse, Wis.; Dubuque, Iowa; St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minn.; Superior, Wis.; and Spokane, Wash., Chicago, Ill., among others.

 

St. Rose Convent

St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wis., serves as the spiritual heart and administrative center of FSPA, housing three chapels, more than 50 offices and providing a home for some of the congregation's retired sisters. Among the chapels is the Mary of the Angels Chapel (Maria Angelorum), which welcomes more than 2,500 visitors annually from La Crosse and around the world, and the Adoration Chapel where the sisters have prayed 24 hours a day since 1878. St. Rose Convent is a popular site on the list of historical sites in La Crosse.

In the Franciscan spirit, St. Rose Convent is a place where God's presence is expressed in the ministries of hospitality, community living, spiritual formation, administration, and service. Its name is derived from St. Rose of Viterbo. The first St. Rose Convent building was erected in La Crosse, Wis., in 1871. As the number of sisters increased, additions were constructed to meet the needs of the growing community.

The present Mary of the Angels Chapel (Maria Angelorum) took three years to build and was completed August 2, 1906. It serves the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration as the congregation's central place of prayer. The Ninth Street section of the St. Rose Convent building was reconstructed in 1924 after a fire had destroyed a major portion of the building in 1923. A part of the Market Street section that escaped the fire still stands. The chapel was not touched by the fire.

As the “motherhouse,” or home, for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, St. Rose Convent serves as the location for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Adoration Chapel), the center for congregational administration, the center of formation, home for some retired sisters, and the site of the Franciscan Spirituality Center. St. Rose Convent is especially noted for its hospitality as sisters there share liturgical celebrations, prayers, tours, and meals with numerous guests.

 

Villa St. Joseph

Villa St. Joseph is a skilled-care retirement home owned by the FSPA. The Villa is located on St. Joseph Ridge, eleven miles east of La Crosse on Highway 33. The land that surrounds the Villa was initially purchased as a farm to produce food for St. Rose Convent and St. Francis Hospital. Villa St. Joseph convent was dedicated in 1898. The present day structure is comprised of three wings. The chapel, where Mass is celebrated daily, is located at the center of the complex.