The origin of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity can be traced back to Germany. In the spring of 1854, Father Ambrose Oschwald led a party of German immigrants to the United States. Fleeing the upheavals in their homeland, they sought to establish a Catholic community in America. They founded St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, named after St. Gregory of Nazianzus.
Joseph Fessler, one of the original members of the community from Baden, studied for the priesthood in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Upon being ordained in November 1865, he was assigned to Immaculate Conception Parish in Clarks Mills. He asked 23-year-old Teresa Gramlich of St. Nazianz, to come and teach catechism. In June 1866, she arrived and took up residence in an old chicken coop across from the church. Teresa taught her pupils in the choir loft. By Christmas time she was joined by two others – twelve-year-old Mary Doyle, one of her students, and Magdalen Derler, who served as house-keeper. Joseph Albrecht, was a member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Like Oschwald, Albrecht was from Germany; and like Oschwald led a similar group in search of religious freedom. In October 1866, they stopped in St. Nazianz on their way to Minnesota. When in September 1867 Albrecht's group left for Minnesota, three Sisters of the Precious Blood, Mary Ann Graf, Josepha Thoenig and Rosa Wahl decided to remain behind; they along with Teresa Gramlich began their postulancy for a new religious community forming under the direction of Fr. Fessler. Fr. Fessler sent Mary Ann, Teresa, and Rosa to Milwaukee to study with the School Sisters of Notre Dame under the direction of Mother Caroline, the founder of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in America. Upon their return to the “Little Nazareth” of St. Nazianz they received news of Fr. Fessler's transfer to St. Boniface in Manitowoc. So the group followed him there, and it was there on November 4, 1869 that they began their pre-novitiate retreat and were joined by Sophia Fessler, Fr. Fessler's younger sister. November 9, 1869 those five women were received into the Third Order Regular of St. Francis – the Founders’ Day of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. They received their religious names: Josepha Theonig became Sr. Maria Coletta; Mary Ann Graf became Sr. Mary Hyacintha; Teresa Gramlich became Sr. Maria Gabriela; Sophia Fessler became Sr. Mary Seraphica; and Rosa Wahl became Sr. Mary Odelia, and it was she who was the first superior of the little community. Fr. Joseph Fessler was later assigned as pastor of St. Boniface Church, Manitowoc, in spring, 1868. Mother Odelia Wahl persuaded Fr. Fessler to purchase a property on Silver Lake, near Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the community's motherhouse. The cornerstone was laid July 23, 1873; and the following year, the motherhouse dedicated. In 2007, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and The Franciscanized World website were featured in Time Magazine’s profile of Catholic religious orders innovatively utilizing the Internet. Each month on the site, special songs and pictures are chosen for spiritual reflection.
Ministries
As of 2020, the congregation sponsors health care and education ministries through the non-profit Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries,, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The not-for-profit owns and operates a health care services and a liberal arts college, with hospitals and long-term care facilities in Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin, and Silver Lake College of the Holy Family in Manitowoc. It describes its mission as being "to carry out the commitment of the Sponsor to the healing and educational mission of the Catholic Church through the provision of quality health care and educational services", with elements of this mission including "managing change, ensuring stewardship of resources and integrating mission and values". Components include:
