La Crosse’s Franciscan sisters offer prayers and remembrances of the pope named Francis

The Franciscan nuns of La Crosse may have been related to Pope Francis primarily by name, but some of the sisters do feel a kinship with the late leader of their church.

Preparations are being made in Rome for the funeral of the Latin American Pope who took the name Francis 12 years ago. When he was born in 1936, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse had already been in existence for decades, since the late 19th century.

The spiritual director of the local Franciscan Spirituality Center, Sister Sarah Hennessey, believes that many members of the FSPA identified easily with the man who served as pope since 2013. Both the pope and the Franciscan Sisters took their names in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, known for caring for the poor.

“I think we felt very close to him, from his love for Francis, and felt that he acted in a Franciscan way, that he went to the margins, his heart was on fire,” says Hennessey. She recalls that Pope Francis was “hesitant” to accept the role when he was elected, but he was advised to “remember the poor.”

Hennessey says the pope’s own concern for poor people was a major reason he took the name Francis. She says the Franciscan sisters are hopeful that the next pope “can continue to speak to the needs of the world,” and lift up hope, joy, and love. In a statement marking the pope’s passing, the Diocese of La Crosse called for prayers both for the church as a whole, and for the cardinals who will select a successor to Francis.