Sept. 28, 2020

Contact Rick Kyte at 608-796-3704 or rlkyte@viterbo.edu or Jill Miller at 608-796-3615 or jmmiller@viterbo.edu

SR. MARY ANN GSCHWIND TO PRESENT “THE STORY OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION” OCT. 6

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Mary Ann Gschwind, FSPA, will present “The Story of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration” at noon Tuesday, Oct. 6 on Facebook Live. The presentation is sponsored by the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership and will be part of Viterbo University’s St. Francis Week and the Mayo Clinic Health System’s annual Heritage Days celebration.

The FSPA established St. Rose of Viterbo Convent in La Crosse in 1871 when 65 Sisters, 12 novices, and 12 postulants moved to the city from Milwaukee. In 1878, they began the practice of perpetual adoration (praying), which they continued without interruption for 141 years, until Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. They now pray every day from 6 a.m.–10 p.m.

Sr. Gschwind, who serves as the archivist for her religious order, will share the history of the FSPA from their humble beginnings, to establishing enduring institutions in health care, education, and spirituality, to their present ministries.

The presentation will include information on the FSPA’s visionary leaders, national and global missions, and the hardships overcome by the Sisters who served at ministries overseas. It will also cover the FSPA’s current efforts to fight human trafficking, promote social justice, operate three spirituality centers, and provide time and financial support to many La Crosse organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse, Catholic Charities, Mobile Meals of La Crosse, and the La Crosse County Jail Ministry.

A question and answer session will conclude the event.

Go to the Viterbo Ethics Facebook page to view the presentation. A Facebook account is not required. For a full schedule of D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership events, visit www.viterbo.edu/ethics.

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