On July 20, 1863, Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in her hometown of Olpe, Germany. The Sisters strove to combine the contemplative life with the active through dedication to perpetual adoration and the works of mercy, initially care for orphans and home nursing.
Due to the religious persecution in Germany known as the Kulturkampf, it became illegal for the young Congregation to accept new members and teach in schools, and healthcare ministry was limited. But God was still calling young women to this life of ceaseless adoration! At the invitation of Bishop Joseph Dwenger, Mother Maria Theresia sent six brave Sisters to Lafayette, Indiana, to begin a new foundation. Many Sisters would make the journey across the ocean over the coming years, and the persecutions in Germany were lifted in the 1880s.
The Congregation was growing in both Germany and the United States, leading to the division of the community into two provinces. The German Province, based in Olpe, Germany, was placed under the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the American Province, based in Lafayette, Indiana, under the title of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sr. Alphonsa Neuhoff was elected the first American Provincial Superior.
Pope Pius XI granted papal approval to the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration on January 31, 1931. This Decree of Papal Approbation gave the Congregation approval to exercise its ministry, official status under the Holy See, and greater freedom to serve in multiple dioceses.
The Sisters quickly outgrew the Provincial House in Lafayette, Indiana. At the recommendation of Bishop Noll, the Sisters moved to the former Carlisle Estate located on 400 acres in Mishawaka, Indiana, now called “Mount Alverno,” where they reside to this day.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Province opened its first foreign mission at Baybay on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The growing number of Sisters in the Philippines made possible the establishment of the Immaculate Conception Province in 1993. This was a fulfillment of Mother Maria Theresia’s dream to spread the Gospel in mission lands.
Mother Maria Theresia was beatified in 2013. A miracle was approved through her intercession, the healing of a young boy from a stomach ailment in Colorado. Many Sisters from Germany, the U.S., and the Philippines were present at the Cathedral of Paderborn, Germany, to witness our foundress declared, “Blessed.”
In 2025, the Sisters celebrated their 150th Jubilee in the United States. From the first six Sisters in 1875, the Sisters today serve in healthcare and education as an outpouring of their perpetual adoration and look forward to continuing to carry out God’s will in the future.
Regina Christine Wilhelmine Bonzel (“Aline” for short) was born on September 17, 1830, the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis. After her father’s death, Aline grew close to her Uncle Arnold, whose example of devotion to the Eucharist and service to the poor inspired her. She became a Secular Franciscan and desired to dedicate her life to God through religious life.
Aline joined with other young women in her hometown of Olpe to begin a new religious community, taking vows and receiving the name “Sister Maria Theresia” in December 1860. Changes in this community and her continued desire for a Franciscan way of life led Sister Maria Theresia to found the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration on July 20, 1863. After more than 40 years of leadership, Mother Maria Theresia passed away on February 6, 1905. Her legacy lives on through her hundreds of Sisters who continue to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and serve His people across three continents.
Interested in learning more about our foundress? Read a full biography on the blog.
Pray along with Blessed Mother Maria Theresia in her own words.