Sister Francis’ family ties in the Pennsylvania area and beyond were deep and enduring. She remained close to her large extended family, frequently spending time and vacationing with her many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and great-grands. She spoke of them often, asked for prayers on their behalf, and cherished quality time with family.
Early in life Sister Francis considered joining the Mercy Sisters. At age 23, she spoke with Fr. Flatley, the pastor at St. Joan of Arc Parish here in Philadelphia. He talked to her about the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. He did encourage her to read a pamphlet about various religious communities. One congregation interested her – until she learned they only spoke French. Fr. Flatley suggested she take another look at that pamphlet!! Soon after at a church spaghetti dinner in New Jersey, she met Sister John Judith, MSBT. She entered the MSBT on August 5, 1955, made her First Profession on March 25, 1957, and her Final Profession 5 years later.
Her first mission took her to Winchester, VA, where she served as a cook at the seminary of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, our ST brothers. She later became a religious educator in Norwood, Massachusetts, and then in Holy Trinity, Alabama. Eventually, she joined other members of the Missionary Cenacle Family in parish missions among the Choctaw people in Mississippi, serving in the towns of Tucker, DeLisle, Philadelphia, and Kiln, for a total of 22 years.
Among her many gifts, Sister Francis brought grace and dignity to every mission where she served. She had a remarkable ability to reach out and be truly present to those around her, offering a gentle, unassuming presence. Known for being easy to live and work with, she consistently chose to see the good in others.
From the beginning, she lived with a constant awareness of how vital the cenacle virtue of charity was to our mission. She took to heart the words of Fr. Judge, “Let us cause charity to reign supreme and engender a great love of God.” In one of her early assignments in Norwood, she wrote to Mother Sebastian, “As you know it is very beautiful up here. Every glance out any window has fall trees and full color. Speaking of beauty you don’t have to go outside for that, because to my mind there is nothing that can compare to souls working together for the love of God with charity in words and actions.” Her words reflected her conviction that true beauty lies in people serving together in love and faith.
After her time in Mississippi, she was missioned to St. Mary’s Church in Rock Hill, SC, a historically African American parish served by the Rock Hill Oratory. There she worked alongside her dear friend Brother David for over 15 years. “We were so busy!” she said. “We did everything at the parish, everything except celebrate Mass!” The people of St. Mary’s and the Oratorian community loved and valued her deeply, later naming a ministry in her honor, the Sr. Francis Saring Prayer Shawl Ministry, which still brings comfort to others to this day.
In July 2007, Sister Francis joined the Mentoring Community at the Blessed Trinity Formation Cenacle at the Motherhouse. Though it meant leaving Rock Hill, she accepted her new role as a mentor with humility and generosity. She was a wonderful role model for women in Formation. In 2008, she became Spiritual Life Minister at the Motherhouse, serving until health challenges required her to step away.
In February 2016, Sister Francis Katherine was missioned to Wesley Enhanced Living and assigned to the Ministry of Prayer. She embraced this ministry with deep devotion, often leading prayers, the rosary, and inviting others to Mass. Whether in the dining room, hallway, or her own room, prayer was ever-present. Every time I visited Sister Francis, she would take my hands—firmly and tightly, as she did with many others—and we would pray. We prayed for the MSBT community, her family, the Wesley residents and staff, for peace, the unemployed, the suffering,… And it wasn’t a timid or whispered prayer but loud, confident, full of trust. Her prayer life was a testimony that touched many, including myself.
Sister Francis was a people person. She loved spending time with others—over a meal, watching her beloved Phillies, doing puzzles, sitting in the garden, or playing games like Rummikub and BINGO. She especially loved card games. At just about every MSBT Community meeting or gathering, once evening rolled around, you could count on finding her at a table happily caught up in a game of International Rummy and sharing plenty of laughs along the way. At Wesley, she continued to enjoy playing cards regularly with a group of friends, mostly men, where she ruled as the queen of Pinochle.
She may have even been a bit of a card shark, winning often, but always sharing her loot of candy, chips, and other treats with fellow residents and staff alike. Even when her winnings included her favorite chocolate, she gave it away without hesitation. Her weakness for chocolate was legendary, and proudly advertised on a T-shirt that read, “Give me the chocolate and nobody gets hurt.”
In a very recent interview with our Sister Audrey, in preparation for her 70th Jubilee, Sister Francis reflected, “These years have been a blessing, really. It takes putting your heart and soul into the ministry, and deep prayer as the minister grows in the love of our Triune God.”
Just a few weeks ago, on a Sunday, Sister Francis told several people she felt she would be going home to God soon. She said that Jesus had told her she had “two more weeks.” When asked how she felt about that, she smiled and said, “It’s an opportunity—two more weeks to praise God and grow closer to the heart of Jesus.” She went home to God exactly two weeks and three days later. Many like to think she had her two weeks to praise God and grow closer to the heart of Jesus, and added three extra days, in true Trinitarian fashion, for good measure.
Sister Francis Katherine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, you served God’s people with love and devotion. Good and faithful servant, we give thanks for your life, your journey, and your vocation! May you now rest in eternal peace in the loving embrace of our Lord. Amen.