“Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone, to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.”
Sisters and friends gather on April 16, to bless the new Franciscan Resource Center in West View, Pa. It opened to the public on April 17.
With Open Arms
Sisters establish new ministry where all are welcome
A springtime spirit of renewal filled the air on April 16 when 60 Sisters and friends gathered to bless the new Franciscan Resource Center (FRC) in West View, Pa. A sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of St. Francis, the Center aims to serve the Pittsburgh area as a drop-in center offering reflection days, spiritual direction and open conversation.
With the hymn All Are Welcome as a centerpiece of the blessing service, the message of inclusivity is one the Sisters’ want to make resoundingly clear with the public. “All are truly welcome here,” said Sister Marian Sgriccia, provincial minister, in her opening remarks.
Sister Mary Anne Ulrich, a Sister of the Holy Spirit, enjoys lively conversation at the FRC.
The Center has its roots in San Angelo, Texas, where the Sisters established the original FRC in 2011. When the Sisters completed their ministry there in 2022, they moved back to the seat of the province in Pittsburgh and envisioned bringing the ministry with them. It has found a home among the eclectic new tenants revitalizing West View Shopping Plaza, on the very same real estate that the defunct but beloved West View Park did for decades.
It’s also very near the former Mount Assisi Convent that the Sisters called home from 1928 until they sold the building in 2019. The FRC brings a new place and space for the public to again interact with the Sisters, access that has been lacking since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
“Whether they are attending a special talk or just stopping by, we are grateful to have a place where our Sisters can again meet the people and continue the mission they started when they came to the United States in 1913,” says Sister Marian.
The Sisters’ heritage is alive here both spiritually and physically — restored furniture that once outfitted the Sisters’ very first convent on Juniata Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side more than a century ago creates a welcoming conversation space in the back of the FRC.
Opened on April 17 in a storefront once occupied by GNC, the FRC aims to nourish the spirit instead. Situated between anchor merchants Dollar Tree and Giant Eagle, the FRC welcomes passersby — no matter their religious affiliation — to stop in and share over coffee and conversation, no appointment necessary. A calendar of spiritual programming is in the works, and spiritual direction is available by appointment with Sisters Adelina Garcia and Patricia Ann Mahoney.
Programming will focus on living the Gospel, practicing peace and justice, and caring for creation. These themes will resonate through interactive talks, multi-media presentations and everyday conversation. With Sisters fluent in both English and Spanish, the FRC also intends to serve as a spiritual resource for Pittsburgh’s Spanish-speaking community. The Center’s website is bilingual, and among the topics of future programs will be migrants, immigrants and refugees.
As Sister Marian emphatically attests, “The FRC is a place for all of God’s people.”
The Franciscan Resource Center is located at 1023 West View Park Drive in Pittsburgh. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, with special programming hours on weekends. For more information, visit www.FranciscanResourceCenter.org, call 412-761-2855, or email FRCpgh@schoolsistersosf.org.
In additional to spiritual resources, the Center’s shelves are filled with artifacts from the Sisters’ ministries around the world.
Sisters and friends of all ages take part in an opening prayer service at the new FRC on April 16.
A Connection Across Centuries
On April 16, 1209, Pope Innocent III approved the first Franciscan Rule, and the Order received its canonical status. On this date, many Franciscans throughout the world formally renew their commitment to the Franciscan way of life. As the FRC blessing also was held on April 16, the Franciscan Sisters in attendance — including Sister Adelina Garcia shown at left — renewed their vows as part of the service.