Franciszka Siedliska
Maria Franciszka Siedliska, CSFN (12 November 1842 – 21 November 1902), known in religion as Maria of Jesus the Good Shepherd, was a Polish Catholic nun who founded the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1875.
In childhood Siedliska was indifferent to her faith but after a local priest had converted her she became aware of a call to the religious life which her parents opposed. However the death of her father in 1870 enabled her to pursue her vocation. In 1873 she decided to found a religious congregation that received the blessing of Pope Pius IX before being established during Advent in 1875. Siedliska expanded her congregation from Rome to her native Poland and elsewhere, including Great Britain, France and the USA where she visited during her extensive travels.
The beatification process for the late nun opened in 1941 under Pope Pius XII. She was declared a Servant of God, then confirmed as having led a life of heroic virtue. She was named Venerable on 29 April 1980 and in 1989 Pope John Paul II beatified her.
Patron saint of Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth; Missionary; Polish missionaries
In the Martyrology
- November 21 Blessed Maria od Pana Jezusa Dobrego Pasterza Siedliska, virgin and founder of the Sisters of the the Holy Family of Nazareth