Franciszka Siedliska

In 1873, encouraged by Pope Pius IX, Franciszka Siedliska laid the foundations for her institute. At the end of 1875, she officially founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN) in Rome. She pronounced her solemn vows on May 1, 1884, under the name Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. The institute developed rapidly: a house opened in Krakow in 1881, followed by one in Chicago in 1885 to support Polish emigrants. Franciszka traveled several times to the United States to organize these foundations. She also established communities in Paris in 1892 and in London in 1895. At the time of her death in 1902, the congregation numbered 29 houses and approximately 300 religious sisters.

The life of Franciszka Siedliska was marked by fragile health and heavy governance responsibilities. She traveled constantly to visit her communities, demonstrating heroic strength of soul and a deep mystical union with Christ. She passed away in Rome on November 21, 1902. Her informative process for beatification opened in Rome in 1922 and closed in 1928. Her cause was officially introduced in 1941 under Pius XII, and she was declared Venerable by John Paul II on April 29, 1980.

Following the recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession by a decree on September 1, 1988, Franciszka Siedliska was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 23, 1989, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. During the celebration, the Sovereign Pontiff hailed her as an "apostle of the dignity of the family home," highlighting the relevance of her charism for contemporary families.

The spirituality of Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd is based on the contemplation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and a "mysticism of the ordinary," where holiness is lived out in the simplest daily actions. Today, her legacy continues through more than 1,200 sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, present in many countries (Italy, Poland, the United States, France, England, Australia, the Philippines, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Ghana, Spain, Kazakhstan, and the Holy Land), who dedicate themselves to the accompaniment and support of families.