“We have been called to heal wounds,
to unite what has fallen apart,
and to bring home those who have lost their way.”

- The Franciscan Mission in the Legend of the Three Companions, 58

The Franciscan family was first born in the Order of Friars Minor from the inspiration of the Lord given to St. Francis of Assisi to live in the Church according to the form of the Holy Gospel. After the Lord had given him brothers, the saint had the Rule written for himself and his followers, whose ultimate norm is the following of Christ presented in the Gospel. Following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Pope confirmed this Rule so that the charism given to St. Francis might be transmitted through his brothers and unfolded throughout the centuries for the salvation of the whole Church.

He was also followed by many women, led by St. Clare, who lived a life of total devotion to God and extreme poverty in the seclusion of their convents. Likewise, men and women in the world began to live according to the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis.

In the course of time, many monastic communities also took the Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis as the basis of their way of life. The Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis, which was thus established, was given a final form and confirmation by Pope Pius XI in 1927; it was renewed and confirmed by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1982.

Our Mother Foundress, Maria Hyacintha Zechner (Maria Teresia 1697–1763), was a young Third Order Franciscan. She and her mother, Theresia Triebenbacher, who was also a Secular member, lived in Hallein, Austria and were concerned about the children in the streets. Many were too poor to be educated by a private teacher that required tuition at that time and was mostly for boys, because public schools did not exist. Having received a good education themselves, the women began to gather the girls and teach them in their own home.  These children had few opportunities for learning.  Soon other women came to join them, and the Congregation of the School Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis was born in 1723.

One of the most unique things about our foundress, her mother, and her first follower,  Elisabeth Stöckl, is that they were already members of the Secular Franciscan Order when they began to minister to the children of Hallein. Our Congregation was born out of a Franciscan spirituality already formed and lived.

Courageous and innovative, Mother Hyacintha worked actively in society instead of behind the walls of a cloister. This did not make her popular with church or local authorities. She considered her calling from God to be the priority and was willing to accept criticism and judgment. The Sisters of the Congregation persevered despite obstacles and setbacks.  God’s providence prevailed. 

We are committed to the understanding of our foundress, Maria Theresia Zechner, who said: "Gold must be tested in the fire, a person's love and patience through the cross and suffering." The inner reference point of her deep faith lies in the mystery of the cross and in following Jesus. She took upon herself the difficulties of life as a way to participate in the Passion of Christ.  From this perspective, she was able to share in the hardships of the people and to help alleviate the sufferings of others.

A month after Mother Hyacintha died on January 19, 1763, her testament was officially recognized. So the Sisters were promised the ability to continue, even though there were still years of trials ahead. The Community grew very slowly.

In 1823, they received the first approved ecclesiastical statutes, one hundred years after their foundation: Statutes for the Rule Sisters (since they now live under a confirmed Rule) in Hallein.

In 1845, Empress Karoline Auguste (Tertiary) brought sisters of the community to Vienna, which was then declared an independent community by the bishop (motherhouse in Vienna Erdberg). From Vienna, in 1852, Sisters were sent to run an orphanage in Judenau, Lower Austria. This community of Sisters also developed into an independent congregation, with the motherhouse in Amstetten. 

The Congregation in Vienna received initial papal approval on April 23, 1923, and final approbation on December 22, 1931. Today we live the Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis that was revised and approved by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1982.

Under the direction of the SVD Fathers (today known as the Divine Word Missionaries), the Congregation opened a new field of activity in the United States in 1931. The Argentinian mission opened in 1939, and eventually the region was centralized in Villa Zorraquin (Diocese of Concordia).  In 1954, the Sisters in America united under one region in Panhandle, Texas (Diocese of Amarillo).

In 2019, the Extraordinary General Chapter voted to move the Generalate to the Texas Region.  It was officially established in Panhandle on October 4, 2020, on the Feast of St. Francis. 

From Mother Hyacintha’s foundation, we continue to claim her vision as a basic expression of her charism. We strive to live her primary goal of being a fruitful Franciscan family that actively serves. We continue to recognize this in the field of education, evangelization, in hospitality, and in presence to all souls with whom God places us in contact. We recognize in our own hearts what our foundress felt in her day – the presence of so many in our society who are hungry for God. The light that was Mother Hyacintha Zechner in the 18^th Century is the light we seek to bring to the lonely, neglected, uninformed, and those who, most importantly, are starving for the knowledge that they are loved by God.  This intimate connection with St. Francis and our Mother Foundress is our calling and will sustain us.