dl-sister-rosily-menachery.jpgSister Rosily Menachery, OSF, transferred her membership as a Hospital Sister from the Indian Region into the American Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on Feb. 2 during vespers and a Ritual of Transfer in St. Francis of Assisi Church, near Springfield. The ceremony was attended by her Franciscan sisters and friends.

Sister Rosily, formerly a member of the Indian Region of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, resides in Belleville and volunteers in the pastoral care department at St. Elizabeth's Hospital there.

Born on March 2, 1959 in Meladoor, Kerala, India, Sister Rosily entered the Indian Region in 1979 and her ministry included one term as the regional superior from 1998-2001. In addition, she worked in the community's orphanage and also served as the community's secretary and treasurer.

Sister Rosily came to the United States in 2001 to pursue formal education in addition to continuing her religious ministry and vocation. She earned an associate's degree in sociology from Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, and a bachelor's degree in theology and philosophy from Quincy University, Quincy.

The Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis is an international, multi-cultural congregation of Franciscan Sisters founded in Germany in 1844. The congregation includes a German Province, Polish Province, American Province, Japan Province, and Indian Region.

The American Province, based in Springfield, was founded in 1875 when sisters from Germany arrived and began their healthcare services. Currently, it continues its healthcare ministry as a significant provider of Catholic healthcare services in the United States with 13 hospitals throughout Illinois and Wisconsin along with missionary work in Haiti and Tanzania. In addition, the Sisters sponsor Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach and Chiara Center. For more information on the congregation, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.