Who are we?

We are an active Congregation of women religious who are inspired by the Gospel and who want to devote themselves to the needs of the people around them, nearby and far away.

Our Congregation is called: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God. The official name in Latin is: Sororum Franciscalium ab Immaculata Conceptione a Beate Matre Dei. In several countries we are known as SFIC - the abbreviation of this name.

Our sources of inspiration

Our first and most important source is the Holy Scripture, especially the Gospel. We steep ourselves in the Gospel and how Francis and our foundress have lived it. In this way, we hope to experience the reality of God’s love and this will keep our eyes open to Gods presence in the people around us. The Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, which you will find in many other congregations, describes our way of life as well as our Constitutions. These only apply to our Congregation.
The spirit of simplicity, submission, love and penance was emphasized from the first beginning of the Congregation, in 1844.
In life, the love of Christ as we know it from the Gospel, the tradition of the Church and the people around us, especially our co-sisters, will carry us and lead us. The sisters have captured this love in the motto: “For the Love of God.”

We will try to avoid everything that keeps us from following the way of the Gospel. Prayer supports us as well our servitude and the acceptance of human existence with all its limitations.
Mary and Francis followed the same way. Therefore, we feel very inspired by the words of Francis mentioned in the introduction of our Rule. He says:

We are mothers when we bear Him
in our hearts and bodies with divine love
and with pure and sincere consciences;
and we give birth to him through a holy life,
which should enlighten others
because of our example