Josephine Dudzik was born on August 30, 1860, in a village in Poland called Plocicz. When she was 21, she immigrated with her family to Chicago to seek a better life. Josephine was interested in her faith and spiritual life, so she joined the Third Order Secular of St. Francis at her family’s parish with a friend. During this time, Chicago was experiencing a long depression along with the rest of the region. Faced with poverty all around her, she began doing what she could to care for impoverished people, even bringing them into her home.

As she cared for the poor, her vision of what could be possible when it came to her service to those in need grew. She consulted with the pastor of her parish about organizing women at the parish to help her in her endeavors and about the possibility of even purchasing a larger home specifically to care for the poor in their community. He agreed to support her dream with one condition — that she and the other women involved start a religious congregation. She agreed and, along with other women from the Third Order Secular of St. Francis, established the Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Kunegunda. They named the congregation for the soon-to-be-canonized Blessed Kunegunda from Poland whose cause for canonization was popular with the local Polish population in Chicago. Her new order officially began in December 1894, and was the first order of religious women founded within Chicago city limits. 

In 1900, Theresa and four of her friends took their profession of vows. She took the name Mary Theresa and led the congregation as their superior for ten years. During this time Sister Theresa started and operated the St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged and Crippled, St. Vincent’s Orphanage, and worked to build a daycare and institutions of education. They served the poorest of the poor and she quickly became known locally as Chicago’s Apostle of Mercy.

After 10 years as the congregation’s superior, she was removed due to a nasty rumor that she was mismanaging the mission’s funding. She obediently took on more menial tasks in the congregation without complaint and continued to serve in whatever role she was given —unwavering in her service to the people of Chicago alongside her sisters. Her best friend, Sister Wysinski, was made superior instead and they continued their work together that way, expanding the congregation together to 160 women by the late 1910’s! 

In 1918, Sr. Theresa contracted cancer and on September 20 of the same year she passed away. Posthumously, she was given the title of Mother in recognition of her role as the foundress of what is now called the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago. In 1994, Saint Pope John Paul II gave Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik the title of Venerable.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you inflamed the compassionate heart of Mother Mary Theresa with the heroic virtues of charity and mercy. If it is your will, may she be declared Blessed for your honor and glory and may she inspire others to imitate her love for the needy, poor, and suffering of our world. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.