The Franciscan Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus began as an American mission from the Saxonian Province of Holy Cross, in Germany. they are officially recognized as the Order of Friars Minor, a religious order, simply known as the “Franciscans.” In 1858, they responded to an invitation from the bishop of Alton, Illinois and were entrusted with the care of the german-speaking parish of Saint Francis, in Teutopolis. Special permission from their Franciscan superiors granted the friars reasonable travel permits, use of money and special garb. This allowed the Franciscans to spread the gospel throughout the surrounding areas in Quincy, Illinois and Saint Louis, Missouri.
The modern-day Franciscan Missionary Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus had their beginnings in this tradition when, in 1888, their order was founded in Poland. In 1922, two of the brothers visited the United States and, in 1927, the Franciscan Missionary Brothers were officially welcomed into the Archdiocese of St. Louis. That same year, we acquired the St. Joseph’s Hill property outside Eureka, restored the buildings that had been abandoned 15 years earlier, and began accepting residents who needed continual nursing care.
Today’s Franciscan Missionary Brothers are steeped in proud and solemn traditions of the past. Their apostolic endeavors range from supporting the needs of nursing home residents, to those afflicted with hiv and other disenfranchised people––as well as as their work in maintaining and operating the Black Madonna Shrine and grottos, which welcome thousands of visitors each year.