A former Plum City principal is celebrating her diamond jubilee with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA), marking 70 years of service as a vowed religious.

Sister Dorothy Schneider was born on Oct. 22, 1935 in Chippewa Falls to Edward and Emma (Lengyel) Schneider, along with a twin sister named Delores.

A native of Boyd, Sister Schneider professed her first vows of religious life on Aug. 12, 1956. Over the last seven decades she has taught elementary education in Wisconsin from 1956 to 1990 and served as principal in Marathon and Plum City. She earned degrees from Viterbo University and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Following clinical pastoral education, Sister Schneider has ministered in chaplaincy and pastoral care in Eau Claire and Wausau. Retired as of 2018, she continues volunteering at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Wausau.

As for the order, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) are based in La Crosse as a community of vowed Franciscan women centered in Eucharist and engaged in furthering the work of the Catholic Church and the Gospel. The FSPA traces its origin to the arrival of Mother Aemiliana Dirr (Zahler) in 1849 at Milwaukee after travel from Bavaria. Engaged in teaching immigrant children, Sister Aemiliana Dirr became Mother General after a religious investiture confirming the women as Third Order Regular Franciscans, following the rule of St. Francis. 

In 1871 the motherhouse transferred to La Crosse from Jefferson after an invitation from Bishop Michael Heiss, the first Catholic bishop of La Crosse. Heiss had earlier attested to the sisters’ religious investiture as Third Order Regular Franciscans. The first Maria Angelorum (Mary of the Angels) Chapel for the order was dedicated on Aug. 2, 1873, followed by St. Michael’s Orphanage in 1875. Perpetual Adoration (around the clock prayer) started in 1878 under Mother General Ludovica Keller, fulfilling an 1865 promise by Mother Antonia Herb (Zimmer). In 2020 due to declining numbers, the practice of perpetual adoration was reduced from being held 24/7 to 6 a.m to 10 p.m.

Over the years since the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have built and worked in high schools and domestic academies, as well as building several hospitals, a nursing school and founding what would later become Viterbo University, expanding their mission worldwide.

With more than 300 sisters, 200 affiliates, 100 prayer partners and 6,500 people working in sponsored ministries, the FSPA has dedicated itself to mission, working together with partners and affiliates internationally in varied ministries, collaborating to minister in areas of greatest need, living the Gospel through contemplation and action.

Readers can find out more about the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and their mission work at https://www.fspa.org.