Oral Histories - Stories of the Sisters
The intent of the Stories-of-the-Sisters Oral History Project is to publish a series of interviews with the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, in effort to preserve some of the rich history lived by these courageous and pioneering women.
Interviews include audio files, transcripts, and photos, whenever possible.
If you would like to be interviewed, or recommend someone to be interviewed for this project, please contact
* Michele Matucheski at 920-223-0340 or Michele.Matucheski@ascension.org
* Beth Komisarek Archivist SSM Provincial Beth.Komisarek@ssm-uscarribbean.org
Special thanks to Emily Anderson and Father Bill Kuhr for their support in arranging interviews through the years.
Welcome to the new website featuring Stories of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.
This oral history project began in 2009, when I started to interview The Sisters at Franciscan Courts in Oshkosh, WI.
I wanted to know more about their lives, their work, and their passions--in their own words. These are the women who founded my hospital and many others in Wisconsin and around the US. Many of the Sisters became Nurses, Teachers, Social Workers, and Chaplains. Some of them even became Hospital Administrators and Leaders at times when educational opportunities and career options for women were very limited. Some of the Sisters even became Architects and Plumbers "because that's what the community needed to do the work required."
These women made incredible impacts in our world, so here are some of their stories ...
In each interview, we invite the Sisters to review their life and work, and share the things that they want to remember.
Each session contains :
- The Audio File (hosted at Story Corps)
- Transcript of the Session
- Field Notes of the Session
- Photo of the Sister
Thank you to the many people who have helped with with project through the years, including and especially, the Sisters who were willing to talk with me. I've learned so much from you all!
This project is near and dear to my heart. It brought me back in touch with our mission and purposeful work.
Most of the interviews remain private, only for the SSM Community and Archives. However, Sr. Freida Mohnl gave permission to share her story more widely.
Need Assistance? We are happy to help! Please contact Your Librarian :
Michele Matucheski, MLIS, AHIP
Medical Librarian - Ascension Wisconsin
Phone (920) 223-0340
Email Michele.Matucheski@ascension.org
Available Monday - Friday