CONTACT US:
503-794-8542
info@francisspctr.com
PO Box 144
3159 Furman Dr
Marylhurst, Oregon 97036
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MEET THIS COMMUNITY:
We are forming a new kind of Franciscan ministry. With varied roles and gifts, we seek to share this community with the willing and similarly hearted.
Operations staff:
Ann Steigerwald is our Programs Coordinator. She is also a spiritual director and co-convener of our training program.
Christine Naylor is our Director as well as a spiritual director.
Katie Lazarus is our bookkeeper, administrative assistant, and front desk presence.
Artwork by SDTP Graduate Jill Rosette
Our sister ministry:
Julie Prey is the director of the Franciscan Spiritual Center, East in Aston, Pennsylvania.
Companions chapter:
The local chapter of lay people affiliated with the Sisters of St Francis of Philadelphia (SoSF) seeks to share in and live out the spirit and mission of the Sisters within their own vocation and lifestyle. Linda Smith and Sister Theresa Lamkin facilitate.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: A few short years ago, we established our home on Marylhurst Commons, mindful that we are only temporary custodians on this land. The campus rests within a watershed nourished by the Willamette River, a tributary of the mighty Columbia. Long before our arrival, this place was home to wildlife and native forests and was the ancestral homeland of the Kalapuya people, who lived for countless generations in winter villages and seasonal settlements along the Willamette, Umpqua, and McKenzie Rivers. After a period of white settler ownership and agricultural use, the land has for over 160 years been stewarded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, who fostered a space where women of faith could live, learn, and serve in community. Today, we honor and thank the elders—past and present—for their stewardship of this land. We are grateful to call it home, and in our Franciscan spirit, we remain committed to humility, curiosity, and praise of our Creator. Join us as we work to care for and cherish all of creation.
Programs staff:
Sister Celeste Clavel, Eileen Parfrey, Mark Lesniewski, Sister Mary Jo Chaves, Randy Miller, Sister Theresa Lamkin, and Tom Welch.
Adjunct facilitators:
Currently we count over 23 adjuncts actively serving as program facilitators, retreat leaders, SDTP faculty, guest teachers, mentors, supervisors, and spiritual directors. See our Programs Page for current offerings.
Advisory board:
Carla Gonzales, Terry Cappiello, Theresa Lamkin, and Val Hornburg.
Congregational leadership:
Clare D’Auria, Congregational Minister, Janet Thiel, COO, Linda Sariego, Secretary, Lydia Etter, Treasurer, and Patricia Hutchinson, Assistant Congregational Minister.
ORIGIN STORY: We are a ministry sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia (SoSF). Our sisters first journeyed west in 1885 along the Oregon Trail, settling first in Baker, Oregon. Locally, they became known as the “Palatine Hill Franciscans.” When the Franciscan Renewal Center on Palatine Hill closed in 2000 (now owned by Lewis & Clark College), our sisters embraced an itinerant spirit—carrying their Franciscan home in their hearts as they established a series of temporary offices over the years. Many sisters helped shape what is now the Franciscan Spiritual Center, welcoming lay women and men to share in their ministries. In 2022, we moved to the former campus of Marylhurst University in Lake Oswego, now owned by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). The grounds and interior spaces here are both beautiful and restorative. We are delighted to support the SNJM sisters in creating a new kind of community on this campus. We invite you to join us in the work of nurturing spiritual growth for both individuals and communities. Through compassionate guidance and transformative programs, we seek to deepen connections and support meaningful change. Whether you are looking for spiritual direction, professional training, or simply a place to grow in faith, we are here to walk with you.
Artwork by SDTP Graduate Jill Rosette
MISSION STATEMENT: Rooted in gospel values and the prophetic spirit of Francis and Clare, we provide environments, experiences, and resources that open a way to encounter God in both stillness and activity. With hospitality, simplicity, and joy, we welcome all as brother and sister. VISION STATEMENT: In the Franciscan tradition, we will share and create a place of simple beauty and hospitality that nurtures and deepens the contemplative spirit. STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: As a Franciscan ministry, we welcome all as sister or brother. We recognize and honor the dignity of every person—regardless of age, culture, faith, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, language, ability, or social class.