Our Foundation
The foundation of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY, is closely connected to the arrival of the Franciscan Friars and the establishment of St. Bonaventure University.
In 1855, four Italian Franciscan Friars arrived in Cattaraugus County, New York, at the invitation of Bishop John Timon of the Diocese of Buffalo and Nicholas Devereux, an Irish entrepreneur and landowner. The friars were led by Father Pamfilo da Magliano. They were tasked with attending to the spiritual needs of the growing Catholic community and establishing a college and seminary. In 1858, the friars opened St. Bonaventure’s College, which today is St. Bonaventure University.
Bishop John Timon, C.M.
Bishop Timon advised Fr. Pamfilo that Allegany needed Catholic sisters to teach the community’s children and young women. The bishop told Pamfilo he should consider founding a new community of women religious to meet this need. In 1859, three women answered Pamfilo’s advertisements and traveled to Allegany to receive the habit. They took the names Mary Joseph, Mary Bridget, and Mary Teresa.
Rev. Mother M. Teresa O'Neil
Sister M. Teresa was only fifteen years old when she traveled to Allegany to become a novice. She met Father Pamfilo in her hometown of Fort Lee, New Jersey, where she had delivered bread to the house where Pamfilo was staying. She left this chance encounter convinced of her vocation, and soon after, she travelled the newly built railroad to the wilderness of Cattaraugus County to receive the habit.
At the sisters’ first Chapter in 1865, Sr. Teresa became the congregation’s first elected superior. She was twenty-one years old. She would hold the office of General Superior until her death in 1926.
Under Rev. Mo. Teresa’s leadership, the congregation grew from a small community of sister teachers to a large congregation of teachers and nurses that extended outside the United States to the island of Jamaica. For her contributions to the growth of the Allegany Franciscan mission, Rev. Mo. Teresa is honored with Fr. Pamfilo as a co-founder of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.
1859 First Convent Drawing
Postcard depicting Allegany, NY, c. 1894. The Old Motherhouse can be seen on the right.
For more information about the Franciscan Friars and their connection to the Sisters, please watch this conversation with Fr. Dominic Monti, OFM
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For more information about Father Pamfilo and the foundation of St. Bonaventure University, please visit the SBU Archives’ website
To learn more about the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, contact our Archivist with your questions.
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