Front row: Saori Matsunga (Nurse Manager, Nagasaki), Taketoshi Date (Nurse Manager, Nagasaki), Miho Horiguchi (Nurse Manager, Nagasaki), Sister Gratia, Sister Philippa, Chika Kawanaka (Nurse Manager, Nagasaki), Chiharu Toyota (Resident-Gynecologist, Himeji), Ami Inoue (Resident-Orthopedics, Himeji), and Rutsu Kotani (Nurse, Himeji).

Back row: Ryuta Konishi (Administration, Himeji), Yuma Tanigawa (Resident-Surgeon, Himeji), Noriaki Kowa (Medical Information, Himeji), Keisuke Mimura (Clinical Engineer, Himeji), Takashi Nakata (Denist, Himeji), Kenichi Omae (Radiologist, Himeji), Naoya Mizuno (Care Services, Himeji), and Rie Goto (Nurse, Himeji)

This annual event began in 2007 and is organized by the Japan Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis to engage their medical professionals in an understanding of the Franciscan spirit, an awareness of American healthcare services, and aspects of American culture. This year, Sister Gratia Maihara and Sister Philippa Sato lead a team of 15 medical professionals from Nagasaki and Himeji from August 20-27, 2017.

History
In 1948, two Hospital Sisters of St. Francis from the American Province who had served in the Province’s mission in Jinan, China arrived in Japan in response to a request for healthcare services. The American Province then established a mission in Nagasaki and Himeji and in 1977 the Sisters in Japan established the Japan Province. Presently, the Japan Province sponsors two hospitals: St. Francis Hospital (Nagasaki – since 1949), a 208 bed facility with emergency medicine, long term care, hospice, and palliative care; and St. Mary’s Hospital (Himeji – since 1950), a 360 bed facility with emergency medicine, acute medicine, perinatal care, and palliative care along with an 80 bed facility for handicapped children. The Province also sponsors Francisco Villa (Tokyo – since 1976), a life-care facility for the elderly, and Maria Villa (Himeji – since 1992), a temporary care facility for the elderly. Two Korean Sisters provide pastoral care in non-Catholic hospitals in South Korea. As of January, there are 54 Sisters, two novices, and two pre-novices in the Japan Province.

Sister M. Mellitene Grunloh, O.S.F. (96) died on Sunday, August 6, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis Convent, Springfield, IL.

Sister Mellitene, the former Kathryn Grunloh, was born in Green Creek, IL, on August 9, 1920, the daughter of Francis and Anna (Shoenkoff) Grunloh. She entered the Congregation on September 8, 1939 and professed her religious vows on June 13, 1942.

Sister Mellitene graduated from St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1947, Quincy University with a BSN in 1953 and Marquette University with an MSN in 1959.

Sister Mellitene served in HSHS hospitals in Illinois from 1947 to 1981. She was a medical/surgical instructor at St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing for over 20 years. In 1982, she returned to the Motherhouse to serve in various roles with her Sisters who were in the infirmary. From 1991 until 2005, she was a volunteer at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls, WI. In 2005, she retired from active ministry and returned to the Motherhouse in Springfield, IL.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, Francis G. Grunloh, and a sister, Clara Frei, and a step-sister, Virginia Warren.

She is survived by two nephews, Melvin Frei and Steve Frei, and a niece, Barbara Frei, all of Lewiston, ID, and cousins, Agnes Brummer of Dieterich, IL, and Mary Thoele of Springfield, IL, as well as her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared her life for 77 years.

Visitation will be held at St. Francis Convent from 4-7 p.m. with a Wake Service at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 11, 2017. The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Dennis Koopman, OFM on Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel at St. Francis Convent.  Burial will be in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery.

To view her feature from 2009, please click here.

Staab Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Sister Patricia Ann Mulkey, O.S.F. (74) died on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 10:52 a.m. at HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield, IL.

Sister Patricia Ann was born in Rock Island, IL, on September 10, 1942, the daughter of Robert and Alice (Summers) Mulkey. She entered the Congregation on September 8, 1961 and professed her religious vows on September 8, 1964.

Sister Patricia Ann received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Marillac College in 1968 and earned a Master’s Degree in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1977. She served in various campus and parish ministries at several locations in Illinois during her career. She served as the Director of Teacher Theology at St. Catherine’s Indian School in Santa Fe, NM, from 1994 until 1998. She served as the Director of Anawim Center for the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois from 2001 until 2010 when she retired from active duty to the Motherhouse in Springfield, IL.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Alice Diane (Didi) Mulkey-Johnson.

She is survived by one brother, Charles R. Mulkey, of Taylor Ridge, IL, many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and cousins, as well as her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared her life for 55 years.

Visitation will be held at St. Francis Convent from 4-7 p.m. with a Wake Service at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Dennis Koopman, OFM on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 2 p.m. in St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel at St. Francis Convent. Burial will be in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery.

To view her story from 2010, please click here.

Staab Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.