Meet the franciscans
Bishop Bob Lombardo, CFR
Guardian (Superior) and Founder
Final Vows: August 15, 1988
Ordained Priest: May 12, 1990
Ordained Bishop: November 13, 2020
College: University of Notre Dame
Originally from: Stamford, CT
Before I was a Franciscan… I worked at Price Waterhouse as an accountant.
Hobbies: Notre Dame Football, Going to the Gym
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Anthony of Padua
Favorite Gospel Passage: Matthew 25:31-46
Fun Fact: As a young friar I did mission work in Bolivia and Honduras, where I learned to speak Spanish fluently.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Living in a supportive community that is enthusiastic about living the Franciscan life centered on Jesus and the Church, while generously serving the poor and preaching and teaching the Gospel.
Sr. Kate O’Leary
Final Vows: October 4, 2015
College: Xavier University
Originally from: Chicago, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… I worked as a surgical/trauma ICU nurse at Loyola Medical Center.
Hobbies: Playing music, German Shepherd training
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Thérèse, Padre Pio, Mother Teresa, JPII
Favorite Gospel Passage: John 15:9
Fun Fact: I won the female division of the A-10 shootout during my junior year of college.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Spending time before Jesus in the Eucharist—everything comes from Him and through Him.
Sr. Alicia Torres
Final Vows: October 4, 2015
College: Loyola University Chicago
Originally from: Navy Brat
Before I was a Franciscan… I worked in the pro life movement.
Hobbies: Writing, reading, coffee, running, art projects
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Favorite Gospel Passage: John 17:20-26
Fun Fact: I have read Little Women approximately 17 times since the age of 13 and identify strongly with Jo March!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: How our life of prayer and friendship with Jesus, especially through the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, enable us to love one another. From that place of authentic communion, we can go forth to love and serve the poor and preaching the Gospel in so many ways!
Sr. Stephanie Baliga
Final Vows: September 4, 2016
College: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Originally from: Rockford, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… I was an advocate for market-based solutions to environmental issues.
Hobbies: Running, pretending to be an IT person, reading children’s books, and trying to motivate Team OLA with memes and GIFs
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Faustina
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 15:11-32
Fun Fact: I run faster than tow trucks, street sweepers, and slow bikers. In the winter, I wear a chicken hat while running, which I have worn on almost every winter training running since the age of 9.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: The Eucharist provides the graces we need to bring the poor, our students, and our volunteers to the heart of Jesus.
Sr. Jaime Mitchell
Final Vows: September 22, 2018.
College: Johnson and Wales University
Originally from: Trumbull, CT
Before I was a Franciscan… I was in the world of hospitality from a travel agent to study abroad coordinator to selling wine and beer to working at a maternity home and on an organic farm! Phew! And, oh, a youth minster, too!
Hobbies: Singing, painting, doodling, sketching, dabbling with the guitar, and swimming
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Anthony of Padua and St. Mary Magdalene
Favorite Gospel Passage: Matthew 6:26-30
Fun Fact: At age 17, I appeared on the David Letterman Show and read “number 10” in the Top 10 List.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: There are many favorite things that I love about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist: time in prayer both communally and privately, especially while present before the Eucharist, witness to Divine Providence on a daily basis, laughing with my brothers and sisters in community, the gift of grace and joy, seeing Christ in my neighbor and being able to love and serve them daily, and learning to embrace my cross in order to follow Jesus more closely.
Sr. Jess Lambert
Final Vows: September 8, 2019
College: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Originally from: Elmhurst, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… I had a short stint as a hipster vegan working for a sustainability firm, #adulting, and wearing a scarf every day.
Hobbies: Reading novels, walking or running in nature, and listening to books or podcasts
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Joseph
Favorite Gospel Passage: Mt 1:18-25
Fun Fact: I had the opportunity to study abroad a few times in college, and still keep in touch with my host family from Senegal.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Daily seeing God’s providence at work: in the people that He brings into our life, in how He cares for us, and in how all things work for the good. His daily providence sheds more and more light on the mystery of how sending His son Jesus was his ultimate gift of providence. In Him, all is GIFT.
Sr. Laura Toth
Final Vows: April 23, 2022
College: Beloit College
Originally from: Battle Creek, MI
Before I was a Franciscan… I was in grad school at the University of Chicago and working at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Hobbies: Reading and re-reading my favorite books, rearranging the four pieces of furniture in my room, listening to podcasts, enjoying my newfound love for English breakfast tea, and delighting in nature whenever possible.
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Thérèse, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Servant of God Clare Crockett, and basically all the early virgin martyrs
Favorite Gospel Passage: John 15:5
Fun Fact: I have very low spatial awareness and yet am inexplicably skilled at driving giant U-Haul trucks and parallel parking.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: I love how as Franciscans of the Eucharist, our life is designed to help us to follow Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis. When I think about St. Francis, I think about how he set out to live the Gospel, wholeheartedly, without holding anything back, and centered his whole life on knowing and becoming more and more like Jesus. I’ve also always deeply resonated with St. Francis’ love for Jesus in His poverty, especially in the manger, in the Eucharist, and on the Cross. Finally, St. Francis’ focus on living among, serving, and seeing and loving Jesus in the poor has always spoken deeply to me as well. The privilege of belonging to this beautiful, 800-year-old Franciscan tradition and learning how to surrender myself more and more fully to Jesus has been one of the greatest adventures and gifts of my life.
Sr. Macey Angadicheril
Final Vows: May 31, 2025
College: University of North Texas
Originally from: Arlington, TX
Before I was a Franciscan… I was a speech and language pathologist.
Hobbies: Writing, singing (for fun), reading/contemplating poetry with a cup of chai, good conversations with the people close to me, long strolls, hanging out with our dogs
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Faustina, the Holy Apostles, St. Bonaventure, and I have a DEEP love for my Guardian Angel
Favorite Gospel Passage: the whole Gospel of John
Fun Fact: I have a tendency to sing about the things that I am doing without realizing it.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Learning to love abundantly in the right order starting with the foundation of Mass and prayer, which overflows into the life of our Franciscan community and tradition, and pours into our work and time with everyone we meet.
Sr. Emily Persicketti
Temporary Vows
College: Villanova University
Originally from: Manhattan, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… I was a nurse in a small pediatrician’s office
Hobbies: Going on nature adventures, running, playing soccer, improving my Spanish skills, delighting in really lame wordplay at every open opportunity
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Martha
Favorite Gospel Passage: John 1:1-14
Fun Fact: I’ve backpacked ~420 km (~260 mi) across the north of Spain on pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. I walked from León to Santiago de Compostela and then continued on to the coastal towns of Fisterra and Muxía. I greatly aspire to go back and complete the entire Camino Frances (~780 km/500mi) some day!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Being challenged to see, love, and serve Jesus in the Eucharist, in the poor, in our volunteers, and in our community members every single day. I love working together to provide a place where people from so many different walks of life all can come to be nourished both physically and spiritually.
.jpg)
Sr. Maggie Flynn
Second Year Novice
College: Northwestern University
Originally from: Greenfield, MA
Before I was a Franciscan… I was, variously, a communications administrative assistant, a reporter, and a news brief writer and editor.
Hobbies: Reading, writing, running, knitting, learning Spanish, catching up on hockey highlights
Favorite Saint (besides St. Francis): St. Charles de Foucauld
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 1:68-79
Fun Fact: I played club ice hockey in college, despite not knowing how to skate – and one time, scored a hat trick!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Becoming more deeply immersed in the inextricable connection between the sacrifice of the Mass, adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, and serving Him in the poor.
Sr. Bridget Parker
First Year Novice
College: Central Michigan University
Originally from: Fowlerville, MI
Before I was a Franciscan… I was a high school math teacher.
Hobbies: Quilting, running, frisbee, painting
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Teresa of Avila, St. John Vianney, and Bl. Solanus Casey
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 1:73-75
Fun Fact: When my car reached 300,000 miles, I threw a birthday party for it!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Learning more about how to pray and how God loves me and getting to serve as a part of the community.
Sr. Kristine Campbell
First Year Novice
College: Bradley University
Originally from: Peoria, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… I was a youth minister.
Hobbies: singing, hiking, and crocheting
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Mary Magdalene and St. Josephine Bakhita
Favorite Gospel Passage: John 6:66-68
Fun Fact: I found a dinosaur bone with my dad when I was 12!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Learning to love Jesus and others both through the Eucharist and the poor.
Sr. Anna Polivka
First Year Novice
College: University of Notre Dame
Originally from: Loveland, OH
Before I was a Franciscan… I was a college student. I was involved with Campus Ministry and worked as an RA in my hall.
Hobbies: Reading, running, throwing a frisbee, staring out of windows
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): The Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 12:22-34
Fun Fact: Over the course of my lifetime, I have caught and peacefully removed four birds and one bat from various buildings/enclosed spaces.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: I love praying in community with my brothers and sisters, and I love our Franciscan emphasis on ongoing, daily conversion and renewal in Christ.
Leo Torres
Postulant
College: Saint Xavier University
Originally from: Chicago, IL
Before I was a Franciscan… “I was a lumberjack.” I owned and operated a small firewood business.
Hobbies: Splitting firewood, Bonfires, watching and playing sports, and running (but only 5 miles or under!!!)
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. John Vianney and St. Maximilian Koble
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 4:16-30
Fun Fact: For grade school I attended the school of Our Lady of Tepeyac, so for the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a play would be performed by students. From Kindergarten to 3rd grade, of course, my mom would always volunteer me to play the role Juan Diego!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Giving back and praying for the city that raised me. I take pride in being from Chicago to the point that I’m willing to debate that it is the best city in the world. But I won’t deny that there are many parts of this beautiful city where my fellow Chicagoans are having a hard time. In this city there are souls that are not finding joy, there are hearts that are not finding peace, and there is faith that is not finding strength, but with help of my Franciscan brothers and sisters, we will lead people to the Eucharist so that these needs can be nourished. Also, I take pride in saying that “I am not the sharpest tool in the shed.” I say that proudly to show you that God doesn’t pick the qualified, He qualifies the chosen! So if you are on this website because you are looking at different religious communities because you are on your journey of discernment, say yes to the Lord and join religious life to get eternal benefits with no hidden fees!!
.jpg)
Maddy Barr
Postulant
College: Oakland University
Originally from: Metamora, MI
Before I was a Franciscan… I was the communication director at a Catholic Church in St. Charles, IL.
Hobbies: cooking, journaling, reading, going on little walks, playing piano
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Catherine of Siena and St. Faustina
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 7:1-10
Fun Fact: When I was one, my mom gave me a pen and paper for the first time, to keep me busy for a bit. While she was gone, I managed to scribble an angel! This drawing became the cover for our Christmas card that year. And now I live at Our Lady of the Angels, who would have thought!!
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: My favorite part of being a Franciscan is having the opportunity to daily love the Lord through His children and the Eucharist
Eleanor Lorson
Postulant
College: The University of Chicago
Originally from: St. Louis, MO
Before I was a Franciscan… I worked in transfer pricing consulting.
Hobbies: running, exploring Chicago, listening to Mumford and Sons and podcasts, watching the Green Bay Packers
Favorite Saints (besides St. Francis): St. Mary Magdalene and St. Teresa of Avila
Favorite Gospel Passage: Luke 15:1-7
Fun Fact: My family and I have visited 29 of the 30 major league baseball stadiums together.
Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: It is a gift to primarily focus my days on striving to be faithful to God and to be surrounded by others dedicating their life to doing the same.