Sisters from Around the World to Visit Pittsburgh as Part of a National Pilgrimage Tracing the Footsteps of Their Foundress
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, from Poland and communities on four continents, will tour various Pittsburgh area sites from August 12-16, including Holy Family Institute in Emsworth and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Strip District – two venues with direct connections to their foundress, Blessed Frances Siedliska.
PITTSBURGH, PA (August 12, 2026) – Holy Family Institute (HFI) announced today that 22 Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth will travel from Poland and religious communities on four continents to spend five days in Pittsburgh as part of a national pilgrimage that traces the American story of their congregation and its foundress, Blessed Frances Siedliska. The pilgrimage, titled “In the Footsteps of Blessed Frances Siedliska,” runs from August 8-23, and takes the sisters through Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York. From August 12-16, the sisters will visit the parishes, cemeteries, and ministries where the congregation served generations of Polish immigrant families in Western Pennsylvania.
In Pittsburgh, the title of the pilgrimage is literal. “Our sisters will stand on ground that our Blessed Frances bought in Emsworth – where Holy Family Institute still stands; and pray in a parish where she slept – St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Strip,” said Sister Linda Yankoski, CSFN, President Emerita of HFI and coordinator of the pilgrimage. “She came to America to help underserved immigrant families and orphaned children. More than a century later, we are still carrying on her mission, with open hearts and open doors.”
Blessed Frances Siedliska, a Polish noblewoman, founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN) in Rome in 1875. Ten years later she led 11 sisters across the Atlantic to Chicago at the invitation of Polish immigrant communities. From that beginning the congregation spread across the country, and congregational research has identified 142 CSFN ministry locations in 23 states and territories between 1885 and the present day.
Pittsburgh holds a particular place in that story. In 1898 Blessed Frances bought a house in Emsworth, above the Ohio River, as a retreat for the sisters. Two years later, three children whose Polish immigrant parents had died in a fire were brought to their door. The sisters took them in, and that act of hospitality became Holy Family Institute, which today serves children and families throughout Western Pennsylvania through education, counseling, family support, and services for immigrant children. The organization still stands on the ground she bought.
When Blessed Frances came to Pittsburgh, she stayed at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in the Strip District, then the center of the city’s Polish immigrant community. The sisters will visit the church on Thursday, August 13.
The group will also pray at St. Anthony Chapel on Troy Hill, at St. Adalbert on the South Side, and at Immaculate Heart of Mary on Polish Hill. They will visit Mount Nazareth in Bellevue, including the graves of the sisters who served here, and will spend a full day at Holy Family Institute touring the campus and archives and sharing a meal with board members, donors, and sisters from the surrounding area. Duquesne University and the Polish Falcons of America monument on the South Side are also on the itinerary.
Not every hour will be spent in church. On the evening of Friday, August 14, the sisters will attend a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park, which for most of them will be their first encounter with American baseball.
“We’re looking forward to hosting the sisters as part of their pilgrimage in the United States,” said Michael Sexauer, Chief Executive Officer, HFI. “These opportunities to connect with sisters from around the world help to strengthen relationships, share best practices, and improve the lives of children and families. It’s a very meaningful reminder that our mission spans the globe.”
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Partial Itinerary August 12-16
• Mass and tour of the relic collection at St. Anthony Chapel, Troy Hill.
• Visit to St. Stanislaus Kostka in the Strip District, where Blessed Frances Siedliska stayed.
• Mass at St. Adalbert Church, followed by a visit to the Polish Falcons of America monument on the South Side.
• Campus and archive tour at Holy Family Institute, Emsworth.
• Attend a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park.
• Feast of the Assumption Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Polish Hill.
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About Holy Family Institute: Since 1900, Holy Family Institute (HFI) has provided innovative, evidence-based, family-focused services and educational programs designed to bring help and hope to children and their families, as well as shelter services for immigrant children. Holy Family Institute helped more than 41,000 families and children improve their lives over the last year.
About The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth: The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN) was founded in Rome in 1875 by Blessed Frances Siedliska, known in religious life as Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. The congregation came to the United States in 1885 and today serves on four continents. Its charism centers on the family and on the hidden life of the Holy Family at Nazareth.
