Sisters of the Franciscan Order Margaret Coyne, Jean Marie Teixeira and Miriam Joseph Teresi, who teach at St. Anthony Elementary School in Long Beach, recently celebrated the joining of their congregation with two others into one congregation to be known as the Sisters of St. Francis.

In July the New York-based Sisters of St. Francis Third Order Regular of Buffalo, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin of Hastings-on-Hudson, and the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse ceased to exist as an autonomous congregations.

The decree for the union was received on April 26 from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome.

"The union allows each of the three congregations to remain viable, make the best use of existing resources and continue to spread the spirit of St. Francis," said Sister Patricia Burkard, coordinator of the Shared Futures project. "The recruitment of new members is vital to the longevity of the new center."

The new congregation brings together 500 sisters engaged in education, healthcare, pastoral ministry, mission service, social services and retreat work in 27 Dioceses and Archdioceses, including California, Hawaii, Kenya, East Africa and Peru.