Assisi Heights

Rochester, MN is most well known for Mayo Clinic. In the 150 years that Mayo Clinic has been in existence, it has grown to become one of the largest and respected medical institutions in the world. It now attracts over one million patients to its facilities from all 50 states and nearly 150 countries. What the general public may not know is that this medical giant was established by a group of religious sisters back in the late 1800’s.

This group of sisters is the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Lourdes. Still living in Rochester, their congregation, Assisi Heights, is perched up on a hill in NW Rochester, surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. At present, there are around 300 sisters living in Assisi Heights although a large proportion of these sisters are retired. Nonetheless, the group of sisters continues in its ministries and remain an important presence in Saint Marys Hospital and in the community as a whole.