Jane McConnell, OSF

Sister Jane McConnell, formerly Sister Jessica, age 75, of the Sisters of St. Francis passed away on May 23, 2022 at the Motherhouse in Oldenburg, Indiana. Born on April 3, 1947, in Princeton, Indiana, she was the third of six children born to Jessie (Nee: Yeager) and William McConnell, Sr.

Jane grew up in Princeton where she and her brothers were educated at St. Joseph Church and School. She met the Oldenburg Franciscans at school and quickly was drawn to their open-hearted joyfulness. Sister Mary, formerly Sister Victoria, Schmidlin was instrumental in forming Jane's interest in religious life. On September 8, 1965, Jane said "yes" to her call and entered the Franciscan Community.

In Jane's "Vocation Story" she noted, "The Franciscans who taught me in grade school had a positive and important influence in my life and development. God used these relationships to make me aware that I was being called to the Franciscan way of life as well. It was their dedicated, joyful, unassuming, humble way of ministering and relating that attracted and influenced my life and journey into religious life as a Franciscan Sister."