Sister M. Stephanie Belgeri, FSGM, 72

“Thanks to your generosity, we can provide the very best care to the sisters in our community,” says Sister M. Stephanie Belgeri, 72, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, Illinois. “Your contributions enabled upgrades, including building an infirmary, ensuring our sisters’ well-being.”

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, with three sisters and two brothers, she felt a calling to religious life from childhood, deepened by her Catholic schooling.

“I wanted to be a sister since first grade, in fact, all my life. Religious things resonated with me,” Sister M. Stephanie reminisces. Her formative years were spent in close proximity to the Sisters of Loretto and the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill. She assisted them after school and helped out the sisters where needed. Her love for nursing in high school led her to start working at Mother of Good Counsel Home, a skilled nursing facility in St. Louis.

In 1970, Sister M. Stephanie joined the Franciscan Sisters on July 2 after being inspired by a film about St. Francis of Assisi. Her supervisor at the Mother of Good Counsel Home, who supported her vocation, strengthened her decision. Sister M. Stephanie’s ministry journey included nursing, teaching, and pastoral care, including in four and a half years of dedicated service in Brazil, setting up a foundation for her order.

Upon returning to the United States, Sister M. Stephanie served as director of nursing and later administrator at the Mother of Good Counsel Home until 2014, working with residents, staff, and families around their care needs.

In “retirement,” Sister M. Stephanie had volunteered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she found renewed inspiration in the faith and devotion of pilgrims. Currently, she translates documents into Portuguese for the Brazilian mission while managing the library.

As she reflects on a life rich with purpose and service, Sister M. Stephanie shares her wisdom for longevity: “Appreciate each day as it comes, pray, and be grateful for all the gifts we receive in our faith.”