Madonna Foundation Mission...

Our mission is to increase young urban women's access to Catholic high school education.

Mother Theresa Dudzik, the foundress of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago, was born in Poland but grew up in Chicago. A contemporary of Jane Addams, her inclination was to "be of service to the needy and the poor." She was described by her sister as having a "happy and pleasant disposition which rendered her sensitive to the needs of others."

The Madonna Foundation has its own roots in the life of Mother Theresa, whose love for others was not quenched by her own personal experiences of loss or discrimination. Refused admittance to a "college prep" school in Poland, Mother Theresa was determined to continue her education - so she entered a vocational high school where she learned sewing and needlework. She did not allow others' low expectations of her to curtail her growth and her education. By doing what she could when she could, she brought life to a vision for herself and others. In essence, Mother Theresa wrought a miracle in Chicago and through much of the United States by keeping a vision alive, a vision that captured the talents and treasures of many in pursuit of being of service to the needy. In 1894, Mother Theresa founded the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago which has continued to form new welcoming communities which are of service to others and enriched by prayer. Since their foundation in 1894, the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago have sponsored a variety of ministries which meet the needs of women, children and the elderly: settlement houses, orphanages, schools, homes for seniors, hospitals, and shelters from domestic violence. Now the Madonna Foundation is a new venue for meeting the needs of young urban women.

Like Mother Theresa Dudzik, the Madonna Foundation's purpose is to be of service to the needy, and particularly to young adolescent urban women. Long-time sponsors of Catholic schools, the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago, know and support Catholic high schools for young women as uniquely effective environments of transformation for young women. We are proud to partner with Catholic high schools for young women as they can provide the venue for Madonna Scholars in their struggle to transform the liabilities of growing through adolescence in an urban setting into assets.