The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio (also known as The Sisters of St. Francis of Our Lady of Lourdes) were founded by Anne Sandusky (Mother M. Adelaide), a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis, Rochester, Minnesota. In 1916, she was serving as directress of the College of St. Teresa when Bishop Joseph Schrembs of the Diocese of Toledo requested that the Sisters in Rochester send members to the Toledo area to work with the children of the Polish immigrants. Sister Adelaide and 22 other Sisters established a home in Toledo and began teaching in area schools. The sisters established Lourdes Junior College and continue to sponsor Lourdes University. As of 2016 there were about 200 sisters serving in a variety of ministries.