On November 26, 1889, the first five Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother arrived in Wichita, Kansas, accompanied by Msgr. Jacquemin. They were welcomed by the Sisters of Mercy who had run the health facility until then. Thus began the Congregation's first mission in America, St. Francis Hospital, with the formal approval of Bishop Hennessy.
An orphanage was attached to the hospital, but closed about a year later. The hospital was also at risk of closing due to its serious economic conditions, but the Bishop, together with the able direction of Father Joch, a business confidant of Mother Frances, ensured that the sisters could remain in Wichita to serve the poor. Going back in time, we can truly say that the hospital has enjoyed a special blessing from God. From 1897 until 1938, twelve expansions were made to the facility and a nursing school was established in 1917.