The early years in Mellrichstadt
BIRTH
Mother Frances was born in Mellrichstadt on November 24, 1844, the eldest of four children. After her, her parents Adam and Franziska Hörhammer Streitel, gave birth to Adam, Hermann and Hedwig.
Mellrichstadt is a picturesque medieval town in Bavaria, nestled at the foot of the Rhön mountain ridge, on the border with Thuringia.
In the first half of the 19th century, the town, which was part of the diocese of Würzburg, had around three thousand inhabitants. Around the year 1000, it had become a battleground between the armies of Emperor Henry IV of Franconia and Rudolf of Swabia, who had been crowned King of Germany by Henry IV's enemies. The emperor was prepared to do anything to retain power. Two years earlier he had undergone the famous penance in front of the castle of Canossa to stem the conflict with Pope Gregory VII in the tangle of the investiture struggle. Now in Mellrichstadt, on that ominous August 7, 1078, he attempted to put the anti-king Rudolf out of the way, but ended up suffering a serious defeat in terms of image and men.
The cumbersome legacy of this history, its evolution in the shadow of bitter temporal and religious controversies, had somehow forced the people of Mellrichstadt to mature and cherish a solid faith. This religious sensibility would also manifest itself through the building of many shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary, venerated under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows, which Mother Frances would faithfully visit.
 Birthplace of Mother Frances Streitel |  Mellrichstadt - Church of St. Sebastian |  Mellrichstadt - Parish Church of St. Kilian |
|---|---|---|
 Mellrichstadt - market square |  Mellrichstadt |
Mellrichstadt was not always a place of easy coexistence between peoples, faiths and cultures. As early as the 13th century, many Jewish families resided there. Their community had gradually taken root and it was at the time of Mother Frances that the first Jewish cemetery was built, then a synagogue and a religious school. As evidence of their prosperous and active presence, it is also worth mentioning that at that time most of the city's commercial enterprises were owned by Jews and their houses and shops were almost all clustered along the main street.
It is in this multicultural and multi-religious climate that the Streitel family lived and Mother Frances grew, developing a particular sensitivity to welcoming and respecting religious differences. This singular trait, which will make her mission fruitful, will be strongly transmitted to every Sister of the Sorrowful Mother, as is well reflected in the 1883 Norms, written by Mother Frances:
“Spiritual love of neighbor embraces all persons in their needs, including non-Catholics, with the same self-sacrificing activity. The Sisters will therefore take upon themselves the care of the sick among these brothers and sisters, when there is an offer to do so, with joy and a willingness to sacrifice, avoiding everything which might give the impression of proselytizing. Here also, let the Sisters be true religious striving after holiness.”
THE BAPTISM
According to the customs of the time, Mother Frances was baptised in the house on the very day of her birth and received the name Amalia Frances Rosa. A singular testimony of the event is preserved by Fr. Aquilin Reichert, the first biographer of Mother Frances:
"Although the entire day of her birth and baptism was dull and cloudy, during the baptism the room was suddenly lit up with bright sunshine. All wondered at this. Father Endres, the pastor, expressly commented upon it, quoting the words of Sacred Scripture concerning St. John the Baptist: “What then will this child be?”
MOTHER FRANCES STREITEL
When love embraces everyone
with the same self-denial
“We must love those entrusted to our care, whether they are patients or children, but it may never be in a way that is not entirely pure and holy.”