Sister Francis Xavier Porter OSU

28 July 1928 – 9 March 2022

Sr. Francis Xavier Porter, OSU died peacefully at Peace Hospice, Great Falls, MT on March 9, 2022. She was born Frances Maxwell Porter on July 28, 1928, to James and Frances Courtney Porter. Her early education was at St. Mary’s School and Ursuline Academy, Great Falls. She entered the Roman Union of Ursuline Nuns, July 16, 1949, in Festus, MO. She received a BA from the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY, a MA from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, a MSA from the University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Sr. Francis began her teaching career in 1952, at the Ursuline Academy, Great Falls followed by St. Paul’s, Anaconda, MT, Great Falls Catholic Central High School, St. John’s Ursuline High School, San Francisco, CA, Cardinal Newman High School, Santa Rosa, CA. She served as Vice-Principal and Principal, St. John’s High School, San Francisco, CA, St. Mary’s Mission High School, St. Mary’s AK, Ursuline High School, Santa Rosa, CA, Ursuline Primary School, Great Falls, Mt. In addition to school administration, she was the local Superior at Ursuline Centre, Great Falls, Provincial Superior of Ursuline Western Province.

Following her retirement, Sr. Francis returned to the Ursuline Centre, Great Falls, MT where, among other things, she organized, catalogued and digitalized historically important archives dating from the early 1880’s of the Ursuline Missions and foundations in Montana, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho. Sr. Francis is remembered as a woman of deep faith, strong convictions, independence, compassionate heart, and generosity of spirit. She was fiercely dedicated to the educational profession the Ursuline Charism, her students, family, and friends. Her funeral and burial were held on March 22, 2022, at the Ursuline Centre in Great Falls, MT.