The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement

What The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement does

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement is a Catholic women's religious congregation founded in October 1898 by Mother Lurana Mary White and Father Paul James Wattson at Graymoor in Garrison, New York. Originally established within the Anglican tradition, the community was corporately received into the Roman Catholic Church on October 30, 1909 — the first entire religious community to make such a transition on a corporate basis since the Reformation — and received definitive approval as a congregation of Pontifical Right on June 13, 1935. The congregation originated the Church Unity Octave, now observed globally as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25 annually).

The congregation operates a diversified ministry portfolio rather than a unified commercial product. Core offerings include spiritual retreat facilities (Our Lady of the Atonement Retreat House at Graymoor, now integrated into the Holy Mountain Franciscan Retreat Center, and St. Anthony's Guest House in Assisi, Italy), a retail Sisters' Gift Shop at Graymoor selling religious articles, the Lurana Healthcare Residence providing care for senior Sisters, and parish ministries at St. John Bosco Parish in Port Chester, NY (including an Adoration Chapel, religious education, food pantry/soup kitchen, ESL teaching, and RCIA instruction). International missionary presence continues in Japan (since 1957, currently Chigasaki) and through legacy associations in Brazil; the Washington Retreat House was permanently closed effective December 31, 2024.

The organization is funded primarily through voluntary donations (accepted via PayPal, debit/credit card, and direct mail), supplemented by gift shop retail revenue and retreat house fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Leadership is vested in an elected Minister General (currently Sr. Diane Bernier, SA, since July 2022) and a three-member council. The congregation does not publicly disclose financial figures, has no external ownership, no investors, and operates as an independent non-profit under Catholic Church canonical governance. Its six-country presence spans the USA, Canada, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, and Brazil.

Name

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement

Legal name

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement

Website

https://graymoor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement offer religious and community services, including rehab and detox.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Charitable Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious congregation
• Spiritual retreats
• Senior care residence
• Catholic ministry
• Charitable donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Garrison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement is a Catholic religious congregation that operates retreat houses, a senior care residence, a religious gift shop, parish ministries, and international mission outreach. Its activities are funded primarily through donations and serve retreatants, seniors, parishioners, and the broader Catholic faithful.

Product overview

The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement operates a diverse portfolio of ministries rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include spiritual retreat facilities (Our Lady of the Atonement Retreat House, St. Anthony's Guest House in Assisi), a retail gift shop selling religious articles, senior care through the Lurana Healthcare Residence, and parish ministries including religious education, food assistance, and ESL programs. The congregation also maintains publication efforts through newsletters and supports missionary work in Japan and through legacy associations in Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Graymoor's Well: Newsletter focused on major topics from the Congregation and supporting missions and ministries.

Products and services

• OLA Retreat House Retreat house operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement offering spiritual retreats and hospitality programs to individuals and groups seeking Catholic retreat experiences.
• St. Anthony's Guest House Guest house operated by the congregation providing hospitality and retreat accommodations to visitors and pilgrims at Graymoor.
• Lurana Healthcare Residence Senior care residence operated by the congregation providing faith-based residential care and supportive services to elderly residents.
• Sisters' Gift Shop Religious gift shop operated by the congregation selling devotional items, books, and religious goods to visitors and supporters.
• Port Chester Parish Ministry Parish ministry operated by the congregation in Port Chester, NY providing sacramental and pastoral services to the local Catholic community.
• Japan Ministry International missionary ministry of the congregation in Japan serving the local Catholic faithful and broader community.
• Brazil Ministry International missionary ministry of the congregation in Brazil serving the local Catholic faithful and broader community.
• Newsletters Print and digital newsletters published by the congregation to communicate with donors, supporters, and the wider Catholic community about the congregation's life and ministries.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Society of the Atonement (Graymoor Friars): Companion male religious congregation co-founded with the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement by Mother Lurana White and Father Paul James Wattson at Graymoor in 1898. Same charism, same historical narrative of corporate reception into Catholicism, same Christian Unity origin story — the closest peer by identity and heritage.
• Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception: Franciscan women's religious congregation with similar missions of education, healthcare, parish ministry, and retreat work. Comparable organizational structure, founding era, and ministry portfolio — including elder care and social services — to the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement.
• Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady: Large Franciscan women's religious congregation operating hospitals, healthcare, and educational ministries. Demonstrates how a Franciscan congregation scales its ministry footprint — relevant comparable for understanding the structural model and resource scale of a Franciscan women's religious order.
• Little Sisters of the Poor: Catholic women's religious congregation dedicated to the care of the elderly poor — operating residential care homes globally. Comparable to the Franciscan Sisters in that both are Pontifical Right women's congregations with international footprints and elder-care components.
• Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ): International Catholic women's religious congregation running schools, retreat houses, and social justice ministries across multiple countries. Comparable in international footprint, retreat ministry, education, and donation-dependent operating model.
• Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt: Catholic women's religious congregation in the New York region operating retreat facilities and parish ministries. Direct regional peer running comparable retreat house and parish programs to Graymoor's OLA Retreat House and St. John Bosco Parish work.
• Cenacle Sisters (Our Lady of Cenacle): Catholic women's religious congregation dedicated specifically to retreat ministry and spiritual formation. Directly comparable to the Franciscan Sisters' retreat house portfolio at Graymoor and (formerly) Washington.
• Society of Mary (Marianists): International Catholic religious congregation combining education, retreat work, and parish ministry. Comparable multi-country footprint, retreat programming, and education-focused mission profile to the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Large-scale Catholic social services network operating soup kitchens, food pantries, ESL, and parish-based outreach across the U.S. — directly comparable to the social services and parish ministry work the Franciscan Sisters perform at St. John Bosco Parish.

Emerging players

• Franciscan Friars of the Renewal: Newer Franciscan religious community with similar charism of service to the poor, evangelization, and traditional religious life. Provides a forward-looking comparable on how contemporary Franciscan congregations structure ministries and engage new vocations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Graymoor.Sisters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franciscan-sisters-atonement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement