IAS Central Checking

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF THE NEUMANN COMMUNITIES – SYRACUSE, NY  

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities’ history is a story of continuously responding to the call to mission. It is a story of change, separation, and reunification. And it is a story of faith and trust.

The 420 members of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities haven’t always belonged to a congregation of that size. In 2004, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Virgin of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., the Sisters of St. Francis Third Order Regular of Buffalo (Williamsville Franciscans), the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child, and the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse, N.Y. came together to form the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, one of the largest Franciscan congregations in the U.S. They were later joined by the Sisters of St. Francis of Millvale, PA.

The members of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities share more than their congregational name. Four of the united congregations trace their roots to the original foundation of the Neumann-Bachmann Heritage Congregations founded in Philadelphia, PA in 1855 by St. John Neumann, Mother Mary Francis Bachmann, Sister Margaret Boll and Sister Bernardina Dorn. As Catholicism grew and flourished in the eastern part of the country, fueling the need for educational, health care, and social service ministries, separations from the Philadelphia foundation began to take place at the request of bishops and new, independent congregations were formed.

It is against this backdrop of continual adaptation that the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities have honed their outstanding organizational skills and management abilities. Laying the foundation for the eventual congregation-wide adoption of a centralized banking and checking approach, the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse and the Sisters of St. Francis Third Order Regular of Buffalo began using Zielinski Companies’ Institutional Automated Systems (IAS) Central Checking System in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

When the congregations reunited to form the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, the decision was made to expand the centralized banking approach throughout the new congregation. Today, the sizable congregation has a proactive cash management strategy in place that provides an economical method for monitoring and managing cash balances. Members’ purchases and cash transactions are collected and compiled in an efficient process, eliminating the need for individuals and houses to track and report spending activities. With accurate, up-to-date financial information readily available to financial managers, the Sisters are able to meet the demands on their resources and ensure responsible stewardship of their assets.

Religious communities are regularly called upon to embrace the unknown. With a history rich in change, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities set an example for responding to the call with faith, trust, community spirit, and the ability to adapt quickly and efficiently.