Faith & Service

We believe the Judeo-Christian tenets underlying the nursing education at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing promote values essential for the development of a personal and professional philosophy of God and humankind.

These values, inculcated throughout the curriculum, guide the learner to evolve into an ethical and accountable professional nurse.

The College of Nursing offers many opportunities for students to fulfill their spiritual needs. These include mass, rosary nights, prayer groups, prayer rooms and community resources.

Daily Mass

Please consider prayerfully gathering in worship at the OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center Chapel.

Everyone is invited to join in worship at one of the daily Masses beginning at 6:15 a.m. (when the Franciscan Sisters gather) and again at noon. Saturday Mass is at 4 p.m. Sunday Mass is at 11 a.m.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is offered each Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-noon and on Saturdays from 3-4 p.m.

Persons of all faiths are welcome to gather for Liturgy or for a moment of prayer and reflection in the 100-year-old Gothic-style Chapel, which is the central place of worship of the Medical Center and the home chapel for College of Nursing students.

Chapel

The chapel is located on the second floor of the main hospital building.

If you exit the North Building (via the door going to Subway), enter the main hospital building and go up the stairs and turn right to enter the Chapel area.

The Chapel is on the second floor and signs are posted throughout.

Students may wish to regularly visit this chapel to view the ornate windows, light a candle or to enjoy some quiet prayer and meditation. It’s also a place to simply pause where The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis have been beginning and ending their days of dedication to persons they serve for a century.

It is open 24 hours a day and promises to be a place of quiet and peace at the center of a very busy health care system.

Service

Service is part of our OSF mission and culture.  We want to recognize students who demonstrate and/or participate in service through the sharing of their time and talents within our communities. 

Students who complete 40 volunteer/service hours (prorated until 12/30/2025) during their enrollment at the College of Nursing will earn the privilege to wear kelly green cords at graduation. The hours must be completed outside of class/clinical time and must align with the mission, vision, and values of the College of Nursing as well as the OSF organization. 

Hours can be completed by participating in activities supported by OSF and filling out the form below. If one wishes to serve in a non-OSF activity, one must receive approval prior to the function to assure it is in agreement with our OSF mission, vision, and values by sending a description of the organization and activity to christine.a.desjardins@osfhealthcare.org .  Non-OSF service hours will also need to be validated by have an authority of that activity sign a sheet of paper affirming the participant's involvement and the number of hours served. Students can then submit to the above email address or submit online through the link on the forms and documents webpage . 

Examples of accepted volunteer hours include, but are not limited to:

  • SFMC CON Student organization meeting attendance
  • SFMC CON Student organization officer role
  • Assisting at a food bank/kitchen
  • OSF SFMC St. Clare’s closet
  • OSF campus clean up events
  • OSF SFMC Collecting Coats for Kids
  • OSF School Supply Drive

Resource Links

Vatican