In 2020, The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia established the Archbishop’s Ministry Support Fund to provide financial assistance to ministries and initiatives identified by Archbishop Pérez as critical to the life and future of the local Church.
Sister Francesca Onley dies; led Holy Family University for 33 years
Sister Francesca Onley, C.S.F.N., retired longtime president of Holy Family University in Philadelphia, is seen in this 2013 CatholicPhilly.com file photo. She died April 17 at age 88. (Photo by Sarah Webb)
Posted April 19, 2021
Sister Francesca Onley, 88, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth for 71 years, died April 17 in Philadelphia. She served as the president and chief administrative officer of Holy Family University beginning in 1981 until her retirement in 2014 at the age of 81.
As the Northeast Philadelphia university’s fourth president, she led the transformation of Holy Family College into a university in 2002 and added many educational programs including criminal justice, along with graduate and doctoral studies in education.