Sister Mary Frances Johnson

Sister Mary Frances Johnson was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1965 and professed final vows in 1973.

She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1963 and master’s degree in chemistry in 1965 from Marquette University and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry in 1972 from St. Louis University as a National Defense Education Act Fellow and as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Fellow. In 1989, she received an MBA degree from the Rockhurst College Executive Fellows program.

Sister Mary Frances taught chemistry and physics at Fontbonne College from 1967 to 1969 and from 1976 to 1980. She then served at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, as a visiting associate professor (1976-77) and assistant to the president (1977-80).

Sister continued her administrative career in service to her CSJ community from 1980 to 1988 as a regional superior and provincial councilor. During that time, she also served as a trustee of St. Teresa’s Academy and St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Kansas City. She chaired the board of the Medical Center from 1986 to 1990. For her last two years in Kansas City, she was an adjunct professor at Longview Community College.

For the next 33 years, Sister Mary Frances was the treasurer of the St. Louis province of the Sisters of St. Joseph. During 25 of those years, she was a consultant for the National Religious Retirement Office. She was also a trustee at various times at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, Fontbonne College, Avila University, St. Joseph’s Academy, Ascension Health, and the St. Louis Archdiocesan Cemeteries. Since her retirement in June 2025, Sister Mary Frances has served as a finance office volunteer.

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