ASTON, Pa. — Sister Corda Marie Bergbauer, the former superior general of the Sisters of St. Francis, died at Crozer Chester Medical Center on Sept. 5. A native of Philadelphia, she was a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 75 years.
Sister Corda ministered primarily in education and administration. She served in congregational ministry as superior general from 1970-78, leading the congregation as it sought to implement the outcomes of Vatican II. She oversaw the construction of Assisi House in Aston and helped expand the sisters’ ministries in Africa.
In the Diocese of Wilmington, Sister Corda helped begin the Ministry of Caring, the nonprofit social services organization that offers housing, food, social services, healthcare and other resources to the underprivileged.
She began religious life as a teacher. She ministered in education in the archdioceses of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. She spent 54 years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Services will be Sept. 11 at Assisi House. A Christian wake service will be held from 10-11:45 a.m., with the Mass of Christian Burial at noon. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery. Donations in Sister Corda’s name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.
