I was delighted to see Lori Sturdevant's acknowledgment of the role of the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester in the establishment of the Mayo Clinic (St. Marys Hospital) back in 1883 ("Mayo updates its model for the modern age," Feb. 16). I wonder how many Minnesotans know about the role of Catholic Sisters who were founders of other Minnesota hospitals. This would include other Franciscan Sisters, Benedictine Sisters and the Sisters of St. Joseph, among others. My community, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, opened St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Paul, in response to a cholera epidemic. St. Joseph's is Minnesota's first hospital. March is Women's History Month, and Catholic Sisters' Week will be inaugurated at St. Catherine University beginning March 7. This will be a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the history and contemporary lives of Catholic sisters.

MARY E. KRAFT, St. Paul