Sister ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Frances Acton, OSF, dies at 96

Sister Frances Acton, OSF, died on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Assisi House. A member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 71 years, she previously went by the name Sister St. William.

Born Frances Teresa Acton in Wilmington, Delaware, she entered her congregation in 1953 and made her first vows in 1955. She spent more than 50 years serving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, primarily in education and pastoral care. Her teaching career included 18 years at elementary schools including St. Elizabeth, St. Benedict, St. Mary of the Assumption, and St. Aloysius, as well as seven years at Little Flower High School in Philadelphia.

Beyond the classroom, Sister Frances worked in parish ministry at St. Benedict, served in the congregation's finance office in Aston, and volunteered in the Charism Office. Her ministry also extended to South Carolina and North Carolina, where she held roles in faith development and parish ministry. Since 2017, she lived at Assisi House, where she worked in prayer and hospitality ministry. She held degrees from Villanova University and Regis University.