About us

Our parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Stykkishólmur was founded on September 1, 2018, by decree of Bishop David Tencer OFMCap and covers the entire Snæfellsnes peninsula and the west coast from Búðardalur to Akranes. The main parish building is located in Stykkishólmur at Austurgata 7. This is the former monastery belonging to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, founded in 1936 by Bishop Martin Meulenberg S.M.M. (Montfortian) - the first Catholic bishop in Iceland since reformation.

The sisters, who ran the hospital, kindergarten, and printing house, mainly originated from Belgium and the Netherlands. They also had their own garden and greenhouse. There was always a priest in the monastery who was the chaplain of the sisters and the hospital. The last chaplain was Father Edward Booth OP - an English Dominican and philosopher. The last superior was a Polish woman – Sister Czesława. In 2009, the Franciscan sisters left Stykkishólmur due to lack of vocations. 

Two sisters are buried in the city cemetery - Sister Francisca and Sister Rosa. Currently the hospital of St. Francis belongs to the city. Part of the hospital building was transformed in 2023 into the Hospice.

There is a physiotherapy department in the former printing house building hospital. The monastery and kindergarten building belongs to the diocesan Foundation of St. Francis. Thanks to the help of the Catholic foundation Bonifatiuswerk from Germany, the former monastery and kindergarten was renovated and transformed into Hotel Fransiskus.