During their General Chapter 2026, delegates for the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes discerned their direction for the next four years and the new team of sisters who will lead their efforts. Sister Sharon Pollnow will serve as General Superior with Sister Anita Henning as General Vicar and Sisters Madeline Gianforte and Patricia Hayes as General Councilors. This General Council will serve the congregation from 2026-2030.

Sister Sharon Pollnow is originally from Milwaukee, WI. She holds a B.S. in education from Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; an M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota; and an MSW from the University of Michigan. She is a licensed clinical social worker with certifications as a spiritual director and a grief and trauma specialist. Sharon’s ministries took her to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio to serve as a teacher, principal, parish staff member, adjunct university instructor, diocesan board member, spiritual director, and clinical social worker/counselor. In 2021, Sister Sharon retired from her counseling position at Sophia Center in Sylvania, Ohio, which she helped to establish in 1993, and subsequently moved back to Wisconsin. She has served as General Superior for the congregation since 2022 and also previously served CSA on the General Council from 2009-2013 and as a District Coordinator for Illinois and Indiana in the 1970s.

Sister Anita Henning began life in Hardinburg, Kentucky, before moving to Beloit, Wisconsin. She is a graduate of Marian University and Manhattan College, where she earned a B.A. in Education and a Master’s in Education Administration respectively. She was a teacher and principal for many years in locations throughout the country, including service in many places in WI, Harlem, NYC, and Canton, Mississippi. She was a Faith Formation Director in Portage, Wisconsin. She has served on the CSA Leadership Team twice before, once in 1999-2001 and again in 2013-2017. Since 2018, she has been the pastoral minister at St. Mary Help of Christians in Briggsville.

Sister Madeline Gianforte is from Bensenville, Illinois. Her education includes a B.S. in education from Illinois Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois, and a Master’s degree in Holistic Health from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California. Her first ministries were based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Canton, Mississippi. In 2002, she helped found CORE El Centro on the south side of Milwaukee to serve those of limited income. CORE El Centro is a natural healing center which provides services including massage therapy, energy work, acupuncture, holistic exercise, nutrition, and gardening classes. Sister Madeline transitioned the organization to a new Executive Director in 2022 when she first joined the General Council.

A native of Nanty Glo, PA, Sister Patricia Hayes received a B.S. from Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and a Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Studies from Aquinas School of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry work began in healthcare at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac followed quickly by healthcare work in Nicaragua. Healthcare work was regularly intermingled with pastoral care of those discerning their call to religious life and was paused entirely from 1997-2005 when she served as a General Councilor for the congregation. Now, she returns to leadership directly from her most recent ministry working with The Leo House in New York, where she has served since 2018.

The congregation will install the new leadership team during a special installation Mass on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in Dorcas Chapel at 10:30 AM. Mass is open to the public. Please keep CSA in your prayers during the transition to this new leadership team and as they work toward the objectives outlined during the General Chapter.

Sister Sharon Pollnow, CSA

Sister Anita Henning, CSA

Sister Madeline Gianforte, CSA

Sister Patricia Hayes, CSA

About the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA), founded in 1858 in Barton, has been based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for more than 150 years. Today, CSA has sisters across the United States and Nicaragua who strive to minister with simplicity and hospitality in the fields of education, healthcare, pastoral ministry, and social service. CSA Associates are individuals who choose to have an intentional relationship with the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.

Date posted: July 8, 2026