ranciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration Returns Arbor Vitae Property to the Lac du Flambeau Tribe
Land Justice Futures
October 31, 2025
[Arbor Vitae, WI] — In the spirit of relationship and healing, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are transferring the Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center property to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the original caretakers of the land. The transfer closes today, Friday, October 31, and is the first known return of Catholic-owned land to a Tribal Nation as an act of repair for colonization and residential boarding schools.
Located on Trout Lake, Marywood will rejoin the landbase of the Lac du Flambeau Tribe – serving as a site for Ojibwe culture and traditions, re-establishing vital lakeshore access, and potentially providing housing for healthcare workers. The property was sold to the tribe for $30,000, the amount of cash the sisters paid for the property in 1966, just over 1% of its current market value.