Mission, Vision, Charism

Leadership

Motherhouse & Chapel

Historical Information

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Sisters of Charity Fact Sheet

The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati is an apostolic Catholic community of women religious that exists to carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through service and prayer in the world.

History

• 1809 - The Sisters of Charity were founded by St. Elizabeth Bayley
   Seton in Emmitsburg, Md.
• 1829 - Four Sisters of Charity first came to Cincinnati.
• 1852 - Mother Margaret Farrell George founded the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, a separate community from the Sisters in Emmitsburg.

News

(Photo left) Nineteen young adult volunteers joined 11 Sisters and Daughters of Charity to become the first houseguests of the New Orleans' House of Charity in January.

In January 2010, the SC Federation House of Charity in New Orleans, La., opened to a group of young adult volunteers participating in a Federation service trip. Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Monica Gundler is one of the house's three permanent residents, and shares in the responsibility of upholding the House of Charity's five foundational concepts: to be a place to live in community, experience the Charity charism, share in prayer, offer hospitality, and minister with the poor.

Leadership

The Leadership Council of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati includes (front row, from left) Sister Lois Jean Goettke, SC, councilor; Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC, president; (back row, from left) Sister Georgia Kitt, SC, councilor, and Sister Nancy Bramlage, SC, councilor. The four-year term of the elected governing body runs through June 30, 2011.

Membership Statistics

There are currently 424 members of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati serving in 34 U.S. dioceses (16 states) and two foreign countries. A total of 313 Sisters serve in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Ministries of the Sisters of Charity include education, health care, retreat work, parish, social work, ministry of prayer and congregational service.

Dioceses Baltimore Brownsville Cincinnati Cleveland Colorado Springs Columbus Covington Denver

Detroit Dubuque El Paso Fort Wayne Helena Indianapolis Kalamazoo Lansing Las Cruces

Lexington Louisville Miami Newark New Orleans New York Oakland Paterson Pueblo

Saginaw St. Petersburg San Francisco Santa Fe Toledo Venice Washington, D.C. Wilmington

Foreign Countries Guatemala Mexico

Associate Program

The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati are joined by 187 Associates, lay women and men, who reside throughout the United States, and one Associate in Community, who shares in the mission, spirit, ministry and lifestyle of the Congregation while in a local community of Sisters of Charity. The Associate program was established in 1973 so that individuals could partner with the Sisters in responding to the gospel in the spirit of St. Elizabeth Bayley Seton.

Nonprofit Ministries

Since the Community was founded, the Sisters of Charity have sponsored numerous schools, hospitals, orphanages and social service agencies. They continue to sponsor the following ministries, which are all in Cincinnati except Light of Hearts Villa, located in Bedford, Ohio.

Seton High School (1854) is a comprehensive, Catholic high school for girls. Originally founded as Mount St. Vincent Academy, it was renamed Seton High School in 1927.

St. Joseph Home (1873) is a residential facility for children and adults with severe mental and multiple physical disabilities. Founded as St. Joseph Infant Asylum, it also served for many years as St. Joseph Infant and Maternity Home.

The College of Mount St. Joseph (1920) is a coeducational, Catholic liberal arts college serving 2,300 students.

Light of Hearts Villa (1989) is an assisted living facility for senior adults. It was founded by the Vincentian Sisters of Charity of Bedford, Ohio, who merged with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in June 2004. The facility is a 50-50 partnership with the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System.

Seton Family Center (1989) is a counseling center servicing children and adults in a homelike setting so they can cope with the difficulties of everyday life.

DePaul Cristo Rey High School (2009) provides an opportunity for young women and men with economic need to obtain a Catholic, college preparatory education made affordable through an innovative corporate work study program.

Bayley Place (1989), a multi-level retirement community, includes special-care areas for memory-impaired residents. Eldermount, the day program offered through Bayley Place Outreach Services, serves elderly men and women who have some level of physical/mental impairment. The Village at Bayley Place consists of 78 senior living cottages. The three ministries comprise the Sisters of Charity Senior Care Corporation.

After a long history of sponsoring hospitals and a health-care system, the Sisters of Charity joined with 10 other congregations in 1996 to create and sponsor Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national health-care organization.