Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Historic Firsts
1809
St. Elizabeth Bayley Seton founded the American Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Md.
1829
Four Sisters arrive from Emmitsburg to open St. Peter’s Girl’s Orphan Asylum and School – first religious congregation to become established in Cincinnati and in Ohio
1842
Sisters assume charge of St. Aloyius Boy’s Orphan Asylum; withdrew 1846
1852
Seven Sisters made the decision to establish the independent congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati under Mother Margaret George.
1852
Founded St. John’s, later Good Samaritan, Hospital, the first Catholic Hospital in Cincinnati
1854
Established Mount St. Vincent Motherhouse and Academy
1857
Founded St. Mary’s Academy in Dayton, Ohio – first mission outside Cincinnati
1858-59
Trained novices in preparation for beginning of Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in Newark, New Jersey
1861-65
Sisters served as Civil War nurses.
1865
Founded St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory – first hospital in Cincinnati
1870
Founded St. Joseph Academy in Trinidad, Colorado
1870
Assisted in the establishment of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
1873
Founded St. Joseph Infant and Maternity Home in Cincinnati
1873
Founded first Catholic co-educational high school at St. James in Bay City, Michigan
1884
Mount St. Joseph established as Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
1897
Founded Santa Maria Italian Educational and Institutional Home for immigrants, the first Catholic settlement house, under the direction of Sisters Blandina and Justina Segale.
1915
Began staffing the residential St. Rita School for the Deaf
1920
Founded College of Mount St. Joseph on-the-Ohio
1926
Became a Congregation of Pontifical Rite
1928
Sisters opened first foreign mission in Wuchang, China, where they remained until Communist takeover in 1948.
1930
Welcomed members of the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel, a religious society for deaf and hard-of-hearing women, when it was forced to dissolve.
1940s-50s Post World War II baby and building boom led to new parish schools, hospitals and a move into retreat and day care programs. 1941
Sister Eugene Marie Carpe worked with doctors in doing the first exchange transfusion in a “blue baby” in Cincinnati
1945
Opened El Pomar Retreat House in Colorado Springs, the first Catholic retreat house west of the Mississippi
1951
Sisters sent to staff Villa Nazareth Orphanage in Rome, a home for gifted poor Italian boys
1960s
Second Vatican Council caused period of renewal - changes in ministries, names, clothing, lifestyles.
1961
Sent Sisters to open missions in Huancane and Lima, Peru
1961
Sisters today work in education, health care, pastoral and social services in 23 U.S. states and in Guatemala.
1975
Started Associates in Mission program
1979
Sisters of Charity Health Care Systems (SCHCS) established under the leadership of Sister Grace Marie Hiltz
1985
Founded Eldermount adult day program, one of the first in Ohio
1996
SCHCS was a founding member of Cathilic Health Initiatives (CHI)
2004
Members of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity joined with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati to become one congregation