WHO WE ARE

Since 1633, the Daughters of Charity have taken a unique leadership role throughout the world.

The Daughters of Charity actively bringing the mission of Jesus Christ to life by serving the sick, and our brothers and sisters who are poor.

Since 1969, when the Province of the West was formed, we have carried on that revered tradition in our ministries.

Our Heritage Story embraces all of our Sisters who have gone before us in faith, service and—most of all—charity.

In 1852, and again in 1856, each one of our predecessors answered a calling that brought them to the western edge of our continent, settling in northern and southern California to provide a voice for the voiceless. Their challenges were plentiful, but divine grace sustained them as they endured hardships and prospered in the name of those whom they served. Many of the hospitals, schools and communities they created still exist and continue to thrive today. We, the Daughters of Charity, Province of the West, live our mission each and every day in communion with the timeless legacy of our founders, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Our Mission

In 1633 Vincent de Paul, a humble French priest, and Louise de Marillac, a widow, established the Company of the Daughters of Charity as a group of women dedicated to serving the “poorest of the poor.” Prayer and community life were essential elements of their vocation of service.

Almost two centuries later, Elizabeth Seton, the American foundress of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, adapted the rule of the French Daughters of Charity for her Emmitsburg, Maryland community. In 1850, the Emmitsburg community united with the international community based in Paris.

Today, the Daughters of Charity are an international community of over 19,000 Catholic women ministering all over the world. The Daughters of Charity still serve the “poorest of the poor.” Their ministry touches those in need through education, health care, social and pastoral services.

Given to God

The life of a Daughter of Charity is animated first of all by the LOVE OF CHRIST founded on an interior experience of Him, nourished by personal, sacrament and communal prayer.

In Community

Fraternal life is one of the basic supports of the vocation of the Daughters of Charity. This fraternal life is lived in a local community, where the Sisters collaborate in faith and joy, bear witness to Jesus Christ, and continually strengthen one another for the good of the mission.

For the Service of the Poor

The Daughters of Charity commit themselves to live intensely in the charism of their founders St. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, by constantly re-evaluating and re-defining their response to the needs of the poor. Today, Daughters of Charity reach out to victims of hunger, homelessness, and war, substance abuse, the sick, broken families, refugees, at-risk youth, and persons living with HIV/AIDS. Tomorrow, who knows? Wherever the need arises, Daughters will respond to love and serve.

ROOTS

17th Century Paris Roots

Vincent de Paul spoke about the way of life for the Daughters of Charity as such:

“…having for a convent the houses of the sick…for a cell, a hired room; for a chapel their parish church; for a cloister the streets of the city; for enclosure, obedience, with an obligation to go nowhere but to the houses of the sick, or places that are necessary to serve them; for a grille, the fear of God; for veil, holy modesty; making use of no other form of profession to assure their vocation than the continual confidence they have in divine providence and the offering they make to God of all that they are and of their service in the person of the poor.”

Louise de Marillac told her daughters:

“…above all, be very gentle and courteous toward your poor. You know that they are our masters and that we must love them tenderly and respect them deeply. It is not enough for these maxims to be in our minds; we must bear witness to them by our gentle and charitable care.”

“As for your conduct toward the sick, may you never take the attitude of merely getting the task done. You must show them affection; serving them from the heart; inquiring of them what they might need; speaking to them gently and compassionately…”

November 29, 1633

A silent revolution began in Paris, France

Several young women, in the home of Louise de Marillac and in the presence of Vincent de Paul, expressed their commitment to live in community and to serve Christ in the person of the poor.

Up to that point in history, religious communities of women had been restricted to cloistered convents, due primarily to their pronounced perpetual vows.

Vincent and Louise had a radically new concept of how these young women should live their religious commitment.

These peasant women — called “Daughters of Charity” by the poor they served — were lay women who would eventually profess annual rather than perpetual vows.

Given the restrictions of the time, becoming nuns would have prevented their freedom to go about the city and villages serving those most abandoned by society. Vincent and Louise began a revolution of women’s religious life.

Seeing Christ in the faces of the poor, Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac began a legacy of charity that was permeated with endless love, compassion, respect and devotion. The very motto of the Company of Daughters of Charity is: “The charity of Jesus crucified compels us.”

The rule was brought over to the United States and adapted by Elizabeth Ann Seton and her Sisters.

The revolution begun by Vincent and Louise in 1633 made its way to America in 1809.

The Daugthers of Charity arrived in California August 18,1852.

The Story of Seven Sisters

Our story as Daughters of Charity in California begins when seven Sisters journeyed from Emmitsburg, Maryland, to San Francisco, California, in 1852.  The Sisters traveled by stage coach from Maryland to New York, and from there by steamer to Panama, crossing the Isthmus by rail, boat and muleback. Two Sisters contracted cholera and died on the Isthmus.

The five surviving Sisters journeyed on to arrive in San Francisco on August 18, 1852 where they founded an orphanage and school. Both establishments have continued through the years with others who carry on the mission of the first Sisters. Today, the original orphanage continues as Mount St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth and the original school as Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory.

Our first Sisters were members of the first community of religious women founded on American soil. They were either born here in America or had emigrated from Ireland and were in their 30s or 40s when they journeyed to California.

These Sisters left a journal and memories of their journey from Emmitsburg to San Francisco, as well as a history and memoirs of their early years. In addition, Sister Frances McEnnis, the leader of this “band of sisters,” corresponded with her superiors in Emmitsburg on a regular basis over the 20-year period and many of her letters have survived.

As time passed, the next generation of Sisters came and carried on the mission of the pioneer Sisters. In 1906, the Sisters lived through the earth quake and fire, suffered losses and then became part of the relief and recovery effort to rebuild the City. Four Sisters corresponded with Emmitsburg during this tragedy and many of their letters have also survived.

From the journal, memoirs, early history and letters, we have come to know our first Sisters and their story as pioneers in the early days of San Francisco. Likewise, we have come to know our next generation of Sisters and their story, a continuation of the story that began with the five pioneer Sisters. This is a wonderfully rich story filled with adventure, struggles and service. It is the story of our early Sisters in San Francisco, California.

In 1856, six more Daughters of Charity traveled to California from Emmitsburg and arrived in “City of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels” to begin a school and orphanage. In 1858, as President Abraham Lincoln was denouncing slavery, the Daughters of Charity were caring for the sick poor of Los Angeles. In 1856, a new wave of Daughters came to California and settled in Santa Barbara. By the 1890’s, the Daughters opened hospitals, schools and orphanages in Santa Cruz, San Jose and Hollister.