1849-1999
150 years of service
150th Anniversary Events for the Sisters of Charity
One hundred fifty years of service... in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and across Canada, in the United States, in Bermuda, in the Dominican Republic, in Peru. Ordinary women attracted to Vincent de Paul's love of the poor, to Elizabeth Seton's zeal for sharing God's love with her young students. Ordinary women teaching, healing, loving, risking, praying, supporting each other, serving the community. Truly an event to celebrate!
We welcome the chance to share and
celebrate this milestone with you.
For inquiries or suggestions on local
celebrations, please contact:
Communications Office, Sisters of Charity
- Halifax
150 Bedford Highway, Halifax, NS, B3M
3J5, Canada
Phone: (902) 457-3500, ext. 335
Fax: (902) 457-3506
communications@schalifax.ca
A Brief History
In May 1849 at the request of the Bishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia, four Sisters from the Sisters of Charity of New York came to Halifax to serve as teachers. They would be the first religious community in this maritime city. Shortly after their arrival the Sisters opened their first school, housed at St. Mary's Convent in the heart of the city. Halifax was still a growing city, and with no hospital yet established, the need for assistance spanned beyond education. The Sisters responded to this need. Within a short time they were also caring for orphans and for the sick.
Within a few years there were sufficient
vowed members and candidates to establish a new Congregation, separate
from the New York Sisters of Charity. The establishment of "Sisters of
Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Halifax" was formally approved by Pope
Pius IX in 1856.
Mother Basilia McCann, leader of the original
four Sisters who arrived here in 1849, became the first Superior of the
Halifax Congregation. Mother Basilia was a pupil of Elizabeth Seton, founder
of the first Sisters of Charity in 1809. Mother Basilia was a woman of
faith and courage. She served as Superior for three years, then returned
to the New York community. The second Superior to serve in Halifax was
Sister Mary Rose McAleer, also one of the original group to come to Halifax
in 1849.
Over the next 100 years the Congregation continued to grow and prosper,establishing ministries across Canada, throughout the eastern United States,
in Bermuda, Peru and the Dominican Republic.
In the 1960s, the Congregation's focus changed from mainly educationand healthcare to more diverse ministries based on the changing needs of the areas in which they served. Today there
are about 800 Sisters of Charity - Halifax who continue the journey of the
original four Sisters ministering to and with the people.
Ministries
The diverse ministries of the Sisters today grew from the traditional focus in areas of education, health care and social service. That diversity includes Sisters who minister in parishes as assistants, religious education coordinators, home visitors, and pastoral care workers. Teaching, from kindergarten to university, continues. Sisters minister as a medical doctor, as nurses, clinical specialists, and pastoral care volunteers in hospitals. Many Sisters also serve the poor and disadvantaged through social service, both in direct casework and in administration. Several Sisters are involved in administration of colleges, institutions, and projects for the disadvantaged.
Three to four hundred of the Congregation's members live in retirement centres in the United States and Canada. The works of those in active ministry are supported by these members whose primary ministry is that of prayer.
The Sisters of Charity - Halifax now serve
in Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta,
British Columbia, the Yukon), the United States (New York, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Kentucky, Maine), as well as Peru,
Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Ireland.
Today the Sisters of Charity - Halifax are engaged in the following ministries:
Congregational Service: 50.4%
Prayer/Community Service (38.0%)
Clerical/Financial (2.8%)
Formation (novitiate, etc.) (0.2%)
Community Support (5.2%)
Leadership (2.1%)
Other (includes Archives and Museum work,
plus various volunteer activities in support of the Congregation) (2.1%)
Education: 17.2%
Administration (2.9%)
Post Secondary Education (1.2%)
Adult Education (1.1%)
Primary Teacher (1.1%)
Clerical (0.6%)
Religious Education (2.1%)
Intermediate Teacher (2.2%)
Senior High Teacher (1.6%)
Junior High Teacher (0.5%)
Special Education (0.7%)
Other (includes teachers of music, computers
and other specialized subjects, tutors, librarians, school psychologists,
guidance counsellors, and school volunteers) (3.2%)
Pastoral Ministry: 15.5%
Chaplain (1.3%) Parish Visitor (1.1%)
Clerical (0.7%)
Pastoral Assistant (4.2%)
Diocesan Coordination (0.4%)
Youth (project coordinator) (0.1%)
Eucharistic Minister (1.8%)
Human Services (2.5%)
Lector (0.2%)
Other (includes CCCB and CRC-A work, various
hospital and parish work, both full-time & volunteer) (3.2%)
Healthcare: 5.5%
Administration (0.6%)
Practical
Nurse (0.2%)
Clerical (0.6%)
Registered Nurse (0.7%)
Doctor (0.1%)
Therapist (1.0%)
Food Preparation (0.1%)
Nurses' Aide (0.1%)
Other (includes those who work for congregational
retirement/healthcare) (2.1%)
Social Services: 5.1%
Administration (1.7%)
Counselling (0.4%)
Clerical (0.1%)
Registered/Certified Social Worker (1.6%)
Other (includes dePaul Centre, NGO rep.
to the UN, work with special needs children and adults, and various other
paid and volunteer works) (1.3%)
Spiritual Development: 2.7%
Includes those who direct, assist or work
with spiritual development or retreat programs and centres
Transition/Study: 1.9%
Includes those currently enrolled in study
programs, on sabbatical or in a change of ministry transition period
Business: 1.4%
Includes management, clerical, and financial
staff for a variety of external organizations
Our Founder, Elizabeth Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth
Seton (1774-1821) is the founder of the first Sisters of Charity in North
America (1809), from which several congregations grew (including the Sisters
of Charity - Halifax). Canonized on September 14, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton
is the first native-born canonized saint in the United States.
Sisters of Charity Federation in the Vincentian-Setonian Tradition
The Federation consists of
13 congregations of Sisters in North America who owe their founding to
or have a strong connection with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton or St. Vincent
de Paul.
Journeying with the Sisters of Charity
Vowed Members
After a period of gradual incorporation
into the way of life of a Sister
of Charity and a period of
temporary commitment, a candidate would be ready for a decision about life-long
commitment as a member of the Congregation, living life in community under
the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Associates of the Sisters
of Charity - Halifax
Women and men have found themselves responding to the personal relationship with God and care for the needy and poor that was so evident in the life of Elizabeth Seton. Over the last few years, these women and men have associated themselves with the Sisters and their ministries, and with the spirit that carries these works forward.
We currently have Associates in the states of New York and New Jersey, and in Western Canada. Associate programs are being developed in other areas as well.
For further information,
please contact:
Communications Office, Sisters
of Charity - Halifax
150 Bedford Highway, Halifax,
NS, B3M 3J5, Canada
Phone (902) 457-3500, ext.
335
Fax (902) 457-3506
Communications
Office - Sisters of Charity
