From our founding days in 1633, the Daughters of Charity were unlike the established religious communities at the time. Saint Louise de Marillac and Saint Vincent de Paul, our founders, wanted the Daughters to be free to walk the streets of Paris in response to the needs of persons who are poor. The needs were great — abandoned babies, the homeless and sick living in the streets, hungry beggars everywhere — all of which pointed up a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Up to this point, all religious women were cloistered: Enclosed within monastery walls, they performed primarily a ministry of contemplative prayer. Vincent, in his shrewd wisdom, laid the foundation for the Daughters to maintain the necessary mobility and to live and work in the midst of those who were most abandoned.
Today, we are urged by the charity of Christ to reach out to persons most in need. We, the Emmitsburg Province, serve in Maryland, West Virginia, District of Columbia, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. We continue our legacy of commitment to the most poor, through a variety of health, education, social service and parish ministries.
We continue to give witness to St. Vincent's prophetic words:
"We should assist the poor in every way and do it both by ourselves and by enlisting the help of others. To do this is to preach the gospel by works and by word."
~ St. Vincent: December, 1658
With your prayer, support, and financial assistance, the Daughters of Charity are able to respond to the needs of persons who are poor.
We are grateful for your support!
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us.
