Daughters of Charity

The roots of the Daughters of Charity extend back to 1633, when it was founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in France to serve those most in need and abandoned. They began caring for the sick poor in their own homes and were soon asked to take responsibility for administering hospitals. From the beginning, their works evolved in response to need and encompassed social services, care of orphans and refugees, education and work in parishes.

In 1809, in Emmitsburg, Md., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton founded a community to serve the church in America. This foundation, along with a number of its local missions, united with the then international Daughters of Charity in 1850. In response to requests by the local Church, they opened hospitals throughout the United States and in the 1940s, the Daughters of Charity began sharing services among their hospitals in an effort to bring greater efficiency to their healthcare ministry. In 1986, the Daughters of Charity National Health System was established and by 1999 it included nearly 80 hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and other healthcare facilities in 15 states.

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