Mother Seton And The Sisters Of Charity

A biography of the first American saint, focusing on her deeds and contributions to American Catholicism.

Charity Alive: Sisters of Charity, Halifax, 1950-1980 is the sequel to Sister Maura Power's chronicle of the first one hundred years of the congregation's history (Ryerson, 1956). Based on congregational records and interviews with members of the order, the book traces, describes, and assesses the events which moved the Sisters from the traditional patterns of religious life over the first century into the 1980's. It shows the Sisters' response to the documents of Vatican II and the economic, cultural, and religious challenges during three decades of adaptation, renovation, and renewal. Charity Alive also presents the transformation effected within the congregation which liberated the Sisters and empowered them to reach beyond their traditional ministries of education, health and social services to embrace new forms of ministry such as serving the less visible needs of the economically poor on the fringes of society.

In August 1870, Mother Aloysia Lowe and five Sisters of Charity from Cincinnati arrived in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to found a new community of sisters for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Western Pennsylvania, with its throngs of newly immigrated Catholics and burgeoning industry, witnessed the growth of parishes and quality schools. Mother Aloysia purchased a 200-acre property in Greensburg in 1882 to accommodate the growing community. It became known as Seton Hill. The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, following in the footsteps of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Louise de Marillac, have dedicated their lives in service of others. From the establishment of groundbreaking educational institutions, including Seton Hill University, to the operation of advanced health-care facilities and vital social service programs, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill influenced the lives of thousands of Americans. The pioneering spirit of these Sisters of Charity, evidenced in their expansive mission work in Arizona, California, and Louisiana, culminated in 1960 with a mission to Korea. The Korean Province and the United States now unite the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill as an international congregation.

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