The Sisters of Charity in Cincinnati
In 1829, four Sisters of Charity traveled to Cincinnati from Emmitsburg. The sisters opened St. Peter’s Girl’s Orphan Asylum and School. The Sisters of Charity were the first religious congregation to become established in Ohio. In 1852, an independent congregation, the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, was established under the direction of Sister Mary George and the encouragement of Archbishop Purcell. The sisters volunteered as nurses when the Civil War broke out. The Sisters of Charity were instrumental in the establishment of parish schools beginning in the 1870s. In the 1880s, a location in Delhi overlooking the Ohio River was chosen as the site for the Mother House.
In 1853, the Sisters of Charity responded to the demand of educating young women, and they opened Mount Saint Vincent Academy (also known as Cedar Grove). In 1927, Cedar Grove reopened its doors as Seton High School, named after Elizabeth Ann Seton. Today, the school retains its close connection to the Sisters of Charity and Elizabeth Ann Seton. The crest of the school contains waves to represent the Motherhouse on the Ohio River as well as symbols derived from the Seton family Coat of Arms. Students at the school also emulate the work of Elizabeth Ann Seton through service activities and service trips to Guatemala, Honduras, and Evansville, Indiana.
More recently, in 2011, the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati founded DePaul Christo Rey High School. The school is open to both young men and women. The school prides itself on its excellence in academics and religious instruction. However, the school is very much unlike any other Cincinnati Catholic school. DePaul Christo Rey’s doors are opened to hundreds of students for whom a Catholic education seemed at one time unattainable. The school continues the mission of Elizabeth Ann Seton as well as St. Vincent DePaul by providing underprivileged students with the necessary skills to graduate, attend college, and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
In addition to sponsoring local high schools, the Sisters sponsor the College of Mount Saint Joseph, the Seton Family Center, and Bayley Place as well.
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