Jacksonville, Florida

Final Five Daughters of Charity to Leave St. Vincent's Ministry Following Nearly a Century of the Daughters' Service The Daughters of Charity (D.C.) came to Jacksonville, Fla. nearly a century ago because of a call to care for those in need. Now, almost 98 years later, they have been called to serve the Mission in other ways in other cities. In 1916, five Daughters of Charity were sent to Jacksonville from Maryland at the request of Bishop Michael J. Curley by the Daughters of Charity Emmitsburg Province to administer and care for patients at the former DeSoto Sanitorium on 5th and Boulevard Streets. The Daughters of Charity, Sister Rose Hopkins, Sister Louise Landry, Sister Andrea Willamor, Sister Dorothy Hartlove, and Sister Catherine Newman, did just that. They renamed the hospital St. Vincent's and have been caring for patients in Jacksonville ever since. In 2011, four of the five Daughters of Charity's US Provinces unified to form the single Province of St. Louise. Since that time, the Province has been engaged in a study of its missions and ministries which are spread throughout a large portion of the country. The purpose of the study has been to guide the future alignment of the physical presence and active service of the Daughters of Charity in the Province. Several factors were considered in the analysis including the number of Daughters available to staff ministries; the ability to sustain sufficiently-sized communities of Daughters in local missions; and the confidence in the readiness of lay leadership to carry on works initiated by the Daughters. The results of this assessment have been used in a process of discernment concerning the future presence of active Daughters' communities; the City of Jacksonville is a location from which the Daughters plan to withdraw and entrust their works to others. By fall of 2014, the final five Daughters of Charity who live at St. Vincent's Riverside and serve all of St. Vincent's HealthCare, will travel to new missions. Their "missionings" will enable them to continue to serve those living in poverty in areas that have great need and few resources. The Daughters are confident they can entrust their Jacksonville area ministries of the Church to others. In many instances, the Daughters themselves have formed the succeeding laity in the Vincentian charism. This is especially true at St. Vincent's HealthCare where programs for lay leaders and employees that focus on formation in the Mission have been underway for many years. Sisters Clare Marie Angermaier, D.C., Joan Drega, D.C., Rose Marie Henschke, D.C., Patricia Nee, D.C., and Cora Anne Signaigo, D.C., recognize their departure will be bittersweet. Their call is to serve those living in poverty as they are missioned, yet they will miss the devoted and caring community in which they have served. Although the Daughters who live at St. Vincent's will be leaving, the presence of the Daughters of Charity will still be felt within the Jacksonville ministry. Sister Elyse Staab, D.C., and Sister Nancy Murphy, D.C., serve as members of the Board of Directors at St. Vincent HealthCare. Sister Elyse and Sister Nancy will continue their oversight role to ensure compassionate care of the sick and poor that began so long ago. Founded in Paris, France in 1633 by St. Louise de Marillac and St. Vincent de Paul and tracing their roots to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the United States in 1809, the Daughters of Charity were among the first communities of Sisters who were not cloistered. Their community was unlike any other. St. Vincent instructed them to have "as a monastery, the houses of the sick; as a cell, a hired room; as a chapel, the parish church; as a cloister, the streets of the city; as enclosure, obedience; as grille, the fear of God; and as a veil, holy modesty." This was radical in the 1600s. Things are no different today. The Sisters, through their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and their additional vow of service to the poor, continue to follow these rules and go where they are most needed.

• published: 19 Mar 2014
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