Sisters of Mercy
Regional Community of St. Louis
The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - St. Louis Regional Community’s rich history lies in the eight former motherhouses in seven states which comprise its original foundation:
- Little Rock, Arkansas founded from Naas, Ireland in 1851
- St. Louis, Missouri founded from New York, New York in 1856
- Vicksburg, Mississippi founded from Baltimore, Maryland in 1860
- New Orleans, Louisiana founded from St. Louis, Missouri in 1869
- Laredo, (South) Texas founded from New Orleans, Louisiana in 1875
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma founded from Lacon, Illinois in 1884 (Still an Indian Territory in 1884, and not yet a state.)
- Fort Scott, Kansas founded from Big Rapids, Michigan in 1886
- Stanton, (West) Texas founded from San Francisco, California in 1894
While each of these motherhouses
boasts its own unique heritage, many commonalities exist among these
eight distinct communities who together make up the geographically and
culturally diverse foundation of the St. Louis Regional Community. As
with most of the early foundations of the Sisters of Mercy in the United
States, all of the
St. Louis Regional Community’s eight foundations were formed either upon
the request of a priest with the approval of the local Bishop, or at the
direct request of the Bishop who sought the Sisters’ to come to their
frontier diocese and minister to the needs of the people.
The foundations’ early ministries focused on education and health care. Their schools served native Indian girls as well as white and African American girls. Separate classes were conducted for adults as well as boys when there was no school for boys. The communities in Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi, which were established before 1862, closed most of their schools during the Civil War in order to provide nursing are for the wounded Union and Confederate soldiers.
Unlike the other seven foundations,
the Sisters in Fort Scott, Kansas began their ministry by caring for the
sick
rather than the education of the children, which was in direct response
to the wishes of the people of Fort Scott.
In each of the foundations Sisters visited the sick in their homes. In the 1870s the communities of Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana provided nursing care for victims of the Yellow Fever epidemic. The St. Louis and New Orleans’ foundations also focused on prison ministry.
Seven of the eight motherhouses joined the Amalgamation of the Sisters of Mercy in 1929 and became a part of the St. Louis Province. However, due to numerous unforeseen delays, the Kansas group did not enter the union until 1937.
Prior to the Amalgamation, St. Louis formed independent foundations in Kentucky and New Orleans established foundations in Alabama, Florida and Belize. During the reorganization phase of the Amalgamation in 1929, the Kentucky foundations became a part of the Cincinnati Province, and the foundations in Alabama and Florida were apportioned to the Baltimore Province. Although Belize officially became a part of the Rhode Island Province at this time, the St. Louis Regional Community continues to maintain its close ties with Belize to this day.