Mary Odilia Berger
Encyclopedia
Mother Mary Odilia Berger (April 30, 1823 – October 17, 1880) founded the Sisters of St. Mary
which became the Franciscan Sisters of Mary
which established hospitals throughout the Midwest.
Her baptismal name was Anna Katherine Berger. She was born in Regen
, Bavaria
In 1858 she joined the Poor Franciscans of Pirmasens, founded by Father (Dr.) Paul Joseph Nardini
(scheduled to be beatified this year) and was sent to Paris
.
In 1866 she co-founded the Sister Servants of the Sacred Heart in Paris with Father Victor Braun
, but had to flee Paris when the city was besieged during the Franco-Prussian War
. She tried to start an order Elberfeld
in the Rhineland
but was forbidden the government during the Kulturkampf
when Catholic churches feared they would be abolished by the government. In 1872 she got permission to emigrate to St. Louis, Missouri
through the connections of a family she had nursed in Elberfield and who had moved to Missouri.
In St. Louis she founded the Sisters of St. Mary. In 1877 the order borrowed $16,000 to open St. Mary's Infirmary in St. Louis. In 1878 a third of the members of the order were sent to Canton, Mississippi
and Memphis, Tennessee
during a Yellow Fever
outbreak. Five sisters were to die.
Her order was formally recognized in 1880 shortly before she died. The order through SSM Health Care
operates 20 hospitals in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
She is buried Calvary Cemetery
in St. Louis.
Sisters of St. Mary
The Sisters of St. Mary was a former Roman Catholic religious congregation for women based in St. Louis, Missouri that founded hospitals throughout the Midwest...
which became the Franciscan Sisters of Mary
Franciscan Sisters of Mary
The Franciscan Sisters of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women based in St. Louis, Missouri that founded hospitals throughout the Midwest....
which established hospitals throughout the Midwest.
Her baptismal name was Anna Katherine Berger. She was born in Regen
Regen
Regen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district of Regen.-Division of the town:Originally the town consisted of 4 districts, Bürgerholz, Grubhügel, Riedham and St...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
In 1858 she joined the Poor Franciscans of Pirmasens, founded by Father (Dr.) Paul Joseph Nardini
Paul Joseph Nardini
Paul Joseph Nardini was a diocesean priest and the founder of the religious order the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family.- Biography :...
(scheduled to be beatified this year) and was sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
In 1866 she co-founded the Sister Servants of the Sacred Heart in Paris with Father Victor Braun
Victor Braun
Victor Conrad Braun was a Canadian baritone who had a major international performance career in concerts and operas that lasted more than 40 years...
, but had to flee Paris when the city was besieged during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. She tried to start an order Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
but was forbidden the government during the Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
when Catholic churches feared they would be abolished by the government. In 1872 she got permission to emigrate to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
through the connections of a family she had nursed in Elberfield and who had moved to Missouri.
In St. Louis she founded the Sisters of St. Mary. In 1877 the order borrowed $16,000 to open St. Mary's Infirmary in St. Louis. In 1878 a third of the members of the order were sent to Canton, Mississippi
Canton, Mississippi
Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 12,911 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson....
and Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
during a Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
outbreak. Five sisters were to die.
Her order was formally recognized in 1880 shortly before she died. The order through SSM Health Care
SSM Health Care
SSM Health Care is a Catholic, not-for-profit health care system with an international reputation as a pioneer in the use of quality measures to improve care. With 5,400 physicians and 22,000 employees in four states, SSM is one of the largest employers in every community it serves. It is located...
operates 20 hospitals in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
She is buried Calvary Cemetery
Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries
Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri are adjacent burial grounds, which have numerous historic and extravagant tombstones and mausoleums. They are the necropolis for a number of prominent local and state politicians, as well as soldiers of the...
in St. Louis.