Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Encyclopedia
The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (I.H.M.) are a Catholic teach
Teach
Teaching is the imparting of knowledge by a teacher or other knowledgeable person.Teach may also refer to:* A teacher * Téach , an Irish language term referring to a home or residence* Blackbeard , a notorious pirate...

ing order for women. It is divided among three separate congregations. The original community of the order is headquartered in Monroe, Michigan
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...

. The Mother house currently houses more than 400 sisters, more than 100 of which require supportive care. The sisters originally began as teachers, but their ministries have become more diverse, including; Education in grade schools, high schools, colleges and universities,Pastoral care in hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care settings,Parish ministry and outreach into poor communities,Social services for poor and homeless families,working with those with AIDS, individuals in need,they provide spiritual direction and retreats,Advocacy efforts to help people get the resources needed to fully participate in society,Programs and services for older adults in a variety of settings, and the sisters work to improve the environment.

History


The beginnings of the order came about in 1845 shortly after Father Louis Florent Gillet, C.Ss.R.
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...

, arrived in Monroe, Michigan to become the pastor of St. Mary Parish. On November 10, Gillet and Theresa Maxis, a member of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, established the order in Monroe.

Father Gillet found that Monroe had no school for the daughters of the descendants of French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

s, most of whom were Catholic. Father Gillet petitioned the local bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

, Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere, or Lefebre, born as Pierre-Paul Lefevere , was a 19th century Belgian born bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States...

, Bishop of Detroit, for a religious order to assume teaching duties. The bishop declined, so Father Gillet invited three women to form a new religious congregation, which would become known as the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The co-foundress and first religious superior of the Monroe community was Mother Marie Theresa Duchemin. Her companion, Mother Theresa Maxis, had been one of the foundresses of the Oblate Sisters of Providence
Oblate Sisters of Providence
The Oblate Sisters of Providence is a Roman Catholic women religious order, founded by Mother Mary Lange, OSP]], and Rev. James Nicholas Joubert, SS in 1829 in Baltimore, Maryland for the education of girls of color. It has the distinction of being the first Roman Catholic religious order began for...

, the first religious congregation established in the country for women of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n descent. On January 15, 1846, the first St. Mary Academy opened with 40 students.

In 1858, a mission was established to serve the German-speaking Catholic children of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 at the request of the Bishop of Philadelphia, the now-saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

ed John Neumann
John Neumann
Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, C.Ss.R., was a Redemptorist missionary to the United States who became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American bishop to be canonized...

. As a result of this mission, a dispute broke out between the bishops of Detroit and Philadelphia regarding their jurisdiction over the Sisters. Mother Theresa was faulted by Bishop Lefevre for this and was removed from her office of Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...

. She was then sent to the mission in Pennsylvania. Shortly after this, the Sisters in that state separated from the community in Michigan and were established as an independent congregation under the Bishop of Philadelphia.

This congregation later further split into two more, one based in Scranton (founded in 1871), and the other in Immaculata, Pennsylvania.

In 1920, St. Mary Academy and College had outgrown its facilities and the order made plans to construct a new college facility. The Sisters initially planned to build the new campus in Monroe, but Bishop Michael Gallagher invited them to build in nearby Detroit. In Detroit the college would have a larger field of influence and offer a Catholic higher education to thousands of young women who might otherwise not have such an opportunity. The Sisters built their new college in Detroit and named it Marygrove College
Marygrove College
Marygrove College is an independent, Catholic, liberal arts college located in Detroit, Michigan. The college is sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.-History:...

.

On June 3, 1929, St. Mary Academy in Monroe was destroyed by fire. This caused extreme difficulties for the IHM order, as they were burdened with heavy debts from the building of Marygrove College and the cost of rebuilding the motherhouse and academy in Monroe was prohibitive. Additionally, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 of 1929 began soon afterward, which only added to their financial woes. Nevertheless the order finished the reconstruction and moved into their new facilities in 1932. The congregation went on to establish Marian and Immaculata High Schools in the Detroit area, Hall of the Divine Child
Hall of the Divine Child
The Hall of the Divine Child was a kindergarten through eighth grade boarding school in Monroe, Michigan. It was built in 1918, and closed in 1980, with the building being turned into the "Norman Towers"....

 (a K-8 military school for boys, closed in 1980) in Monroe, and Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Westchester, Illinois
Westchester, Illinois
Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D...

.

In 1948, the Michigan congregation began its first missionary work outside the continental United States when the Sisters opened a mission in Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...

.

In 2008, the Sisters opened Detroit Cristo Rey High School
Detroit Cristo Rey High School
Detroit Cristo Rey High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Detroit, Michigan. The school opened in August, 2008 with an initial freshman class of about 100 students, and operates within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit...

 and co-sponsor it with the Congregation of St. Basil
Congregation of St. Basil
The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood, who focus on education and ministering through oratories....

.

External links

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