It was to care for orphans that the Sisters first arrived in Mobile, Alabama. Nearly 184 years later, it is time for the Daughters to say farewell. At the request of then Bishop Michael Portier, in December of 1841, the first Daughters of Charity (known until 1850 as Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s) were missioned to Mobile from Emmitsburg, Maryland. In January 1842, the Sisters assumed responsibility for the Catholic Female Orphan’s Asylum (St. Mary’s Home). The first Sisters to arrive were Sisters M. Martina Butcher, Charitina Gourdain, Camilla O’Keefe, and Aquila Stakem. Soon, additional Sisters were requested to serve at the City Hospital (1852) and St. Vincent’s School (1866).

The Sisters served the Archdiocese from before the onset of the Civil War, through epidemics, through hurricanes and fires, and through the beginning of two new centuries.

An unknown Sister’s history written in 1853 gives one a look into those early years. It includes, “In 1853, a terrible epidemic of yellow fever was rampant in Mobile. The Medical School of Alabama, recognizing the services of the Sisters during the epidemic, asked them to take charge of the hospital [City Hospital in Mobile], and so, with Sister Gabriella [Larkins] in charge, the Sisters moved to the Hospital, where they stayed until 1880…not to return until 1895…The Sisters upon taking over the hospital this second time found it in an unspeakably filthy and [un]inhabitable condition, which required all their Faith to carry on…1897 was another year of Yellow Fever in Mobile and again the Sisters were called upon to nurse the patients with this disease, and some of them to sacrifice their lives, victims of it.”

Over the years, nearly 900 Sisters were missioned to the Archdiocese of Mobile. They served in a variety of ministries including:

Cathedral Place, Mobile

City Hospital (Mobile General Hospital), Mobile

St. Mary’s Home, Mobile

Spring Hill College, Mobile

Catholic Social Services, Mobile

The Service Center, Mobile

St. Vincent’s School, Mobile

Alabama Maternity and Infant Home, Mobile

Providence Hospital, Mobile

Allen Memorial Home, Mobile

Auburn University, Auburn

St. Michael’s Parish, Auburn

Villa Maria, Birmingham

St. Barnabas School, Birmingham

Home Health Agency of North Alabama, Birmingham

St. Vincent’s Hospital, Birmingham

St. Thomas on the Hill, Birmingham (East Lake)

Hispanic Ministry, Guntersville

Holy Family Parish, Lanett

St. Margaret Services, Montgomery

St. Margaret Hospital, Montgomery

Seton Haven, Montgomery

St. Bede’s Parish, Montgomery

St. Bede’s School, Montgomery

St. Jude Educational Institute, Montgomery

St. Mary’s of the Mission Church, Opelika

St. James Major School, Prichard

Good Samaritan Hospital, Selma

St. Vincent’s Parish, Tallassee

St. Vincent’s School, Whistler

During the years from 1841 to 1960, the worldwide community of Daughters of Charity grew to nearly 40,000 members, then constricted to its current 11,472 global members. In 2011, four of the five Daughters of Charity’s US Provinces unified to form the single Province of St. Louise which includes the Archdiocese of Mobile. Since that unification, the Province has continually evaluated its missions and ministries to align the physical presence and active service of the Daughters in the Province. Several factors are considered in these evaluations–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 Archdiocese of Mobile is a location from which the Daughters will withdraw and entrust their works to others.

Sunday, February 9, 2025, the Daughters of Charity who live and serve in Mobile will be honored at a Farewell Mass. The Mass will be celebrated by Thomas John Rodi, Archbishop of Mobile, at 10:30 AM at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mobile Cathedral)