Institute of Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart facts for kids

The Institute of Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart is a group of Catholic women. They formed a religious community in 1890 in Baltimore, Maryland. At first, they taught religion to Black children. Later, they helped all poor people who needed support. Today, they focus on teaching religion and doing social work.

History of the Mission Helpers

How the Mission Helpers Started

Around 1888, Anna Frances Hartwell moved to Baltimore. She was a Catholic convert and a widow. Anna wanted to do social work and teach religion to Black people in the city. She and four other women started a religious group. They called themselves 'Mission Helpers, Daughters of the Holy Ghost'. Their goal was to provide religious education for Black people. Their first home was on Biddle Street in Baltimore. People sometimes called them "the Tan Sisters" because of their tan-colored habits (religious clothes). In 1893, Anna Hartwell became known as Mother Joseph.

Mary Frances Cunningham, who was from Baltimore, noticed something important. Black children in her neighborhood could not join religion classes at St. Martin's Church. So, she began teaching them herself. She started on the church steps and then moved to the basement. Mary joined the Mission Helpers in 1891. She took the name Sister Mary Demetrias.

One of the group's first big projects was to open an industrial school for girls. This school taught girls skills for jobs. This helped them earn money to support their families. They also started a professional laundry business. This gave jobs to local women.

In 1895, the group changed its name to 'Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart'. They decided to help all poor people, no matter their race. This meant they could do missionary work and teach religion to many more people.

The Archbishop of Baltimore, James Gibbons, supported this change. He assigned a new spiritual director, Father Peter Tarro, to guide the Mission Helpers.

The sisters also opened daycare centers. These centers cared for children whose mothers worked. In 1896, they began teaching religion to Italian immigrants. In 1897, they opened St. Francis Xavier's school for the deaf. This was the first Catholic school for the deaf in the Baltimore area.

Growing and Expanding Their Work

In 1902, the sisters started a new mission in Puerto Rico. They also opened a school for the deaf there. This was a big challenge because there was a great need for their help in Puerto Rico.

In 1905, they went to Guam. They were the first Catholic sisters to work in the Marianas and Micronesia. The government welcomed them because they could teach English. They also helped with public health efforts. However, some of the work was not what their community was founded to do. Also, some sisters found it hard to live in the tropical climate. So, they returned to Baltimore in 1908.

On November 5, 1906, the Mission Helpers held their first official meeting. They created a set of rules for their community. They also elected a leader and her assistants. Sister Mary Demetrias was chosen as the first mother general. This meeting officially organized their community.

In 1922, the sisters bought a large house called the Boyce mansion in West Towson, Maryland. In 1981, they sold some of the land to a senior living community. They then built a new motherhouse (main building) next door.

In New York, the sisters ran St. Pascal Day Nursery in Manhattan. They also had a summer camp called Mount Mongola in Ellenville. In 1962, they started a house in Venezuela.

Sister Rosalia Walsh created a special way to teach religion. She called it the "Adaptive Way." This method helps teachers explain religion in a way that fits a child's age. Many religious teachers in different areas use her program.

The Mission Helpers Today

The Mission Helpers are still based in West Towson, Maryland. They hold an annual crab feast at the Towson American Legion. This event has become a local tradition. They also host a yearly flea market at the Mission Helpers Center. The Center is also home to the Asylee Women's Enterprise. This group supports women who are waiting to apply for asylum.

The sisters continue their work in many places. They serve in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, and senior communities. They also work on college campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. The sisters are very active in the Diocese of Orlando.