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 are like a special family of sisters who help people. They started in 1890 in Baltimore, Maryland. At first, they taught religion to Black children. But soon, they began helping all poor people who needed support. They focus on teaching about faith and doing good social work.

History of the Mission Helpers

How the Mission Helpers Started

Around 1888, a woman named Anna Frances Hartwell moved to Baltimore. She was a Catholic and wanted to help people. She started teaching religion classes to Black children in the city. This was at the request of John R. Slattery, a leader of the Josephites.

Anna and four other women decided to form a special group. They called themselves the Mission Helpers, Daughters of the Holy Ghost. Their main goal was to teach religion to Black people. Their first home was on Biddle Street in Baltimore. People sometimes called them "the Tan Sisters" because of their tan clothes. In 1893, Anna Hartwell became known as Mother Joseph.

Another woman from Baltimore, Mary Frances Cunningham, saw that Black children in her neighborhood could not join religion classes at St. Martin's Church. So, she started teaching them herself! First, she taught on the church steps, then in the church basement. Mary joined the Mission Helpers in 1891 and took the name Sister Mary Demetrias.

One of the first big projects for the group was opening a school. This school taught girls skills for jobs, so they could help their families. They also started a laundry business that gave jobs to local women.

Expanding Their Mission

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

John R. Slattery, who focused only on Black people, was not happy about this change. So, the Mission Helpers talked to James Gibbons, who was the Archbishop of Baltimore. In 1896, he assigned a new spiritual leader, Father Peter Tarro, to guide them.

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

Growing Across the World

In 1902, the sisters went to Puerto Rico and opened another school for deaf children there. This was a big job because many people in Puerto Rico needed their help. They were also the first Catholic sisters to arrive in Guam in 1905. The government there liked having American sisters who could teach English and help with health programs. However, some of the work was not what their group was founded for, and the tropical weather was hard for some sisters. So, they returned to Baltimore in 1908.

On November 5, 1906, the Mission Helpers held their first big meeting. They created rules for their group and elected a leader. Sister Mary Demetrias was chosen as the first Mother General. This made their community officially organized.

In 1922, the sisters bought a large house in West Towson, Maryland. Later, in 1981, they sold some of the land to a senior living community and built a new main house next door.

In New York, the sisters ran a daycare center called St. Pascal Day Nursery. They also had a summer camp for kids called Mount Mongola. In 1962, they started a new house in Venezuela.

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

The Mission Helpers Today

The Mission Helpers are still based in West Towson, Maryland. They have a fun annual crab feast that 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, a group that helps women who are waiting to apply for asylum.

The sisters continue to work in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, senior communities, and college campuses. They help people in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. The sisters are very active in the Diocese of Orlando in Florida.