Oblate Sisters of Providence facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | OSP |
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| Formation | 2 July 1829 |
| Founder | Mother Mary Lange |
| Founded at | Baltimore |
| Type | Catholic religious order |
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Superior General
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Sister Rita Michelle Proctor, OSP |
| Affiliations | Catholic Church |
The Oblate Sisters of Providence (OSP) are a group of Catholic women who dedicate their lives to God and helping others. They were started by Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange and Father James Nicholas Joubert in 1829. This happened in Baltimore, Maryland. Their main goal was to educate girls of African descent. They were the first lasting community of Black Catholic sisters in the United States.
The Oblate Sisters were free women of color. They worked to give Baltimore's African-American community education. They also helped train teachers from within their own group. This religious group is part of the Women of Providence in Collaboration.
Contents
History of the Oblate Sisters
How the Oblate Sisters Began
James Nicholas Joubert was born in France. He worked in Saint-Domingue, which is now Haiti. During a time of violence, he had to leave his home. He came to the United States as a refugee. When he arrived in Baltimore, he joined St. Mary's Seminary. He wanted to become a Sulpician priest.
After becoming a priest, Father Joubert was put in charge of the Black French-speaking Catholics. Most of these people were also from Saint-Domingue. He found that the children were having trouble learning to read and understand their catechism. So, he decided to start a school for them. His friends, Fathers Babade and Tessier, encouraged him.
He met two women of color who ran a small private school. They hoped to dedicate their lives to God. Joubert told them about his plan for a school for girls of African descent. They offered to help him with his project. Joubert then suggested they form a religious group while running the school. The school, St. Frances Academy, opened in 1828.
James Whitfield, who was the Archbishop of Baltimore, approved their plan. A novitiate, which is a training period, began. Three of the first four sisters spoke French and were from Saint-Domingue. A little over a year later, on July 2, 1829, the first four sisters made their promises.
These sisters were Mary Elizabeth Lange from Santiago, Cuba. She was born in Saint-Domingue. The others were Mary Rosine Boegues and Magdelaine Frances Balas, both from Saint-Domingue. The fourth was Theresa Maxis Duchemin from Baltimore.
Mary Lange was chosen to lead the group. Father Joubert became their director. Pope Gregory XVI officially approved the group on October 2, 1831. They were named the Oblate Sisters of Providence. The sisters opened more Catholic schools for African-American girls in the city. They also taught adult women in evening classes. They even opened a home for widows. The school started teaching in English, not just French.
During the cholera epidemic of 1832, the sisters cared for people who were very sick. They also provided a home for children who had lost their parents. They sheltered elderly people too. The sisters earned money by doing laundry, ironing, and mending clothes. This helped them care for the children in their home. The group welcomed women regardless of whether they had been enslaved before. Eight of the forty women who joined the order between 1828 and 1860 had been enslaved.
Growth and Expansion
In 1871, the sisters moved from their main house on Richmond Street. The city needed that property. They found a new place on a hill outside the city. A new main house was built on Chase Street. The sisters continued to run an orphanage there. They also had a day and boarding school inside the convent.
In 1900, the Oblates started their first mission outside the country. This was in Havana, Cuba. The OSPs set up seven missions in Cuba. However, they left in 1961. The government at that time made it impossible for them to continue their work.
In 1903, they opened a convent and school on Old Providence Island. This island is in the western Caribbean. The conditions were very difficult there. So, the mission closed after only fifteen months.
By 1910, the sisters ran schools and orphanages in several places. These included Baltimore, Washington state, Leavenworth, Kansas, and St. Louis and Normandy, Missouri. Over time, the group started schools in eighteen states. Some missions lasted only a few years. Others continued and changed as the community's needs changed.
The Modern Era
By the 1950s, more than 300 Oblate Sisters of Providence were teaching. They were also caring for African-American children. The Oblates had missions in the Dominican Republic. They also opened missions in Costa Rica in 1964. They are still working there today.
The main house stayed on Chase Street in Baltimore until 1961. A new main house was built at 701 Gun Road in southwest Baltimore County. It is called Our Lady of Mount Providence. This is still their main house today. Several missions were located on the property of the main house. One was Mt. Providence Junior College, which operated from 1963 to 1966.
In 1972, the sisters started a Child Development Center. They also opened a Reading and Math Center on the main house property. The sisters still run St. Frances Academy on Chase Street in Baltimore.
Donations from Bill and Camille Cosby
In 2005, Camille Cosby made a donation to St. Frances Academy. She is the wife of Bill Cosby. She had attended a school in Washington run by the Oblates. Her donation created a fund to pay for the tuition of 16 students each year.
The Cosbys made another donation in 2012. This helped St. Frances Academy build a community center in East Baltimore. The community center was first named after both Camille and her husband. However, his name was later removed.
What the Oblate Sisters Believe In
The Oblate Sisters of Providence are inspired by Mother Mary Lange. They trust completely in God's care. This helps them bring joy and healing to people. They help those who suffer from poverty, racism, and unfairness. They do this even when they face difficulties and pain themselves.
In the early 21st century, the group has about eighty members. The Oblate Sisters continue their work in Baltimore, Maryland. They also serve in Miami, Florida; Buffalo, New York; and Alajuela and Siquirres, Costa Rica.
The Motherhouse: Main Home of the Sisters
The motherhouse is the main home for the Oblate Sisters. It holds their offices and a health care unit. It also has a novitiate, which is a place for new sisters to train. There is also a novitiate in Costa Rica. The Mother Lange Guild is also there. This group supports the process for Mother Lange to become a saint. The Oblate Sisters of Providence Archives and Special Collections Library is also located here.
Offices for other related groups are also at the Motherhouse. These include the National Oblate Sisters of Providence Alumni Association. The Cojourners of the Oblate Sisters of Providence also have offices there.
See also
