Theresa Maxis Duchemin facts for kids

Theresa Maxis Duchemin (born Almeide Maxis Duchemin, 1810-1892) was a very important Black Catholic missionary in the United States. She was the first African American person born in the U.S. to become a religious sister.

Theresa Maxis Duchemin helped start two important groups of religious sisters. One was the Oblate Sisters of Providence, which was the first group of Black nuns in the U.S. The other was the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). This was special because it was the first mostly White group founded by an African-American person. She was also one of the first Black leaders (called "mother superiors") in the country.

She opened many schools and homes for children who didn't have parents in Michigan and Pennsylvania. She was even added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. For a long time, the IHM sisters did not talk about her role. But in 1992, after 160 years, they finally started to recognize her again.

Early Life and Work

Theresa Maxis Duchemin was born in 1810 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were immigrants. Her father later left the family. Theresa was raised by her mother, who was from Haiti.

When she was 19, Theresa helped create the Oblate Sisters of Providence. This was the first Catholic religious group for women of African descent. Her mother also worked with the Oblate Sisters. Sadly, her mother died in 1831 during a serious illness outbreak in Baltimore.

After this, Theresa moved to Michigan. There, she worked with a person named Louis Florent Gillet. Together, they started the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They also opened schools in Michigan. Later, in 1858, they expanded their work into Pennsylvania.

Challenges and Later Life

Because of unfair treatment and racism, Theresa Maxis Duchemin faced many difficulties. She was forced to move several times. Eventually, she went to live with the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart in Canada. She spent much of her later life there. In 1885, she returned to Michigan. She passed away in 1892.

Her Story Was Hidden

For 160 years, the IHM sisters did not share much about Theresa Maxis Duchemin. Her story was largely hidden from their records. It seems that a book about her from 1893 was never published.

Some people at the time did not want to admit she was a founder because of her race. They worried it would cause problems or make people uncomfortable. They even tried to stop a book from being published that would have shared her story. Before the 1980s, new sisters in the IHM group didn't even learn about her.

In 1992, an IHM sister named Margaret Gannon published letters. These letters finally recognized Theresa Maxis Duchemin and her important role. This helped the IHM sisters and the Oblate sisters work together. The Oblate sisters had always known Theresa was one of their founders. Now, the IHM community also fully recognizes her important contributions.