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The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Sacramento in 1857 to minister to the sick, the poor and the uneducated. A journalist during that period noted, “Those devoted Sisters of Mercy willingly presented themselves and entered on a mission of charity from which all others shrink in dismay... Their fearless, self-sacrificing love is an honor to their church and to their order.”
Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America reveals the mystery behind a small group of innovative American women, including the Sisters of Mercy, who helped shape the nation’s social and cultural landscape. Visitors of the national exhibit will discover the Sisters’ quiet courage during many dramatic moments in U.S. history, including the Civil War, the Gold Rush, the San Francisco earthquake, the influenza epidemic, the Civil Rights Movement, and Hurricane Katrina.
The Sisters of Mercy have a long history in the Sacramento region. More than 150 years ago, the Sisters traveled halfway around the world from Ireland to the frontiers of California to minister to the sick, poor and uneducated. Until 1900, they were the only order of Catholic women to minister to Sacramento. They were the city’s first visiting nurses, while also serving as educators and compassionate caregivers.
Today, the Sisters of Mercy continue their tireless and selfless work in the Sacramento region and beyond. Whether educating children at migrant farms, advocating for hospital patients, or helping immigrants learn English in a supportive environment, each Sister has dedicated a lifetime of service to those in need. Said Sister Marilyn Lacey, director of Mercy Beyond Borders, “Blessings abound in this work.”
WOMEN & SPIRIT EXHIBIT
January 24 through June 3, 2012
The California Museum
1020 O Street, Sacramento
(916) 653-7524
www.CaliforniaMuseum.org
For more information about the exhibit, visit www.WomenandSpirit.org.
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Mother Mary Baptist Russell: A compassionate pioneer
The Sisters of Mercy arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush to find bigotry, corruption, exploitation and disease in the burgeoning city. Yet Mother Mary Baptist Russell did not let the turbulent environment deter her mission to minister to the sick and the poor.
In 1854, she established the first Catholic hospital in San Francisco to provide compassionate care to the city’s indigent population, guiding many people through cholera and smallpox outbreaks when other health-care workers refused to care for them. She opened a House of Mercy for exploited domestic servants and prostitutes, and created schools to empower women and children.
In 1857, Mother Mary Baptist responded to the growing needs of the underserved in Sacramento by establishing a convent and school there. The Sisters of Mercy were the region’s first visiting nurses, using boats to reach those in need after the flood of 1861. By 1863, Mother Mary Baptist traveled to Grass Valley to educate and care for orphans in the Gold Rush town.
Mother Mary Baptist’s tenacity and purpose were admired by many. At her funeral in 1898, Father R.E. Kenna, S.J. said, “Gentle as a little child, she was brave and resolute as a Crusader. Prudence itself, yet she was fearless in doing good to the needy, and in advancing the interests of religion. All who met her were forced to admire; and those who knew her best loved her most.”
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