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Saint
Marguerite d'Youville
1701 - 1771
Foundress of the Grey Nuns
In her own words...
Grey Nuns in the U.S.
“We will collaborate with one another and with other
groups and individuals to increase the influence of God’s love within
our world.” From the Statement of Mission of the Grey Nuns of the
Sacred Heart
The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart…
are one of six autonomous congregations of Grey Nuns who trace their spiritual
roots to the faith and charism of St. Marguerite d’Youville. The Grey
Nuns of the Sacred Heart (GNSH) were founded in 1921 by 156 Grey Nuns from Ottawa.
These sisters came to D’Youville College in Buffalo and, with Church approval,
formed a new, independent English-speaking congregation based in the United
States.
In 1922, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, invited this new congregation to establish its Motherhouse in Philadelphia at Elkins Park. In 1965, a new and larger Motherhouse was opened in Yardley, PA, north of Philadelphia. The Yardley Motherhouse is the home and central headquarters of the congregation.
For many years, Grey Nuns devoted themselves to serving in traditional ways in hospitals and in private, parochial and diocesan elementary and secondary schools, as well as in an orphanage and a nursing home. They also dedicated themselves to higher education for women at D’Youville College, named for their foundress. They carried out the mission of Marguerite in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York City, Lowell, Massachusetts, Kodiak, Alaska and Ogdensburg, New York.
After 1965, in fulfillment of Marguerite’s prayer to multiply their works of charity, the sisters began devoting themselves to a wider variety of needs among people of diverse economic and racial backgrounds. In both urban and rural settings, Grey Nuns responded to cries for help with dedicated action.
Today, Grey Nuns continue Marguerite d’Youville’s devotion to the Sacred Heart as well as her love and compassion for the poor and needy. Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart help and heal, work to improve social and economic conditions and promote values of compassion, peace, justice and reverence for life.
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