The Sisters of the Holy Spirit have found the path of life and the fullness of joy by caring for the people of Western Pennsylvania since 1913, when they were officially recognized as a religious community in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The community has its origins from a foundation made by Mother Josephine Finatowicz, a convert from Russian Orthodoxy, who began her religious life in Rome. In 1905, at the same time that she began a foundation in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Mother Josephine sent two Sisters to begin the work of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in the United States.

The Sisters began their ministry in the domestic department of a seminary in Michigan. As new vocations came to join them, they sought to establish a Motherhouse with full recognition from the Church. Seventeen Sisters came to Donora in Western Pennsylvania in 1911; two years later Bishop John Francis Regis Canevin of Pittsburgh recognized them as an independent congregation, independent from the foundations in Europe.

Almost from the beginning of the American foundation, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit have shared the spirit of caring in healthcare institutions. The Sisters were among the first religious women in Western Pennsylvania to provide care for the elderly, first at Bishop Boyle Home on the grounds of the Motherhouse in Ross Township. On January 20, 1947 the Holy Ghost Guest Home in Allison Park was opened. Marian Manor Nursing Home located in Greentree, a suburb of Pittsburgh, was dedicated in 1956. Beginning in the early 1950’s the people of Martinsburg, West Virginia saw King’s Daughters Hospital and School of Nursing rebuilt, staffed and directed by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit.

The Sisters nursed in West Virginia for over 30 years, leaving behind a legacy of care and concern that is still recognized by the people of Martinsburg. For over 50 years they have continued to carry out their work at Marian Manor, expanding the facility several times to meet the needs of their residents.

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit see their ministry to the local Church of the Diocese of Pittsburgh as a response to the Spirit’s prompting to share love and joy with the people of God, celebrating always the memories of the past, meeting the challenges of the present, and waiting in hope for the surprises of the future.

For additional information on the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, please visit their homepage by clicking here.