The Vincentian Sisters of Charity, with their Motherhouse in Pittsburgh, trace their roots to Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac, through the Sisters of Charity of Chartres, France founded in 1694. Through several foundations in France, the Community following the original rule of St. Vincent, spread to Austria in 1811, to the Imperial capital of Vienna in 1831, and then to Szatmar in Rumania in 1842. Sixty years later, in 1902, the Szatmar Sisters were invited to Braddock, PA and under the leadership of Mother Emerentiana Handlovits, one of the Pioneer Sisters, an independent Congregation began.

Independence from the Szatmar Motherhouse was achieved only in 1938, but by that time the Vincentian Sisters of Charity already had a well-established place in the healthcare field. The Motherhouse in Braddock, PA had been moved to Perrysville, North of Pittsburgh in 1914; in 1924, the Sisters established the Vincentian Home, and thus began their ministry of caring for the infirm and the elderly.

For many years, nursing care for the aged and infirm was a primary focus of the Congregation’s Healthcare Ministry in Western Pennsylvania. The ministry began in a small way in 1924 when the Community took on the care of the sick poor in the Vincentian Home for Incurables, its first health care institution, in which the Sisters cared for the indigent without any diocesan or state aid. This ministry expanded as the Sisters established the Villa de Marillac in 1943 and Regency Hall in 1966. Although hospital work was undertaken in other missionary areas served by the Vincentian Sisters, it was not until 1947, that they began to serve at the Belvedere General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

Today the Vincentian Sisters of Charity continue to minister in the spirit of Vincent DePaul and Louise De Marillac, with a special concern for the poor and the marginalized. Vincentian Collaborative System, an umbrella organization for our Vincentian sponsored ministries, was established to provide compassionate care for the aging in the Vincentian Sisters’ nursing homes: namely, Vincentian Home, Vincentian DeMarillac, and Vincentian Regency and Vincentian Rehab. Marian Manor has recently joined Vincentian Collaborative System. The System manages Mt. Macrina Nursing Home in Uniontown, PA and provides Rehab services for the Little Sisters of the Poor in Pittsburgh. The goal of the Sisters’ ministry through Vincentian Collaborative System is to provide a continuum of care that is compassionate, comprehensive, affordable, dignified, and spiritual, meeting the specific needs of each resident. This vital ministry is moving toward a “person centered care” model. In keeping with their charism of charity and mission of service the Vincentian Sisters of Charity have never limited their care to any particular religious affiliation or to those of any particular ethnic heritage. Following their motto, “The Charity of Christ Urges Us” the Congregation continues to be of service to those who come to them.

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