History

Josephine Potel traveled from Bécordel to Paris. Distressed by the horrible conditions, she was determined to offer help. She joined with 11 other women of faith to provide care to the sick and dying in their homes, helping patients to realize God’s love for them.

On January 24, 1824, this group of 12 women professed their vows in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin in the Church of Saint-Sulpice. Hyacinthe Louis de Quélen, Archbishop of Paris, presided and named them the Sisters of Bon Secours of Paris. They quickly gained recognition for caring for the sick and the dying in their homes.

Upon official recognition by the Church, the sisters moved from a small apartment on Rue de Cassette to a house on Rue Notre Dame de Champs where they still live. Under Mother Potel’s guidance, the group expanded their reach to other cities in France and continued to care for patients and families in their homes – a radical act during a time when Catholic nuns were expected to stay in their convents.

On May 6, 1826, Mother Potel passed away. She was buried in the cemetery at Montparnasse on May 9, and Sr. Marie Angélique Geay was named Superior General of the Sisters of Bon Secours of Paris. She remained in that position until 1860.

The Sisters of Bon Secours of Paris were invited to Dublin by Ms. Catherine O’Ferrall, who learned of their ministry while visiting friends in Paris. Five sisters arrived in Dublin in early May and began to serve the community’s sick and dying. The sisters’ unconventional approach to healing was just as surprising to the people of Dublin as it was to those in France. Just the same, it was well received.

An Englishman and his sister, who had been nursed by a religious woman from Cork, offered to contribute to the foundation of a community of nursing sisters in London. This was strongly supported by Cardinal Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, London, and his nephew Fr. Anderton. An invitation was sent to Bon Secours in Paris, and Mother Beatrix and her companions arrived in London later that year.

Mr. and Mrs. Whedbe, an American couple, met the Sisters of Bon Secours while on their honeymoon in Paris. Mrs. Whedbe fell seriously ill on the trip, and the sisters nursed her back to health. Upon their safe and healthy return to Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. and Mrs. Whedbe requested that Archbishop James Gibbons invite the sisters to the United States.

Three Sisters of Bon Secours arrived at Ellis Island and traveled to Baltimore, where they began nursing in the homes of those in need without regard to race, economics and religion. The sisters would often stay in the homes of the sick until they had recovered, even if that meant staying overnight. This was revolutionary at the time, and many more sisters came to join them in the United States.

The Sisters of Bon Secours founded the world’s first recorded formal home health care service, as well as the first children’s day care facility in Baltimore, Maryland. Access to day care helped working mothers whose only alternative was to place their children in orphanages.

Convents were established in the United States in Baltimore, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan.

The sisters established their first hospital in Cork, Ireland. Later other hospitals were opened in Tralee, Glasnevin and Galway. A long-term care facility was opened in Cork.

St. Edmond’s Home for Crippled Children was established in Darby, Pennsylvania, as the first Catholic home for children with physical challenges.

The Sisters of Bon Secours established their first United States hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Sisters of Bon Secours established their second United States hospital in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Archbishop Campbell invited the sisters to Glasgow, Scotland. Four sisters from Ireland founded a small house for the care of the elderly. Not long afterwards, four neighboring houses were purchased to provide sufficient space to build a hospital.

Property was purchased in Marriottsville, Maryland, to build a cross-shaped Provincial House, sisters’ infirmary known as Marian Hall, and Novitiate to nurture an increase in vocation inquiries and support the growing needs of the Congregation of Bon Secours in the United States. The new home provided combined facilities for the religious community and accommodations for lay guests.

In response to Pope Paul VI’s call to establish missions in Latin America, the Sisters of Bon Secours from Ireland set out on a new mission in Latin America. They traveled to Peru to bring a message of hope to the poor in the Province of Trujillo, dedicating themselves to caring for mothers and children and providing health care, social work, religious instruction, and support to the poorest of the poor, especially the sick and dying.

The Sisters of Bon Secours began to explore new ways to use their extra space in the Marriottsville novitiate and Provincial House. The result was the formal beginning of the apostolic use of the Marriottsville property as a spiritual center. The outreach services became known as the Marriottsville Spiritual Center and offered religious and on-going educational programs including retreats, conferences, spiritual renewal workshops, health-related programs, space as a meeting facility, and other similar projects.

The Marriottsville Spiritual Center changed its name to Bon Secours Spiritual Center.

The sisters in the United States were operating several Catholic hospitals and long-term care facilities, and in 1983, the Bon Secours Health System was formed. It provided skilled, unified management and professional resources for all Bon Secours health care operations while preserving Jesus’ healing mission and Bon Secours’ tradition of providing quality care to all, especially the poor, sick, and dying.

The Sisters of Bon Secours expanded their mission to several other areas in Peru including Salitral in Piura, Los Ranchos, La Esperanza in Trujillo, Siloe, and Wichanzao. The sisters received an invitation from Bishop Pedro Barreto Jimeno to also minister in the Fe y Alegria School in Huancayo.

The Sisters of Bon Secours began ministering in South Africa to care for people infected by and affected by the AIDS epidemic there. The mission closed in 2016.

The Bon Secours Spiritual Center became the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center.

The Bon Secours Health System merged with Mercy Health to become Bon Secours Mercy Health.

On January 24, 2021, a sister from France and a sister from Peru arrived in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, fulfilling the 2019 Chapter’s call to found a community there. On March 1, they officially opened their community in Kinshasa and continue to be a house of welcome for women exploring religious life.

In 2024, the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours celebrated its 200th Anniversary with an International Mass in Paris on January 24 and activities in all of our Bon Secours communities are planned throughout the year.