Origin and History

In 1881, the congregation was invited to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and crossed the Atlantic to establish a health care ministry in Baltimore, Maryland. By 1909, convents were established in Washington, D.C. and in Detroit, Michigan. The Sisters of Bon Secours provided the world’s first recorded formal home health care service as well as the first day care facility in Baltimore in 1907 to help working mothers whose only alternative was to place their children in orphanages. St. Edmond’s Home for Crippled Children, established in 1916, was the first Catholic home for the physically challenged.

The Sisters of Bon Secours established their first hospital in Baltimore in 1919. By 1980, the Sisters had established and/or managed several Catholic hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care services.

The Bon Secours Health System was formed in 1983 to provide 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 those who are poor, sick and dying.

Ministry Today

Over the past 27 years, the Sisters have extended their mission and currently serve along with other religious and non-sectarian organizations in communities in six states: New York, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida. The Sisters serve the needs of these communities through a variety of ministries, including:

• Health Care: hospitals, clinics, elderly care, assisted living, home care and hospice,
• Social needs: Affordable Housing, education and training for disadvantaged populations, primary care outreach, and
• Faith-based nursing: community advocates; national spokespersons for social justice and equity.

To learn more about the history of the Sisters of Bon Secours click here: Archives, a repository for material relevant to the Sisters of Bon Secours in the United States, dating from 1881 to the present. We also now have A Century of Caring 1881 – 1981 available from our Archives Office.

Associates

The Associates of the Sisters of Bon Secours were formed in 1980 to broaden the scope of the laity’s participation within the community of Bon Secours and the Church. Associates and sisters gather in local community at least monthly for prayer, faith sharing and mutual support as well as mission directed outreach. There are associates in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida.