During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the nation’s social upheaval, coupled with the renewal of the Second Vatican Council, motivated sister communities as peace and social justice became more central to their mission. (Photo courtesy of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family.)

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America is a traveling exhibition depicting the innovative, action-oriented and altruistic women whose passion for justice helped shape our nation’s social and cultural landscape. Since first arriving in America nearly 300 years ago, sisters built schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, and many other enduring social institutions. As nurses, teachers, and social workers, sisters entered professional ranks decades earlier than most other women and established landmark institutions that continue to serve millions of Americans from all walks of life. The untold story of these unsung heroes is now recounted, documenting a vital and significant perspective of American history.

Our very own Sister Michaela O’Connor will be attending the grand opening on May 15 in Cincinatti.

• May 16, 2009 – August 30, 2009
  Grand Opening at The Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• September 2009 – December 2009
  The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future (Dallas, Texas)
• January 2010 – April 2010
  S. Dillon Ripley Center at the Smithsonian (Washington, DC)
• February 2011 – April 2011
  Mississippi River Museum (Dubuque, Iowa)

EXHIBIT FACTS:

• Sponsored by Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in Association with Cincinnati Museum Center.
• Original concept design by Bob Weis Design Island and developed and produced by Seruto & Company.
• Opening May 16, 2009 at Cincinnati Museum Center and touring through 2012.
• Other confirmed venues:  The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in 2010 and The Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa in 2011. Additional venues TBD through 2012.
• The 3000 square foot exhibit is modular and can expand to 6000 square feet.
• Features 70 artifacts from over 400 sister communities including a letter from Thomas Jefferson assuring religious freedom following the Louisiana Purchase, a custom fluting machine for the habits, a Three-Key Box known as a Common Safe used by the sisters to manage their finances, and a medical bag used by the sisters as they nursed both sides during the Civil War.
• Media components include an introductory video projection experience, oral history listening stations, interactives, and films, which showcase historical footage.
• Supporting educational materials for grades 1 through 12 available atwww.womenandspirit.org.

HISTORICAL FACTS:

• The St. Joseph infant incubator was developed by Sr. Pulcheria Wuellner
• The first medical license given to a woman in New Mexico was Sr. Mary de Sales Leheney.
• In 2005, approximately one in six hospital patients in the U.S. were treated in a Catholic facility.
• During the Civil War, the Sisters of the Holy Cross staffed the first U.S. Navy hospital ship, the USS Red Rover.
• More than 600 sisters from twenty-one different religious communities nursed both Union and Confederate soldiers alike during the Civil War.
• In the founding days of Alcoholics Anonymous, Sister Ignatia Gavin of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine successfully advocated that alcoholism should be treated as a medical condition.
• Catholic sisters established the nation’s largest private school system, educating millions of young Americans.
• More than 110 U.S. colleges and universities were founded by Catholic sisters.
• Since 1980, at least nine American sisters have been martyred while working for social justice and human rights overseas.
• Since 1995, numerous congregations have participated as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations, focusing on global issues such as climate change, human trafficking, and poverty