Mother Mary Frances Clarke, B.V.M., (March 2, 1803, Dublin, Ireland – December 4, 1887) was the foundress of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by their initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. BVM Sisters work in twenty-five U.S...

.

In 1833, Clarke and four other women traveled from Dublin to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

 to help teach the children of Irish immigrants living in the city. With the help of Father Terence Donaghoe, Clarke founded the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by their initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. BVM Sisters work in twenty-five U.S...

. They remained in Philadelphia for the next 10 years, and the order grew to 19 women.

Mother Clarke and the community moved to Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....

 in 1843 after being invited to move to the Diocese of Dubuque

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...

 by Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 Mathias Loras

Mathias Loras

Bishop Mathias Loras was an immigrant French priest to the United States who later became the first bishop of the Dubuque Diocese in what would become the state of Iowa.-Early Life & Ministry:...

. Shortly after arriving in Dubuque, Clarke and the SCBVM sisters saw a need for education, especially for young girls. They established a boarding school near Dubuque, which would eventually become known as Clarke College

Clarke College

Clarke University is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, with a general attendance of approximately 1,200 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...

.

See also

• Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by their initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. BVM Sisters work in twenty-five U.S...
  
  
• Clarke College
  Clarke College
  Clarke University is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, with a general attendance of approximately 1,200 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...