The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky

Bardstown, Kentucky

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...

 when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David

John Baptist Mary David

John Baptist Mary David P.S.S. was a French prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Bardstown from 1832 to 1833....

's call for assistance in ministering to the needs of the people of the area. Nineteen year old Catherine Spalding

Catherine Spalding

Catherine Spalding , in 1813, aged nineteen, when no education for girls, no private health care, and no organized social services existed on the Kentucky frontier, was elected leader of six women forming a new religious community, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth...

 was elected its first superior. The new community followed the rule of St. Vincent de Paul and their dwelling was named Nazareth. The symbol of the congregation is the pelican feeding its young from its own body. This feminine symbol of God signifies the dedication to which SCNs are called, and also their motto, "The Charity of Christ impels us." The Sisters' spiritual formation and service to their neighbors steadily expanded on the Kentucky frontier and beyond. They are now an international congregation, both in ministry and membership. They serve in 20 states in the U.S.A., in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Nepal

Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

, Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

, and Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

.

Since the beginning years of the congregation, SCNs have been involved in a variety of ministries, responding to the needs of the times. Their education ministry began in 1814 when the first school was opened. In 1832, when Catherine Spalding brought home two orphans left on the wharf in Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

, their social work ministry began. The following year, when cholera

Cholera

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...

 struck, SCNs nursed victims of the disease. So began their health care ministry. Pastoral ministry later emerged within the congregation as a distinct form of ministry after Vatican II as they followed the call of the Church to respond to the signs of the times.

They are committed to six priorities in ministry: promoting peace, promoting humanization of values, opposing racism, alleviating poverty, supporting women's issues and supporting environmental issues. Through their daily lives and ministries, in collaboration with their Associates and others, they are living out these priorities to meet the changing needs of today's world in their spirit of pioneering.