People, Locations, Episodes

The Oblate Sisters of Providence is Formed

On this date, 1828, the Oblate Sisters of Providence were established. This was the first Black order of nuns in the United States.

On that date, four Black women met in a row house in Baltimore to voice simple vows. When the ceremony concluded, a new order of nuns emerged within the Catholic Church. This community, composed of free Black women living in a slave-holding state, came into being as a direct result of the San Domingo uprising in 1791. At its inception, it was founded to educate African American children in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Reverend Jacques Hector Nicholas Joubert de la Murielle co-founded this parish. The Revolution had forced Joubert’s noble French family to flee San Domingo. He escaped a massacre and came to Baltimore, entering St. Mary's Seminary. After his ordination, he was given charge of the Black Catholics at St. Mary's Chapel, but made no headway with his ideals. He was introduced to these four Black women, told them his needs, and they offered their services.

With the approval of the Archbishop of Baltimore, a novitiate was started, and the first four sisters, Miss Mary Elisabeth Lange of Santiago, Cuba, Miss Mary Rosine Boegues of San Domingo, Miss Mary Frances Balas of San Domingo, and Miss Mary Theresa Duchemin of Baltimore, made their vows. Gregory XVI approved the order on October 2nd, 1831, under the title of Oblate Sisters of Providence. In 1910, there were 130 sisters, nine novices, and seven postulants.

Currently, the sisters operate schools and orphanages in Baltimore, Washington, Leavenworth, St. Louis, and Normandy (Missouri), as well as four houses in Cuba: two in Havana, one in Santa Clara, and one in Cardenas. The motherhouse and novitiate remain in Baltimore, Maryland, and in 2004, they celebrated their 175th anniversary with a fundraiser that featured Camille Cosby as the keynote speaker.