Founded in 1633, the Daughters of Charity differed from other religious congregations of their time because they were to encounter the poor, to see them in their homes. They were not cloistered but were mobile and available, living among those whom they served.
They were to have, in the words of Saint Vincent,
“for monastery only the houses of the sick,
for cell a hired room,
for chapel the parish church,
for cloister the streets of the city,
for enclosure obedience,
for grill the fear of God,
for veil holy modesty, and continual confidence in Divine Providence.”
To read more about the beginnings of the Daughters of Charity, click here.