VISION spotlight
COURTESY OF THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OF WOMEN RELIGIOUS
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FEATURING
artifacts,
photographs,
videos, and
firsthand
accounts,
“Women &
Spirit: Catho-
lic Sisters
in America”
chronicled
how Catholic
sisters
helped to
create the
fabric of
America.
Women of Spirit
Since the arrival of a small group of sisters in New Orleans almost 300
years ago, Catholic women religious have educated, cared for, and served
millions of Americans. A recent traveling exhibit tells their story.
BY JOEL
SCHORN
HoUGH MAny Catholics may
be familiar with sisters from
their parish and school experi-
ences, the history of these women has
remained somewhat hidden. Traveling
the country between 2009 and 2012,
the “Women & spirit: Catholic sisters
in America” exhibit has
shed some light on the
T
remarkable history of these women and
their communities.
Sisters then and now
Joel Schorn is managing editor
of VISION.
After first arriving in America nearly 300
years ago, Catholic sisters established
schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, and many other institutions that
addressed critical social needs. As
nurses, teachers, and social workers,
they entered professional ranks decades
earlier than most other women. Their
work provided blueprints for the nation’s
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VISION 2013
