The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth celebrated two major anniversaries during Evening Prayer at the Cathedral on Oct. 9.

In his homily, Bishop George Leo Thomas recognized their 150 years as a religious congregation, explaining the series of connections between the Flathead Indian delegations to St. Louis, Mo., Father Pierre DeSmet, SJ, and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.

The sisters trace their founding from Nov. 11, 1858, in Leavenworth, Kan. Eleven years later, they answered a call to ministry in Montana, and arrived in Helena on Oct. 10, 1869. In 2009, the sisters will have had a continuous presence in Montana for 140 years.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 10, October 17, 2008.