Everyone loves a good story. In the pages that follow, you will be reading countless good stories of Sisters of Charity who responded to the needs of the people of Boston. These Sisters, called to give joyful witness to God's love, were ordinary people doing what they did for the love of God.

Our story -- the story of the Sisters of Charity of Halifax in Boston -- serving here for 137 years, began many years ago when the Bishop of Halifax invited four Sisters of Charity of New York, to come and minister in Nova Scotia. In 1849 a brand-new congregation -- the Sisters of Charity of Halifax of St. Vincent de Paul was born.

While our Motherhouse was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the community quickly grew and expanded across Canada and the United States, Peru, Bermuda, and the Dominican Republic.

But our community story reaches back into the 1600s, where we find Sts. Vincent De Paul and Louise de Marillac, saints who lived and labored among the sick poor in a France besieged by plague and poverty. It was there that they spent their energies and love on the sick poor, the destitute, the marginalized, and the children.

St. Vincent de Paul -- our patron was chosen by our foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, because of his extraordinary love of the poor and his charismatic style of community organizing and outreach. Vincent would see a gaping need and fill the void with practical solutions, which included mobilizing wealthy people to donate services and goods. This sacred work would be carried out -- by his instruction -- with the greatest care and in the gentlest manner.

His companion in the ministry to the poor was St. Louise de Marillac, known to us today as the patron saint of social workers. Vincent and Louise became the face of God to the people of France. They are our inspiration. We have lived by their words, borne out of a God-driven desire to alleviate suffering -- but in a particular manner, "It is only for your love, your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them." They saw the person first -- not the disease or the poverty -- they saw the person of Christ. Vincent would tell the young nuns: "Do what is before you."

So, our pioneer Mother Seton saw the needs, as did her saints before her. Where Vincent and Louise moved toward the suffering they saw, so did our Mother Seton. Our three saints were all wounded healers -- all having faced very real hardships in their own lives -- hardships that made them understand poverty and rejection and widowhood and even the loss of their own children. Our saints found great joy in their lives of service and so have we. As times change, needs change. We have been engaged in all kinds of ministries. We followed the needs and relied on God and one another to make the path by walking. It has indeed been an incredible, grace-filled journey -- as you will see. In these times, when we are most aware of how our carbon footprint impacts life on this planet, we also desire to leave a loving footprint on the hearts of those we have been called to accompany.