Mission in Salem

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On October 30, 1866, Sisters Elizabeth Christin, Mary-Ann Brennan, Elizabeth Bannon and Mary-Ann Mullin arrived from Montreal to found a new mission in Salem, Massachusetts, where a large community of French-Canadian immigrants from Quebec lived.

This new mission was made possible by the donation of a lot of land and a house acquired by Mr. Thomas Looby. It housed orphaned children of both sexes as well as destitute old people.

Originally located on Bridge Street, the mission was called Looby’s Asylum until 1871. It then moved to a larger building on Lafayette Street and was incorporated as the City Orphan Asylum.

This institution did not escape the fire that ravaged much of the city of Salem on June 25, 1914.

 

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