AMERICA PAGE

1855 Grey Nuns first called to the United States to serve orphans and the sick: beginning of St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio
1868 Grey Nuns called to Lawrence to open orphanage and nursing home, Massachusetts; beginning of Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services
1888 St. Helena’s Home opens, Boston, MA, founded as a working girls/women residence originally called “Grey Nuns’ Working Girls’ Home.
1891 Grey Nuns called to serve orphans; beginning of St. Ann’s Orphanage, Worcester, MA.
1892 Grey Nuns serve at City Orphan Asylum, Salem, MA.
1894 Grey Nuns called to Cambridge, Massachusetts; beginning of Youville Hospital (then Holy Ghost Hospital).
1899 Grey Nuns teach at St. Joseph’s School, Salem, MA, until 1914.
1901 Grey Nuns open St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Nashua, NH.
1907 Grey Nuns called to serve at diocesan St. Peter’s Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ.
1908 Grey Nuns assume sponsorship of St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, New Hampshire.
1953 Grey Nuns open Maryvale Rest Home and “Lexington Academy of the Holy Family,” Lexington, MA.
1964 Grey Nuns establish a hospital and high school in Kabba, Nigeria, West Africa, which still operate today.
1969 Grey Nuns open their first Thrift Shop in Lawrence, MA.
1973 Grey Nuns open another Thrift Shop in Nashua, NH, which still operates today.
1975 Grey Nuns establish “House of Prayer” in the former Maryvale Rest Home, Lexington, MA.
1981 A Grey Nun co-founded Lazarus House, a shelter for families in Lawrence, MA.
1983 A decision was made to establish the Grey Nuns Health System to later become Covenant Health Systems to assure the viability of the existing Grey Nuns corporations within the system as well as welcome additional corporations to affiliate with the system.
1983 A Grey Nun founded Youville House, a shelter for families, in Worcester, MA.
1985 A Grey Nun founded House of Hope, a shelter for families in Lowell, MA.
1986 Name changed from the Grey Nuns Health System to Covenant Health Systems. This new name “represents our willingness to relate to a broad spectrum of heath care organizations, while re-emphasizing our commitment to the poor and needy.”
1987 Fanny Allen Hospital, sponsored by the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, becomes Covenant’s first affiliate organization.
1990 Marguerite d’Youville, Foundress of the Grey Nuns, is canonized by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Representatives from Covenant member organizations join the Grey Nuns from around the world for the ceremony of extraordinary solemnity.

Covenant produces “A Woman of Her Time, A Woman of Our Time,” on the life of St. Marguerite.

1991 A Grey Nun founded the Adult Day Health Center, Lexington, MA.

The Church sets aside October l6 as the official liturgical feast day of St. Marguerite d’Youville.

First St. Marguerite d’Youville Humanitarian Award awarded to Sr. Jose Hobday, OFM.

1992 The Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe transfer sponsorship of the entities comprising the Sisters of Charity Health System in Lewiston Maine to the Sisters of Charity of Montreal and Covenant Health Systems.
1993 Sponsorship Discernment Process looking at options for future of the Grey Nuns healthcare ministries advancing.
1994 Sponsorship Transfer Plan – proposes the healthcare institutions of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, “Grey Nuns” in the United States be transferred to Covenant Health Systems and that Covenant Health Systems be constituted a Public Juridic Person of Pontifical Right in order to assume sponsorship.

Marguerite’s Place, a ministry begun by the five Grey Nun branches in the United States opens in Nashua, New Hampshire.

1995 Two Grey Nuns begin a parish ministry in rural Groveton, NH.

Grey Nuns open a Thrift Shop in Somerville, MA.

Letter of Intent to transfer sponsorship to Covenant endorsed by CHS Board.

Talks begin with Mercy Health System regarding the transfer of St. Vincent Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio, to Mercy Health System.

Permission obtained from the General Administration to convert the Provincial House in Lexington, MA into an assisted living residence.

Petition sent to Rome to constitute Covenant Health Systems a Public Juridic Person of Pontifical Right and to transfer the healthcare facilities of the Grey Nuns to CHS.

August 18.Sr. June Ketterer, Provincial Superior, announces that she has received favorable response from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome to affect the transfer of the Grey Nuns healthcare ministries in the United States to Covenant Health Systems. The Grey Nuns will begin to work towards full implementation of the transfer which is expected to take a year.

“Passing the Torch,” a year-long leadership development program for all management to assume new responsibilities as Juridic Person begins.

Youville Place Assisted Living Residence, Lexington, MA, to be owned and operated by the Grey Nuns Charities, Inc. and managed by Covenant.

1996 Grey Nuns open a mission in Argentina.

October 24: Transfer of sponsorship of the Grey Nuns healthcare ministries to Covenant Health Systems with the Grey Nuns Congregation retaining some reserved powers.

1997 The conversion of the original Provincial House in Lexington, MA, to Youville Place Assisted Living Residence is completed, opening in May with 91 apartments filled with Grey Nuns and lay persons. The facility is managed by Covenant Health Systems.
2004 A Grey Nun founded “Neighbors Who Care,” a friendly volunteer visitation program in Waltham, MA for homebound elderly and chronically ill adults.
2007 Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICL SAL) in Rome approve the transfer of all reserved powers held by our congregation.
2008 A new governance structure of the St. Joseph Region is approved and implemented. The St. Joseph Region is officially changed to “St. Joseph Area” and a new Leadership Team model becomes effective as of February 15 consisting of three equal positions sharing authority and mutual accountability: Area Coordinator, Finance Coordinator and Health Care Coordinator.

Youville Place Assisted Living Residence is sold/transferred to Covenant Health Systems, Inc., February 7, to ensure that it would retain its Catholic identity and Youvillian Mission into the future.

2011 The 2008 governance structure of St. Joseph Area is evaluated and changed to having a single person in the top leadership position of Area Coordinator and a Local Leader for the largest group of Sisters, namely the Youville Place Community, Lexington, MA.

The Sisters continue to live and have ministries in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.