IHM TIMELINE

|| 1696 - 1859 || 1860 - 1910 || 1911 - 1960 || 1961 - 2000 ||

1696 - 1859

September 27, 1696

St. Alphonsus Liguori is born. (St. Alphonsus was the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the community to which Louis Florent Gillet belonged. St. Alphonsus is considered a patron of the IHM Congregation.)

December 21, 1726

Alphonsus Liguori is ordained to the priesthood.

November 9, 1732

Founding of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

June 20, 1762

Alphonsus Liguori is consecrated a bishop.

August 1, 1787

St. Alphonsus Liguori dies.

April 8, 1810

IHM foundress, Theresa Maxis Duchemin, is born in Baltimore, Maryland.

January 12, 1813

Louis Florent Gillet is born and baptized in Antwerp, Belgium. Future founder of IHM. Father Gillet's mother is pictured here.

July 2, 1829

Sister Marie Therese Duchemin pronounces vows as an Oblate Sister of Providence in Baltimore. She was a founding member of this first congregation of African-American women religious.
See also: Mother Mary Lange

April, 8, 1833

Louis Florent Gillet enters the Redemptorist Congregation. He begins his training to become a Redemptorist priest.

March 10 - 11, 1838

Louis Florent Gillet is ordained to the priesthood and celebrates his first Mass. This is the beginning of his priestly ministry. The photograph is of the memorial card he gave his mother on the occasion of his first Mass.

May 26, 1839

St. Alphonsus Liguori is canonized a saint.

June 24, 1841

Mother Theresa Maxis is elected superior of the Oblate Sisters.

August 6, 1843

This is the beginning of Father Gillet's American ministry. Rev. Louis Florent Gillet begins to preach his first mission in America (Grosse Point, Michigan). Theresa Renauld (future IHM) attended this.

March 9, 1844

Rev. Louis Gillet initiates his ministry in Monroe, Michigan. Here he saw the need that was soon to lead to the establishment of the IHM Congregation.

September 19, 1845

Theresa Maxis arrives at Monroe. The Congregation is about to be founded.

November 10, 1845

Founding of the Congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Monroe, Michigan (as Sisters of Providence). Pictured here is the log cabin which was the sisters first home.

November 30, 1845

Mother Theresa Maxis and Sister Ann Shaaf receive the habit and profess their vows.This was the first profession of vows in the Congregation.

December 14, 1845

First IHM sisters renew their vows. Therese Renauld receives the habit and is named Sister M. Celestine. She becomes the first IHM novice.

September 13, 1847

Rev. Egidius Smulders replaces Father Gillet as superior of the Congregation at Monroe. He was a Redemptorist who continued Father Gillet's work with the community after Gillet left Monroe.

October 6, 1847

Father Gillet leaves Monroe. He serves his ties with the Congregation until many years later.

December 8, 1847

Title of Congregation is changed from Sisters of Providence to Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; scapular is changed from black to blue material. This name change would cause Father Gillet to later believe that the Congregation had not survived.

December 8, 1854

Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is proclaimed. The Congregation has been under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception from its beginning.

May 1, 1855

Redemptorists are withdrawn from Monroe. This action angered Bishop Lefevre. Mother Theresa's later attempt to reestablish connections with the Redemptorists in Pennsylvania would lead to many difficulties.

October 2, 1857

First recorded donation of IHM Congregation to Holy Childhood Association. IHMs have promoted the work of this organization ever since. It is a division of Catholic Charities which has one of the highest percentages of contributions to direct service to the poor.

February 2, 1858

Rev. Louis Gillet enters the Cistercian Order and takes the name  Marie Celestin.

August 23, 1858

First mission in Pennsylvania opens at St. Joseph's in Susquehanna County. From this beginning would spring two Pennsylvania IHM foundations.

April 1, 1859

Mother Theresa is deposed as superior general of the Congregation. This is the beginning of the difficulties that would lead to her exile with the Grey Nuns in Ottawa, Canada.

April 4, 1859

Mother Theresa leaves Monroe for St. Joseph's in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, after having been deposed as superior in Monroe.

July 24, 1859

First Reception and Profession Ceremony are held at St. Joseph Novitiate. Bishop John Neumann presides; seven new members are received. This is the beginning of what is to become the Scranton foundation.

August 3, 1859

Mission at St. Peter's in Reading, Pennsylvania is opened. This is the first mission in territory later to become Philadelphia diocese -- leading to the establishment of the Immaculata foundation.

September 2, 1859

Bishop John Neumann blesses the convent at St. Peter's in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Go Up

1860 - 1910

Emergence of 30 missions serving health care, child care, catechetical and educational needs in eastern and western United States.

January 5, 1860

Bishop John Neumann dies.

May 1, 1861

Charter is approved for St. Joseph Academy in Susquehanna County. First school staffed by IHMs in Pennsylvania. The parish was staffed by Redemptorists.

October 15, 1861

Mother Theresa Maxis is named superior of the community at Susquehanna Depot.

May 25, 1864

The Diocese of  Scranton is established. This eventually caused the foundation of the Scranton branch of the IHM Congregation.

St. Alphonsus Liguori is declared a Doctor of the Church.

Academy at West Chester (Philadelphia) Motherhouse is opened.

January 21, 1885

Mother Theresa Maxis returns to IHM Congregation in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Her exile ends and she is reunited with the IHM community.

February 9, 1885

Scranton IHM Congregation incorporates under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

July 22, 1889

Scranton IHM sisters elect Mother Mary Magdalen Jackson their first elected superior general.

August 30, 1890

Scranton IHM Congregation takes on administration of St. Joseph's Foundling Home (now St. Joseph Center) for neurologically impaired children. It also houses unwed mothers and arranges adoptions.

February 8, 1891

Father Gillet (Pere Marie Celestin) is reunited with the IHM Congregation. Connection reestablished through the efforts of Sr. Clotilde (Immaculata). He is able to provide facts about the Congregation's founding.

January 14, 1892

Mother Theresa Maxis dies at West Chester, Pennsylvania.

November 14, 1892

Father Gillet (Peter Marie Celestin) dies at the Royal Abbey of Notre Dame of Hautecombe, France.

August 29, 1907

Congregation of the Sisters of St. Casimir is founded with the assistance of the Scranton IHM Congregation.

November 6, 1908

Ground is broken for Villa Maria Academy. This later becomes Immaculata College in West Chester.

September 11, 1909

Congregation of the Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is founded with assistance of the Scranton IHM Congregation.

December 28, 1910

Charter is approved to St. Mary College in Monroe. In 1927 the college was moved to Detroit and named Marygrove. St. Mary College was the second IHM college to be established.

Go Up

1911 - 1960

In second 50-year period, 84 missions opened giving visibility and testimony to the Congregation's desire to distribute its ministries and personnel as widely as possible.

May 23, 1917

Marywood College in Scranton has its charter approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Marywood is the third college to be established by the IHM Congregations.

July 26, 1920

Monroe IHM Congregation receives Papal Decree of Final Approbation for their Constitutions. This establishes them as a papal community.

November 12, 1920

Immaculata College obtains its charter.

December 12, 1922

First Immaculata IHM Sisters arrive in Peru marking the beginning of IHM service outside of the United States.

July 6, 1926

St. Joseph Hospital (now Marian Community Hospital after merger with Carbondale General Hospital) in Carbondale, Pennsylvania opens its doors.

March 10, 1929

The remains of Father Gillet are received by the IHM Congregation at Monroe. This was made possible through the efforts of Sr. Rosalita (Monroe) who is picture here.

August 2, 1929

Father Gillet's tomb in Monroe in dedicated. This is Father Gillet's final resting place.

March 25, 1931

 Ground is broken for the present motherhouse and academy at Monroe.

June 19, 1942

November 11, 1945

Centenary celebration of IHM founding in Monroe, Michigan.

October 5, 1948

IHM Sisters begin to serve in the influenza epidemic in Scranton. The sisters respond to the needs of the community as volunteers. Service is given without regard to race, creed, etc.

April 26, 1950

St. Alphonsus Liguori is declared patron of moral theologians and of confessors and spiritual directors.

December 17, 1955

Constitutions of the Immaculata IHM Congregation receive the Decree of Praise. This made them a papal order.

April 9, 1956

The Marian Convent in Scranton is dedicated. This is the skilled nursing facility for the Scranton IHM Sisters.

November 21, 1960

Scranton Congregation receives Pontifical Approbation.

Go Up

1961 - 2000

Decline in the staffing of schools and growth in ministries related to pastoral care, health care, justice issues and options for serving the poor, while retaining the value of education in the performance of services.

October 28, 1961

First meeting of Tri-Community Board of Education is held at Our Lady of Grace Convent in Manhasset, New York. This board's purpose is to further the apostolic works of the three IHM Congregations.

May 30, 1962

The Novitiate Building (now the IHM Center) at Marywood is dedicated.

July 19, 1965

Scranton IHM Congregation opens its first Latin American mission in Lima, Peru. This was the beginning of foreign service for the Scranton IHM Congregation.

August 2, 1965

Mother Theresa's remains are transferred from St. Agnes Cemetery to Immaculata Cemetery.

August 26, 1965

First Tri-Community Conference is held in Scranton.

July 1970

Adaptation of norms for religious life to Vatican II Documents -- the "Church in the Modern World".

Febrary 22, 1971

Motherhouse of the Scranton IHM Congregation is destroyed by fire.

June 22, 1972

Susquehanna River overflows causing greatest flood in the history of our nation. Scranton IHM Congregation provides assistance to ravaged flood victims in Pennsylvania including several missions.

August 1, 1976

IHM sisters from the three branches meet at Bishop Neumann Shrine in Philadelphia on the occasion of the Eucharistic Congress.

August 22, 1982

Opening of Avila Center for spiritual and pastoral ministries in Kelowna, B.C.

1982

Call to extend decrees of General Chapter beyond membership issues to "Justice in the World."

1983

IHM Scranton Congregation initiates lay associate and volunteer program for prayer and active ministries in missions.

January 22, 1983

Present Constitutions of Scranton IHM Congregation are approved by the Sacred Congregation. This is the modern post-Vatican II approval of the revised constitutions.

March 25, 1987

Opening of formation program in Peru.

November 20, 1990

Celebration of Scranton IHM Congregation 25 years of service in Peru.

August 4, 1991

Dedication of IHM property and grounds as Peace Site.

January 14, 1992

Tri-IHM Proclamation of Holy Year of Jubilee marking the centenary of the deaths of Mother Theresa Maxis, IHM and Father Louis Florent Gillet, CSsR.

July 1, 1992

Consolidation of St. Joseph's and Carbondale General Hospital to Marian Community Hospital. New entity retains the sponsorship of IHM Congregation.

October 1995 - 2000

Tri-IHM Haiti Outreach, twinning project, is a commitment of friendship, hospitality and financial support for the Little Sisters of St. Therese in Riviere Froid, Haiti.

November 10, 1995

IHM Sesquicentennial - three IHM Congregations celebrate 150th anniversary of their  foundation.

March, 1996

NCEA honors three IHM Congregations for the "remarkable legacy of their Catholic educational missions."

September 7, 1997

Marywood College, Scranton, celebrates inauguration to University status.

1998

Creation of  Maxis Health System in Carbondale.

January 1, 2000

Welcoming the millennium, IHM sisters pray together on jubilee themes of proclamation, repentance and forgiveness, waiting upon the Holy, thanksgiving, freedom and justice.