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
09,
1732
Founding of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
|
June
20,
1762
Alphonsus Liguori is consecrated a bishop.
|
August
01,
1787
St. Alphonsus Liguori dies.
|
April
08,
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
02,
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.
|
April
08,
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
06,
1843
This is the beginning of Father Gillet's American ministry, having come to America the prior April. Rev. Louis Florent Gillet begins to preach his first mission in America (Grosse Point, Michigan). Theresa Renauld (future IHM) attended this.
|
March
09,
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
06,
1847
Father Gillet leaves Monroe. He servers his ties with the Congregation until many years later.
|
December
08,
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
08,
1854
Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is proclaimed. The Congregation has been under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception from its beginning.
|
May
01,
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
02,
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
02,
1858
Rev. Louis Gillet enters the Cistercian Order and takes the name Pere 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
04,
1859
Mother Theresa leaves Monroe for St. Joseph's, Susquehanna County Pennsylvania.
|
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
03,
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.
|
August
10,
1859
Mother Theresa is deposed as superior general of the Congregation by Bishop Neumann. This is the beginning of the difficulties that would lead to her exile with the Grey Nuns in Ottawa, Canada.
|
September
02,
1859
Bishop John Neumann blesses the convent at St. Peter's in Reading, Pennsylvania.
|
January
05,
1860
Bishop John Neumann dies.
|
January
1860
Emergence of 30 missions serving health care, child care, catechetical and educational needs in eastern and western United States.
|
May
01,
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
Pere Marie Celestin (Father Gillet) arrives at the Hautecombe Abbey in France. This is where he lives out the rest of his life.
|
February
02,
1867
Mother Theresa Maxis leaves Susquehanna County for Ottawa, Canada. She begins her exile with the Grey Nuns. Though she wore their habit she always considered herself to be a member of the IHM Congregation.
|
March
03,
1868
The Diocese of Scranton is established. This eventually caused the foundation of the Scranton branch of the IHM Congregation.
|
July
07,
1871
St. Alphonsus Liguori is declared a Doctor of the Church.
|
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
09,
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
08,
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.
|
September
11,
1909
Congregation of the Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is founded with assistance of the Scranton IHM Congregation.
|
January
1911
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.
|