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The Sisters of Charity Federation is an organization of twelve congregations of religious women in the Roman Catholic Church who trace their heritage to Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Elizabeth Seton, and Saint Louise de Marillac. The Federation was originally established in 1947 as the Conference of Mother Seton's Daughters, largely to advocate for the canonization of Elizabeth Bayley Seton. Born Elizabeth Ann Bayley, Elizabeth was raised in New York City in the Episcopal faith. She married William Magee Seton in 1794, and gave birth to five children. After the death of her husband in 1803, she converted to Catholicism while residing in Italy. In 1806, she was invited to establish a Catholic boarding school for girls in Baltimore, Maryland. She took vows privately before Archbishop Carroll, and adopted the rule of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul for the formation of the new community, of which Mrs. Seton was named Superior, a position she held until her death in 1821. The Conference was loosely organized until 1965, then sought recognization by the Holy See as an official federation on the recommendation of Pope Paul VI. In 1997, the Sisters of Charity Federation achieved Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status at the United Nations, where is serves as an advocate for the poor on the Economic and Social Council of the UN, as well as on other issues such as access to water. Member congregations of the federation of Sisters of Charity are the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Sisters of Charity of New York, Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, Les Religieuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur, Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Sisters of Saint Martha, Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Vincential Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy.

 

 

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