Sister Ann Alexis Shorb (1805–1875[1]) of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (born Harriet C. Shorb[2]) was a nurse, educator, and hospital administrator. Through her work serving the poor in schools and as a nurse, Shorb helped to break down anti-Catholic prejudice.[3] She was known as the "Servant of the Poor."[4] Before becoming a sister, she was a member of St. Aloysius Church in Littlestown, Pennsylvania.[2]
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Orphans
editShorb arrived in Boston on May 2, 1832 at the request of Bishop Benedict Fenwick who had requested the assistance of the Daughters of Charity.[5][6] Once Shorb arrived with Sisters Blandina Davaux and Loyola Ritchie, they began caring for orphaned girls.[5][6] They set up a school and taught religious education classes.[5] By March 1843, the Great and General Court granted them a charter as the St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum.[5][4] It was the first Chatolic charitable organization in the state.[5] The Asylum cared for girls between 3 and 10 without regard to their religion.[5] Shorb ran the Asylum for the next 40 years.[5] When the asylum was too small to take in more children, she organized a fair that raised $10,000 in two weeks.[7][5][8]
In 1866, the Sisters of Charity founded the St. Mary's School and Asylum at what was formerly the Norfolk House in Dedham, Massachusetts.[9] Shorb, along with two others, purchased the property for $1 by Martin Bates who, out of a "spirit of vindictiveness," gave it to the Sisters because the Town of Dedham would not purchase the run down building from him at his asking price.[10][11]
Nursing and hospital administrator
editShorb was the first administrator at Carney Hospital, the first Catholic hospital in New England, at the request of founder Andrew Carney.[4][8] She served in that role from 1863 to 1870.[4] She was also an incorporator the St. John's Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts.[12] Shorb was the head nurse at Satterlee General Hospital.[13]
Legacy
editShorb is featured on the Nine Notable Women of Boston mural, painted by Ellen Lanyon in honor of Boston's 350th anniversary.[14]
References
edit- ^ Ryan, Dennis P. (June 1, 1999). A Journey Through Boston Irish History. Arcadia Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7385-8984-8. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ a b McSherry, William (1893). History of Saint Aloysius Church of Littlestown, Penna̓. J. E. Wible. pp. 103–104. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ Hannefin, Daniel (1989). Daughters of the Church: A Popular History of the Daughters of Charity in the United States, 1809-1987. New City Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-911782-66-0. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell (2000). South Boston. Arcadia Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-7524-0854-5. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lester, Thomas (March 16, 2018). "MASSACHUSETTS' FIRST CATHOLIC CHARITABLE INSTITUTION". The Boston Pilot. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Schultz, Nancy Lusignan (October 17, 2000). Fire & Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1834. Simon and Schuster. pp. 102–103. ISBN 978-0-7432-1256-4. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ Butler, Thaddeus J. (1869). The Catholic Church in America. A Lecture, Etc. W. B. Kelly. pp. 31–32. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (March 26, 2015). The Civil War Era and Reconstruction: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural and Economic History. Taylor & Francis. p. 322. ISBN 978-1-317-45790-9. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ Hurd 1884, p. 78.
- ^ Hanson 1976, p. 226.
- ^ Austin 1912, p. 159-161.
- ^ Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court of Massachusetts. University Press of Cambridge. 1867. p. 544. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ Coddington, Ronald S. (6 October 2020). Faces of Civil War Nurses. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-4214-3795-8. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ Kaufman, Polly Welts; Gibran, Jean; Smoyer, Mary Howland; McDowell, Sylvia (2006). Boston Women's Heritage Trail: Seven Self-guided Walking Tours Through Four Centuries of Boston Women's History. Applewood Books. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-933212-40-1. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
Works cited
edit- Austin, Walter (1912). Tale of a Dedham Tavern: History of the Norfolk Hotel, Dedham, Massachusetts. Riverside Press. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- Hanson, Robert Brand (1976). Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635-1890. Dedham Historical Society.
- Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1884). History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. J. W. Lewis & Company. Retrieved May 2, 2021.