1869-1872 – Mother Madeleine Chollet (1846-1906)
1872-1891 – Mother St. Pierre Cinquin (1845-1891)
1892-1894 – Mother Ignatius Saar (1858-1894)
1894-1906 – Mother Madeleine Chollet (1846-1906)
1906-1918 – Mother Mary Alphonse Brollier (1858-1939)
1918-1930 – Mother Mary John O’Shaughnessy (1864-1938)
1930-1941 – Mother Bonaventure Burns (1867-1941)
1942-1954 – Mother Laserian Conlan (1887-1962)
1954-1966 – Mother Mary Clare Cronly (1887-1975)
1966-1972 – Mother Calixta Garvey (1905-1992)
1972-1978 – Sister Eleanor Cohan (1913-1997)
1978-1984 – Sister Neomi Hayes (1935- )
1984-1990 – Sister Dorothy "Dot" Ettling (1940-2014)
1990-1996 – Sister Carol Ann Jokerst (1939- )
1996-2002 – Sister Teresa Stanley (1937- )
2002-2008 – Sister Helena Monahan (1942- )
2008-2014 – Sister Yolanda Tarango (1948- )
2014-present – Sister Teresa Maya Sotomayor (1967 - )
"Educating Hearts and Minds" Documentary
A video produced by John Miller, that tells of the history and experiences of some of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word who have been affiliated with the University of the Incarnate Word, an educational ministry of the Congregation since 1881.
In 1869, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word began their journey to alleviate suffering in the world. Responding to an invitation to mission from Bishop Clau
de Dubuis, Sisters Madeleine Chollet, St. Pierre Cinquin, and Agnes Buisson left the Monastery of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Lyon, France for Texas. They founded the Santa Rosa Infirmary, which has become today's CHRISTUS Health Care. Soon afterwards, they founded orphanages and the College and Academy of the Incarnate Word, which later became Incarnate Word College, and is now known as the University of the Incarnate Word.
Around the world today, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word serve in ministries in health care, education,and social services, making God's love a tangible presence in the world.
CCVI is the abbreviation for the Latin words, Congregatio Caritatis Verbi Incarnati (Congregation of the Charity of the Incarnate Word). It is an ecclesiastical abbreviation that indicates the religious order in the Roman Catholic Church.
The author of the "Sketch of the Annals" is unknown.
However, we have this note from Sister Margaret Patrice Slattery's history of the congregation, Promises to Keep , Vol. 1, p. 241:
"Although this document is not signed, part of it appears to have been written by Sister Gabriel Wheelahan. After Sister Gabriel's death in 1911, it may have been completed by Mother Bonaventure Burns."
Promises to Keep : A History of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, Vols. 1 and 2, by Sister Margaret Patrice Slattery, C.C.V.I., 1995.
Más de Cien Años de Presencia Misionera, 1885-1988, Vols. 1-3, por Sor Antonia Fernandez Orozco, C.C.V.I., 1994. [available in the CCVI Archives]
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas : A Brief Account of its Origin and its Work, by Sister Mary Helena Finck,, C.C.V.I., 1925.
"Contained within the pages of this compilation is a large part of our rich Congregational heritage coming to us from our co-foundress, Mother St. Pierre Cinquin (1845-1891), who, though not our first superioress, was our leader and guide from 1872 to 1891, the difficult period of the development and growth of our Congregation in its early years. Herein are included all her extant personal letters. The majority of these were written in French, in her own handwriting, together with a goodly number written by her in English." -- from the Foreword, by Sister Kathleen Garvey, CCVI
Sister Kathleen Garvey compiled the letters and translated those that were written in French into English. Copyright: Sisters of Charity of The Incarnate Word
A brief history of the Sisters' first Motherhouse, acquired in the 1890s from George W. Brackenridge, prominent San Antonio businessman and philanthropist.
In the brief video history below, the script and narration was created by Richard McCracken, UIW Institutional Advancement, Emeritus.