CAT-07201 Annual Report_029.indd - Catholic Charities of the ...

Then and Now...
Tracing the History of Catholic Charities
To trace the history of the Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of New
York is to trace the growth of the United
States as a nation and New York as a
portal to the world. It offers a window
into America’s achievements and
challenges, its wars and their aftermath
and the spirit that reaches out to help
the poor and vulnerable among us.
Long before establishing formal organizations,
lay men and women, clergy and religious,
devoted themselves to serving the
downtrodden. From orphans to immigrants
and from the disabled to the homeless and
families in crises, faith-filled responses to those
in need grew into the Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of New York, a federation of more
than 90 agencies providing help and creating
hope for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers
—non-Catholics and Catholics alike.
This selective schema touches three centuries,
providing a flavor of the early days and
development of the Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of New York. It is not exhaustive,
not always strictly chronological, nor does it
detail the tremendous growth of individual
agencies. It does, however, illustrate a long and
uplifting history of remarkable depth, variety
and dedication that continues to respond
day in and day out to New Yorkers in need.
The Early Years: Protecting and
Nurturing Children and Youth
The cries of thousands of children left suddenly
orphaned in the wake of the War of 1812 and
subsequent Civil War sparked the infancy and
evolution of what today are among the
largest and most vital Catholic charitable
agencies. The Catholic Benevolent League,
organized by a group of laymen to care for
these abandoned children, marked the first
major Catholic charitable endeavor in New York.
Close on its heels, the freed Haitian slave, Pierre
Toussaint joined forces with the Sisters of Charity,
personally and financially supporting their
orphanage on Prince Street. This small
Greenwich Village brownstone was the
predecessor to the New York Foundling Hospital
which had an infant left on its doorstep the first
night in 1869. Thousands would follow. The
Sisters of St. Dominic and the Good Shepherd
Sisters began ministries to children that
blossomed into Good Shepherd Services and
St. Dominic’s Home. Meanwhile, Fr. John
Drumgoole traveled from St. Mary’s parish in
lower Manhattan to purchase hundreds of farm
acres on Staten Island for the Mission of the
Immaculate Virgin as a safe country haven for
orphaned and troubled street boys and girls.
Laymen heading the St. Vincent DePaul Society
established the Catholic Home Bureau as the
nation’s first foster-home agency. To care for
those discharged from foster care and
reentering their communities, the Catholic
Guardian Society was founded in 1908. Catholic
Big Sisters and Catholic Big Brothers offered
mentoring, pairing struggling youth with steady
young men and women. Meanwhile, Grace
Institute helped poor immigrant women master
job skills, enabling them to earn a living and
support their children at home.
Unfortunately, even as Catholic services
expanded, the beginning of the 20th Century
Selective highlights: please see founding dates document for a more concise listing.
Responding to the needs of
War of 1812 1817 Civil War immigrant and orphaned children 1899
1908
1920
Addressing the
diphtheria epidemic
Catholic Benevolent
League formed
Catholic Home
Bureau founded
Catholic Guardian
Society founded
The Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of NY officially
opens its doors
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