Widening the Historic Circle: The Contribution of Women Religious to the Development of Social Work

ABSTRACT

The long-taught history of social work may be missing an important part of its root system. Groups of religious sisters were doing work similar to early English settlement houses years before Toynbee Hall, yet were left out of the history possibly due to their gender, religion, and ethnicity. Using original historic writings and illustrations, this article looks at the early work of women religious – the preferred name for vowed religious women of various faiths – and how they may have had a direct influence on the work of early settlements, an influence not included in social welfare history. The authors call for a social justice response by adding the work of women religious to social welfare history.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ Some readers may recall the Magdalene laundries operated by Catholic nuns in Ireland in the late 1800s through the 1960s. Three of the 12 laundries where abuses were alleged to have occurred were operated by the Sisters of Mercy. These facilities are not included in this article. In 2003, the Irish Sisters of Mercy issued a sincere apology to anyone who may have been abused under their care. This article in no way condones abuses that may have occurred in Mercy facilities which operated outside the usual care the sisters used to help young women.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wade Luquet

Wade Luquet is associate professor of Social Work and BSW program director at Gwynedd Mercy University.

David McAllister

David McAllister is historian and university archivist at Gwynedd Mercy University.