PRINTER'S NO. 197
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
30
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY SCHWANK, MARTIN, DINNIMAN, FONTANA, J. WARD,
BREWSTER, BARTOLOTTA, VOGEL AND ARGALL, FEBRUARY 5, 2019
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 5, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the week of March 8 through 14, 2019, as "National
Catholic Sisters Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, "National Catholic Sisters Week" originated in 2014
as an official component of National Women's History Month; and
WHEREAS, The week aims to raise awareness of the impact of
women religious and to connect them with contemporary women
through events across the nation annually during the week of
March 8 through 14; and
WHEREAS, Since fourteen Ursuline nuns arrived in New Orleans
from France in 1727 and opened what is today the oldest
continuously operating school for girls in the United States,
Catholic sisters have played core temporal and spiritual roles
in communities in this Commonwealth and across the country; and
WHEREAS, Catholic sisters have influenced American religion,
education, nursing and social work by founding and serving
schools, hospitals and similar institutions; and
WHEREAS, Catholic sisters founded post-secondary institutions
that opened the doors of opportunity for tens of thousands of
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Pennsylvania women and, today for all students, such as
Immaculata University in Immaculata, Misericordia University in
Dallas, Alvernia University in Reading, Seton Hill University in
Greensburg, Mercyhurst University in Erie and Carlow University
in Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, For nearly two centuries, generations of working and
immigrant families found care and comfort in injury and sickness
in hospitals that sisters established in communities across this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, While their numbers have fallen from a high of
nearly 200,000 in the 1960s, more than 45,000 sisters continue
to serve today as teachers, healthcare professionals, social
workers and activists, caregivers, artists and in innumerable
other occupations in every state and in all walks of life; and
WHEREAS, Sisters continue with humor and heart to serve the
poor and marginalized and to work for social justice in building
up our communities through service to people of all backgrounds;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the week of March 8
through 14, 2019, as "National Catholic Sisters Week" in
Pennsylvania.
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