Founded in the City of New York, USA,
by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Stanislaus Preston. On 8 September 1869,
Father Preston began a semi-weekly gathering of the poor and
abject children of the street in one of the most wretched quarters
of the city; after this came the opening of a house for the
reformation of young girls not yet hardened in vice, and the
preservation of children and older girls from the moral danger in
which they lived. The founded called it the House of the Holy
Family and became its spiritual director. The work was fostered by
many prominent Catholic ladies of New York, under the name of The
Association for Befriending Children and Young Girls. Foremost
among these ladies was Mrs. Mary C.D. Starr (in religion Mother
Veronica; d. 9 Aug., 1904), who became the president of the
association and devoted all her time and energies to this work of
charity under the direction of Father Preston. Seeing the
necessity of a religious community which should be trained to this
work and perpetuate it, Father Preston compiled a rule of life for
those who desired to devote their lives to it. The first draft was
written 5 September, 1873, and was observed in its elemental form
until 1886, when it was elaborated and obtained the informal
approbation of the Archbishop of New York. The constitutions,
which are an enlargement of the rule, and represent the norm of
living in the institute, were written gradually, as it developed,
and reached their completion in 1899. On the 29th of September,
1990, both rule and constitutions received the express canonical
aprobation of Archbishop Corrigan of New York. The object of the
institute is (1) the reformation of erring girls; and (2) the
training, religious, mental, and industrial of girls in moral
danger from ignorance, indolence, or waywardness, or dangerous
influences. The institute is composed of two classes, choir
sisters and little (or lay) sisters. In addition to the House of
the Holy Family the sisters are in charge of a training home in
New York City. The institute comprises about 40 sisters in charge
of 215 girls.
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