Sisters of Saint Chretienne

United States Region

Also known as: Congregation of the Holy Infancy of Jesus and Mary

Post-nominal letters: SSCh

This collection contains the records of the Sisters of Saint Chretienne United States Region.

This collection is unprocessed and currently closed for research.

Founding Dates

Anne-Victoire de Méjanès (b. 1763), founder of the Sisters of Saint Chretienne

After the death of her husband, Alexis, in 1801, Anne Victoire de Méjanès, a woman of vision, founded in Metz, at the request of Bishop Joseph Jauffret, newly-appointed Bishop of Metz, the Congregation of the Holy Infancy of Jesus and Mary, better known as the Sisters of St. Chretienne. Victoire and her companions made their first public promises under the patronage of St. Chretienne, virgin and apostle, on April 20, 1807. Thus was the Congregation officially founded.

With genuine love and awareness of the needs of her time, she responded to the prophetic mission of manifesting God’s tenderness and mercy to all. She dedicated herself with her Sisters to serving the poor through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Over the years, the Sisters of St. Chretienne have experienced the support and collaboration of many family members and co-workers with whom they have shared love, compassion, prayer and their charism.

-Text and image courtesy of SistersofStChretienne.org/UnitedStates

Charisms of the Sisters of Saint Chretienne

The Sisters of Saint Chretienne devote their work to education; after being exiled from France they moved to the United States, focusing their work on educating communities of French-Canadian heritage in New England before expanding their ministry to missions outside the U.S.

Historical Sketch

Under the patronage of Saint Chretienne (also known as Saint Nina), the Sisters of Saint Chretienne were founded in 1807 in Metz, France. In 1903, they arrived to the United States, establishing a central Motherhouse in Salem, Massachusetts. The Sisters founded communities across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Kentucky and Florida. The Sisters additionally were missioned to Alberta, Canada, where they taught and ministered to communities in the Little Red River Cree Nation, and to Mexico. Outside of North America they were missioned to Georgia and Rwanda.

For More Information:

Visit the Sisters of Saint Chretienne official website at sistersofstchretienne.org.