The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm are a religious institute begun in 1929 by Mother Angeline Teresa (Bridget Teresa McCrory). The order is there to discern the differing needs of the aged, and to satisfy those needs to the best of their ability. At the

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

of Mother Angeline Teresa in 1964, she said that in the 1920s, while working among the aged in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

and

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, she came to dislike the institutional flavor of existing homes, and sought to provide greater freedom for the residents.

History

The congregation of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm was founded in 1929. Sister Angeline de St. Agatha McCrory was Superior of a Home of the

Little Sisters of the Poor The Little Sisters of the Poor (french: Petites Sœurs des pauvres) is a Catholic religious institute for women. It was founded by Jeanne Jugan. Having felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns ...

in the Bronx, New York. She felt that the European way and many of the customs in France did not meet the needs or customs of America. She also believed that old age strikes all classes of people, leaving them alone and frightened. Being unable to effect any necessary changes in her present situation, McCrory sought advice and counsel from Patrick Cardinal Hayes, the Archbishop of New York. The cardinal encouraged her in her work and suggested that she expand her ministry to include the aged throughout the New York City area. With the blessing of Cardinal Hayes, McCrory and six other Sisters withdrew from the Little Sisters of the Poor and were granted permission from the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

to begin a new congregation for the care of the aged, incorporating Mother Angeline's ideals. Mother M. Angeline Teresa, O. Carm. in 1984 at the age of 91. On 28 June 2012,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

issued a decree declaring McCrory

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Innovations

Her concept of cares for the aged was a pioneering one. The homes operated by the order added rehabilitation maintenance and recreation to the basic custodial care provided by homes for the aged. The homes allowed aged couples to share a room, unlike many homes, and sought to provide the atmosphere of a middle class private home. The goal was the maintenance of their dignity. The

religious sisters A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...

also operated day care for the elderly of the neighborhood.

Present day

The motherhouse of the congregation is St. Teresa's at Avila-on-Hudson in Germantown, New York. At present, there are approximately 200 Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm who operate 24 homes caring for 5,200 elderly persons.Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm
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References

External links

Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and InfirmMother Angeline McCrory Manor
{{Authority control Christian organizations established in 1929 Carmelite Order Catholic religious institutes established in the 20th century

History

Innovations

Present day

Further reading

References

External links