The Handmaids of Charity (Italian: ''Ancelle della Carità''; Latin: ''Congregatio Ancillarum a Charitate''; abbreviation: ''A.D.C.'') is a

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...

of pontifical right whose members profess public vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience and follow the evangelical way of life in common.

History

This religious institute was founded in

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...

, Italy, in 1840, by

Maria Crocifissa di Rosa Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa (6 November 1813 – 15 December 1855) - born as Paola Francesca Di Rosa - was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Nun, professed religious and the founder of the Handmaids of Charity, Ancell ...

. As of 31 December 2005 there were 1103 sisters in 102 communities in Italy, Croatia, Rwanda, Brazil, and Ecuador.Rooney, C.M., Aidan R., "Handmaids of Charity" Famvin, April 18, 2016
/ref> Their mission includes care of the sick, lepers and elderly. The Generalate of the Congregation can be found in

, Italy.

References

External links

Handmaids of Charity official site
Catholic female orders and societies Religious organizations established in 1840 Catholic religious institutes established in the 19th century 1840 establishments in Italy {{Catholicism-stub