Mary Elizabeth Lange
Servant of God [1] Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, was the foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Elizabeth was born in 1784, a native of Cuba, her country of birth is not documented but oral tradition says she was born in Haiti and moved with her family to Cuba.
The Oblate Sisters of Providence were founded by Mother Mary Lange, OSP, and Rev. James Nicholas Joubert, as the first congregation of women religious of African descent. Mother Lange died on February 30, 1882.
This was the beginning of a legacy that has thrived over the past years in 25 cities in the United States, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and most recently Africa.
In 2005 three schools (St. Dominic School, Shrine of The Little Flower and St. Anthony of Padua) combined themselves into Mother Mary Lange Catholic School, thus becoming the first school named after her in America. 2008 will mark the 180th anniversary of her founding of St. Academy.
References
- ^ Mother Lange bio from the Baltimore Sun