Margaret Farrell George was born in Ireland on December 27, 1787. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 1793. Shortly after arriving in America, Margaret's father and siblings Margaret moved to Baltimore, Maryland with her mother soon after. When Margaret was 19, she met Lucas George, a professor of the classics at St. Mary's College. The two were married on Christmas Eve, 1807. Within 13 months, Margaret had lost both her husband and their newborn daughter. During Margaret's months of nursing her dying husband while carrying her newborn child, Elizabeth Seton arrived in Baltimore to open a school. The two became acquainted and a lifelong friendship developed.
In February, In January 1812, Margaret joined the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she was a member of the first group to make religious vows. When Margaret left Emmitsburg, she said goodbye to Elizabeth Seton for the last time. The future saint had been in declining health for several years and finally succumbed to tuberculosis on January 4th, 1821. It was not until several months after Elizabeth's death that Margaret returned to Emmitsburg to take charge of St. Joseph's Academy for the next three years.
Her next assignment was to open a free school in nearby Frederick, Maryland, where Margaret stayed for the next nine years. The school grew to encompass a large free school, an orphanage, and a boarding academy. From Frederick, Margaret was sent to Richmond, Virginia, where she was again asked to open a school. In Richmond, she and her companions experienced anti-Catholic bigotry, which Margaret noted in her journal with this entry.
Never in any period of time did she experience any of this. In December 1837, Margaret returned to Emmitsburg to take up treasurer duties. During the summer of 1841, Margaret was assigned to head the school and the orphan asylum operated by the Sisters of Charity in Boston. Margaret's next assignment in February 1845 took her to Cincinnati, Ohio, the Queen's City of the West, and a hub of the movement westward in the United States.
Here, Margaret took charge of St. Peter's Orphan Asylum and School, a mission the Sisters of Charity opened in 1829. By the time of Margaret's arrival, there were six sisters and more than 200 children being cared for and educated at St. Peter's. By the summer after Margaret's arrival, changes began to occur in the community. Preparation for the new year was not as easy as it seemed. began for the American Sisters of Charity to become members of the French Daughters of Charity. These arrangements, made by the superiors without consulting the sisters, were announced to them in September 1849. Margaret and some of the other sisters in the Cincinnati Mission, after much agonizing soul-searching and discernment, expressed their reservations about this change to Archbishop John Purcell.
They felt strongly that in order to remain true to their faith, they had to make a change. true to the vision of Elizabeth Seton, they needed to remain an American community able to respond to the needs of the American church. When six sisters decided to leave the community rather than become daughters of charity, the offered to support the establishment of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, which happened on March 25, 1852. The new community immediately began accepting new members and also received several sisters from the Emmitsburg community.
The sisters continued to operate St. Peter's and within the first year took charge of St. Joseph's Boys Orphanage and St. John's, the first Catholic hospital in Cincinnati. When the first elections were held in February 1850, In 1953, Margaret George was elected mother. Despite her 65 years, her wisdom, experience, enthusiasm, and drive attracted others and the community grew rapidly. Additional schools were opened and property was built.
was purchased for the first mother house. Margaret oversaw much growth and change in the six years she served as mother. In 1859, Margaret was elected assistant mother and was assigned to St. Joseph's Orphanage as Superior President. treasurer and bookkeeper. Here she oversaw 19 sisters and about 350 orphans.
It was here on February 2nd, 1862, that Margaret celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of Charity. Sadly, before the year was out, Margaret suffered a stroke and was forced to give up her active life. On November 4, 1862, she returned to the Mount St. Vincent Motherhouse, where for the next six years she was in the hospital.
was confined to an invalid chair. However, as one sister recalled, quote, during her years of suffering, her gifts of heart and intellect were not permitted to lie dormant, but were used to the instruction of the young, either orally or by writing. Unquote.
Pupils from the academy, seminarians, priests, and of course the sisters, visited her often and received her counsel. Margaret George died quietly on November 12, 1868. In a letter describing the event, Mother Regina Mattingly wrote, quote, We all feel most sensibly her demise, but know our loss is her loss. her gain, for she has certainly made a most happy exchange. Fifty-seven years ago, she gave her young heart to her God, and faithfully has that noble heart labored in his holy service.
Pray that we, her sorrowing children, may, like her, be faithful unto the end." Mother Margaret George is just one of hundreds of women featured in our 2012 Women's Calendar. The calendar is currently on sale from our website for only $5 plus $1.50 shipping and handling. Please consider purchasing one this holiday season. In honor of the birth of Mother Margaret George, we'd like to show you a look at the habits worn by the Sisters of Charity over the years. May Mother Margaret George and her contributions never be forgotten. The angel gave me a smile. His wings are thrifted strong, his eyes are slain. Oh, hence it be, our Lord, in the name of Mary. Most highly favored, may he, Gloria. Oh, no, not yet. Blessed Father, Thou shalt be, all generations, Lord and Lord, I am Thee. Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, my Savior's Lord to all. O sky, if they are daily, glory be to God. And gentle let it be, the water of the sea. Be me as it is at all, she said. My soul shall know that magnified is the Holy Name. Most highly famed and made in glory.