Caring for Orphaned Children
St. Mary’s Home
Est. Jacksonville, FL, 1885
A History in Caring for Children
The Sisters' mission extended beyond education as they devoted themselves to aiding the poor, sick, and imprisoned, providing support to their community wherever it was needed. One of their first initiatives in America included establishing their first orphanage in Savannah in December 1866. This marked the beginning of their significant contributions to caring for vulnerable children.
Establishing St. Mary’s Home
Twenty years later, the Sisters of Saint Joseph founded another orphanage, Saint Mary's Home in Jacksonville, which operated for over 80 years. St. Mary’s Home for Girls was established by Sister Mary Ann, also known as Jacksonville’s Angel of Mercy.
During her visits to the county hospital, Sister Mary Ann came across many homeless children. In 1885 a little girl pleaded with her to be taken back to the convent, marking the start of what would soon inspire the establishment of Saint Mary's Orphanage.
Florida’s first Catholic childcare institution
In 1886 St. Mary’s Home for Girls in Jacksonville began in a modest two-story framed house with just five residents. Over the years, the orphanage relocated multiple times due to natural disasters and overcrowding. By 1952 Saint Mary’s settled in its permanent location on a 30-acre property owned by the diocese, accommodating both boys and girls.
Change in Ownership
Eventually, Catholic Charities Inc. assumed responsibility for the orphanage. With the state’s new focus on placing children in foster care rather than orphanages, St. Mary’s closed permanently in 1970. As Florida’s first Catholic institution for orphaned children in Florida, Saint Mary's legacy lives on through the countless lives it impacted.
Sister Mary Ann, Angel of Mercy
Before the Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in St. Augustine, Bishop Augustin Verot had already brought the Sisters of Mercy from New England in 1859 to establish St. Mary’s Academy, a school for white girls. Among them was Sister Mary Ann Hoare, an Irish immigrant who joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1858 and served as a lay sister due to her lack of formal education. She dedicated herself to domestic duties, and later supported the French-speaking Sisters of St. Joseph as they adjusted to life in Florida.
When the Sisters of Mercy returned to New England in 1869, Bishop Verot asked Sister Mary Ann and another Mercy Sister to join the Sisters of St. Joseph.
She was soon sent to Jacksonville, where she spent the rest of her life in service. Known as Jacksonville’s "Angel of Mercy," she cared for prisoners, nursed yellow fever victims, and tended to wounded soldiers during the Spanish-American War. In 1886, she founded St. Mary’s Home for Orphans, Florida’s first childcare institution, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and care.
Sister Mary Ann with her horse and buggy
The first St. Mary's Before the fire in 1901
Saint Mary's Summer Home
Saint Mary's Summer Home
