Over the past 95 years, Rosalie evolved from a maternity home to a comprehensive social service agency, providing home based services to more than 3,000 families each year. Our programs work to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, as well as teen pregnancy.

As we celebrate 95 years of service, we would like to answer one of the most asked questions, "What is the significance of the name Rosalie?"

Rosalie Jette is the foundress of the Misericordia Sisters, and for many years, Rosalie Manor was sponsored by the Misericordia Sisters. But just who was Rosalie Jette, and who are the Misericordia Sisters?

Rosalie Jette lived in Montreal, Canada in the 1800s. She was a very spiritual woman, who married and gave birth to eleven children, six of whom lived to adulthood. Rosalie's husband died at a young age, and she was left to care for her children on her own. Through all of her tragedies, she never lost her faith. She could be found in church or in prayer at almost any time of the day. One of Rosalie's passions was helping young women, who were pregnant and shunned from their families. At the time, Montreal's society was not receptive to assisting unwed mothers, and it was not uncommon to find newborns abandoned in churches or on the street.

The Bishop of Montreal wanted to do something about the social conditions of his city, so he decided to begin four religious communities, each with a mission to work on a specific issue. The mission of the Misericordia Sisters was to care for unwed pregnant women and their children. Now, he needed someone to lead this community.

Because of Rosalie's Catholic affiliation, the Bishop knew her and recognized Rosalie's passion for helping these young women. He knew he wanted Rosalie to lead the Misericordia Sisters, and he wanted the community to mirror Rosalie's spirit.

At 50 years old, Rosalie was unsure about this new role. She knew she wanted to help, but being a humble woman, she didn't feel prepared to hold the responsibility of "foundress" of a religious community. But, after days of prayer, she went to the Bishop stating, "God wills it!"

While the Bishop had the utmost respect and admiration for Rosalie, he knew she couldn't work alone, so he enlisted six companions to help Rosalie perform this important work.

The early days of the Misericordia Sisters were difficult. The stigma of unwed mothers was so strong that in the beginning, Rosalie had to have a secret location where the women could deliver their babies. Once the news of the new community spread, the Sisters were identified by their mission to all who knew them, which was not always a good circumstance. When the Sisters would enter the church of Notre Dame, other religious people would leave. When the Sisters would bring newborns to church for Baptism, Montreal's citizens would line up to throw garbage at them. Even though the Sisters were treated poorly, they always put the needs of the women they cared for before all else. In fact, some of Rosalie's children berated her for caring for these women and they couldn't understand her calling, but even that didn't stop her.

In addition to caring for the young women, the Sisters needed to raise money to keep their community going. One way they did this was through midwifery. Since they needed to deliver the babies of the women they served, they all became midwives. They extended their services to deliver babies in the homes of married women, which enabled them to earn money. They also made and sold candles, furniture and shoes, and would beg in the streets when necessary.

Rosalie died in Montreal on April 5, 1864, but her work lives on. The Misericordia Sisters remain in Montreal, and there are other Misericordia "families" throughout the United States and Canada. Most importantly, the mission to single women and their children remains the heart of the Misericordia Sisters, and of Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services.

While we are no longer sponsored by the Misericordia Sisters, our roots will always be with them, and we are eternally grateful to those who came before us. Throughout our 95 year history, Rosalie Manor has moved, been renamed, and sold, but our mission is constant. We are as committed today as we were 95 years ago to serve women and their children. To meet the needs of our community, we have expanded our services to assist adolescents and fathers.

We are proud of our history and invite you to share it with us. Please contact Dawn Groshek at 414-449-2868 ext. 202 or dgroshek@access4less.net, to share your Rosalie story.