The Bishop's Plea for Vancouver's Orphans
Facing mounting debt, the Sisters of Charity turn to the public to keep their doors open for fifty destitute children.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Bishop of Nesqually wishes to inform all persons who take an interest in the welfare of the orphans that the Sisters of Charity, at Vancouver, have at present under their care no less than fifty orphans, including both sexes, of whom six only pay their board and clothing; the others, being destitute, remain at their own charge in the two asylums. In order to prepare suitable lodgings for those little ones, they have expended several thousand dollars, and thereby incurred debts which they are unable to pay. The Bishop, knowing the good feeling of the people at large for such institutions, has thought it advisable to make an appeal to their generous hearts in order to relieve the Sisters of their present embarrassment, and recommends and requests, therefore, a subscription to be made in the country. What sum soever well-disposed people may be inclined to sacrifice for the aforesaid praise-worthy object will be received with pleasure and gratitude.
“The Bishop, knowing the good feeling of the people at large for such institutions, has thought it advisable to make an appeal to their generous hearts.”
This 1862 appeal highlights the historical reliance on private religious charity to fill gaps in social welfare during the pioneer era. Today, the institutional memory of Vancouver’s early orphanages is preserved through local history collections, reminding us that care for the most vulnerable has long been a community-funded struggle.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.