Oblate Sisters of Providence Invited to Mass with Pope

The group's story dates to the early 1800s.

"It was unheard of -- a woman of color putting on a habit," said Sister Annette Beecham, the superior general of the Oblate Sisters.

"When Mother Mary Lange started the orders, we were not really accepting black people, especially in this area," Sister Reginald Gerdes recalled.
But Elizabeth Lange, the founder of the Oblate Sisters, was determined to answer the call to God, the group told Robinson. She migrated to Baltimore from her native Haiti.

A well-educated woman, Lange wanted to teach children how to read. She started a school in her home and, in 1828, began to study to become an Oblate Sister. Three other women joined her.

"Here's four women who had four strikes against them in 1828. They were women, they were women of color, they were immigrant women and they were Catholic. They followed God's vision for them to teach African-American children. I believe that's why it's survived for so long," Knecht said

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