Sister Justina Segale, S.C. and the Work of the Santa Maria Settlement House

In 1897, Sisters of Charity and siblings Justina and Blandina Segale began planning what became known as the Santa Maria Educational and Industrial Home. The institution began with general and religious education among poor Italian immigrants in Cincinnati. Justina Segale was particularly concerned with religious instruction among the children, and she strove to keep them out of Protestant schools. Santa Maria’s many other works are profiled, with special attention given to their planning and the support they received from the diocese, other religious communities, and the laity. The role of the sisters’ spirituality in the motivation for their work is described.