Daughters of Charity

The DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY, Province of the West, announce a new publication, “Steel Frames, Eyewitness Accounts of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire by the Daughters of Charity.” Especially written and produced for the Centennial of the San Francisco Earthquake & Fire of April 1906, the book is a collection of the telegrams and letters written by the Sisters to their headquarters in Emmitsburg, Maryland. At the time of the disaster, the Sisters ran a hospital in San Jose and a total of seven schools and orphanages in San Francisco, Hollister and Santa Cruz. Seven telegrams and twenty-one letters were written by the Sisters between April 18th and August 25th of 1906. Their letters and telegrams describe their experiences, the chaos in the streets, and the courage they mustered to help those around them. Soon afterwards, they began rebuilding. Compiled and edited by Sister Margaret Ann Gainey, archivist, and illustrated by Sister Estela Morales, along with photographs of the destruction, the publication brings to light the strength and inspiration the Daughters brought to their communities. One hundred years later the Daughters of Charity continue to run hospitals, schools and social agencies in San Francisco and San Jose. Three of these Works survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, formerly the demolished St. Vincent’s School, Mission and Third Streets, South of Market; Seton Medical Center (Daly City), formerly the demolished Mary’s Help Hospital on Guerrero Street in the Mission District; Mount St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth, formerly the slightly damaged Mount St. Joseph’s in Silver Terrace, a place of refuge for earthquake-victims. One Work in San Jose survived the disaster: O’Connor Hospital, formerly O’Connor Sanitarium on Race and San Carlos Streets.

		Sister Margaret Ann Gainey and Sister Estela Morales (illustrator) • Steel Frames, Eyewitness Accounts of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire Saturday: 12 to 2 Sunday: 12 to 2

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