In 1985, Sister Teresa Piro, DC visited Lima, Peru for the initiation of a program that trained hundreds of Peruvian Sisters and lay health workers in primary healthcare. On that trip, they asked the question, “Can we help the poor in the poorest countries of the world?” Sister Teresa answered with a resounding ‘yes.’

“The Gospel message of Jesus calls us to reach out to those in greatest need,” Sister Teresa said more than 20 years ago. “Certainly today the poorest of the poor are in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Holy Father urges us to come for all of the poor of the world. He calls on the stronger and richer nations of the world to take responsibility. I believe we can serve the poor here and abroad. We just have to be inventive by willing to reach out. To do so is in keeping with St. Vincent de Paul’s vision that the Daughters of Charity should ease suffering wherever they find it.”

Since Sister Teresa’s “yes” in 1985, Seton Institute has:

• Trained 1,800 Sisters and lay health workers as trainers of child survival techniques in 23 countries,
• Provided $12 million in grants to Sisters to build clinics, dig wells and vaccinate children against disease in the least developed countries,
• Shipped $40 million worth of medical supplies to Sisters and improved the infrastructure of thousands of clinics and small hospitals in 24 countries,
• Responded to natural disasters, such as the South Asian tsunami in 2004 where $618,000 was raised to help Sisters assist devastated coastal communities, and
• Served Sisters in 45 countries who bring health and hope to millions of children and families every day.

Read more about Sister Teresa Piro, DC

Timeline

1985: Sister Teresa Piro, DC responds to a request from Daughters of Charity in Peru to provide primary healthcare training to Peruvian Sisters and lay workers. Seeing a need for continued assistance, Seton Institute for International Development is born.

1986: Seton Institute for International Development receives a three-year, $1.2 million grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue the primary healthcare training program in Peru. The project is named Puentes de Salud (Bridges of Health).

1987: Following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that strikes El Salvador, Seton Institute for International Development collects and ships $200,000 worth of medical supplies requested by the Daughters of Charity of El Salvador. This first disaster response effort drives the continued collection of medical supplies and equipment for shipment to Sisters in developing countries.

1988: Puente de Salud expands to serve the Daughters of Charity in Ecuador and subsequently 11 additional countries throughout the world.

1996: Seton Institute for International Development shifts focus from leading service projects with Daughters of Charity to grantmaking to primary healthcare projects, and begins to encourage proposals from Daughters of Charity from less developed countries.

1997: Seton Institute for International Development expands its grantmaking efforts to all communities of Catholic women religious, not only Daughters of Charity.

1998: Hurricane Mitch tears across Central America, leaving an estimated 10,000 dead and a wake of destruction in its path. Seton Institute for International Development sends $250,000 in financial assistance and 6 containers of medical aid worth $450,000 to the Sisters in the region.

1999: Seton Institute for International Development changes its name to Seton Institute.

2000: Seton Institute formally establishes a west coast warehouse for the collection, storage and shipment of medical assistance.

2005: In response to the South Asian tsunami, Seton Institute provides over $618,000 in financial assistance to Catholic Sisters working in devastated coastal communities of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

2006: Seton Institute approves a record 52 grants worth $657,000 to healthcare programs of Catholic Sisters in 24 countries around the world.

2007: Following the closure of Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Hawthorne, CA, Seton Institute ships 22 ocean containers of donated medical assistance to Mozambique. This represents the largest singular shipment of medical aid in Seton Institute’s 20-year history.

2008: To address the lack of food and water resources in the developing world Seton Institute announced the Seton Food and Water Initiative.

2010: Seton Institute celebrates 25 years of service. Headquarters move to St. Louis, Missouri. Long-time Executive Director, Deacon Eugene B. Smith announces his planned retirement and transitions leadership to Susan Nestor Levy, Chief Advocacy Officer, Ascension Health and Executive Director, Seton Institute. More than $650,000 in donations are collected to support Haiti and Chile relief efforts.