Catherine Spalding, SCN

At the age of nineteen, Catherine Spalding (1793–1858) ventured into what would become a lifetime of leadership with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN)—one of the most significant American religious communities for women. As a cofounder and first superior of the order, she dedicated her life to developing and improving health care, services for orphans, and education on the early frontier. Her contributions had a lasting impact on Catholicism, the state of Kentucky, and the many people who