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When Boston was full of deaconesses
By adamg on Fri, 05/05/2023 - 2:25pm
Anna Boyles recounts the history of Boston deaconesses - as in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center:
Modeled after institutions that took root in the American midwest, the New England Deaconess Training School in Boston was designed to educate young women in Christian theology and prepare them for missionary and service work. While many of their courses focused on church history and Methodist theology, students were able enroll at other institutions. Starting in 1909, for instance, deaconess students took sociology classes at neighboring Simmons College. The new deaconesses made religious calls to the homes of the city’s working class and discovered adults and children suffering from debilitating illness and disease. Moved by these interactions, the women established a hospital to treat those unable to care for themselves. The New England Deaconess Hospital opened in Boston’s South End in 1896 before relocating to Pilgrim Road in today’s Fenway neighborhood.
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Comments
Fenway neighborhood?
Fenway neighborhood?
I suppose so, but there wasn't any better name for the area before 'Longwood Medical Area' became a thing?
it's reclaimed land
Before it was Longwood Medical Area, it was an uninhabited swamp on the edge of the Muddy river....
The Green Line station isn’t
The Green Line station isn’t named for the stadium, it’s named for the Fens that the parkway runs through.
Thank you for sharing this
I went to the link and read the whole article - very interesting history.
Me too! Thanks Anna and Adam.
Me too! Thanks Anna and Adam. I always wondered how Deaconess fitted into my hospital.
Chapel
I continue to call what is now known as BIDMC - West Campus the Deaconess. Every time I go for my nephrology appointments, I always stop in the chapel and enjoy the space.
Christians
Sounds like these Christians understood Christ's teachings... to help people who cannot help themselves.
Religious calls sounds like …
… proselytizing. They did some good things but no one should take advantage of people’s desperation to heap religion on them as a side dish.
I guess
but lets not put modern thinking on something that happened over a century ago.
These women wanted to help people so they formed a hospital to help people. Especially when there were other few hospitals around. And I am sure the services were free for several decades.
And religious based hospitals were a common thing around this time, 'for profit' or 'private hospitals' where not. And they charged.. a lot for services.
I'm not religious but if I had scarlet fever or broke my leg, I'd listen to a buncha nuns speak God and Jesus to me to get healed for free. Especially if I was poor.
“ Especially if I was poor.”
“ Especially if I was poor.”
Well, that my point. Exploiting the poor.
And being opposed to proselytizing isn’t a modern idea. My great grandfather gave speeches all over New England about that and the silliness of religion over 100 years ago. He was following a long established tradition.
“Let’s” consider that.
"lets not put modern thinking"
There were other religions over a century ago, and people who chose not to practice any religion. Respect for others is not a new concept; indeed, there are quite a few shallow thinkers who would have you believe that all such respect is in the past (i.e., when they were young). Nor are modern people unique in their ability (often not exercised) to understand others' perspectives and respect their beliefs.
What might be worth unpacking is the lack of avenues for women who wanted to become educated, contribute to society in some meaningful way except as walking wombs, etc. Having them do so under the aegis of a patriarchal institution probably seemed safe(r).