Mother Mary Lange

Who was Mother Mary Lange?

Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, commonly known as Mother Mary Lange, was the founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence and was a servant of God Elizabeth was born in 1784 and immigrated to Baltimore from Cuba. Her country of birth is not documented but oral tradition says she was born in Haiti and moved with her family to Cuba.

The Oblate Sisters of Providence were founded by Mother Mary Lange, OSP, and Rev. James Nicholas Joubert, as the first religious congregation of women of African descent. Mother Lange died on February 3, 1882.

This was the beginning of a legacy that has thrived over the past years in 25 cities in the United States, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and most recently Africa.

In 2005 three schools combined themselves into Mother Mary Lange Catholic School, thus becoming the first school named after her in America. 2008 was the 180th anniversary of her founding of St. Academy.