Pioneer Spirit

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (scn) was one of two congregations of Catholic sisters founded in 1812 in the “American Holy Land” surrounding Bardstown, Kentucky. Although Catherine Spalding was not the first woman to enter the community, she became its first and most influential leader and, as such, is traditionally regarded as its foundress. With Pioneer Spirit, Mary Ellen Doyle—herself a member of the scn—has written the first full-length biography of Spalding, unquestionably one of the most important individuals in early nineteenth-century Kentucky religious and social history. Doyle's work is diligently documented with extensive references to materials from the archives of the scn, as well as from published primary and secondary sources from the Bardstown/Louisville area. Her account is detailed and well told, and those interested in either the history of Kentucky or Catholic history will find her book of considerable benefit. The author does not shy away from controversial topics, nor is she unwilling to acknowledge controversies internal to the congregation or to the local Catholic church

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