The Daughters of the Holy Spirit or White Sisters are a Roman Catholic religious order of women.[1]
The congregation was founded in Brittany on December 8, 1706 by Marie Balavenne and Renée Burel committed themselves to live together and to devote themselves to the service of the poor, the sick and children.[2] They under the direction of Father Jean Leuduger, a diocesan parish priest, Doctor of Theology and head of the Missions in Upper Brittany.
Its principal object was the education of children; but it also undertook all kinds of charitable work. They became known as the "White Sisters" from the colour of their habit.
The congregation grew rapidly, and became widespread over north-west France. It was suppressed in the French Revolution but it quickly recovered and increased a hundredfold in the 19th century.
The French anti-congregation legislation of 1902 again caused many of the nuns to leave for England, Belgium and the United States,[3] while still possessing their mother-house at Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, and several other houses in France.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.