From the Daughters of Charity to Avista
Sr. Marian Harte DC
St. Vincent’s, Navan Road, Dublin
The Daughters of Charity have provided services to persons with an Intellectual Disability in Ireland since 1925. This has been a journey of hope where it adapted to the changing needs and circumstances of people with an intellectual Disability. It has now culminated in a service of Excellence based in Dublin, Limerick and Tipperary, providing the best life for each individual with an Intellectual Disability. First operating from St. Vincent’s Centre, Navan Road, from which it provided a nationwide service, the Community identified a need for a similar service in Limerick and opened its centre in Lisnagry in 1952, and in 2007 the organisation was invited by the Health Service Executive to manage the services of St. Anne’s in Roscrea, Tipperary.
We the Daughters of Charity have a long standing tradition based on St. Vincent’s teaching that when an organisation is well established, we should go to where there is a new and greater need. Hence the transition of the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Service to Avista. This transition has taken six years culminating in the historic day of the December 3rd 2021 where all the legal documents were signed and handed over to the present Board. They are a very committed group of people and will continue this journey with the CEO and her Team.
On Monday 6th December Avista was launched with its logo which is steeped in the ethos retaining the same values on their newlogo of Service, Collaboration, Respect, Excellence Justice and Creativity. In developing the logo it incorporates a silhouette of the Daughters of Charity with the cornette and long habit in the “I” of Avista. The logo itself is a contemporary version of the cornette meant to be interlinked with a V which represents geese and how they fly. The Daughters of Charity in the early years in France were fondly known as the Grey sisters/Gods Geese they wore a long grey dress and white cornette on their head . Incorporating this image will provide both a historical and sentimental link back to the Daughters of Charity as the founders.
Check out this other publication on the Daughter’s work with those with intellectual disabilities in Limerick: https://famvin.org/en/2016/08/02/daughters-charity-praised-service-limerick-ireland/
About the author:
Sr. Marian Harte DC, originally from Clonakilty, West Cork, has worked in the area of Intellectual Disability for almost 43years. She held a number of positions during her working career with her last post being a member of the Executive team as Director of Nursing /Client Services until 2019. Sr Marian now works as the Provincial Bursar for the Daughters of Charity.