Our History

The Sisters of the Humility of Mary arrived in Western Pennsylvania in the summer of 1864 ten years after their founding in France. They transformed the rugged and swampy land of what is now called Villa Maria into a working farm and a special place where God’s abundant blessings could be shared with the world.

As the years passed, three distinct emphases emerged that have been hallmarks of Humility of Mary ministry: care for children, especially poor children; care for the land; and care for the sick. The Sisters of the Humility of Mary have been leaders in this region and around the world in the areas of education, ecology and healthcare.

Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center is a ministry that grew out of several well-established HM ministries that emphasized their charisms associated with education and ecology. These ministries were combined into one nonprofit corporation in June of 2005. The ministries were:

• Villa Maria Retreat Center: A ministry that offered spiritual enrichment programs for adults
  
  
• Villa Maria Education Center: A ministry that offered spiritual enrichment programs for children and youth
  
  
• Evergreen: A ministry that offered eco-spirituality programs for adults
  
  
• Farm Based Environmental Education: An education program that offered environmental science experiences on the Villa Farm and in local classrooms for elementary and secondary students

Elements of all of these ministries continue to thrive in VMESC programs and services. Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center carries on the great faith formation traditions of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in the 21st century by serving the educational and spiritual needs of children, youth, adults and their families.