Educating for the mission: The presence of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny in Coimbra and the Queen Saint Elisabeth College (1875-1941)

Abstract

On the celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the establishment of the Queen Saint Elisabeth College in Coimbra, and the 400^th anniversary of the canonization of its patron saint, this article aims to present the history of this educational institution, entrusted to the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny since 1930. The presence of the religious in the city did not begin at the Queen Saint Elisabeth College, nor was it founded by members of this institute, and therefore we will reconstruct the journey of the congregation and the educational institution until their destinies crossed. In 1941, the religious transferred the College to its current facilities. We have used the documentation of the congregation and the College, which is housed in the Archive of the University of Coimbra and in the Historical Archive of the Queen Saint Elisabeth College.