St. Mary’s Convent, at 3516 West Center Street, was built to house the Sisters of the Divine Savior, a religious order founded in Rome in 1881. But the convent became best known for its delivery of health care to the elderly and infirm, particularly women. In 1895, Milwaukee Archbishop Frederick Xavier Katzer invited the order to send members to Milwaukee to offer at-home care for the sick and needy. At the time, consistent delivery of health care was available at only two hospitals in the city—St. Mary’s, a Catholic institution on the city’s east side, and Milwaukee Hospital, or the “Passavant,” established by Lutherans on the city’s west side. Historic photos courtesy of the archives of the Sisters of the Divine Savior, North American Province.