"At five a.m. the chimneys of Pittsburgh came into view. What a charming sight! There were large chimneys and small ones, of every shape and size. Moving slowly through the smoke and the soot, we finally arrived at our journey's end."

- Chronicle of Most Precious Blood Convent, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth first arrived in Pittsburgh on August 24, 1895. Then the world capital of steel production, Pittsburgh became home to masses of immigrants who sought work in the mills. The sisters came from Sacred Heart Province in Chicago to educate and nurture the children of these struggling families.

Within ten years, the sisters established three schools, as well as an orphanage (which would one day become Holy Family Institute). This remarkable growth led to the creation of St. Joseph Province in 1918. The province found a lasting home in 1927, when Mt. Nazareth was built on a majestic wooded hilltop in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

Mt. Nazareth today serves as the center of ministries that extend across western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Nearly 90 sisters live in St. Joseph Province, and they spread the kingdom of God's love through their work in approximately 17 places of ministry.