Introduction

“Do chum glóire dé agus onóra na hÉireann”

For the glory of God and the honor of Ireland

Mission Girls on the Steps

On December 4, 1885, the Rev. John J. Riordan purchased Watson House, at 7 State Street in lower Manhattan, and formally established the Home of the Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Protection of Irish Immigrant Girls. Through the pioneering efforts of emigration reformer Charlotte Grace O’Brien, Fr. Riordan, and the priests that came after him, the Mission helped more than 100,000 women transition to new lives in America. This exhibit examines this extraordinary undertaking, an untold story of New York’s Irish Catholics.

Use the menu on the left to explore the exhibit, or search the Mission’s digital archives.