Our Founders

Sister Therese (left) and Sister Connie (right)

In 1983 Sister Connie Driscoll (1993 – 2005) and Sister Therese O’Sullivan, IBVM Co-founded St. Martin de Porres House of Hope. St. Martin de Porres began as a homeless shelter for women and their children. Within a few years, it evolved into a recovery home for substance abusers.

Sister Connie and Sister Therese combined their experience in business, education and law as well as their military and religious community training to develop a place of hope and healing for woman and their children on the south side of Chicago. The common thread that our co-founders shared was the instruction and inspiration they received in their secondary education from the Sisters of Loretto as well as their intense desire to serve God’s people.

Listen to the story of our humble beginnings from award wining reporter, Carol Marin: