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The Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, or Ingenbohl Sisters, are a Roman Catholic religious community dedicated to living a life inspired by the Gospel and the ideal of evangelical poverty exemplified by St Francis of Assisi.[FN1 https://www.kloster-ingenbohl.ch/ueber-uns/kurzportrait/, accessed 2.5.2024.] The congregation was founded according to papal law in 1856 by the Capuchin Theodosius Florentini (1808–1865) from Graubünden and Sister Maria Theresia Scherer (1825–1888).[FN2 https://www.kloster-ingenbohl.ch/ueber-uns/entstehung/, accessed 2.5.2024.). The motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross is located in Ingenbohl in the Swiss canton of Schwyz. Young women who wanted to join the order could train here as kindergarten teachers, teachers or nurses.[FN3 Angela Dettling, "Die Barmherzigen Schwester vom heiligen Kreuz Ingenbohl", in: Mitteilungendes historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz. 100 (2008).] As early as the19th century, the Ingenbohl institution gained public recognition for its care of smallpox and typhoid patients. In the two world wars of the 20th century,hundreds of Ingenbohl Sisters served in army hospitals and transport services. In 1941, the order reached a peak number of 9,638 members.[FN4 Renata Pia Venzin: Ingenbohl(Schwesterninstitut), in: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/012127/2007-01-25/, accessed 2.5.2024.] Today, the order is represented by around 2,600 sisters in 18 countries.[FN5 BAR,E4300C-01#1998/299#1349*, "Liste der indischen Adoptivstellen (list of Indian adoption agencies) 1984 and BAR, E2200.110#2003/443#26*, "List of Indian Social/Child Welfare Voluntary Agencies recognized by Government of India for Intercountry Adoption of Children" of the Ministry of Welfare (Central Adoption Resource Agency), 1.3.1993 and BAR, E2200.64#2007/150#43*, letter from Central Adoption Resource Agency (Cara) to Head of Immigration /Consular Affairs, Embassy / High Commission, Switzerland, 10.10.2000.]
