ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi θɹˈiː, ɐ vˈɪzɪɾɪŋ bˈɪʃəp, mˈæθiəz lˈoːɹəz, hˌuː wʌz ˌɔn hɪz wˈeɪ tə bˈɔltɪmˌoːɹ ˈæskt ðə sˈɪstɚz tə kˈʌm ænd hˈɛlp hˌɪm ɪstˈæblɪʃ skˈuːlz ɪn dˈuːbjuːk, ˈaɪəwə, fɔːɹ nˈeɪɾɪv ɐmˈɛɹɪkənz.
In 1843, a visiting Bishop, Mathias Loras, who was on his way to Baltimore asked the sisters to come and help him establish schools in Dubuque, Iowa, for Native Americans.