Episode 40
When the inaptly named “Spanish Flu” pandemic of 1918 hit Philadelphia, the Catholic Church stepped up in a big way to help the overwhelmed city services. Up to 16,000 people died, but it would have been much worse is not for the service of 2,000 nuns who served as nurses, including going door-to-door.Â
More Information
- Influenza Pandemic and the Sisters – Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Work Of The Sisters During The Epidemic Of Influenza, October, 1918.Gathered And Arranged From Reports Of Personal Experiences Of The Sisters And Contributed By Request Of The Compiler
- Here’s how the epidemic played out – day by day – for the two weeks after the Liberty Loan Parade that many experts say led to the explosion of influenza in Philadelphia. | PhillyVoice
- 1918, Sisters and Church Closings | Charlotte was Both
- A chart of the 1918 Spanish flu shows why social distancing works — Quartz
- Philadelphia Threw a WWI Parade That Gave Thousands of Onlookers the Flu
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