Over the past weeks the archives has published some of the stories of our sisters’ experiences during the 1918-1919 flu pandemic. This month we continue to share some of the many narratives that were recorded. The first items concern two sisters who died during the pandemic. It was customary at that time to annually publish brief biographies of the sisters in the congregation who had died during the year.
S. M. Narcissa (Caroline) Evrard Novice
Sister M. Narcissa was born on December 25, 1896, in Pittsburg, PA. She entered the novitiate at Stella Niagara on September 29, 1917, where she received the holy habit on August 31, 1918. When Spanish influenza entered America in October 1918, Sr. Narcissa was one of the first to be gripped by the disease, and although everything was done to save the young hopeful life, the angel of death carried the victory and rescued the young flower to transplant it to a better paradise on December 21, 1918. From the first day of her religious life, Sr. Narcissa tried to live as a true child of St. Francis. Her loyalty in the smallest things, her willingness to do anything, made her popular with everyone. She was fully conscious until the last moment, telling her mother, who had rushed to her deathbed, that she would die happily and she should not mourn her death. With a smile on her lips, she gave up her pure soul.
S. M. Edward (Adelaide) Clawson
Sister M. Edward was born on November 26, 1886, in Corry, PA. Later she came with her parents to Buffalo, where she was lucky enough to find and accept the true faith. As a result of her conversion, she was banned from her father's house, found a refuge with the sisters, and then entered the novitiate at Sacred Heart Convent, Buffalo, on September 4, 1905. Here on February 3, 1906, she received the habit and then professed her vows on August 23, 1909 at Stella Niagara. Soon after her profession, she was sent to St. Vincent orphanage where she devoted herself with great love and self-sacrifice to the education and instruction of the orphans. When the epidemic broke out at St. Vincent's, Sr. Edward was one of the first victims. Soon pneumonia became apparent, which put an end to the young life. She received the last rites while still fully conscious, but became delirious and slept away into a better life where the Lord will reward her for what she “did to the least of them.” She died on December 24 and was buried on Christmas day.
The following additional reports were culled from the chronicles of our communities across the United States. As we have lived through these weeks and months of the COVID19 crisis we have our own experiences to compare and contrast with those of an earlier generation. May our current chronicles prove as revealing to a coming generation!
St. Elizabeth, Charleston, WV
The new school year was opened September 13 with an increase in the number of children, a circumstance that is likely to be the most important factor in the need for a new school building. In and around the city, influenza claimed many victims. Churches and schools had to be closed for many weeks. St. Elisabeth School was also hampered in its activities for weeks. When the plague reached its peak, Mother Leonarda gave permission for us to help with the care of the sick in private homes and the hospital.
St. Francis Mission, SD
Before the start of the new school year, on 1 September, the agent had issued a strict ordinance that children who were not in school within a week would have to make up for what had been missed. This threat worked. In a few days 166 boys and 178 girls had arrived. In addition, new registrations were made every day, so Father Superior feared that he would have to turn away some more. But the Spanish influenza, which killed 44 pupils, broke in like lightning from the sky. On 13 October, the first illnesses appeared; by the 16th there were already 300 in bed. Many had very high fever, in six cases pneumonia was added. On the night of 18 October, an older girl of 17 years asked to make her confession, in the morning four other girls received the last rites, and in the afternoon two died. One of them was 15 and had been showered with grace by God in the last weeks of her life. Although baptized Catholic, she had little knowledge of the religion. When the mission was held in mid-September, Fr. Grothe took a special interest in her, and the success of his efforts was wonderful. Every day in the last few weeks she received Holy Communion and endured the great pain of her illness with angelic patience and without a word of lament. . . .Two hours later another girl, Grace Whirlwind died; in the night an 18 year-old young man; at noon an 11 year old girl, Mary Stranger Horse. The following morning the Angel of Death took a young boy of 9 and a girl of 10. Margaret Richards, 14, died at midnight.
As the condition of the most sick children worsened, Father Superior contacted the parents. But many of them were themselves devastated by the black plague and could not come. After difficult, anxious days for the priests and sisters, the majority of the children could finally be sent home except for 40 girls. Several more victims died in the next few days. In all, 44 pupils of the sisters’ school died.
It was also very bad on the reservation. Day and night the priests (carried) the Blessed Sacrament to the Indian camps, for all the sick longed for Holy Communion. With the lack of care and food, the misery was very great. In some huts and tents the whole family lay sick. In one family of 14, 6 died in one night , four of whom were children from the mission school. In total, the disease is said to have claimed 500 victims among the Indians.
Holy Rosary Mission, SD
Holy Rosary Mission was also struck by the influenza epidemic. The neighboring villages of Rushville and Gordon were badly affected. Death found a home among the Indians. Entire families were carried away. There were two, three, or even four funerals daily in our church.
So, too, at St. Mary’s, O’Neill, and St. Agnes, Alliance, NE. In both places the flu hit hard. Schools were closed. Day students could not enter and boarders were confined to the school. The St. Mary’s chronicle notes that there were no Christmas holidays that year for either the students or the sisters, and no visitors were admitted. The sisters and 102 confined students did have a celebration however. Sisters and students were both spared at St. Mary’s, but at St. Agnes it was a different story. There, over the course of 2-3 days in October, 80 children and 7 sisters were stricken. Soon 10 children also suffered from a “lung infection” (pneumonia?) and despite the best efforts of the sisters, 5 children died within 8 days. Those students who were not sick were taken home by their parents and the school remained closed for 6 weeks. The chronicle relates that “on December 1 one of the older girls who had barely been in the house for a week, was diagnosed with influenza and was taken to the hospital, where she died after just three days. All this made a deep impression on our children, who since then have been diligently entreating the Mother of God.”
Sacred Heart Hospital, Havre, MT
While influenza made it impossible to work at school for nine weeks, it filled the hospital with patients. Of the 160 people affected by the epidemic, 25 died. Immediately after the passing, the corpses turned blue and black, a sign of the black plague. Doctors and nurses protected themselves against infection with masks. In a generous way, the ladies of the city helped the sisters with the care. Before their death, individual sick people were also baptized with great grace.
St. Joseph, Los Angeles, CA
When the schools and churches were closed on 11 October, the bishop ordered that the Blessed Sacrament be exposed daily in the convents until visits to the churches were allowed again. In St. Joseph, too, all the sisters were saved from the epidemic.