The Sisters of St. Al's - Part II

This month we continue to follow the story of the sisters of the community in Konitz/Chojnice who later found themselves in the Perry County hills of southeastern Ohio. Once again it is the translated words of Mother Gonzaga Brexel’s “diary” which tell the tale.

By the end of 1873, despite some setbacks and difficulties, the sisters could look at the growth of the community and its work among the inhabitants of Konitz and feel that God was truly blessing their endeavors. M. Gonzaga noted that The children cared for here by the sisters during the year 1873 numbered 44 in the girls’ Academy, 42 in the elementary school, 5 orphans, and 64 kindergarteners.

However, the winds of the Kulturkampf were beginning to blow more strongly and reached Konitz by 1874 as the diary relates: As we look back over the dangers that faced the Catholic Church and especially the priests and members of religious orders, we are deeply grateful to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for shielding and protecting our congregation. On January 1, all the members of our congregation solemnly consecrated themselves to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Here we held this solemn consecration on New Year’s Day at 11:00 a.m. ... In the beginning of the year, 1874, here, as in all parts of the German Empire, the so-called “May Laws” were being put into practice. Priests and other religious teachers were forbidden to teach [religion] in the city schools. Our elementary school, consequently, was overcrowded with Catholics and those who sought religious instruction. …School inspection was conducted March 16 by the superintendent of schools, Annecke, and a high school instructor, Dr. Konigsbeck. They asked for the credentials of all, especially the teachers’ certificates. They inquired about the number of students, the tuition, fees, etc. After they had an exact knowledge of practically everything, they visited the various classes. Satisfied with the results of the visitation, the two left the house.

There was no retreat for us during the fall vacation because no priest dared to come during these dangerous times. After the vacation strict orders came from the government telling that we no longer were permitted to accept Protestant children at Mareenerder.

The year 1875 was one filled with important occurrences. The Kulturkampf which had its origin in the French War had slowly but steadily gone on. Religious were expelled, priests roamed about and were arrested and put in jail like common criminals. ...The convent in Konitz was also dealt a heavy blow. After severe and trying struggles we had won the confidence and respect of the people of our locality. The sisters had to pack their traveling bags and be ready to return to Capellen, the Motherhouse …Only one hour after we had given report cards to the school children and dismissed them for the summer vacation, July 31, a letter from Reverend Mother Aloysia arrived, telling us that the convent in Konitz had to be given up and that the majority of the sisters should prepare themselves to go to America. The departure was set for August 20. ...The sisters got ready for their rapidly approaching departure. No one in the city even guessed what was happening in the convent at that time. In the meantime, M. Gonzaga, the superior, and S. Bibiana traveled to Pelplin to take leave of the bishop and... to solicit monetary gifts from the Canon and some prominent families to help defray the expense of their travels.

As the days of departure drew near, the people showed their affection for the sisters in many ways and August 19 saw the final Mass in the convent chapel. All that remained was to reach the railroad station and board the train. At the scheduled moment, the train gave forth a loud screeching sound…we mounted the steps and a shower of flowers were tossed on us. The engine puffed and at once a final goodbye rose from every throat—we were departing from Konitz with the conviction that we would never see it again and the people whom we had learned to love so dearly. After these farewells, our thoughts turned to the end of our present trip. Our first stop would be to our relatives to bid them goodbye, then off to the Motherhouse at Capellen, where we would stay for a brief time. Our journey to America would take place early in October. In Capellen we bade farewell to so many dear sisters and to the place that we held so precious and dear. Then it was off to the Motherhouse in Heythuisen, where we experienced the same love from all the sisters and certainly the same agony of separation at our departure.

                                                                                                                                                    --TO BE CONTINUED

The Sisters of St. Aloysius Academy

Most of us know something about the former St. Aloysius Academy in New Lexington, Ohio, but few if any may remember that the original sisters who went to southeastern Ohio in 1876 were from the displaced community in what was then known as Konitz, West Prussia (today Chojnice, Poland).  Bishop Rosecrans of Columbus was aware of the situation in Germany in 1874 where under the Kulturkampf of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck church-run institutions, clergy and religious all came under attack.  Knowing that there were many sisters who had been forced to leave their ministries in Germany, the bishop asked Mother Aloysia Lenders to accept an academy in New Lexington.  She, in turn, assigned seven sisters from Konitz to the new project in America.  Over the next few posts, From the Archives will share a bit of their story, most of which is taken from the “diary” of Mother Gonzaga Brexel which served as the community chronicle.

The foundation in Konitz/Chojnice dated from 1867 with the establishment of a resident and day school with kindergarten, and according to Sister Angelita Cools in her work, Mother Magdalen and Her Congregation, “with the exception of the Bismarck years, 1875-1888, the sisters have continued to work in that area.”  A recent congregation directory lists two small communities located in Chojnice, although the larger institution (St. Charles Borromeo Institution) was placed under state control in 1949 and the sisters were gradually let go.

            In November of the year 1864 Monsignor Dr. Masse of Pelplin and Vicar General of Culm, accompanied by the auxiliary Bishop Yeschhe, also of Culm, called on Reverend Mother Aloysia Lenders, superior general of the Franciscan Sisters of Heythuisen, Holland.  Their purpose was to request sisters for work in their diocese—they hoped that the sisters might open a boarding school to educate the young women in Konitz, conduct an orphanage and even perhaps establish a hospital there.  Some efforts toward these proposed projects had already been made.  A simple farmer from the town of Schlagentin, a suburb of Konitz, had purchased a house for $5200 . . .

            M. Aloysia listened but was not in favor of the venture as it was “inconceivable” that the sisters would be so far away from the motherhouse.  Nonetheless, she ultimately acquiesced, and by early summer 1865 five sisters were prepared to leave for Konitz.  Then, a series of circumstances arose, including the outbreak of war between Prussia and Austria.  M. Aloysia took 15 sisters and traveled to Bohmen, the chief city in the war zone to nurse the soldiers and give them comfort and alleviate their sufferings in every way they could.  Here, kindly M. Aloysia was forced to see two of her sisters, Ida and Adriana, suffer and die from the terrible disease of cholera, and witness their burial in a country far, far from home.  At the same time the epidemic was spreading rapidly and severely through Trier on the Mosel.  . . . Due to these strenuous sacrifices made by the sisters, the epidemic claimed two other victims—Mother Gregoria, superior of the house, and Sister Remegia.  All these unforeseen and very serious events caused terrific set backs in the establishment of the sisters in Konitz.  Negotiations were postponed for a long time.

            It was not until October 1867 that the sisters, “drawn from different houses in the novitiate territory at Capellen in Geldern,” were appointed.  The first sisters were S. Wilhelmine (teacher), SS. Bibiana and Ludmilla (nurses), and S. Stanislaus.

--TO BE CONTINUED

The Meadow

I suspect that most of us have heard the words attributed to writer and philosopher George Santayana which in its original form read, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  I was reminded of that quote when reading the following excerpt from the 1924 Stella Niagara chronicle, as the land referred to is the very area which was sold to the Western New York Land Conservancy.  Although it is highly unlikely that in 2015 anyone consciously remembered the earlier plans for a park in the meadow, neither the angst of that experience nor the outcome were repeated.

The jubilee year (50th anniversary of the sisters’ arrival in the U.S.)  was not to close without a cross for the community.  One day, Lawyer Scoville of Lewiston, who had ever shown his aversion to the religious owners of Stella Niagara, came to inform the sisters that the State of New York was about to appropriate a section of the Stella property for the purpose of a public park. 

     This was a most unwelcome piece of news.  As the sisters knew that they would get no assistance from Scoville, but that on the contrary he would work against their interests, they resolved to place the matter in the hands of a Catholic attorney of Buffalo, Mr. Waechter.  The latter, however, evinced no interest in the affair which meant so much to the sisters, and so, by the advice of a friend, we asked the assistance of two noted Jewish lawyers, Messr. Fleischmann and Desbecker.  These gentlemen at once took up the matter with great vigor.  They seemed to understand perfectly our side of the question.   If the part of our property which was threatened, had really been taken from us, we would not only have lost the most picturesque section of our grounds, but furthermore—this would have been even more undesirable—the close proximity of a public park would have destroyed our privacy and would have brought very questionable people to the neighborhood.  So while the lawyers were working away vigorously to save the property for us, the sisters were storming heaven; especially the good St. Joseph was called upon to help us in this need.  And the good saint did not turn a deaf ear to his children's prayer.  Mr. Desbecker finally appealed to Governor Alfred E. Smith.  The latter had previously given his consent to the park proposition because he had been told that it was agreeable to the sisters.  But now when he heard the real facts of the case, he decided that the property might not be taken against the consent of the owners.  It was consequently agreed upon to lay out the park at some distance from Stella Niagara, near the so-called "Devil's Hole Inn," which will be done away with, a very great blessing for good morals.  God had provided anew.  Deo Gratias.

 What a difference 91 years made in the way the Sisters of St. Francis viewed the possibility of having the Five Mile Meadow property become a place open and welcoming to the public.  The thoughts, hopes, and needs of the modern era were and are very different from those of the generations before us, and the joy with which the sisters welcomed the possibility of preserving the land by selling it to the Conservancy shows how our thinking evolved over time.  What is the same, however, is the belief that “God had provided anew” and the later generation could truly echo the words of the earlier, “Deo Gratias!”

Companions - Part 6

In last month’s ATP we learned a bit of how the young Mary Catherine Dekkers joined Catherine Damen and her first companions in 1827. The small community received the religious dress and their religious names on February 11, 1836. At that time Mary Catherine became known as Sister Francisca.

  According to S. Elisa Ackerman’s research, “it did not always go well with Francisca.” As a woman much younger and more lively than her companions, “she struggled with the question whether she could live like this for her whole life. Therefore, she intended to leave the convent stealthily, for this way of life where there was only place for fasting, working, and praying without any relaxation was certainly above her power.”

Mother Magdalen, however, had observed that the once lively Catherine/ S. Francisca was clearly struggling. According to S. Lina Hoster’s account, she went to the young sister’s cell and, as a result of the ensuing conversation and with the encouragement and prayer of M. Magdalen, “Francisca tried to fulfill her duties punctually and became one of the most zealous sisters.”

She is the one who worked with S. Antonia (Gertrude) Kirkels on furnishing the Kreppel and improving the outside of the property as well. At Mother Magdalen’s request, she helped with the preparations for making the habits for the little community. Apparently she had a friend who had married a cloth merchant and she was able to negotiate the purchase of the necessary fabric on the installment plan. In the narrations of the older sisters, S. Francisca “is always spoken of as a happy sister” who, on her mendicant tours through Heythuysen, brought joy to those she met.

As the years passed, the frequent exposure to cold, wind, weather, and heavy work took their toll. S. Francisca became bent and walked with difficulty. When outdoor work became too much for her, she took her talents and dedication to the sewing room and “as long as she lived” almost every sister of Heythuysen wore a habit made by S. Francisca. Apparently she often sewed extra pieces of warm material into the habits to keep the sisters warm in the unheated rooms of the convent. She also saved extra crusts of bread for the young sisters.

And so her life went on: quietly, happily, and in true simplicity. The words of the chronicle document her death: “On May 16, 1874, died from a breast disease, our dear Sister Mary Francisca Dekkers, born in Hunsel on May 13, 1804. The deceased was one of the co-foundresses of our congregation and distinguished herself by her simplicity, her heartfelt love for her sisters and her laboriousness. For many years she fulfilled the task of sexton of the convent chapel and was zealous in the service of the Lord. She was buried at the convent cemetery. May she rest in peace.”

COMPANIONS - PART 5

The third of Mother Magdalen’s original companions was the youngest, Mary Catherine Dekkers who joined the group at age 23 in 1827.  As related earlier in this series, Anna Maria was 45 and could have been Mary Catherine’s mother.  Catherine was, herself, 40, and Gertrude 37.  Although much younger and different in many ways from the other women, Mary Catherine found herself drawn to the small community.  The Blutengartlein describes her as a gay and high spirited woman who likely did not always find it easy to be with the serious, thoughtful women she had joined.

            Before joining the little group she worked on the Schijmans family farm in her birth village of Hunsel.  There was apparently not enough work for her on her own family’s tenant farm which was known as “Little Bongarshof.”  This is likely the origin of the name by which Catherine was also known, Bongars. 

            According to S. Lina Hoster in the “Blutengartlein:”

While Catherine Damen and her companions competed with each other in virtue and devotion and the news of their exemplary life spread more and more, there lived on a big rented farm the able servant Maria Catherine Deckers.  This zealous young girl who was born on March 13, 1804, was gay and in good spirits.  She loved God ardently and often went to church.  Once when she was there she suddenly felt such an aversion to the vanities of the world that she grew downhearted.  After finishing her prayers she left the church deep in thought.  Pensively she arrived at the rented farm, sat down on a chair and (put her head in her hands).  It was thus that she was surprised by the daughter of the house who knowing her brightness of spirit said, “What is the matter with you, Catherine?  Are you ill.”

But she, roused from her thoughts answered, “O, if there only were still convents, I would soon say farewell to the world and go into solitude to be able to serve my Lord.”  At this unexpected answer the daughter laughed loudly and she hastened away to tell everybody that Mary Catherine wanted to enter a convent.  This awakened the mockery of the whole family and Mary Catherine had to hear many prickly words but this did not disturb her.  She took prudence as her guide and buried her noble purpose so deep in her heart that nobody heard about it except God and her father confessor who had told her that she could reach blessed eternity as well in the world and need not go into a convent for that.

Gradually, however, the fame of the exemplary life of Catherine Damen spread in the region and also reached the village where Mary Catherine Deckers served her Lord with a happy spirit and great trust in God’s goodness by faithfully fulfilling her duties.  She yet always longed to dedicate herself totally to her God.  And when she heard about the wonderful life of Catherine Damen her heart overflowed with joy and a clear ray of hope came alive in her heart.  She immediately asked permission to visit her aunt who lived in Heythuysen, a means she hit upon to be able to speak to Catherine.  She received permission and went on her way.  Soon she found herself before the house of Catherine but began to fear a little.  She knocked with a trembling hand.  Gertrudis, one of the companions of Catherine opened the door and asked politely what she wanted.  “I wish to speak to Catherine Damen,” she said.  Gertrudis answered, “I’m sorry but she just went to a sick person, but be so good and wait a moment for she will soon be back.”  “No,” said Mary Catherine.  “I cannot wait.  I have to be home before the evening but I will soon be back.”  So she returned to the farm, very sorry that her undertaking had not succeeded

Five months had passed and Mary Catherine had not yet returned. . . . She then rose, asked permission of her boss and went quickly to Heythuysen.  She knocked for the second time at the humble house of Catherine and for the second time was told that Catherine was not at home.   

More decisive than the first time, Mary Catherine waited impatiently for her return.  Soon (Catherine) entered and saw Mary Catherine waiting for her.  With her customary friendliness she went to her, embraced her tenderly and said, “Be welcome, my child.  You have come here to enter a convent and to serve God in solitude.  Well, stay with us.”  Hearing these sweet words of Catherine, seeing how, enlightened by the Holy Spirit she knew of the longing of her heart, Mary Catherine wept for joy and answered, “I will soon belong to you.”  She went home, lived a few days under her parental roof, put her affairs in order and said farewell to her father and mother, brothers, and friends, and to the whole world.  Then she returned for the third time to Catherine, this time never to leave again.  Since her first visit to the poor little house in Heythuysen, Catherine Damen had looked with sad longing for her return, for the great work that she wanted to start.

  When Mary Catherine did return, her principal work was to build, together with Gertrudis, the new house in the village.

Companions - Part 4

It seems that there were many stories about S. Antonia (Gertrude) Kirkels and, though she joined Catherine with much joy, there were times that were not so joyful. According to S. Elisa, S. Antonia at times suffered from what might today be termed depression. S. Lina Hoster included what she called “a heavy temptation” in her compilation of “Blutengartlein.”

Sister Magdalen, that precious flower in the only just arranged flower garden of the order, came of the strong stock of St. Francis. Sister Magdalen, the zealous child of the divine teacher, saw many good daughters come to her to wear the penitential garment of the crucified servant of the Lord, St. Francis. Many from every social status, some very young, some a bit old, she accepted in the order as soon as she saw that it was according to God’s will...Sr. Antonia, however, when she saw how young girls, still so innocent and pure, gave their youthful strength so lovingly to the Lord was sorrowful about herself.

She lost her normal cheerfulness, was the whole day sad, and her swollen eyelids showed that she wept silently. When Magdalen saw this she felt an inner compassion with her sad situation. But as Antonia remained downhearted she became uneasy, called her and spoke as a tender mother, “My child, I don’t recognize the former Antonia. Formerly you served the Lord with a joyful and gay heart; now however I see only bitter sorrow in your face. Tell me, my daughter what ails you. Why are you so sorrowful?” Antonia, whose deepest wish was to tell her spiritual mother freely about what lived in her heart, said, “See, my dear mother, this is what ails me.

When I see how so many young girls gave themselves undividedly to God from their youthful days and I think then that I, poor sinner, already 46 years old, started so late to serve my Lord, then I grow downhearted. Then I think, if I had also in my young years made such a generous decision, then it would have pleased the Lord much more.” “My child,” said Magdalen then, “be as joyful as before, and serve the Lord with a heart full of love, for you make yourself downhearted about a nothingness...Don’t be unquiet anymore and think of the Gospel where it says that the Lord paid the last workers as much as the first although the latter had worked from early morning in the vineyard.” With a humble heart Sister Antonia listened...and then went to the chapel and kneeling before the altar she repeated the words Magdalen had spoken, and with a new zeal she did what she had promised...(The Lord) gave her back her former joy, which gave her for long years the courage and the strength of her youth.

In addition to the “Blutengartlein” there is a small booklet entitled “Small Contribution to the Archives of the Motherhouse,” which contains short biographies of the first sisters. It was written by S. Dominica Grimmelt who entered the congregation in 1863. M. Hortense Lindner, provincial superior 1920-1932 asked her to write down the stories. They date from about 1925 and, as S. Dominica actually knew S. Antonia, she writes from personal knowledge.

Sr. Antonia was a model of contentness, expressed in her whole being of attractive friendliness, zealousness, and above all, the spirit of prayer and love of holy poverty. She cared for the garden and was always to be found there or in the vegetable room during work time. This last room, built along the garden side of the stables, had a door to the garden that was always open in bright weather. The small (boarding students) could not pass by without greeting Sr. Antonia. Then her friendly eyes looked so happy through her copper spectacles. She always had a gay answer and was overjoyed if she could make them happy with an apple, a pear, a prune or a carrot.

Generally, one heard her praying loudly during her work. She was very anxious that the young sisters should grow accustomed to the convent food. Then she said in her Limburgian dialect, “You should eat well of the vegetables; they are blessed.”

At the age of 83, S. Antonia died on November 15, 1873. Her death was noted in the house chronicle of St. Elisabeth. She died of loss of strength after having several times received the last sacraments...The deceased was one of the co-founders of our congregation and excelled in her love of holy poverty, her simplicity and her zeal. She was interred in the convent cemetery. May she rest in peace.

 And as S. Elisa writes, “We may thank God for this rich life.”

Companions - part 3

In addition to sources documenting some of the statistics and activities of S. Antonia Kirkels, there are writings which give more information about the kind of person she was. Some of the sisters with whom she lived wrote about her. The first of these was S. Lina Hoster who, in “The Flower Garden”/”Blutengartlein,” gave an account of S. Antonia’s vocation story.

Before sharing the actual story, S. Elisa Ackermans first talks a bit about the origin of S. Lina’s work. Mother Magdalen’s death in 1858 aroused much interest on the part of the sisters in the early days of the congregation. Their stories (an oral history of sorts) moved Mother Aloysia Lenders to ask S. Lina to write them down. She was supervised by S. Crescentia Lenders, secretary to Mother Aloysia, “to prevent that reality was strained too much.”  German by birth, the young S. Lina began her work in 1862, but completed only the first part before her death at the age of 27. S. Elisa writes:

What she left us is a precious piece of work, written in German, rich in contents, elegant in form and colour. Every chapter starts with a decorated capital of the first word, in which the core of the chapter is designated. In the chapter about the vocation of Antonia you see a capital D in black and white and in that capital she drew the admittance of Sr. Antonia by Mother Magdalen. Sr. Clara is working at the table.

She then goes on to explain that she has chosen to relate the story in its entirety because, I think that only then (can) you taste something of the sphere. In my opinion it is a sublime tale and although it will not be related totally according to reality, it shows the way in which the first sisters experienced their community life.        

The God designed life of Catherina Damen was admired and esteemed by all sincere Christians. Gertrudis Kirkels also belonged to them. This young woman, born the fourteenth of March 1790, had taken the penitential robe of the third order of St. Francis. God fearing as she was, she was especially interested in what they told about the edifying life of Catherina Damen. Therefore she had looked in the church very often at this praying virgin. She loved Catherina more and more, asked about her way of life and heard that she had so much work in the school that it was impossible for her to do the work in the house. “Oh” Gertrudis thought, “could I offer her my service, how diligently would I work for her.” But Gertrudis did not guess that Catherina had looked already a long time for such help and through ongoing prayers had asked God fervently for it.

In the meantime the devout longing of Gertrudis grew stronger every day. She thought about her intention for some time, asking God for enlightenment and resolutely addressed the parish priest. “My father,” she said, “I have felt for a long time an aversion to the world. I would like to serve my God in seclusion and wish therefore to live in company with the good Catherine and to do the housework for her.” The priest answered her curtly, “You are not fit for that life. You can better serve God in the world and do what you did up till now, take care of the cattle.”

Totally disappointed Gertrudis went home but she did not lose all hope. When she saw Catherine again in church she hastened to be near her when they left and gave her the holy water respectfully but not without fear. The good Father Almighty who loves the humble so strengthened at that moment the weak hope of Gertrudis (that she spoke to Catherine): “You are very happy that you may serve your Lord in solitude by fasting and much prayer. I also wish to live only for Him and share your happiness. But you should know that I am ignorant and not learned, but as a compensation I have a pair of strong arms that will work for you in honour of God day and night, if only you would give me as my wage a place in your house and a piece of bread.

Catherine, surprised by what had happened, could not restrain herself (from embracing) Gertrudis tenderly and to press her with much love to her heart. After this expression of friendship Catherine said as she clearly saw that her prayer was fulfilled, “Well, my child, be welcome, God bless your entering. He sent you to me because I am in want of help.” Gertrudis needed no second request but soon she entered Catherine’s house with the few things she possessed and she rendered her much service because she worked untiringly.

Companions - part 2

We continue with S. Elisa Ackermans’ profiles of the first companions of Mother Magdalen.  Although little was known about S. Clara, there are more sources and stories for the others.

             S. Antonia, Maria Gertrudis Kirkels the second companion also joined Catherine in 1827 at the age of 37.  Thanks to our S. Jacinte Kirkels, a relation of S. Antonia, we also have some dates from before her entrance.  She was born in Kelpen (not Wessem as has been recorded in some of our books).  Probably the neighbors who announced her death at the town hall in Heythuysen made this mistake, for on her birth certificate—which was in French—Kelpen is mentioned.

            Maria Gertrudis Kirkels, born the fourth of March 1790, married Theodore Vossen on October 27, 1816,  when she was already four months with child.  The time that they formed a small family was very short.  Five weeks after the birth of their daughter, Theodore died and exactly one month after her husband’s death, the child also died. 

            Gertrudis went back to her mother who had been a widow for 15 years and she earned the living for both of them by taking care of the cattle for neighboring farmers.  When her mother died in 1827, the road was free for Gertrudis to join Catherine.  This she did against the advice of Pastor van der Zandt.  What she could offer Catherine and Anna Maria, in addition to her desire to do what they did, was her physical strength.  She, like Anna Maria, could neither read nor write, which she told the notary public in 1842.  On her marriage certificate she put a cross in the place where her signature should have been, and next to that can be seen the words “nescientis scribere” (cannot write).

We can imagine how she used her physical strength; the new house in the village street was for the most part built by her hands, together with Catherine Deckers who joined as the fourth member of the little community.  Then, in 1835, when the small group moved to the Kreppel it was Gertrudis’ primary task to care for the garden.

We can read from what is known of the group that she and Catherine Deckers also laid out the garden.  It was primarily a kitchen garden, but they also gave it a personal color.  S. Cecile Schmitz, who went in 1870 to the mission in Indonesia) tells us that these two made a round bed at the southwest side of the house.  It was heightened until it was about five or six meters high with “a path on the outside, surrounded by a good hedgerow that meandered two or three times around it until one came above, where there was a seat.”  Around 1859 the sisters called it the “montagne” (French for mountain).  Afterwards, after it had been built up still more, a statue of Mary was placed on the front side.  We know now the “montagne” as the grotto of Mary and that is still in the same place as S. Antonia made it.  Both these sisters also excavated the big ditch that is still there, be it in a different form.  “In my young days the ditch was called with a great name “rivière” (French for river) writes S. Cecile.  That it was easier for S. Antonia to dig a whole field than to write a page we can believe now.      

The Three First Companions of Mother Magdalen

For the next several issues, From the Archives will be reprinting sections from a work by Sister Elisa Ackermans entitled The Three First Companions of Mother Magdalen. This compilation was originally published as a series of five articles written in 1998 for “het Klokje,” which is the provincial magazine of the Dutch province. The articles were translated into English by S. Virginia Carlier and were presented to the United States provinces at the time of the 125th anniversary of the sisters’ arrival in North America (1874-1999). If you recall, that event was celebrated in the summer of 2000 with a wonderful Chapter of Mats held at Stella Niagara.

For the purposes of length and ease of reading, your archivist has taken the liberty of making some minor adaptations to the original translated article.

In accounts of the foundation of our Congregation the personality of Mother Magdalen is, of course, at the center. Although there are not many exact facts available from that time, we can very clearly conclude from what we do know that she was the leader and guide. Less is known concerning her three companions who also had a part in the congregation’s beginning. Therefore, it seems to me (S. Elisa) to be a good thing to clarify the role of those who were called with piety by their fellow sisters and contemporaries the “fellow foundresses.” Who were they? What was their part in the birth history of our congregation?

Sister Clara

I start with Sister Clara of whom we know little. She was the first who when she was 45 years old, as Johanna Anna Maria Verkoulen, joined Catharine Daemen in 1827. She walked with difficulty and earned her living as a seamstress. As she could neither read or write, they divided the tasks spontaneously: Anna Maria taught the children how to knit and to darn; Catharine taught them catechism and visited the sick. We may suppose that her coming was not only as an assistant in Catharine’s tasks but also as an equivalent help in the search for God’s Will in their life. She died in 1846, still at the very beginning of the as yet young community. It seems that she lived quietly and without asking for attention. In any event she did not leave her companions much material for stories. She was, however, for nearly twenty years the companion of Mother Magdalen.

Future columns will tell of Magdalen’s other companions, Sisters Antonia and Francisca.

Pandemic

Last spring From the Archives shared some of what was experienced during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 100 years ago. Today, a century later, we know all too well the suffering brought about by COVID-19. But what of the years in between? A perusal of the chronicles and other sources reveals that epidemics were part of the lives of our earlier sisters.

According to the chronicle of St. Peter Convent, Milo (Columbus), Ohio, “In the year 1903 an epidemic of small pox broke out in the city. Even though the school at St. Vincent’s Orphanage and Sacred Heart School were forced to close for a long time, St. Peter’s in Milo was spared. How grateful we were that only one case of the dreaded disease appeared in our vicinity.”

In her manuscript history, S. Liguori Mason describes what happened at Sacred Heart, Columbus: “A dire visitation was in store for priests and people of Sacred Heart. In 1903 in the month of February a man whose home was near the convent died after some days’ illness, and his relatives foolishly concealed the fact that he had been a victim of the most virulent kind of small-pox. In consequence, nearly all those who attended the funeral were carried off by the disease. Then the children had in the meantime communicated the germ to others and the school had to be closed. While the nuns were spared, the people of the parish suffered terribly, and the family in which the disease had originated was almost completely wiped out.”

We again learn from S. Liguori that some years later the community and school at St John, Columbus, experienced another outbreak of this dreaded disease: “What might have been a catastrophe, but fortunately was not, occurred in 1920. A boy came to school with face and hands badly broken out. They said at home that it was poison (ivy). A few days later, a sister fell ill, her face and hands likewise covered with pimples. Then a second was taken ill and the doctor discovered that it was the small-pox, in a mild form, yet it was really that dreaded malady. Now it was necessary for the remaining teachers to leave the house while there were any patients in it or the school would have to be closed. So a regular exodus took place. The sisters put up for the night in the schoolhouse and might be found assembled for meals on the stage of the auditorium; they had taken to the stage as one of them said. This untoward happening brought out clearly the generosity and good will of the parishioners who were always bringing them something or another ‘just to help out,’ in their ‘straightened circumstances.’ The sisters were deeply grateful that they had been protected from the threatened calamity. Their non-Catholic doctor was so much impressed by the favorable turn things had taken, that he declared it must be owing to the sisters’ prayers, and when some time later he had to undergo an operation, he sent to the sisters to beg their prayers, since these, he said, were so powerful.”

Through our chronicles of today we document the realities of the current pandemic and continue to use our powerful prayers for those who suffer from it.

St. Anthony Hall, (St. Michael Parish), Warsaw, NY

After the division of the North American Province into three separate provinces in 1939, there was a short period when expansion of ministries ceased.  However, Mother Lidwina Jacobs recognized that, despite any risks involved, it was necessary and desirable to respond positively to new needs.  Thus it was that when Father Michael Shaw, pastor of St. Michael Church in Warsaw, contacted her about purchasing the Farman Mansion to be “a center of religious witness in that strongly anti-Catholic region” she was willing to consider the possibility.  After some on-again, off-again maneuvers, the property was purchased for $2500.  The thirty-room mansion was renamed St. Anthony Hall.

It was no small feat for the new foundation to become self-sustaining. The plan was to use the extra rooms for women boarders, to offer music lessons, and to open a kindergarten. After several months of preparation, the sisters moved to Warsaw in 1942; that fall a Kindergarten class was begun. By 1943 the chronicler admitted that “until this time, our big house had remained empty, with only an occasional boarder to give us some extra work. Our appeal for permanent boarders had met with no response, except for a few odd cases which we could not accept. We often thought that God had other designs for us, and so we resigned ourselves and prayed. (With a new class of student nurses a the Wyoming County Community Hospital, more rooms were needed for them.)  When Miss Barber (the Director of Nursing) came to inspect the rooms on January 14, we were surprised at her change of attitude. This we attribute to Father Shaw, who had at our request talked to her and dispelled her fears about religious differences and had assured her that she would not have to worry about midnight parties and other violations of rules if her students were living at the convent.  Miss Barber was delighted with the lovely rooms . . . (and on January 21 we were informed) that she was planning on sending us fourteen students.  Since we were only prepared to accommodate eight students, we had plenty to do during the next few weeks.”

As was true in so many other cases, the sisters rose to the occasion.  With lots of hard work and many trips to bring necessary items from Stella Niagara, all was completed in time to welcome the first group of nursing students.  The kindergarten, too, began to thrive and an annex was soon built to provide more space for the larger class.  Within a few years additional grades were added and by September 1949 St. Michael School was opened in three army surplus buildings.  St. Anthony Hall remained the convent for the sisters until 1970 when finances necessitated its sale. 

From the chronicle of St. Anthony’s Hall, (St. Michael Parish), Warsaw, NY, and S. Urban Archer’s A History of Holy Name Province . . .

November Tidbits Through The Years

When looking through the annual chronicles from one year to the next and from one community to the next, one can’t help but be surprised at how many things happened in even a fairly quiet year.  Here are just a few November snippets:

1917-- In November a new electric line was laid to Fort Niagara, and we made use of the opportunity to install the same light in our institution which ‘til now had been furnished by our own plant.  The new installment cost in the neighborhood of $3000 but it saves an amount of coal.  Up to this time our whole system had been run by steam.  On account of the high price of coal, the new system saved money as now we needed coal only for the heating of the house.  The new system was in working condition by November 25. From Stella Niagara Chronicle

1932--A card party and dance was held by the alumnae at our academy on the 11th of November.  A crowd was present in spite of the inclement weather.  Due to the splendid management of our alumnae, the party was a complete success:  over $250 were cleared and handed over to help pay our interest.

 1934-- In November, with Reverend Mother Gerard's permission, we organized an orchestra among our pupils.  Availing ourselves of an exceptional opportunity, we purchased 20 violins and 2 cellos and 7 stands with electric light equipment.  We hope to defray all expenses by giving recitals. From  Chronicle of Sacred Heart Convent, Buffalo (translated from the German)

1936--The country was simply stunned at the results of the election in November.  Contrary to all expectations the Democrats swept the country and our beloved president Roosevelt, to the great joy of almost the entire nation was re-elected. From Chronicle of Sacred Heart, Columbus, Ohio

1996-- November 24  We held our early Thanksgiving supper.  Our guests were S. Theresio Setyowati and S. Maria Sri Hartati, our sister students from Indonesia; Mabel and Susan Spadinger; Pat Goodrich, Ritamary's sister, and her daughter Jessica; and our associate, Jo Ann Hoffman. From Mary Catherine Dekkers, Buffalo, Community Chronicle

2011—Saturday November 26  St. Catharine convent hosted a chili party for those Sisters from near and far who wished to watch the Ohio State-Michigan football game with us.  Sister Regina Snyder prepared the chili.  Unfortunately, Ohio State lost. From Chronicle of St. Catharine Convent, Columbus, Ohio

In Her Own Words

Back in May 2006, S. Joanne Fawls was doing some reminiscing. She decided to share her thoughts with the archives in order to contribute to our group story. As we look forward to our interprovincial chapter of mats next summer, I thought it would be appropriate to use her words and revisit the experience of an earlier time.

S. Joanne Fawls,

born Dorothy, November 15, 1919.

Entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Stella Niagara, September 7, 1937.

Received on August 16, 1938.

Professed on August 17, 1939.

Died at Mt. St. Mary Hospital, Lewiston, NY, January 9, 2010

In Her Own Words:

        Recollections of division of our coast to coast province into 3 provinces, namely Holy Name Province, Sacred Heart Province, and St. Francis Province.

 1.         At first, as a novice, I found the idea quite exciting. Everyone at Stella was involved in the personal decision to move or stay where she was. Looking back on the situation it must have been heartbreaking for many of the professed sisters to make such a choice. I probably prayed a little, thought a little, and rather easily chose to join the “San Francisco” province, because it seemed a great opportunity. The joy was short-lived, for Mother Rose Bennett quickly informed the novices that we had no choice. The novices would go or stay at the geographical location from which she had entered. So, that was that.

 2.         Next, my mind turned to the professed sisters who had taught me at Sacred Heart Academy.  Would Sr. Georgia Dunn leave us, or Sr. Geraldine Lauby, or would others go? What about our postulant and novice mistress, Mother Immaculata? Would even she choose to leave us?  It began to be a serious or sobering time.

 3.         Then, the realization that the novices and postulants from the mid-west and far-west (terms new to our way of thinking) would also leave us. That seemed the deepest blow of all.

 From the time I had entered the convent, Sept. 7, 1937, the women I had met soon became my very good friends. My fear of coming “to join the convent” was strong.  My certainty of wearing black stockings, going to bed early, being with straight-laced young strangers, etc. was quickly changed. The novices of 1937 were a group of exuberant, creative, kind, and welcoming ones.  How would it be without them?

 All in the novitiate soon came face-to-face with the reality. Our lives would be different. We were losing, as we said, the best of us. The westerners seemed to have an outlook on life that was different from we easterners. We were sometimes dubbed “sophisticated,” and the westerners a simple people in the best sense of the word. They were free in their thinking, clear in their outlook on life, accepting of others. They seemed to be as expansive as their geography. A few of the sisters who left were Sr. Bartholomew (Catherine) Leahey, Sr. Muriel Witte, Sr. Corine Habersetzer, Sr. Loretta Miller. 

 Many left before Christmas in 1938. It was a sad day at Stella Niagara, and one that has been long remembered.

 A joyful note to the above (is) that after a lapse of 50 years, some were re-united for a visit at Stella or in the west.

Answers to August's Quiz!

Answers to the quiz:

1.      Sisters Rosella Gillespie (Erie, PA) and Mary Schneider (Ontario) both ministered with L’Arche.  S. Caroline Golden worked in Buffalo with a group based on L’Arche principles, but it was not officially connected to L’Arche.

2.      Sisters Urban and Marilyn Archer both worked in Alaska.

3.      Sisters Estelle Laufersweiler and Marilyn Archer both served in Guam.  S. Madeline Chorman also went to Guam but spent just a couple of months there.

4.      M. Alphonse Kampshoff helped to establish the Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King founded in 1937 in Karachi.  She did this while a member of the general council.

5.      The Tiffin Franciscans were assisted in their reestablishment by S. Clotilde Aertker.

6.      Sister Aline Henderson turned down an offer to go to Outer Mongolia.

7.      Sister Erica Mildenburg  fled Nazi Germany.

8.      S. Imelda Hanshaw converted to Catholicism in Charleston, WV at age 35.  S. Alicia Prince was also a convert but she was somewhat younger—converting at 31 and entering the community at 32.

9.      S. Celia Kiesel is our only known military veteran.

10.  Sisters Rita Cammack, Deborah Lockwood, Anisia Schneider, Christina Pecoraro, and Corinne Halsema are the last five general ministers.  They were all from the Western Hemisphere.

A Quiz!

This month, From the Archives brings you a little change of pace—a quiz!  While working with the various files and collections, your archivist has come across what she thinks are interesting tidbits of information regarding our sisters.  Some of these items were reminders of things already known while others were totally new.  Check your memory bank, rack your brain, and try your luck.  For bragging rights, feel free to submit your answers to hnparchives@stellaosf.org. 

1.      Can you name two sisters who ministered with L’Arche?

2.      Do you remember which two sisters ministered in Alaska?

3.      Who can name two sisters who served in Guam?

4.      Which sister spent time in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan) helping to establish a new congregation of native sisters?

5.      S. Clotilde Aertker helped to “refound/reestablish” a congregation of sisters in this country.  Which congregation was it?

6.      Which sister declined an offer to travel to Outer Mongolia on behalf of the U.S. government to spend a year monitoring the Chinese-Russian conflict there?

7.      As a young woman, this sister fled persecution in Nazi Germany, emigrating first to Scotland and then the U.S. where she converted to Catholicism and entered the congregation.  Who was she?

8.      Another convert, this sister entered the Catholic Church when she was 35 and found her way to the Franciscans a few years later.  Who was she?

9.      Can you name the sister who (to the best of our knowledge) was the only member of Holy Name Province who was a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

10.  Can you name the last five general ministers (including the present one)?  What do they all have in common?

Stay tuned - answers appear next month!

A STEAM-SHIP IN DANGER

As the many groups of our sisters made the arduous trip from Europe to North America they faced all the maladies and dangers of late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries ocean voyages.  Mother Leonarda’s diary includes descriptions of her trip on the Funch:  six first class cabins and steerage accommodations for 400, stormy weather with waves so high they swept across the decks, and gathering on the lower deck for hymns and prayers.

Many other early sisters made the trip on the steamship Auguste André and not all trips were uneventful as the following article from the December 15, 1874, edition of the New York Times reports.

 A STEAM-SHIP IN DANGER

THE GERMAN STEAMER AUGUST ANDRE AGROUND IN THE LOWER BAY

— GRAVE FEARS FOR HER SAFETY. 

The steam-ship August Andre, from Antwerp for this port, went ashore on Sunday at 11:30 P.M., at Romer Shoals, situated in the Lower Bay, midway between Sandy Hook and Coney Island.  The vessel was hard aground and in a precarious position up to a late hour last night, and it was feared that if the wind, then blowing north-west, should change to north-east, she would be seriously damaged, if she was not totally wrecked, by the heavy seas which would break on her from seaward.  The Coast Wrecking Company, which was apprised of the accident early yesterday morning, immediately sent out the steamer Relief, under the command of Capt. Wolcott, and fully equipped with the necessary appliances for saving life and cargo, to the distressed ship.  The wreckers were unable to render much aid on account of the rough weather, but kept close in her neighborhood during the day sand night, hoping that the weather would moderate sufficiently to allow them to extend a helping hand.  At one time the stress of weather was so great that the Wrecking Company’s steamer was obliged to take shelter inside the Horseshoe.

The ship was loaded with a miscellaneous cargo, consisting of about 800 tons of sugar, a quantity of iron, and other articles such as are imported to this country from Antwerp.  There were also some passengers on board, among whom were a number of Catholic Sisters of Charity.  The latter, together with other passengers, have been taken from the ship, and have gone to their places of destination in this City.  A small portion of the ship’s cargo, the coast wreckers say, was thrown overboard, with the hope that she might be thus got afloat, but the sacrifice was unavailing.  It was believed last night that she would have to be lightened before she could be got off shore, but there were no fears of her safety, as she is a new and stanch vessel, unless, as has been stated, the wind should change to a stiff north-easter.  No fault is attached to the officers of the vessel for the unlucky accident, as the darkness of the night was intense, and it is supposed that she had got outside of the channel when she was struck on the shoals.  She was consigned to Funch, Edye & Co., and Mr. Edye was aboard the vessel nearly all day yesterday exerting himself to secure her eventual safety.  The steamer had a licensed pilot on board when she struck, and the accident will be made the subject of an inquiry by the Board of Pilot Commissioners.

The so-called “Sisters of Charity” were none other than our own Sisters Euphrasia Edelbrock, Aquina Mannefeld, Franziska Scheid (who would later make another hazardous journey to Brazil), Cypriana Gülker (who was later known for her ability to obtain free railroad passes for use of our sisters traveling back and forth across the country), and Clothilde Aertker (who later became the first official novice director for the North Americn Mission, 1893-1906).  The steamship Auguste André continued in service until 1879 when it was renamed the Helvetia and became a cargo vessel.  It sank off Cape Breton Island September 5, 1885.

1918-1919 Flu Pandemic

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.

Chronicles during 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic

“From the Archives” continues sharing some of the stories reported in our community chronicles in 1918 during the Spanish Flu Epidemic. The accounts speak for themselves.

  At the end of September an epidemic spread throughout all America and also visited our neighborhood. About forty of our children and six sisters were taken down with the sickness, the so-called “Spanish Influenza,” or better “The Black Plague.” Thanks to careful nursing and timely care and the special goodness of God, the epidemic left us in two weeks. Classes were continued without any disturbance. We ascribe this special protection of God to the fact that adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament is constantly being held here in Stella since the opening of the institution. May the Eucharistic Lord be our protection and strength during the present and future storm. (Stella Niagara Chronicle, 1918)

The new school year began on 3 September. As soon as we were settled to our work, the terrible influenza broke out in Buffalo. As a result of the proclamation of the mayor, the city was under Quarantine from 11 October-1 November. Even the churches were closed. Since the weather was favorable, we had Holy Mass on the first Sunday in the small schoolyard. The altar was placed on the porch of the parish hall and the general prayer and singing was very pious and devotional. On the following Sundays, the weather was not good and the ban on gatherings was tightened.

Everyone was happy when the churches were reopened on All Saints' Day. On the day after Election Day, on 6 November, schools started again, but with extended hours, in the morning until 11:45 and in the afternoon until 3:30. (St. Joachim, Buffalo, Chronicle, 1918)

  On 3 September, school started again with 365 children. Soon after, the Spanish Influenza entered the country, and the schools had to be closed on 10 October. Many of our children became ill, including our two priests. Mr. Kaplan and Rev. Curran succumbed to the disease on November 5, while the pastor slowly recovered. In November, the schools were allowed to be reopened, but soon had to be closed for the second time until 5 Jan. 1919. (Sacred Heart, Columbus, Chronicle, 1918)

  After the Christmas holidays the children came back and, despite all the fear of influenza, school could be in session continuously until the end (of the term.) (Sacred Heart, Columbus, Chronicle, 1919)

  We were spared from the influenza but were under quarantine for two months. (St. Ann, Columbus, Chronicle, 1918)

  On September 3 school was reopened with 400 children. Everything was going along in the best possible way when the influenza erupted and the schools had to be closed on October 14. On November 19 they reopened, but after only 7 days they closed again until the new year. The disease claimed many victims. Two sisters went for a week to care for a sick family. When the epidemic broke out in our orphanage, 5 sisters were working there. On Christmas afternoon the last of them came back. We were very happy to be all reunited, and immediately went to the chapel to thank the dear God through a "Te Deum" for his special protection. (St. John, Columbus, Chronicle, 1918)

On 10 October, (Forty Hours Devotion) was opened with a solemn procession. The conclusion was to have been equally solemn, but, because of the influenza, schools and churches had to be suddenly closed, and after the high office on Sunday, the Blessed Sacrament was reinstated without singing or procession. The white-clad children sadly went home, and the church and school remained closed for 5 weeks. On 18 November the schools were reopened, but after only a few days they closed again until the new year. Four of our sisters went to St. Vincent's during the Epidemic to care for the orphans. They stayed for 12 days, and returned home healthy and well on Christmas Eve. (St. Leo, Columbus, Chronicle, 1918)

  As the year had begun with jubilation, so it concluded with sorrow. At the Feast of the Immaculate Conception we had many visitors in the house. The following day it became apparent that someone had brought in the epidemic. Several little boys showed high fever. Although they were immediately separated, it went as lightning through the ranks of the boys and girls. In four days, 200 sick children and 8 sisters were already in bed. Sisters from all our convents in Columbus came to help us. As soon as it became known in the city, doctors, male nurses, and sisters of other communities hastened to help us. The superior of Mt. Carmel Hospital brought us several male nurses and all the necessary medicines, and brought us 16 gallons of fresh milk from their farm every week for weeks. By the end of the week, almost all the children and 21 sisters were in bed.

Both Sister Edward and Sister Narcissa then had lung inflammation, and the dear God saw fit to call both to eternity before Christmas. Our good Father Goldschmidt was also on the verge of death. The good Aachen sisters sent us one of their sisters, who fed him day and night, and with God's help made him eat again. By Christmas, the danger was over, most of the children and almost all the sisters were up again, and our other sisters were all able to return to their convents for Christmas Eve. For St. Vincent’s it was a sad Christmas because of the two sisters and seven orphans God called to himself. (St. Vincent Orphanage Chronicle, 1918)

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! SPECIAL EDITION “FROM THE ARCHIVES”

The current coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic has prompted many comparisons with the 1918-1919 so-called Spanish Flu pandemic.  Our own local community chronicles and congregational reports (written in German at that time!) did mention some aspects of how the flu impacted the lives and ministries of our sisters in the U.S. and around the world. 

As a result of the ever intensifying war, communication between the provinces, especially with the overseas missions, was made more difficult.  News arrived at the motherhouse only sparsely or in round about ways until after the ceasefire.

Everywhere has suffered directly or indirectly from the effects of the world war; everywhere, scarcity, lack of necessities and at times real distress were palpable.  Hardly a house of the congregation in East and West, in the South and North has been spared from the flu. Over land and sea it has walked like a deadly ghost.  No border enforcement, no blockade, no barbed wire, and no censorship could stop it.  In some places it has been dreaded as a rampant scourge, a black plague and, as the chronicles report, claimed numerous, even countless victims.  Even among our sisters, many both young and in advanced years have succumbed to it.  The death lists are almost twice as long in this last year than in the year before.*

 *According to the congregation statistics, in 1917 there were 35 deaths; in 1918, 71.

 The following deaths from influenza were registered in the North American Province:

S. Narcissa Evrard (22), novice, 12/21/1918  St. Vincent, Columbus

S. Edward Clawson (32), 12/24/1918  St. Vincent, Columbus

S. Thecla Gentner (24), 2/26/1919  Sacred Heart, Buffalo

S. Celestine Henry (45), 9/27/1919  St. Vincent, Columb

S. Gregoria Colonius (31)  [also appendicitis], 3/2/1920  St. Mary, O’Neill

From:  North American Province/Holy Name Province necrology

"Mount Carmel on the Fly, please!"

“Mount Carmel on Fly Street, please!” Do not these words ring familiarly to some of your ears? Can you not visualize a group of laughing, shouting, vigorous Italian children waiting for the “Sisters” to come? It is due to Father Schieder’s efforts that we have the children from 2:30 to 4:00 every Monday afternoon. The boys from the 5th to the 8th grade claim the basement as their classroom, while the babies have gone to the other extreme and now reside in the choir. This leaves the body of the Church free for the older girls, and the 3rd and 4th grades. This has been more than helpful, and although it is still awkward having two classes in church, it cannot be compared to the inconvenience of the past.” --From: 1942 “Chimes”

Some sisters may still recall the Italian (mainly Sicilian) parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It was located on the corner of Le Coutleux and Fly Streets in what was the Canal District of Buffalo. According to The Catholic Church in the United States of America, published in 1914, the parish was formed in 1906. By 1914 it was noted that the building was a combination church and living rooms for the clergy. The school had 709 pupils and “is in charge of the Sisters of St. Francis, 4 Sisters of Mercy (and) 2 lay teachers.” There were about 10,000 parishioners at the time and they were of “the poorer class of immigrants and less prosperous Italians as this church is at No 41 Fly Street on the lake front of the Canal Street district.” Another source notes that the church was “a religious and cultural center for the Italian community.” After a disastrous tenement explosion January 1, 1936, the neighborhood began to be “renewed” and over time was replaced by the current Marine Drive apartments, the Erie Basin Marina, the Naval Park, the I190, and the Skyway. The church, itself, was razed in 1949.

 According to the records in our province archives, the Sisters of St. Francis staffed Mt. Carmel School from 1919 though 1934. The sister faculty members lived at Sacred Heart on Washington Street and included the following:

S. Adrian Zenovieff, 1932-33/34

S. Augusta Hoefling, 1928/29, 1933/34

S. Boniface Hufnagel, 1919/20, 1927-30/31

S. Carmelita Darius, 1919-1921/22

S. Carmina Dattalo, 1932-33/34

S. Erica Hughes, 1919-21/22

S. Florence Southall, 1928-30/31

S. Hugh Burns, 1919-21/22

S. Lea Flowers, 1922, 1923-33/34

 Some years later sisters returned to the parish for religious education classes as noted in the excerpt above.