BV 
 
 4424 
 
 .L8 
 
 C34 
 
 190R 
 
/ 
 
 X CALL 
 
 FEMALE DIACONATE 
 
 '•ID OV Tills 
 
 MARY J. DREXEL HOMF 
 
 PHII^DEI-PHIA 
 MOTHERHOUSE OF DEACONESSES 
 
 1908 
 
V 4424 .1.U ^j4 1908 
 
 iA call to the female 
 
 '"' Hiaponate issued by the 
 
 ^^v OF pmcifs;^ 
 
 i4AR vo 1S99 
 
 ^fO(06ICAl SE>>^ 
 
 A 
 
A ('A M. 
 
 I'M: MALI-: 1)1 A cox AT 10 
 
 IXHIKH IIV Tl 
 
 MAKY .1. I)K»KXKL HOMK 
 
 IMI ILAI)i:iJMI I A 
 
 :ii(niiEHii()i SI-: :)f dkacoxessks 
 
 PH IKADKLIMI I A. PA. 
 
 PHII,AI)KI.PHIA : 
 
 Press of StiS(|ii(.-1iaiuia PrinliiiK Co.. IMI-IS N.irtli Tiiitli Slref-t 
 19<)8 
 
 ^RV OF PHlNCefi 
 MAR JO 1999 
 
To THK Rkai)i:k : 
 
 of the many activities of the Church, none seems to be less known and 
 more {generally misiimlerstood than the I"emale Diaconate. Persons inter- 
 ested in this work for years, have told the writer that they know little or 
 nothing about it. To the previous efforts of our IMotherhouse, the present 
 publication is added in the hope of giving the desired information and of 
 creating a sincere desire among the young women of our church to conse- 
 crate themselves to the Lord in this cause. 
 
 The call for deaconesses conies to our Motherhtjuse from congregations, 
 institutions and ^fission Boards, but it will be impossible to enter new 
 fielils of labor before our Sisterhood has been materially increased. Our 
 present work makes greater demands than in former years ; we need more 
 sisters for our hospitals and especialh' for our schools. In Germany not a 
 few public school teachers and others of superior education are among the 
 candidates for the Diaconate. Are the young women of our Church in this 
 country less devoted to the Lord, less ready to consecrate their life and 
 talents to His cause ? We believe not, and trust future developments 
 will justify this faith. 
 
 When parents begin to realize the great opportunities for their daugh- 
 ters in the Diaconate, and pastors rejoice to see one or more of the young 
 women they have been permitted to train for good work in their own con- 
 gregation, enter the larger field of activity, the Sisterhood will rapidly 
 increase and by its service in institutional and congregational activities, 
 prove a ten-fold blessing to the Church. 
 
 There are many flevout and capable young women waiting for the call 
 
 of the Lord to special service. Here is the call. May they respond 
 
 promptly, for the King's business requires haste ! 
 
 K. !•'. li. 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Palm Sunday, 1908. 
 
THL 5CRIPTURAL bASlS. 
 
 The I'ciiialc Diaconatc is one of the natural results of the 
 development of the Church, i^ven apart from the Scriptural 
 evidence of this oflicc in Ai)ostolic days, the settinj( apart of 
 Christian \v(»men for the visiting of the ])oor. the nursing of the 
 sick, the caring for the aged, and the training of the young, is 
 fully justilied and in coiniilete harmony with the s])irit of the 
 (lospel. A church intliftcrent to the ])hysical distros of her 
 memhers cannot he tnir \<> her Master, whtj fed the hungry, 
 healed the sick and comfortt-d the sorrowing. The Apostles, as 
 a matter of course, assumed the jjcrsonal responsihility for the 
 distrihution of food to the needy of the congregation, until their 
 manifold duties as spiritual leaders made it im])ossihle to meet 
 the situation to the satisfaction of all. "Then the Twelve called 
 the multitude of the disciples unto then; and said : It is not rea>on 
 that we should leave tlie Word of God and serve tahles. W'here- 
 fore. hrethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest re- 
 port, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint 
 over this business, but we will give ourselves continually to 
 prayer, rfnd to the ministry of the WOrd" (Acts : 2-4). The 
 office of the diac(Miate. to which the Seven were publicly set apart 
 by i:)rayer and the laying on of hands, was the result. We have 
 no reason to doubt that this exami^le was generally followed by 
 the whole Church. St. Paul gives Timothy further instructions 
 as to the qualification.s of deacons ( i Tim. 3 : 8-13 ). and even of 
 deaconesses, if the view of some of the best liible scholars is 
 correct, that ver.se 11 refers not to the "wives" of the deacons, 
 but simply to "women." as the Revised \'ersion literally trans- 
 lates this passage. That wt)men held such office is evident from 
 Rom. 16 : I. where St. Paul commends to the Church at Rome: 
 "IMiebe, which is a servant (Cireek: diakoiios) of the Church 
 which is at Cenchrea." He gives her the testimonial, that "she 
 hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also." Thus 
 Phebe, the first deaconess known by name, is in her humble min- 
 istrations a noble example to every Christian woman : and by 
 delivering this great epistle to the Romans, has deserved the last- 
 ing gratitude of C'hristentlom. The term "iliaconate" has become 
 the fixed designation for the mini>tration- of l'hri>tian li^ve under 
 the direction of tiie L'hurch. 
 
 •5) 
 
A BRILF HISTORY. 
 
 IX Till* ANCII-:XT CUTRCH. 
 
 While the deacons became ever more prominent oflficials in the 
 early Church, ultimately no longer "serving tables." the dea- 
 conesses remained within the original sphere of the office, and 
 in many ways humbly served under the supervision of the bishop 
 or jiastor. A most interesting proof of the general ad(»pti<>n of 
 the Female Diaconate by the congregations is found in an offi- 
 cial communication l)y I'liny, (^jovernor of the Roman province 
 Bithynia, in Asia Minor, reporting to the Emperor Trajanus 
 (A. D. 98-117) the result of liis attempt to learn some real facts 
 about this mysterious "sect." the Christians, whom he had been 
 instructed to persecute. "In order to get at the truth of the 
 matter." he writes. "I deemed it necessary to put to the rack two 
 maids, called by the Christians diacoiiissac : but I was unable to 
 gel anything out of them, save a most corrupt and boundless 
 superstition." In the "Constitutions of the Holy .\postles." parts 
 of which date back to the third century, repeated mention is 
 n-ade of deaconesses, their form of consecration is given and 
 their duties are outlined. Owing to the oriental custom of strict 
 separation between men and women, the deaconesses were almost 
 indispensable mediators between the women and the clergy. 
 Chrysostom. the celebrated bishop of Constantinople (397-407). 
 had more than one hundred deacons and forty deaconesses to 
 assist in providing for the jioor of the city, .\mong these f<:>rty 
 was Olympias. a wealthy young widow of noble birth, who in 
 order to become a deaconess, refused the Emperor's offer to give 
 her in marriage to his nephew, a young army officer. But already 
 the Female I^iaconate began to lose gr<nnid, especially in the 
 Western Church, where the women could freely meet their pas- 
 tors. The chief cause for its final extinction, however, was tlie 
 decline of the Evangelical faith in the Church and the conse- 
 quent rise of monastic orders, .\bout 1000 .\. O. the Female 
 Diaconate was a tiling of the past. 
 
 '7) 
 
FROM THK RKFORMATION TO FLIHDXKR. 
 
 The Refoniiation of the X\'I. century gave the (i()S])cl back 
 to the Cliurch and thereby made tlie revival of this truly Kvan- 
 gelical office possible. Luther recognized the blessing of such 
 consecrated service, but was too busy in other directions to seri- 
 ously consider the introduction of the deaconess into the Evan- 
 gelical Church. "\\ omen who love godliness, generally have the 
 special grace to comfort others and to soothe their pains." Hut 
 he also adds : "We have not the necessary persons for such an 
 office. Therefore, I will not trust myself to begin it until our 
 Lord God makes real Christians." In the Reformed Church 
 attempts were made at various times and places to re-establish 
 this office, but with no permanent success. God has TTis own 
 time for everything, and in His unsearchable wisdom He waited 
 until the XIX. century, and selected as His chosen instrument 
 for the revival of the Female Diaconate a humble and most 
 zealous young pastor at Kaiserswert on the Rhine. Theodore 
 Fliedner. The few Protestant families in this Roman Catholic 
 town were unable to support a church ; the government was al- 
 ready considering the advisability of dissolving this congrega- 
 tion ; they even offered Miedner, who received a salary of only 
 one hundred and eighty thalers a year, and who had his widowed 
 mother and her other children depending on him for support, 
 another charge. In the face of these desperate circumstances, 
 Fliedner gave evidence of his future greatness. With a faith 
 that moves mountains he carried out his jilan. and in 1823 went 
 to Holland, even to P^ngland, to raise the funds necessary to save 
 hi:> congregaticMi. Like Saul ( i Sam. 9), he found more than he 
 had sought. His faithfulness in a matter of minor importance 
 qualified him for one of the greatest and most blessed tasks of 
 modern Christianity. In both countries he came in touch with 
 men and institutions that greatly strengthened his own faith and 
 opened his eyes to the ])ossibilities of a faith working by love. 
 The institutions of mercy for the care of body and soul made a 
 lasting impression on him, that brought forth fruit a hundredfold. 
 On his return, he directed his enthusiasm first to the .study of 
 social evils, es])ecially to those of the pristMi in the neighboring 
 city of Duesseldorf. His request to be 'locked up with the prison- 
 ers for a month, in order to live with iheni and learn by j^ersonal 
 experiejice, was denied him by the authorities; but he was grate- 
 ful for the privilege granted to have a religious service with them 
 every other Sunday afternoon and meet them individually as 
 their spiritual adviser. In June. i<Sj6. he organized the Rhenish- 
 Westplialian Prison Society, which still exists and has been most 
 
succcs.sful ill iiitrtxlucinj,' ri'f<)riii> by tin.- ^incT' '' ■ « •iM-ratioii of 
 the Prussian king, Frederick William I\'. 
 
 PRELIMINARY STKPS. 
 
 i'lic'iliK-r's |»ris(tii work was inerely aiiotlier unciinsci«»u> >tep 
 towards tlu- l"emale Diaconate. What can be done with (Hs- 
 charged ])risoners. especially women, who desire to lead a new 
 life? was one of the most i)eri)lexing questions. The Prison 
 Society resolved to found an asylum for them, but no one knew 
 how nor where. l''iiially hliedner oi)ened his own home for this 
 pur])ose. His wife nobly assisted him. She was not merely a 
 remarkable woman, but also came into this work in a remark- 
 able way. Fliedner had fir>t endeavored to gain her as matron 
 for female prisoners, but her parents protested. Later, in 1828, 
 she became his wife, and as such was the first matron or Sister 
 Superior of a Deaconess Motherhouse. In Sejitember. 18^^^. the 
 first inmate arrived, and at the same time a friend of I-Miedner's 
 wife. Katharine (ioe])el. to take sjiecial charge of this work. 
 r.dth moved into the little garden-house, still standing in the rear 
 of the paxsonage. a stone structure with but one room ab*mt 10 
 feet square, and a small attic, that could be entered only by means 
 of a ladder from the outside. This attic was the bed-r(K)m of 
 the ex-])risoner. who soon shared it with another girl, while the 
 matron occupied the room below. This temi)orary arrangement, 
 forced u])on them by sheer necessity, has made this garden-house 
 the cradle of the great work now carried on by that first and 
 largest Motherhouse of Deaconesses. In 1835 another now prom- 
 itient work was begim in that same house — a school for little 
 children. To-day Kaiserswert has 54 Sisters in Kindergarten 
 work, while 26 are heliiing fallen women and ex-prisoners to 
 return ti) a life of virtue. 
 
 THE FIRST MOTHERHOUSE. 
 
 P>y thi> time I'liedner was fully convinced that >uch w(»rks 
 of mercy could be carried on successfully only by devoted women 
 proi)erly trained, .\inong the Mennonites in Holland he had 
 found women belonging to the best families, elected by the Church 
 Council of their congregati«Mi as deaconesses, assisting the sick, 
 the poor and any others in need of comisel or aid. lie at once 
 recognized the Scri]itural foundation and practical value of such 
 an institution employing the peculiar gift> "f woman. "How 
 unjust and unwise are, therefore, the other I'.vangelical Churches 
 in not a■^■^igning to their women a -pecific -^iivice in the care of 
 
10 
 
 the female poor, sick and prisoners I I low many \V(jmen. widows, 
 especially jjastors' widows and older virgins, wonld thereby have 
 a new and charming held opened up to them in drying the tears 
 of misery and in reconciling fallen women to their Saviour and 
 to the world, which without a specific call is largely forbidden 
 them by the restrictions of womanly modesty." Thus he wrote 
 in 1 83 1. Others had preceded him in expressing the desire for 
 the revival of the Female Diaconate, as Pastor Johann Adolph 
 Kloenne in an essay published 1820. and the noble Count von der 
 Recke \"olmerstein. In 1835 the idea was heartily endorsed by 
 Frederick William 1\'.. who wrote: "The revival of this ofifice 
 has been a cherished ideal with me for many years, for I am 
 confident that it is one of the many things which our Church 
 communion really needs and lacks." Still no one ventured to 
 make the beginning ; but when Fliedner. after imploring in vain 
 several men of greater prominence to uuflertake this work, found 
 the issue forced upon himself, he faltered not. By an act of 
 heroic faith he bought a large and suitable house in Kaiserswerth 
 for 2300 thalers, though at the time he had not a penny in hand. 
 The house was opened on October 13. 1836, as a hospital, and the 
 first patient admitted w-as a Roman Catholic servant. Gertrude 
 Reichardt, a physician's daughter, entered as the first deaconess. 
 To-day Kaiserswerth is still at the head of all the Motherhouses, 
 with its 1242 Sisters in 310 fields of labor in Germany and in 
 the Orient. 
 
 The twenty-fifth anniversary of Kaiserswert in 1861 was 
 marked by the organization of a General Conference of Dea- 
 coness Motherhouses for friendly consultation. This realized one 
 of Fliedner's fondest ambitions. Three years later he was per- 
 mitted to enter untn hi-- rot and lii> reward. lUit tlii> confer- 
 ence still meets every three years, and now numbers 84. Mother- 
 houses in FurojK' and .America, and about 18,500 Sisters in more 
 than 6f»50 fields of labor. 
 
 LOEHE'S INFLUENCE. 
 
 Of the nian\- men of ( "k id who fdllowed I'liedner's example, 
 none is of greater interest to us than W illKlm Lobe, who in 1837 
 became pa'^tor at Xeuendettelsau, in liavaria. .\ luan of deepest 
 personal piety, of great learning, of the strictest type of Luther- 
 anism and of broadest sympathies, he greatly enriched the Fe- 
 male Diaconate, when in 1854 he founded the Motherhouse at 
 Neuendettelsau and became its first pastor. His remarkable 
 originality made it impossible for him to simply adopt Fliedner's 
 ideas an<l methods; his Iriftv ideals, his strict adherence to 
 
II 
 
 cluirchly forms, lii> arli>lic IcinpcraiiK-iit. hi> m»iih.| practical 
 soiisi' and his tireless onerj^y have j,'ivcM to his Motherhouse a 
 peculiar excellence that still is a .source of hle-sing to the entire 
 cause. 1 lere perhajjs more than elsewhere the ideal of a thorough 
 intellectual training, with tleej) personal piety and absolute con- 
 secration, is approximately realized. A number of Sisters of the 
 Mary J. Orexcl Home have enjoyed some of the advantages of 
 the training given there. 
 
 THK LUTHKRAX DKACONEvSS ON AMERICAN 
 
 SOIL. 
 
 The tirst attempt to transplant the Female Diaconate to 
 America was made by the late Rev. W. A. Passavant, D.D., one 
 of the noblest and greatest men of the Lutheran Church in this 
 country. He had visited Kaiserswert in 1846. and must have 
 impressed Fliedner most favorably, for three years later this 
 father of the modern deaconess-work came to this country with 
 three Sisters for the hospital just founded by Dr. Passavant. and 
 took active part in the detlicatory services on July 17, 1849. 
 Though the growth of the Sisterhood was exceedingly slow, it is 
 worthy of note that the first American probationer, Louise Mar- 
 thens, wdio became a Sister in 1850. remained true to her calling 
 to the end of her life. She had been instructed and confirmed by 
 Dr. Passavatit. At the outbreak of the Civil War he went with 
 two of his Sisters to Washington, where they labored directly 
 under Miss Dorothy Dix, wdio had been authorized by the gov- 
 ernment to organize and superintend a staff of Christian nurses. 
 Pmth served with distinction and were soon in charge of most 
 important work. I'.ut after all, the Sisterhood did not prosper, 
 and finally was almost extinct. About a year before his death 
 ( 1894). Dr. Passavant made a second, and this time successful, 
 attempt t(^ found a Motherhousc in connection with the Passa- 
 vant Hospital in Milwaukee. Here the Rev. J. F. ( )hl, D.D.. did 
 pioneer work for five years. The present rector, the Rev. Her- 
 man L. Fritschel, has been in charge since 1902. The ."Sister- 
 hood now has 43 members. 
 
 The Scandinavians have taken up the deaconess-work with 
 vigor and success. The Norwegians have a Deaconess Hospital 
 in Brooklyn. N. Y.. since 1882, with 20 Sisters: a Deaconess In- 
 stitute at Minneapolis, with 19 Sisters, founded in 1888; and a 
 Deaconess Home and Hospital at Chicago >ince 1897, showing 
 a most encouraging growth and now numbering 56 Sisters. The 
 Swedish Lutherans have two Motherhouses. Rev. E. A, Fogel- 
 strom founded the Immanuel Deaconess Institution at Omaha. 
 
12 
 
 Neb., in 1888. and with its assistance the Kev. C. A. liultkrans 
 opened the I5ethesda iJeaconess I Ionic and 1 lo>i)ital al St. I'aul, 
 Minn., in 1902. This home rei)orts 20 Sisters, while the former, 
 under its present pastor. 1\ M. Lindherg. has 35 Sisters. A 
 Danish pastor, the Rev. V. Madsen. Iniilt a sanitarium for con- 
 sumptives at Brush. Col., in 1903. in which three Danish Deacon- 
 esses are at work and which, it is hoi)ed, will soon develop into 
 a Motherhouse. 
 
 The General Synod has a Deaconess Home and Training 
 School in Baltimore. Md.. since 1895. It is thus far the only 
 Motherhouse not directly connected with a hospital, but ])lans 
 are under way for the erection of a large building on its excel- 
 lently located and spacious grounds, that offer many possibilities 
 in the development of the work along several lines. The Rev. 
 C. E. Hay. D.D.. is in charge of this Motherhouse and its 28 
 Sisters. 
 
 Thus, including our own Motherhouse. we have in this coun- 
 try nine Lutheran Deaconess institutions, with a total of 292 
 Sisters; by the investing of those candidates completing their 
 course by Easter. 1908. the number will exceed 300. 
 
THE MARY J. DRE.XE.L HOML 
 
 AND 
 
 Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses. 
 
 AT THE GERMAN HOSPITAL. 
 
 Not the call oi the Church, hut the cryiug need of a hospital 
 was the occasiou for the introductiou of Lutherau Deaconesses in 
 I'hiladelphia. After repeated efforts, prominent (lernians of this 
 city had in i860 secured a charter incorporating the "German 
 llosi)ital of the City of Philadeli)hia." A suitahle building was 
 secured within a year, but the United States government used it 
 as a military hospital during the war, so that the corporation 
 could not begin its real work until the close of 1866. W'iien in 
 iHfyf) th(5 late John D. Lankenau was elected President of the 
 ISoard, that acti(Mi was of the most far reaching conse(|uences, 
 not merely to the German Hospital, but also to the Deaconess 
 cause in this country. More than a decade Mr. Lankenau had 
 endeavored in vain to rai.se the character and spirit of the nursing 
 staff, when he gratefully acce])ted the suggestion to place German 
 Deaconesses in charge of the internal management. He knew 
 very well that the success of this venture would depend on the co- 
 operation of the Church, and there ft)re. in the fall of 1882. pre- 
 vailed upon the Poard of Directors to have the charter amended 
 so that three of its members must be pastors in connection with 
 the Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania. The Revs. Dr. \V. 
 J. Mann. Dr. A. Spaeth and F. Wischan were the first clergymen 
 elected. Thus the way was opened for Lutheran Deaconesses. 
 President Lankenau. his friend, the German Consul of this city, 
 Mr. Chas. H. Meyer, and even Consul Raschdau. of New York, 
 endeavored to persuade a number oi the largest Motherliouses 
 of Germany to send Sisters to the German Hospital, but their 
 combined eft'orts, even a i)ersonal visit of Consul Meyer at Kais- 
 erswert, failed absolutely. At last. Pa.stor C. Ninck. of Ham- 
 burg, called attention to a small independent Sisterhood at Iser- 
 lohn. who, after considerable correspondence, consented to come 
 
 • «3) 
 
Jt)HN 1*. I.ANKKNAU 
 Born ill lliciiicii. March IS. 1H17 ; died.il lMiilacleli>hia AuKiist Mi, VX'l 
 
15 
 
 til tlii> (.iiuntiy. ( )ii JuiK- i<>, 1SS4, Si^tc-r Suprrior Mariu Kruc- 
 j,aT arrivfil in rhilaWflphia with Nix otluT Si>tcTN. of wlmm three, 
 Sister Maj^dak-iie vmi I'.racht. Sister \\ ilhelinine Dittinanii and 
 Sister Marianne Kraetzer. are still with us and in charge of 
 important work, ihc early period of their labors in the hospital 
 hrought many severe trials, esjjecially as the true purpose of 
 deaconess-service was not at all uuflerstood and, as might he ex- 
 pected, because some employed in the work of the hospital thu> 
 far were unwilling to submit to the authority now vested in the 
 Sisters. P.ut bather Lankenau was their staunch friend and sup- 
 porter, always grateful for suggestions made by the Sisters and 
 by the clerical members of the lioard. After the unavoidable 
 changes had been made, and the deaconesses were firmly estab- 
 lished, the hospital reachcfl and still holds a degree of excellence 
 In management and nursing hardly e(|ualled by any other hospital 
 in tile c\lv. 
 
 MR. LANKENAU'S MUNIFICENCE. 
 
 In February, 1885, the 1 'resident ai)i)ointed a special Dea- 
 coness Cpmmittce consisting of himself as president and treas- 
 urer; -Consul Meyer as secretarv : Rev. W. J. Mann. D.D. ; Rev. 
 A. Spaeth. D.D.; Rev. F. Wischan, Mr. J. C. File, Mr. J. II. 
 Tilge. Mr. (i. .\. Schwarz and Sister Superior Marie Krueger, 
 to further the special interests of the Deaconess-work. This 
 committee was soon convinced that the development and per- 
 manency of the Sisterhood demanded the establishment of a 
 regular Alothcrhouse. As Mr. Lankenau had already plannefl 
 t;» build a 1 lome for the Aged in memory of his departed wife. 
 Mary loanna, nee Drcxcl, he coml)ined both ideas and erected 
 on the spacious grounds he had bought for the German IIos- 
 ]>ital. opposite Girard College, the "Mary J. Drexel Home and 
 I'hiladelpliia Motherhouse of Deaconesses." one of the most 
 beautiful Motherhouses ever built. The ground was broken ."Sep- 
 tember 20, i88('), the cornerstone was laid by Mr. Lankenau him- 
 self with appropriate ceremonies on November li, and on the 
 6th of December, 1888, the magnificent building, completely fur- 
 nished, was turned over to the Fioard of Trustees of the Mother- 
 house by Mr. Lankenau. who at the same time promised to make 
 provision for its future maintenance and support. .\t the dedi- 
 catory services lieM in the l)eautiful chapel, the new rector, the 
 Rev. A. Cordes, who had already entered the work on August 
 7, was formally installed by the Rev. Dr. Spaeth, the faithful 
 past(^r of the Sisters up to the arrival of their own rector. On 
 that day the Sisterhood consisted of eight consecrated Deacon- 
 
i6 
 
 esses and 15 ])r()I)ati()iK"rs, besides five others in training for the 
 S\ve(Hsh Motherhouse at Omaha. Xeh. The first Sister Superior 
 did not hve to see this day ; she (Hed on the 30th of November, 
 1887. and had on May 26. 1888, been succeeded by Wanda von 
 Oertzen, a woman of rare abihty. Meanwhile, the new institu- 
 tion had also been i)laci'd under the management of a separate 
 corporation, independent of the German Hospital Board, three 
 members of which must, however, be elected members of the 
 Drexel Home Board, as both institutions are to co-o])erate in the 
 common cause of suffering humanity. During his lifetime, Mr. 
 John D. Lankenau remained President of both institutions, spend- 
 ing all his time and devoting all his wealth to the interests of both 
 alike. Bereft of wife and children, he became a father indeed 
 to the Sisters, sparing neither effort nor money to make life 
 pleasant for them in the midst of their labors. To this end he 
 also built for them the large and thoroughly equipped "\'illa 
 Lankenau," at Cape May Point, X. J., that our Sisters may spend 
 at least a part of their annual vacation at the seashore. When he 
 closed his long and blessed life at the age of 84 and w^as called 
 hence by the Lord on the 30th day of August, 1901, Mr. Lan- 
 kenau was sincerely mourned by the Sisters, by his co-laborers 
 and by all who had the privilege of knowing him. The German 
 Hospital and the Mary J. Drexel Home and Motherhouse of 
 Deaconesses were his sole heirs, enabling the latter thus far to 
 carry on this work of mercy without the financial aid of the 
 Church or of the general public. Should the development of the 
 work in future force us to incur expenses beyond our present 
 revenue, we are confident the Church will appreciate the blessing 
 going forth from our institution and will render all assistance 
 necessary. 
 
 THOSE IX CHARGE. 
 
 During the rectorate of Pastor Cordes, the broad foundations 
 were laid for the healthful growth of the Motherhouse. The 
 Home for the Aged, planned by Mr. Lankenau from tlic begin- 
 ning, receivetl its first inmates in 1889. A Cliildren's Hospital 
 was o])ened (tn May 15, 1889, a Girls' School on Se])teml)er i(), 
 i<S<;o, and a Kindergarten in October, i8(>3, all under the one roof 
 of the Motherhouse. lUit to the regret of the .Sisters and friends 
 of the Home, Rector Cordes returned to Germany in \X<)2. The 
 Rev. .\. Blum, who had been his able assistant for more than a 
 year, remained in charge until the Rev. Carl (^oedel arriwd on 
 July 4, 181^3, who successfully introduced the Kindergarten and 
 was the ])romoter of the "Conference of Lutheran Deaconess 
 
II()U>>fs ill AiiKiKa, i)rj;;iiiizc<l iii .Scpu-iiihcr, li<tjh. l>uriiij^ \w> 
 time the Sisterhood grew from 36 to 70. Uut he longed to re- 
 turn to the P'atherlatid, and resij^ned in the Spring of i(/y», leav- 
 inj^ this country on the follow inj^ 21st of July. Since Auj^ust I. 
 i()n(), the Rev. ICrnst I'. I'.achmann has Ix-en the jjastor of the 
 Motherhou^e. The jjresent Sister Superior is Sister Maj^dalene 
 Steinmann. who was inducted into her office on Whitsunday, 
 n;oi. Mr. Lankenau's able successor as President is His Honor. 
 |uil;L(e William 11. Staake. at all times closely identified with the 
 W(»rk (»f the Lutheran Church. es])ecially as Treasurer of the 
 (leneral Council. His wise manaf^^emeiit made is ])ossihlc for our 
 Motherliouse to purchase in March, i^o*^. the larj^e tri-an}.(ular 
 tract of land, with buildings, directly west of us. now use<l a> an 
 asylum for girls ; after some changes this will be most admirably 
 suited for the purposes of our schools, making all desirable de- 
 velopment possible from the Kindergarten to the .\cademic De- 
 partment. 
 
 NEEDED -MORE SISTERS. 
 
 \\ e^now have nine teaching Sisters, seven in the (iirls' School 
 (assisted by several salaried teachers), and two in the Kinder- 
 garten. Within the next twt) years our teaching force must be 
 materially increased. Auioiuj the many yoiiiu/ T».'<>/;/t';/ of our 
 LiitlicriDi i'luirch who arc i/radtiatcs from normal schools and 
 collcacs. arc there not some able and willing to consecrate their 
 talents to the Lord in this s{^ccial scr-rice/ At this writing our 
 Sisterhood has 50 consecrated deaconesses and 18 probationers. 
 Three candidates arc just completing the regular theoretical 
 course, and several others have been accepted for the next class. 
 While this is encouraging, it does not meet the ever-increasing 
 demands. These lines bring directly home to many of the young 
 women reading them, the Lord's (juestion and command: "Why 
 -Stand ye here all the day idle? Go ye also into the vineyard and 
 whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive." The Lord and His 
 Church hath nee<] of them. 
 
OUR WORK. 
 
 1 IiL' field tor llic I'duak- Diacoiialc i> a> hroail a> >anctific(.l 
 Innnaii sympathy. Xotliiiig t<> onmtcract sin an<l suffering is 
 outside of the sphere of the Deaconess, except puhhc i)reachin{^. 
 Her possibiHties are practically unlimited, from assisting in the 
 kitchen tt) the managing of a hospital or a ladies' seminary. This 
 makes it possible to develop and employ almost every talent of 
 any truly consecrated and willing woman. A brief survey of our 
 work will prove that. 
 
 IX tup: MOTHERHOl'SK. 
 
 in our si)acious Motherhou.se we have the Home for the 
 Aged, providing for about 40 men and women, under the super- 
 vision of a Sister. Our Children's Hospital, with a daily number 
 of 35-45, has treated more than 7500 patients. The .School for 
 Girls'has at present 8r pupils in ten classes, (ireat things may 
 be expected under (iod's blessing, when this school will have 
 been moved to the newly-ac(iuired property, where we will have 
 room for at least 200 pupils and students. Our Kindergarten 
 has about 75 pupils enrolled, and of late years has connected with 
 it a training school for Kindergarten teachers. 
 
 AT THIv HOSPITALS. 
 
 Most of our work is, of course, outside of the Mothcrhouse 
 The German Hospital needs most of our Sisters. \\ hen you 
 consider that about 3500 i)atients are admitted annually and 
 more than 48.000 visits are made to its dispensaries by others 
 unable to pay the fee of a regular physician, add the almost i i.ooo 
 calls a year made at the dispensary of our Children's Hospital, 
 and you have some conception of the vast amount of suffering our 
 Sisters help to relieve. The Easton I lospital, at Easton. Pa., is 
 also in charge of our Sisters, who reported y^^ patients last year; 
 here the number of serious accident cases is exceptionally large. 
 At Allegheny, Pa., our Sisters at the St. John's General Hospital 
 nursed 1321 patients. A Home for the .\ged and an C)ri)hans' 
 Home at Mars, Pa., belonging to the Joint Synod of Ohio, is 
 another of our imjiortant stations, 
 
 ( 19) 
 
20 
 
 PARIvSH SISTERS. 
 
 Pari>h-\\t>rk has always been considered the crown and glory 
 of the l^'eniale Diaconate. To our own sorrow and to the dis- 
 appointment of pastors and congregations, we have been forced 
 bv the lack of Sisters to refuse numerous requests for workers 
 in this sphere. Thus far we have been able to spare only six 
 Sisters for such work, and now have Deaconesses at Zion's, St. 
 Johannis and English St. John's church in Philadelphia; at 
 Zion's and St. John's in Easton, Pa., and at St. Paul's in New 
 York City. ]\lany other congregations are anxious to secure the 
 services of a well-trained Deaconess. Most of our Sisters are 
 glad to take u]) such work, though it is by no means a small task 
 to teach a Kindergarten in the forenoon or other classes in the 
 afternoon and emi)loy the other half-day in visiting the aged, 
 the inhrm. the destitute, the sick, and do them any service nec- 
 essary, in emergency remaining with the >ick oven over night. 
 Altogether a Sister makes perhai)s one tiiousand calls a year, be- 
 sides attending the meeting of parish organizations and ])robably 
 even teaching a class in Sunday-school. Any one will see at a 
 glance what an aid such a Sister is to the busy city pastor. 
 
 NEW FIELDS. 
 
 Tw(t new fields nf emine-nt usefuhKss were entered in 1907. 
 In January our Sister at St. John's. Philadelphia, could move 
 into the Luther Settlement llnuse. conducted by the Inner Mis- 
 sion Society, for the ])ur])()se of bringing Christian influence to 
 bear on the unchurched children of the neighl«)rh()od. She is at 
 the head of the resident family of workers, and with the noble 
 co-ojjeration of a large volunteer force, has been able to wield 
 an excellent inHuence on the more than one hundred l)ovs and 
 girls enrolled in the regular evening classes. 
 
 The other tield i-> the Kensington Dispensary for the Treat- 
 ment of Tuberculosis, b'rom its very inception one of our Sis- 
 ter^ has been connected with that work, doing what she could 
 while still a parish Sister in a neighboring congregation; but 
 since Eebruary. Kjoy. she is assigned to this work exclusively. 
 Within the six months ])receding this writing, the number of 
 patients treated at this dispensary has increased from ()T, to 
 exactly 163. with e\ery indication of ct)ntinuing growth. This 
 proves the sad necessity for such work in this densely ])opulated 
 f.';ctory district, but also the possibilities o])en to a trulv conse- 
 crated .^i-<ter. If phy-icians can be found to treat i)atients suffer- 
 
ing with this (head thscas*--, why shouK) a Christian woman shrink 
 from assistinj^? kc'a<l Matthew i6 : 25 and 2^ : 40. 
 
 This wide scope of our work is an evident advantage to the 
 Motherhouse and to the Sisters, whose special talents may thus 
 he utihzed. As a rule, assignment to preferred work is not to be 
 expected during the years of training, unless the candidate comes 
 to us as a specialist in nursing, in teaching or in music, in which 
 case this sj)ecial ability will receive all possible consideration. 
 
 DL5IRABLE, CANDIDATES. 
 
 TRYING SERVICE. 
 
 Xot all a])plicants are desirable candidates. We have no room 
 f<:)r vague dreamers and mere sentimentalists, though they be of 
 a religious turn of mind ; our work would awaken them to bitter 
 disappointment. We cannot admit women who have been fail- 
 ures in everything they ever tried and, as a last resort, are willing 
 to make a final experiment with the Diaconate. Xor do we desire 
 those who are tired of their ])resent work, and would turn to us 
 for a change and, incidentally, a home. These and similar con- 
 siderations can never grant the strength and cheerfulness re- 
 quired in this often arduous service : the novelty will sckiu wear 
 of^' and make it appear mere drudgery to all except such wlio. 
 as Mary of old. are ready to pour their costliest ointment even 
 over the feet of Jesus, /. c, to serve with their best gifts even the 
 humblest and lowest members of Christ. These only can be 
 gentle with an unruly patient, or bear with the odd whims of 
 the aged, or pray for an obstinate i)U])il. Even our best Sisters 
 cannot do this without crying constantly to the Lord for strength. 
 But these very difficulties are the means oi develoi)ing true Chris- 
 tian character to a degree elsewhere rarely possible. 
 
23 
 
 A Ilir.II STANDARD. 
 
 IX'sirabk' candidate arc single young wonicii or chili Hess 
 \vi»l«t\vs. between iS and 36 years of age, free from direct obli- 
 gations to their families. The parents' written consent is neces- 
 >ary. Were we to disregard tliis rule, we would have more Sis- 
 ters, but less blessing, for "obedience is better than sacrifice." 
 Should the parents at any time absolutely need their daughter, 
 though already a consecrated Deaconess, she is free to return t(j 
 them, either for temporary service in case of illness, rjr, if circum- 
 >tances deniand it, permanently. I'arents should exercise this 
 power in the fear of (iod, however, realizing that they arc re- 
 sponsible to (lod Jlimself for their decision. We have learned 
 (jf instances where parental objection has prevented young women 
 from entering this calling and has made them unhappy for the 
 remainder of their life. Such objections are hardly justifiable 
 in the face of the fact that Sisters receive a most thorough relig- 
 ious and generally also professional training, and are better pro- 
 vided for in sickness and in the infirmities of age than in almost 
 any other position in life. 
 
 A common school training is sufficient, but a higher educa- 
 tion is an advantage. \\ illingness and ability to learn are essen- 
 tial ; these will, with the educational atWantages offered here, 
 soon overcome the deficiencies of former training. The reputa- 
 tion of a candidate nuist be imblemished anti her character above 
 rejjroach. In her (lisj)osition the candidate should be unassum- 
 ing, modest, cheerful, willing to bear with others and an.\iou> 
 to burden no one, ready to serve others, but asking no favors for 
 herself, (iood health and power of enilurance are as necessary 
 to this end as truly Christian sentiments. 
 
 ( )ur Motherhouse is Lutheran and can admit only such can- 
 didates as are communicants of the Lutheran Church and mem- 
 bers in good standing of some Lutheran congregation. E.xcep- 
 tirjns can be made only in case a candidate has a sincere desire 
 to join the Lutheran Cluirch indepen<lent of her relation to our 
 Motherhouse. 
 
 THIC SOLRCK OF STRKXC.TH. 
 
 l-'inally. the motive for entering this noble work must be grate- 
 ful love to the Saviour and the desire to serve Him under the 
 guidance and directions of our Motherhouse. ."^elfish interests 
 will be a source of constant trouble. Though hidden, they are 
 like the clay and iron feet of Xebucadnezzer's glorious image 
 ( Dan. 2). a miserable and dangerous foundation to a magnificent 
 
24 
 
 superstructure, unable to w'thstand the shock that will surely 
 come S(-oner or later. \\ hile we do not expect a candidate to be 
 perfect in this or any other respect, we do expect her to honestly 
 and persistently strive to attain perfection. St. Paul is our 
 exani]>le, with his noble confession, Phil. 3 : 7-15; and Christ 
 Himself the source of our strength. John 15 : 1-13. These pas- 
 sages are well worth memorizing and should be the basis of fre- 
 quent meditation. 
 
 The Word of ( iod as read every da}' in connection with our 
 family worship at the breakfast table, at the X'esper service in 
 the Chai)el. and in the quiet half-hour during the day. will not 
 fail to prove its power to the spiritual advancement of the devout. 
 Our Sunday services. German in the morning and English in the 
 evening, endeavor to meet the requirements of all. while the 
 weekly iJible study and the monthly "Diakonie-P)etstundc" lay 
 the emphasis on the special needs of the Sisters. In this way, 
 and by frequent communion services, the Means of Grace are 
 offered as fully as only institutional life can make it possible, for 
 a better self knowledge, for a stronger faith, an ever i)urer motive 
 of service and for a closer walk with God. 
 
 THL COURSE, OF TRAINING. 
 
 IN THE CLASS-ROOM. 
 
 ( )n entering the .Motlierhouse. ])referahly between Ma}- I and 
 October 1. the candidates are placed in charge of the Training 
 Sister ( Probe-Meisterin ). who though their immediate supericjr, 
 is much more their teacher, friend and constant adviser. She is 
 a Sister of good judgment and mature character, attending con- 
 stantly to the welfare of her class. The candidates may be as- 
 signed to practical work at once, but during the course of instruc- 
 tion assist onl} in the morning until 10 o'chx^k. .\fter a quiet 
 half-hour for devotion in the cha])el, the class-work begins at 
 I I and continues until 5 o'clock, with an hour's intermission for 
 dinner. Tlie evening is devoted to prepaj'ation for tlie next day's 
 
25 
 
 classes. Wednesday afternoon i> j^iven to recreation. I'lie pur- 
 pose of the course is twofold, intellectual traininj^ and deepening 
 of spiritual life. If necessary, even the elementary brancho, 
 reading, writing and arithmetic, are reviewed, the la>t inclu'ling 
 a simple system of bookkeeping; ( ierman and ICnglish grammar 
 are taught, a>^ also geography, history, and the rudiments of ana- 
 tcmy and physiology. The religious subjects include Luther's 
 Catechism, llible history. Church iiistory. 15ible studv. the Doc- 
 trines of the Church, and an outline of the work and development 
 of the Diaconatc. Memorizing hymn< and passages from the 
 Scriptures is also very imjjortant. The course begins in October 
 and is concluded with an e.xamination on the Wednesday of Holy 
 Week. The candidates are then invested. /'. c, they receive the 
 Sisters' garb at a sim])le service, at the same time promising (»bedi- 
 ence to the I'astor and the Sister Superi(jr (Oberini. and the ol)- 
 servance of the general rules of the house. Xcnv they are "Proba- 
 tioners." ready to have their fitness for the Female Diaconatc 
 tested by actual service. Thus the "Course" ( Kursus ) is merely 
 of a pre])aratory character. (|uickening their intellectual powers 
 and their spiritual life for the severer tests that follow. 
 
 A PERIOD OF PROBATION. 
 
 Each ])robationer is now assigned to some specific work under 
 the sujiervi.sion of an experienced deaconess, preferably in the 
 hosijital, as no other form of work demands such close attention 
 and gives such varied experience. She works side by side with 
 the pupils of the Nurses' Training School of the (ierman Hos- 
 pital, and with these attends the lectures given by the doctors. 
 While the nurses graduate at the end o-' their three years* course, 
 the probationer continues at the hospital, constantly rising by her 
 exi)erience until she herself becomes qualified t(j take charge of 
 stations and to train others. Should she be more gifted for other 
 work, or even prove inefficient for nursing, some other sphere 
 of usefulness will be found for her. Deaconesses are taught the 
 truly Christian principle that no work is low and degrading: all 
 is honorable, as Lohe is said to have so beautifully expressed it: 
 "If ( iod should send two angels to earth, one to rule a citv. the 
 other to sweep the streets, both would ol)ey with ecjual cheerful- 
 ness, recognizing their work to be of ultimate equal importance." 
 Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3^: how then dare a Christian 
 shrink from any form of manual labor as menial? During these 
 years of probation the Sisters gather once or twice a week for 
 further instruction liy the I'astor or the Sister Superior, as also 
 for s])ecial llible study, except during the Summer. 
 
THE COXSKCRATED DICACOXKSS. 
 
 In the cuursc of tivc or six \car.s the prohatioiicr. as well as 
 her superiors, have conie to quite definite conclusions as to her 
 w iilingness or fitness to make the Uiaconate her life-work. Those 
 not yet ready to decide, may wait one or more years longer; the 
 others are received into the Sisterhood by consecration, usually 
 at I'entecost. (Jne week previous they enter a special ccnirse of 
 instructicMi and meditation, all centering; in the WOrd of God. The 
 service of consecration is most impressive, but the Sisters even 
 now take no vow binding them for life, but most solemnly 
 promise to faithfully serve the Lord and submit to the directions 
 of the Motherhouse. This latter promise is necessary to assure 
 the successful working of the institution. No army, no force of 
 workmen, no business house can succeed without obedience to 
 those in authority. Diso])edience was the first sin ; obedience is 
 the keynote of the life of our Saviour (Phil. 2:8), and must be 
 that of all w'ho would follow and serve Him. The obedience 
 asked and the work expected of a Deaconess never exceed the 
 absolute necessity of the case and are not more exacting than in 
 most other useful walks of life. We must not overlook the fact 
 that the deaconess is the "daughter" of her Motherhouse, and 
 while she is expected to serve wherever she may be needed, she 
 has the assurance that she is provided for under all circumstances. 
 Worries caused by sickness or advancing age have as little place 
 in her life as those of her dress. She wears the garb adopted 
 by her Motherhouse, in nur case quite similar t(^ that plain and 
 becoming style worn by townswomen in Northern Germany at 
 the time the Female Diaconate was revived by Fliedner. Thus 
 she is free to give her entire attention to tlie service of her 
 fellowmen and to the develo])ment of her own spiriual life. Her 
 quarterly allowance of "pin money" is sufficient to cover all her 
 incidental expenses, and generally enables her to lay a little asi<le 
 for her next vacation. If her per.sonal interests make a long and 
 expensive journey necessary, the Motherhouse will aid to make 
 that possible. Her life is by no means as monotonous as some 
 surmise. She shares the joys as well as the work of the ^lother- 
 housc. and by the Grace of God may be S(^ happy in her calling 
 tliat the thought of leaving the Sisterhood will never seriously 
 enter her mind. She realizes her greater opportunities for useful 
 service as for s])iritual growth. She knows her life is of real 
 value to f)thers and is not wasted in trivial aflfairs. useless if not 
 actually harmful. .She is in the world, but not of the world. 'S'et 
 she docs not consider herself more holy than other Christian 
 women, but looks for her salvation to Tesus Christ onlv. (irate- 
 
27 
 
 fill lor lli^ riikcmiii}^ \i>\\, >\k- consecrates herself to His ser- 
 vice as lii> handmaid, read)' to die- fr»r Him if needs he. She 
 looks for no },'reater reward than that the Lord might approve of 
 her service, with the -^iniple word: ""She hatli done what she 
 conld." 
 
 DIRLCTION5 FOR APPLICANTS. 
 
 Any young woman doiring to apply for a<lmis.>ion to our 
 Sisterh<jo(l. should calmly and |)rayerfully consider the difficulties 
 as well as the greater possiI)ilitie> of the Dcacone>> calling, and 
 ask the Lord for light and guidance. H convinced of the single- 
 ness of her i)urpose to serve the Lord in this important si)here, 
 she should write to the Mary J. Drexel Home. 2100 South Col- 
 lege avenue. Philadelphia. I'a., stating her intention and her prob- 
 ahility of meeting the necessary re(|uirements. She will then he 
 informed when to forward the following ])apers: i. .\ sketch of 
 her life, written by herself; 2. .\ certified copy of the record of 
 her liaptism and confirmation : 3. The written consent of her 
 parents., or if a minor, of her guardian; 4. A certificate of good 
 health from her physician; 5. A separately sealed testimonial 
 from her pastor. If these pai)ers are approved, she will receive 
 notice a> to the time she mav enter. 
 
T'Ott- 
 
1 1012 01233 0926 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 (7^^ 
 
 
 
 •<:...... 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GAYLORD #3523PI Printed in USA 
 
diaconate issued by the