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 THE LIBRARIES 
 
A Story of Fifty Years. 
 
Nisi Dominus aedificavent domum, in vanum 
 laboravemnt qui aedificant earn. 
 
"ORY 
 
 FiFTV EARS 
 
 From the 
 
 ^nnctl- of the Congregation 
 
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 NOT<^E OAM«i. INDIANA 
 
 THE A \/ i~ IVi A !P I A 
 
ST. MARY'S, NOTRE DAME, INDIANA. 
 
STORY 
 
 OF 
 
 FIFTY YEARS 
 
 From the 
 
 Annals of the Congregation 
 
 of the 
 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 
 1855 - igoS 
 
 WITH lUUUSTRATIONS 
 
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 NOTRE OAM«^.- INOIANA 
 THE. AVe MARIA 
 

 -ycih^] 
 
 — BECKTOLD — 
 
 PRINTING & BOOK MFG. CO. 
 ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
Jerusalem beheld the Cross divine 
 
 Uplifted, where her children all might see 
 The outstretched branches of the fruitful tree 
 
 From which was spilled Redemption's precious wine. 
 
 It gleamed across the dawn, and Constantine 
 Before its glory bent his royal knee, — 
 A fairer conquest than the victory 
 
 Then promised through the power of that Sign. 
 
 With all the majesty of Calvary's hill. 
 And all the glory of the Roman sky, 
 Unchanged in promise of a gain in loss, 
 The sacred Sign leads on an army still ; 
 
 O'er all this Western land its pennants fly, — 
 The army of the Sisters of the Cross. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The; historical data presented in these pages which set 
 forth the glory of God's power by the ministrations of His 
 servants, might be entitled Gesta Dei per Sorores a S. 
 Cruce. God's works are easily distinguished from the 
 works of man ; for human success in these works is but the 
 evidence of divine activity. 
 
 Fifty years have passed away since the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross began their labors in this land of promise. 
 What has been the result? Professed sisters, scholastics, 
 novices and postulants, nearly one thousand in number, at 
 present minister in convents, academies, parish schools, hos- 
 pitals, and orphan asylums to the needs of something like 
 ten thousand members of the human family. Read the 
 pages here presented and be convinced that this is indeed 
 God's work. 
 
 How inadequate must appear the means when compared 
 with the results secured ! Philosophically speaking, nothing 
 can be in the effect that is not in the cause. The results 
 brought about by the Sisters of the Holy Cross point to 
 God in their labors, the all-sufficient Cause. 
 
The most important field of their activity is education. 
 Christian education is the need of the hour. The future of 
 religion and morality must rest on Christian education. 
 We are happy to affirm gratefully that the various religious 
 communities, and in particular the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross, have been instrumental in fostering this great 
 work. We do not go too far when we say that without these 
 religious communities Christian education in this country 
 would be impossible. Never could our poor people pay lay 
 teachers the salary they must receive to be able to live. Our 
 Sisters can live on almost nothing, thanks to their vow 
 of poverty. They work faithfully and conscientiously, 
 thanks to their vow of obedience. They forego the pleas- 
 ures and comforts of life, thanks to their vow of chastity 
 and mortification. For God's love they give themselves and 
 all they have to the great cause of Christian education, and 
 thus render that most necessary work possible. 
 
 The providence of God has created religious Orders to 
 supply the needs of the Church. Within the last decade 
 Catholic schools have multiplied wonderfully all over the 
 land. In proportion as these schools increase numerically. 
 Sisters must be provided to teach in them. It is God's 
 work. God calls His own, gives them the vocation. And 
 yet there seems to be a dearth of vocations in this country. 
 All the religious communities complain that there are not 
 enough vocations to supply the steadily increasing demand. 
 Upon the most reasonable supposition that God gives the 
 vocations necessary to carry on His work, we are forced 
 to conclude that many vocations are lost. Lostl through 
 
 viii 
 
whose fault? Pastors, directors of consciences, teachers, 
 parents, frivolous youth, an alluring world, might give the 
 answer. 
 
 Not in the school-rooms only, but on the battle-field as 
 well, have we seen these Sisters, and in the hospitals and in 
 the asylums for those who are homeless and friendless. 
 How truly great and noble these Sisters are! 
 
 To read the history here presented will certainly beget 
 admiration and arouse applause well merited. Still, there 
 is that inner life of the Sister, to which I must allude, a life 
 known to God only, and which cannot be reproduced in 
 print or picture. A spiritual effect cannot be analyzed, 
 though we feel it as an atmosphere and see it written on the 
 countenances that reflect peace within. 
 
 In conclusion, may the Royal Psalmist's words apply to 
 the Community of the Sisters of the Holy Cross: Specie 
 tua, et pulchritudine tua: intende, prospere procede, et 
 regna! 
 
 
 
 uc 
 
Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction vn 
 
 fobewoed 1 
 
 Humble Beginnings 5 
 
 The Community in the New World 15 
 
 The Sisters at Berteand 26 
 
 Development of Community at Bertrand 39 
 
 Some Successes and Failures 52 
 
 The Founding of St. Mary's 63 
 
 Relations with France and Notre Dame 77 
 
 ■t^he Civil War Period 89 
 
 In Ways of Peace 114 
 
 An Exemplar of Faith and Zeal 123 
 
 Mother Angela 133 
 
 St. Mary's, the Mother-House 148 
 
 St. Mary's Honor-Roll 160 
 
 A Period of Quiet Progress 180 
 
 bT. Mary's To-Day 193 
 
 St. Mary's To-Moreow 213 
 
List of Illustrations. 
 
 St. Maby's, Motheb-House of the Sistebs of the 
 
 Holy Cboss Frontispiece 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Veby Rev. Basil Mobeatj 5 
 
 Veby Rev. Edwabd Sobin 15 
 
 St. Maby's, Bebtband, Michigan 27 
 
 OuB Lady of Consolation 39 
 
 St. Joseph's Chubch, Bebtband, Michigan 47 
 
 FiBST Buildings at St. Maby's, Notbe Dame. (1855) 63 
 
 Chapel of Loeeto 83 
 
 NoETH Campus and Tennis Coubts 97 
 
 Riveb Views Ill 
 
 Bend of the Riveb at St. Maby's. — Appboach to the Academy 115 
 
 Community Chapel 119 
 
 View fbom West Obchabd 129 
 
 Mothee Angela 133 
 
 Stile at Westebn Appboach to Notee Dame. — St. Maby's 
 
 Enteance, and Main Avenue 151 
 
 conatent and novitiate 155 
 
 Community Cemeteby 161 
 
 Familiab Scenes 165 
 
 St. Joseph's Hall, Academy and Novitiate 183 
 
 St. Angela's Hall (Gymnasium) 189 
 
 Favoeite Walks 197 
 
 Collegiate Hall 205 
 
 East Campus 209 
 
Foreword. 
 
 4t * * 
 
 It is a generally accepted fact that the early years 
 of life determine a man's career. Given his ances- 
 try, the bent of his mind as shown forth in child- 
 hood, the record of his youthful training and envi- 
 ronment, and we know the man. So with an organ- 
 ized body such as a religious congregation, the 
 history of its early years determines in no small 
 degree the future of the community. Given its 
 founders, its constituent elements, its primal object, 
 and the earliest application of the governing prin- 
 ciples of the organization, and, with little philoso- 
 phy, the student of conditions becomes a prophet. 
 
 This fact it is which permits us to dignify with 
 
 the name of history the records of an organization 
 
 which, as time goes, is still young. Fifty years is 
 
 not long; and yet, because they were foundation 
 
 years, because they marked the beginnings of an 
 
 influence the potency of which is daily increasing, 
 
 because they show the traits, inborn and acquired, 
 
 1 
 1— 
 
2 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 manifested in the early days of the community, 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross may celebrate as a 
 Golden Jubilee the fiftieth anniversary of their foun- 
 dation at St. Mary's, and, because of the promise 
 for the future contained in the past, mould their 
 annals into the more formal shape of history. 
 
 And here the question presents itself — What con- 
 stitutes the history of a community? Is it the gen- 
 eral official acts of the various administrations? Do 
 continuous records of material growth and finan- 
 cial standing, or statistics setting forth numerical 
 fluctuations as to members and establishments, con- 
 stitute its history? These are essential factors, the 
 framework, indeed, in some cases, the fibre and 
 muscle; but the real life of a religious body is as 
 vital yet as elusive, as intangible yet as real, as is 
 the germ of individual life which bafiles the scien- 
 tist. 
 
 The history of the Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 includes, then, the official acts of all those who have 
 at various times been intrusted with the adminis- 
 tration of its afifairs, as well as the individual acts 
 of those in the ranks whose influence in the shaping 
 of the community has been exercised at the teach- 
 er's desk, in the multifold duties of domestic occu- 
 
FORI^WORD 3 
 
 pations, in the care of the orphan, in the ministra- 
 tions of the sick-room, or in silent watches before 
 the altar. It embodies the efforts, physical, intel- 
 lectual and moral, of every member of the Congre- 
 gation, from the day of its founding ; not only that, 
 it holds in its completeness all that the community 
 has done in the way of inspiration and of influence. 
 Who, then, shall write its history? 
 
 There is an outer life of the Congregation, how- 
 ever, which is in a large sense a revelation of the 
 inner, the true life ; a life made up of the expression 
 in word and act of the spirit of the community, a 
 life recorded in achievements more or less signifi- 
 cant. This we find embodied in the Annals from 
 which we select the points of narrative, briefly and 
 in merest outline, set forth in the following pages 
 as the story of St. Mary's, the Mother-House of 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the United States. 
 And only the story may be given to-day. The 
 Annals are indeed voluminous and contain much of 
 general interest and edification. But we are too 
 close to what constitutes the past to use the records 
 as history. When time shall have eliminated some 
 of the personal element that necessarily enters into 
 the archives of a period, and when it shall have 
 
4 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 softened hard lines and blotted out weak and faulty 
 ones, the history of St. Mary's will be written. 
 Then will the honor-roll of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross be given to the world ; then will their heroism, 
 their self-sacrifice, receive full recognition; and 
 then, as viewed in the distance, will actions be 
 seen in true proportion. In the meantime, while the 
 history of St. Mary's is in the making, this sketch 
 is offered as an earnest of that later story, which 
 shall speak of large outlook and calm, impersonal 
 judgment. 
 
« f^**^f»nf otted out weak and faulty 
 
 of St. Mary's will be written. 
 lonor-roll of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cros5 ne given to the world ; then will their heroism, 
 their self -sacrifice, r< "uil recognition: and 
 
 then, :•■'"' 
 
 , - ... ..t-.ry's is i; ., . 
 -.*d as an earnest of that late 
 shall speak of large outlook and calm, impersonal 
 judgment. 
 
Humble Beg-inning-s. 
 # # ^ 
 
 1855 marked the foundation of St. Mary's, Notre 
 Dame, Indiana, the Mother-House of the Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross; but, fully to understand the 
 nature of the enterprise implied in such a founda- 
 tion, and fully to appreciate the difficulties involved, 
 it will be necessary to outline briefly the history of 
 the Congregation in its humble beginnings in 
 France and in its first decade of years in this 
 country. 
 
 The Napoleonic period in France was followed 
 by a half century of religious activity, remarkable 
 for its spirit of ardor even in that land of apostolic 
 vocations where exalted piety, earnest zeal and 
 generous self-sacrifice have ever been characteristic 
 of her sons. One easily recalls the names of Orders 
 which, during this religious renaissance, had their 
 origin at Paris, Lyons, Aix, Angers and other 
 favored places : the Marists, the Clerics of St. Via- 
 teur, the Sisters of Providence, the Brothers of 
 
 5 
 
6 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ye:ars 
 
 Christian Doctrine, the Sisters of Bon Secours, the 
 Ladies of the Assumption, the Little Sisters of the 
 Poor, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and a score 
 of others ; and it is worthy of note that most of the 
 congregations formed at that time combined the 
 offices of the active and the contemplative life, as 
 expounded by the older Orders of the Church, the 
 secular clergy themselves showing forth in the 
 works of their ministry the fruits of a truly interior 
 spirit of sanctity. 
 
 In the city of Le Mans, Le Grand Seminaire was 
 a centre of piety and zeal ; and the worthy Bishop, 
 Mgr. Bouvier, was a constant encouragement in 
 both word and example to the priests of his diocese, 
 holding ever before them as a motive of inspiration 
 the greater glory of God, the salvation of souls and 
 the good of Holy Church. Among his devoted 
 priests was the illustrious Abbe Moreau, Canon of 
 the Cathedral of Le Mans and Professor of Divin- 
 ity in the Seminary, who, because of his profound 
 learning, singular eloquence and boundless zeal, was 
 often called upon to preach retreats. The efficacy of 
 the Abbe Moreau's labors led the Bishop to author- 
 ize him to form a society of clerics, that the work of 
 conducting retreats might be furthered; and this 
 
HuMBi,^ Be:ginnings 7 
 
 first little body of preachers, five in all, began to live 
 a regular community life in the Seminary, where 
 they remained for more than a year. This begin- 
 ning was made in 1834. A little before this, an 
 organization of young men, who, without aspiring 
 to the holy priesthood, wished to consecrate them- 
 selves to the salvation of souls in the work of educa- 
 tion and of charity, had been officially recognized 
 by Mgr. Bouvier under the title of Brothers of St. 
 Joseph. Circumstances, let us rather say Provi- 
 dence, so ordered things as to bring about a union 
 of these two societies, whereby the primal object of 
 each might be carried out, and at the same time a 
 mutual advantage be gained. The new society was 
 called "The Association of the Holy Cross," a name 
 particularly suited to followers of Christ, whom 
 they were to preach in their words as in their works ; 
 and the first institution of the new Congregation 
 founded at Le Mans, in 1836, was called the Col- 
 lege of Holy Cross. 
 
 In every work of charity and zeal undertaken by 
 the Church of God, one has not far to look for "the 
 devout female sex" ; so to this little body of laborers 
 in the Lord's vineyard there soon were drawn sev- 
 eral pious young women, desirous of devoting them- 
 
8 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 selves to religion, and of sharing in the works of 
 charity and zeal of the new community by serving 
 the priests and brothers of the Holy Cross. Their 
 providential offer of service in domestic lines was at 
 once accepted, and it came as an inspiration to the 
 saintly Abbe Moreau to establish a third branch of 
 the Association, a sisterhood, "to co-operate with 
 the other branches in their pious labors, and to labor 
 themselves in a particular manner for the benefit of 
 the youth of their own sex." This seemed to be an 
 ideal condition for great results in spreading the 
 advantages of Christian education among all classes, 
 and the zealous founder announced his design to the 
 little band of humble volunteers. God seemed to 
 bless the project, and subjects presented themselves 
 in such numbers as more than to justify the Abbe 
 Moreau's hopes. 
 
 The first candidates for the new Community re- 
 ceived the Habit at the hands of the founder on 
 September 29th, 1841, in the Convent of the Good 
 Shepherd at Le Mans ; and there was a special sig- 
 nificance in the names given to the first four relig- 
 ious of the Congregation of the Seven Dolors, as it 
 was then called :— Sister Mary of the Holy Cross, 
 Sister Mary of the Seven Dolors, Sister Mary of 
 
HuMBi^E Be:ginnings 9 
 
 the Compassion, and Sister Mary of Calvary. 
 Surely these privileged souls could not forget the 
 object of their little band, as understood then, and 
 formulated in later years, in the opening chapter of 
 their book of Rules : 
 
 The chief aim of its members is to study the glorious 
 Standard after which the Congregation is named, and to 
 become living copies of the Divine Mother who stood by it 
 on Calvary. There, on the Mount, the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross will dwell in spirit, to learn the value of their own 
 immortal souls and the signal honor bestowed on them, to be 
 thus associated with Jesus and Mary in the great work of 
 the salvation of mankind. 
 
 The sisters made their novitiate at the Convent of 
 the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, where, under the 
 training of the Superior, Mother Mary of St. Doro- 
 thea, of sainted memory, they learned the first les- 
 sons of the religious state and laid deep the founda- 
 tion on which they were afterwards to rear the 
 structure of their spiritual life. At the end of a 
 year they were admitted to the religious profession, 
 with the formal title of Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 and under the patronage of Our Lady of the Seven 
 Dolors. They then took possession of the buildings 
 erected for them at the establishment of Holy Cross, 
 and became a part of the now threefold society. 
 
10 A Story of Fifty Yi^ars 
 
 Father Moreau strove by every means to foster 
 a spirit of union among the three branches, each in- 
 dependent, yet all mutually dependent ; his exhorta- 
 tions to his religious children were those of a pious 
 father, and he often spoke of the community as "a 
 sensible imitation of the Holy Family, where Jesus, 
 Mary and Joseph, although of conditions so differ- 
 ent, made but one by the union of thoughts and uni- 
 formity of conduct" ; and deep in their hearts those 
 first members of the society cherished these words 
 of their devoted founder : 
 
 In order to cement this union and this imitation of the 
 Holy Family, I have consecrated, and consecrate again, as 
 much as is in my power, the Priests to the Sacred Heart of 
 Jesus, Pastor of souls; the Brothers to the heart of St. 
 Joseph, their Patron ; and the Sisters to the Heart of Mary, 
 pierced with the sword of grief. 
 
 The Abbe Moreau had a deep sense of his respon- 
 sibility, and his zeal left no means untried to per- 
 fect a foundation which he hoped in the designs 
 of Providence would become a not unimportant fac- 
 tor in the work of Christian education. In the first 
 days of the community, he placed before the Rev- 
 erend Fathers and Brothers associated with him, 
 the plan of government definitely adopted, and a 
 summary of the obligations incumbent upon them 
 
HuMBi,^ Be:ginnings 11 
 
 in their double capacity of religious and instructors 
 of the young by both precept and example. And 
 when the guidance of a third branch, the sister- 
 hood, devolved upon him, he made his general in- 
 structions include them, not excepting them when 
 he urged the cultivation of a truly apostolic spirit in 
 the salvation of souls. 
 
 Father Moreau realized that every age has its 
 special needs ; and, while inculcating the virtues of 
 the hidden life and a sanctity based on a perfect ob- 
 servance of the vows and virtues of the religious 
 state, he so ordered the governing principles of the 
 Congregation as to meet the demands of the times 
 in presenting the best that an educational and mis- 
 sionary body could offer, without in anywise allow- 
 ing it to turn from the way of the Holy Cross. The 
 spirit fostered in those first days of the Community 
 was that of the many other saintly missionaries 
 of France, who, in early years, having heard the 
 cry of souls in far-off lands that knew not God, had 
 left all to cross unknown seas, to break a path 
 through untrodden forests, to traverse ways beset 
 with perils, and all for Him whose kingdom is not 
 of this world. Eagerly the Fathers of the Holy 
 Cross listened for the cry that should call them 
 
12 A Story of Fifty Y^rs 
 
 forth ; and when, on one of his visits to France, the 
 Apostolic Father Brute, later Bishop of Vincennes, 
 spoke to the young Levites in their monastery at 
 Le Mans of the work to be done in the broad 
 stretches of Indiana, like the disciples of Emmaus, 
 their hearts burned within them, as they waited for 
 the call of God through the words of their supe^ 
 riors. And they had not long to wait. 
 
 In 1841 the Right Reverend Celestine de la Hai- 
 landiere, the successor to Bishop Brute, made appli- 
 cation to Father Moreau for volunteers for the Indi- 
 ana missions ; and those chosen to fulfil their heart's 
 desire were the Reverend Edward Sorin, then a 
 young priest, and six brothers, four professed and 
 two novices, who left the Mother-House at Le 
 Mans on August 5th of that year. 
 
 Three days later these noble missionaries stood 
 upon the deck of an outgoing steamer from Havre ; 
 and if their eyes and hearts turned with a wordless 
 longing towards the land of their fathers, their 
 souls wavered not as they started out in the foot- 
 steps of those men who, within the hallowed walls 
 of the Missions Btrangeres, in Paris, are inscribed 
 as martyrs, "men who had forsworn all the sweet- 
 ness of life to prepare for an existence of infinite 
 
Humble) Bejginnings 13 
 
 hardship and toil, with the probable crown of a 
 cruel death." As the members of the heroic little 
 band looked out over the waters on their long voy- 
 age, the Ave Maris Stella, with its power to cheer 
 and to solace, rose often to their lips, and their souls 
 found strength in their watchword, the O Crux Ave. 
 Weary, but hopeful, they reached New York on the 
 Eve of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, — surely 
 a happy augury ! — and it is not hard to realize with 
 what fervor, what thanksgiving, what absolute self- 
 surrender Father Sorin offered the Holy Sacrifice 
 for the first time in the New World. The following 
 letter to Abbe Moreau, announcing the arrival 
 of the little band, is as eloquent as significant : 
 
 New York, September 14, 1841. 
 
 Beloved Father : 
 
 Let us bless God, let us bless His Holy Mother, — ^we have 
 arrived in New York, full of life, health and joy. Our de- 
 voted Brothers have not yet entered the city; they were 
 obliged to pass last night in quarantine. But our good God 
 permitted me to land yesterday evening, the 13th of Septem- 
 ber, the Eve of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. With 
 what happiness, my Father, did I salute and embrace the 
 dear land of America, after which we have so ardently 
 sighed! And what an increase of consolation to land on 
 the eve of so beautiful a day! It is, then, in the name of 
 the Holy Cross, of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, that 
 we have taken possession of it. My God, what a happy 
 
14 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 coincidence ! What joy for a poor priest of the Holy Cross 
 who must love nothing more in the world than the Cross, 
 to be able to say his first Mass in America on the Feast of 
 the Exaltation of that sacred symbol! What a delicious 
 day it is here — how beautiful is the American sky! Ah, 
 yes, my Father, " here is the portion of my inheritance ; 
 here will I dwell all the days of my life." 
 
VERY REV. EDWARD SORIN. C. S. C. 
 
14 or Fi^TY 
 
 the world than the C 
 It to say bis first Mass in America on the Feast oi 
 Lhe i,xaUatton of that sacred symbol! What a delicious 
 day it is htre — how beautiful is the American sky! Ah, 
 yes, my Father, "here is the portion of my inheritance; 
 here will I dwell all the days of my life." 
 
 .■;:) z "D Misioz a5iK^HQa .'^asi ^i5ia^ 
 
The Community in the New World. 
 
 # ^ #> 
 
 Father Sorin and the brothers, having enjoyed 
 in New York the hospitahty of the venerable Bishop 
 Dubois for three days, set out on their wearisome 
 journey to Vincennes, which they reached after 
 twenty-five days of hard travel, through love of holy 
 poverty no less than through necessity, having 
 chosen the most economical if slowest route. Their 
 itinerary reads strangely to us of to-day. From Al- 
 bany to Buffalo they proceeded by the Erie Canal; 
 thence across Lake Erie to Toledo; from there by 
 wagon and boat to Fort Wayne, Logansport and 
 Lafayette, where they took final passage to their 
 destination upon the Wabash, reaching Vincennes 
 about sunrise on the second Sunday of October. 
 And as they beheld the city in the distance, with its 
 cross-surmounted church, their hearts were filled 
 with a content, a sense of peace, which suggested 
 rather the accomplishment of a great work than 
 
 IS 
 
16 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 what was in reality the beginning of labors under 
 circumstances most trying to body and soul. 
 
 The first settlement of the little community was 
 at St. Peter's, a missionary station, about twenty- 
 seven miles east of Vincennes; the establishment 
 consisting of a small frame church, attached to 
 which were two rooms, a sacristy and a living-room 
 for the priest; there were in addition other small 
 buildings that served as kitchen and school-rooms. 
 The land belonging to the mission comprised in all 
 one hundred and sixty acres. Later, when there 
 was a question of erecting a college at St. Peter's, 
 Bishop Hailandiere demurred and urged sufficient 
 reasons for preferring a site on the St. Joseph River 
 for the new foundation. This tract of land offered 
 by the Bishop of Vincennes, — a diocese which then 
 included the present dioceses of Chicago and Fort 
 Wayne, — was historic ground. It was situated in 
 the northern part of the State, on the banks of a 
 river beside which had labored an Allouez, a Mar- 
 quette, a Hennepin and a La Salle in the years of 
 discovery, to be followed in the pioneer settlement 
 days by a Badin, a De Seille, and a Petit. 
 
 Father Sorin accepted the Bishop's proposition, 
 and on November 16th, 1842, he, with seven broth- 
 
The: Community in th^ Ne:w Wori.d 17 
 
 ers (already had he won recruits), set forth for the 
 new estabHshment. The state of the weather and 
 the roads, as well as poor facilities for travel, kept 
 the little party on the way eleven days ; they finally 
 reached Ste. Marie des Lacs, on the banks of the 
 St. Joseph River, in St. Joseph County; and, dedi- 
 cating this spot, beautiful even in its wild wintry 
 aspect, to Notre Dame du Lac, the pioneer priest of 
 the Congregation of the Holy Cross, like Columbus, 
 planted the sign of salvation, and took possession 
 in the name of his Queen, Mary Immaculate. 
 
 Father Sorin's own story of the journey from 
 Vincennes and the arrival of the little band of mis- 
 sionaries at their new home, as written to the Supe- 
 rior in France, is epic in its noble simplicity, its 
 unselfishness. We quote it in part : 
 
 We started on the 16th of November; and, indeed, it re- 
 quired no Httle courage to undertake the journey at such a 
 season. I cannot but admire the sentiments with which it 
 pleased God to animate our little band, who had more than 
 one hundred miles to travel through the snow. The first 
 day the cold was so intense that we could advance only about 
 five miles. The weather did not moderate for a moment; 
 each morning the wind seemed to us more piercing, as we 
 pushed forward on our journey due north. But God was 
 with us. None of us suffered severely, and at length, on 
 the eleventh day after our departure, five of us arrived at 
 
18 A Story o^ Fi^ty Y^ars 
 
 South Bend, the three others being obHged to travel more 
 slowly with the ox-team transporting our effects. 
 
 Our arrival had been expected and much desired. At 
 South Bend we met with the same cordial reception which 
 had greeted us, fifteen months before, at New York. A few 
 hours afterwards we came to Notre Dame du Lac, where I 
 write you these lines. Everything was frozen, and yet it 
 all appeared so beautiful. The lake, particularly, with its 
 mantle of snow, resplendent in its whiteness, was to us a 
 symbol of the stainless purity of our august Lady, whose 
 name it bears, and also of the purity of soul which should 
 characterize the new inhabitants of these beautiful shores. 
 Our lodgings appeared to us — as indeed they are — but little 
 different from those at St. Peter's. We made haste to 
 inspect all the various sights on the banks of the lake which 
 had been so highly praised. Yes, like little children, in spite 
 of the cold, we went from one place to another, perfectly 
 enchanted with the marvellous beauties of our new abode. 
 Oh ! may this new Eden be ever the home of innocence and 
 virtue ! There, I could willingly exclaim with the prophet : 
 Dominus regit me * * * * super aqiiam refectiones educavit 
 me! Once again in our life we felt that Providence had been 
 good to us, and we bless God with all our hearts. When we 
 returned to the house of Madame Marie, as the Indians called 
 her, we found it too small to accommodate us for the night ; 
 and, as the weather was becoming colder, we made all haste 
 back to the first lodgings that had been prepared for us in 
 the village. Next day it did not take us long to establish 
 ourselves better at Notre Dame du Lac, for we had but little 
 to arrange. The following day — the Feast of St. Andrew, 
 the Apostle — I said my first Mass at Notre Dame, where 
 M. Petit so often before me had offered the Holy Sacrifice, 
 over the tomb of the saintly M. de Seille, whose memory 
 
Th^ Community in the: Nkw World 19 
 
 is still fresh and revered throughout the land, and who, 
 realizing that he was dying, and having no priest to assist 
 him, dragged himself to the altar, administered the Viaticum 
 to himself, then descended the steps and died. I cannot 
 express how happy we are to possess the remains of this 
 saintly missionary ! The death of M. de Seille was a great 
 loss to the Mission, especially to the Indians among whom 
 he had done so much good. His place could be supplied 
 only by M. Petit. T knew M. Petit, the worthy Apostle of 
 the Indians, only through chance meetings when travelling. 
 But now, as I possess all the books and writings which he 
 left to the Mission, — now, that every one around me is 
 continually speaking of the good M. Petit, and that every- 
 thing here, from the altar on which I offer the Holy Sacrifice 
 to the very table on which I write these lines, reminds me 
 of dear Father Petit, I intend to make him my model ; and 
 if I cannot imitate him, I shall, at least, at a later date, tell 
 you of what he has done. 
 
 Besides being the nucleus of an educational cen- 
 tre, Notre Dame formed a missionary centre, 
 whence Niles, Bertrand, South Bend and Misha- 
 waka in the vicinity, and Goshen, Plymouth, Ber- 
 rien, St. Joseph and other places farther removed, 
 might be attended by the priests of the Congrega- 
 tion. The work was arduous, the laborers were few, 
 there was little or no means in the treasury; but 
 there were willing hearts and hands, and there was 
 unswerving trust in God. 
 
 That Father Sorin had always counted on the 
 
20 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 co-operation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross is 
 evident from his letters, in one of which, under date 
 of December 5th, 1842, we see that he takes for 
 granted the sisters' coming, for he says: "And 
 once the sisters come — whose presence is so much 
 desired here — they must be prepared, not merely for 
 domestic work, but also for teaching; and perhaps, 
 too, the establishment of an academy." And later 
 in the same letter. Father Sorin writes : "I do not 
 need to remind you of your promise, — one priest, 
 two brothers and three sisters; these we ask for 
 in every letter ; all are needed. I forgot to tell you 
 that one of these good sisters is necessary for the 
 Indian mission." 
 
 The first building planned was the College proper, 
 but the first structure actually erected was a log 
 church, the one already there on their arrival prov- 
 ing too small. It was opened for divine service on 
 the Feast of St. Joseph, 1843. A second story was 
 added to the humble chapel in order to provide a 
 residence for the sisters, who were anxiously ex- 
 pected, and who left France on June 6th, 1843, with 
 other recruits for the community. The first Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross to come to the United States were 
 Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, Sister Mary of 
 
The; Community in thk Ne:w World 21 
 
 Calvary, Sister Mary of Bethlehem, and Sister 
 Mary of Nazareth ; and if the way had seemed long 
 and toilsome to them, there must have been no little 
 compensation in the evident joy their coming awak- 
 ened. These pioneer sisters brought with them 
 from France — from "home" — a statue of Our Lady, 
 the first to grace Notre Dame, the place so especially 
 dedicated to her name and honor. 
 
 The sisters at once took charge of the sacristy, 
 infirmary, clothes-room, laundry, dairy, etc.; ren- 
 dering services in a hundred ways, and making 
 their influence felt in creating a home atmosphere, 
 and lending to the various departments an air of 
 order and comparative comfort. A second colony 
 of recruits, among them Sister Mary of Providence, 
 ^ skilled infirmarian, arrived in November of the 
 same year, and upon these five devoted pioneer sis- 
 ters devolved labors that to us of to-day seem al- 
 most incredible. 
 
 The annals of the community record only the ar- 
 rival of these devoted co-laborers in the founding 
 of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in this coun- 
 try; and yet it does not take a more than usually 
 vivid imagination to enter into their feelings during 
 the first long winter in a strange land and among 
 
22 A Story of Fifty Ye;ars 
 
 strange surroundings. Father Sorin, in a letter to 
 France, speaks of the white beauty of the place ; he 
 also tells of the intense cold, and adds, "but though 
 at times the blood does not circulate freely through 
 our members, provided the heart still beats with 
 love for the work of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what 
 more is needed to make happy the Christian, the re- 
 ligious?" Such was the spirit of the founder, the 
 father of the noble band, and the same spirit flamed 
 ardently in the hearts of his subjects, — priests, 
 brothers and sisters. 
 
 Before long Father Sorin saw the necessity of 
 establishing the sisters permanently, and of open- 
 ing a novitiate ; for, if the field of labor was large, 
 already there were laborers presenting themselves. 
 He therefore consulted the Right Reverend Bishop 
 de la Hailandiere with a view to obtaining the requi- 
 site authorization. The Bishop, however, refused 
 to allow such a foundation in his diocese, and his 
 refusal was certainly justified by the dictates of 
 human wisdom. The diocese was in a formative 
 state and gave little promise of maintenance to the 
 already existing establishments. At the invitation 
 of the Bishop himself, the Sisters of Providence had 
 come from France and had made a foundation 
 
The Community in the; Ne:w World 23 
 
 known as Sainte Marie des Bois. In the almost 
 trackless wilds of Indiana these devoted rehgious, 
 with true missionary spirit, under the leadership 
 of the saintly Mother Theodore, were struggling 
 against great odds to establish themselves; hence 
 the fears of the Bishop that the diocese could not 
 support two educational institutions, were not with- 
 out ground. Father Sorin did not share the views 
 of Bishop de la Hailandiere; with prophetic insight 
 he traced the geographical circles from which each 
 of the two sisterhoods would draw their immediate 
 patronage, and the lines did not conflict. But he 
 submitted to the Bishop's ruling, trusting that God 
 would show His will in the matter; and his faith 
 and hope had a speedy reward. 
 
 The village of Bertrand, a few miles from Notre 
 Dame, was one of the missions under the spiritual 
 care of the Fathers of the Holy Cross, and it sug- 
 gested itself to Father Sorin as a possible location 
 for the sisters, being outside the limits of the Vin- 
 cennes diocese, and yet not too far removed from 
 the community centre. After prayerful delibera- 
 tion. Father Sorin took counsel of the Right Rev- 
 erend Bishop Lefevre, laying the case before him 
 and petitioning the privilege of establishing the sis- 
 
24 A Story of Fifty Ymrs 
 
 ters at Bertrand, in the Michigan diocese. The 
 necessary permission was at once granted, supple- 
 mented by words of approbation and encourage- 
 ment, and on July 16th, 1844, Sister Mary of the 
 Sacred Heart, of the pioneer band from France, 
 and four postulants took up their abode in the dwell- 
 ing house secured for their occupation from Mr. M. 
 Bertrand, after whom the village was named. 
 
 The Bishop of Vincennes, on hearing this, ap- 
 pealed to Bishop Lefevre in such a manner that the 
 Bishop of Michigan withdrew the permission he 
 had granted for this establishment, and Father 
 Sorin went to Detroit to bring about a final settle- 
 ment. His visit was most opportune, for Bishop 
 Purcell of Cincinnati arrived while Father Sorin 
 was there, and to him the matter was submitted. 
 After studying the situation, he decided that Bishop 
 de la Hailandiere's fears were without ground, and, 
 as a result of the conference, Bishop Lefevre with- 
 drew his prohibition, renewed his first permission 
 and gave to Father Sorin and his young community 
 his paternal and episcopal benediction. 
 
 In those early days sympathy and encouragement 
 meant much, and Bishop Purcell's kind interest in 
 the little community struggling for a foothold, 
 
Thi: Community in the: Nkw Wori,d 25 
 
 placed his name on the prayer-roll of the Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross ; and in later days, grateful and lov- 
 ing sympathy and prayers were not wanting to 
 him from those who had learned early in their 
 religious life the story of the time when the fate of 
 their first permanent foundation hung in the bal- 
 ance. 
 
The Sisters at Bertrand. 
 # ^ ^ 
 
 Th^ summer of 1844 at Bertrand was a time of 
 preparation to the postulants, and of anxiety and 
 responsibility to the Founder of the little community 
 in the New World, but there never was any ques- 
 tion in his mind and heart as to the final outcome. 
 His spirit of faith was as inspiring as it was ardent, 
 and when September 8th was announced as the date 
 of the Reception of the Habit, there was rejoicing 
 in the humble convent at Bertrand, and the thought 
 of absolute consecration seemed to have set aside 
 every idea of sacrifice except its beauty and its 
 triumph. 
 
 The first to receive the habit as Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross at Bertrand were Sister Mary of the 
 Nativity ,(Miss Elizabeth Daily), Sister Mary of 
 the Holy Cross (Miss Mary Sweeney), and Sister 
 Mary of Mt. Carmel (Miss Mary Dougherty). The 
 ceremony was performed by the Reverend E. Sorin, 
 in the little village church; and, as the prescribed 
 
 26 
 
The Sisters at Bertrand. 
 
 # 4t <l 
 
 T^tm: sumrnc; Ijuk? of 
 
 ition to the p* ety and 
 
 sibility to the Founder of the little commi- 
 in the New World, but there never was any ques- 
 tion in his mind and heart as to the final outcome. 
 His spirit of laith was as inspiring as it was ardent. 
 and when September 8th was announced as the date 
 ' ' ion of the Habit, there \v 
 
 of ab>- ml.lv v-... • . . ...v.> 
 
 every idea of sacrifice except its 
 triumph. 
 
 Tbf' first to receive the habit as Sisters of the 
 H s at Bertrand were Sister Mary of the 
 
 ibeth Daily), Sister Mary of 
 theHoiyCr. - ey), and w^ 
 
 Mary of Mt. Carnal 'herty). . :ie 
 
 ceremony was perfornitr< ^id E. Sorin, 
 
 in the little villar- -^"^ <^ prescribed 
 
Th^ Sisters at Bertrand 27 
 
 ritual was carried out in its simplest form, the 
 Founder's heart must have been filled with an emo- 
 tion that the grander ceremonies of later years on 
 like occasions failed to awaken. 
 
 In October of that year three more sisters from 
 France joined the pioneer band; they were Sister 
 Mary of the Five Wounds, Sister Mary of the Cir- 
 cumcision, and Sister Mary of the Crucifixion ; and 
 on December 8th, the second reception was held, 
 Miss B. Coffee receiving the habit as Sister Mary of 
 St. Basil; and professions were made for the first 
 time by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in this coun- 
 try, Sister Mary of the Five Wounds and Sister 
 Mary of Bethlehem pronouncing in due form their 
 final vows. These ceremonies were held in the 
 chapel of the brothers' novitiate, then occupying 
 the site of the present monastery of Notre Dame. 
 
 The community of sisters began to show organi- 
 zation, and Bertrand was the seat of the humble 
 Mother-House. The first home of the sisters was a 
 small frame building, rented, as has been said, from 
 Mr. Bertrand. It consisted of five rooms, three on 
 the lower floor, used as living-room and class-room, 
 the third serving as kitchen and refectory; the 
 upper story in two rooms was used as dormitory 
 
28 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 and novitiate community-room. Everything was 
 of the plainest and poverty was a reaHty, not a name 
 alone, in this humble representation of the home of 
 the Holy Family at Nazareth. The inscription at 
 the head of the stairs, "God sees me," seemed to 
 be the motto of those early religious of the Holy 
 Cross, and the atmosphere of a house where God's 
 holy presence is ever remembered gives a strength 
 and a serenity of soul not to be gained otherwise. 
 Hence the special Providence which attended those 
 beginnings, and hence, also, the debt of gratitude 
 which the later generations of Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross owe to the noble pioneers of the community's 
 formative years. 
 
 Hidden in the annals of the early Bertrand days, 
 like a rose in an old book, we come upon a sentence 
 which stirs memories in the aged reader and warm 
 emotions in the young; it comes after a simple de- 
 scription of the little frame building at Bertrand, 
 and reads thus : "In front of the house there were 
 wild roses and sweetbriar." What a beautiful sym- 
 bolism one discovers here! Love and suffering 
 within the convent, and their types, roses and 
 thorns, without. Many a fragrant breath of the 
 roses must have stolen in to refresh the weary spirit 
 
The Sisters at Bertrand 29 
 
 of the young religious in those days, and the sweet- 
 briar must have exercised a potent charm over the 
 wounds of other thorns in those times of hardship 
 and suffering. Wild roses and sweetbriar of the 
 past, no flower of to-day can take your place in 
 annals or in memory, any more than can the hearts 
 of to-day replace those that you cheered and re- 
 freshed more than half a century ago ! 
 
 The work of the sisters during the first year at 
 Bertrand included the teaching of a few children 
 of the neighborhood, the care of several orphans 
 and the laundry work of the students of Notre 
 Dame. This last work was carried on in primitive 
 fashion, the St. Joseph River serving not only as 
 a reservoir, but also as a rinsing tub ! The sisters 
 from France were unacquainted with the English 
 language, so the English-speaking novices and pro- 
 fessors from Notre Dame gave them the necessary 
 instruction. Meantime the lessons of the religious 
 life, especially those of poverty, were being learned 
 practically; money was an unknown commodity, 
 staple provisions were furnished from Notre Dame, 
 which did not always find it easy to procure them; 
 and, when procured, there was still the difficulty 
 of getting them from the college to Bertrand. To 
 
30 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ye:ars 
 
 read of breakfasts delayed because of belated bread 
 supplies, which finally reached their destination 
 frozen hard, or of meals without meat because bad 
 roads prevented travelling between Bertrand and 
 Notre Dame, is quite diflferent from experiencing 
 the effects of such mishaps. Yet, while such things 
 were not uncommon, the records of the early years 
 mention them only incidentally, and usually to illus- 
 trate some other point, as, for example, the efforts 
 made by the good brothers to serve the sisters. 
 The duties of Martha and Mary were combined in 
 the lives of the devoted co-workers of the priests 
 and brothers, and a spirit of piety, of faith, of trust 
 in God, and of humility, formed these first Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross after a pattern higher than any 
 formal rule could set before them — it was the life 
 of Him in whose name they labored. Father Sorin, 
 authorized by France, was formulating the Rules 
 and Constitutions of both brothers and sisters ; and 
 in a letter to his spiritual children, written in 1845, 
 he assured them that his work neared completion, 
 and he urged all meanwhile to conform perfectly 
 to what they knew to be the foundation of the 
 religious life — the spirit of obedience, of poverty, 
 of chastity; and above all, that of charity. 
 
Th^ Sisters at B^rtrand 31 
 
 In 1845 a grant of five thousand francs by the 
 Society of the Propagation of the Faith, and a 
 donation of seventy-seven acres from the inhabi- 
 tants of Bertrand, made it possible to carry on and 
 even to extend the work of the sisters. A new 
 frame building was put up, a structure then con- 
 sidered imposingly large; it was of two stories, 
 twenty by forty feet, with a one-story addition of 
 twenty-five by twenty feet for a kitchen. The new 
 building was finished in the spring of 1846 and 
 was named "Our Lady of the Seven Dolors." Nor 
 must we overlook another addition to the institu- 
 tion, namely, a blacksmith shop, purchased for five 
 dollars, which, being joined to the convent, made a 
 parlor or office for the use of Father Sorin on the 
 occasions of his visits to Bertrand. This little 
 frame structure was among the movable property 
 transferred to St. Mary's, where it more than 
 served its day in usefulness, if not in beauty. 
 
 During 1845 the little community was aug- 
 mented by worthy subjects: Miss Anne Riopelle, 
 Sister Mary Assumption, received the habit in May 
 of that year; and on Christmas day, 1845, Miss 
 Margaret Gleason, Sister Mary of the Compassion, 
 and Miss Mary Mclntyre, Sister Mary of the Im- 
 
32 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 maculate Conception, received the insignia of mem- 
 bership as Sisters of the Holy Cross. Other co- 
 laborers presented themselves at various times in 
 these initial days of the young community, but, 
 because of poor health or for other reasons, did not 
 remain. The number, all told, at the close of 1845, 
 was fourteen. From that time on there was a 
 steady accession to the ranks, and receptions and 
 professions became of frequent occurrence. 
 
 In February, 1846, the following report of a 
 religious reception appeared in the Catholic Mis- 
 cellany^ an account which throws light on public 
 opinion at that time and on times preceding : 
 
 Three young ladies took the habit, February 20, 1846, 
 the Reverend President of Notre Dame officiating. The 
 imposing ceremony was witnessed by a number of protes- 
 tants. There was neither contempt nor ridicule on this occa- 
 sion, which was very different from a former one fifteen 
 months previous, when the first ceremony of the kind took 
 place. The spectators then were all sympathy for the young 
 ladies, who were looked upon as dupes of priestcraft and 
 superstition. Their action was considered wicked and un- 
 natural, and those who did not do worse shook their heads 
 at the religion which tolerated a course so anti-protestant 
 and anti-Christian also. The ceremony has taken place sev- 
 eral times since, curiosity has given place to inquiry, and 
 the marked difference of opinion and sentiment indicates 
 such a change as must be highly pleasing to the Fathers of 
 the Holy Cross. 
 
The; Sisters at Bkrtrand 33 
 
 The dress worn by the first sisters consisted of 
 a black serge habit and cape, a blue worsted belt 
 about one and a half inches wide; a small linen cap 
 close to the head, a band across the forehead, then 
 a second cap with a fluted ruffle close to the face; 
 to this cap was attached the guimpe, and over all 
 was a black delaine veil. The head-dress resembled, 
 in general, that worn by the Visitandines. The 
 chaplet of the Seven Dolors and the present insig- 
 nia of profession, the silver heart, though not ex- 
 actly like the one in use to-day, were part of the 
 habit. It was in March, 1853, at the investiture of 
 Sister M. Euphrosine (Miss Pepin), and Sister M. 
 Eugenie (Miss Nail), that the cap and collar, now 
 worn, were finally adopted. The uniformity sug- 
 gested by this detailed account of the habit is not 
 to be taken literally, for, from the diary of a young 
 religious of those early days, we learn that because 
 of poverty there was no little variety in the dress 
 of the sisters. Of her preparation for the habit, 
 she writes: "I repaired to the room called the 
 Novitiate, which was also a clothes-room, and 
 there saw Miss Nail busily employed sorting pieces 
 of different materials and shades of black with 
 which to make our habits. Her habit was a com- 
 
 3— 
 
34 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ye^ars 
 
 bination of cloth, merino, and alpaca; the skirt of 
 mine was of dyed merino, the waist of some other 
 pieces of cloth, the sleeves were manufactured from 
 an old apron, and the cape from an old black shawl." 
 
 In 1846 Father Sorin was called to his native 
 land, and after some months returned to Notre 
 Dame, with a colony of French sisters and postu- 
 lants; in this little band was Sister Mary of the 
 Cenacle, destined to play an important, if brief, 
 part in the new community; and Sister Mary of 
 the Ascension, long prominent in administrative af- 
 fairs, and who lived to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. 
 
 Sister Cenacle's executive ability and her truly 
 religious spirit commended themselves to Father 
 Superior, as Father Sorin was called by the sisters ; 
 and before very long she was made Mother Supe- 
 rior, in which capacity she won and kept the respect 
 and love of all, and administered the affairs of the 
 community with energy and discretion. 
 
 During the beginnings of the sisterhood at Ber- 
 trand and at Notre Dame, Father Sorin was all in 
 all to the struggling little band. Material needs 
 were pressing, the disadvantages under which they 
 labored were many, the work was arduous, but the 
 devoted Founder was guide and help and strength 
 
The; SisTi^RS at Be:rtrand 35 
 
 to them. It was in his office of spiritual Father, 
 however, that he aided and strengthened and con- 
 soled best. His beautiful spirit of faith kept theirs 
 kindled; and his unwavering trust in Mary, the 
 Mother of God, was a flame that touched their 
 hearts to ardor when hope burned low. He taught 
 the sisters not only the necessity of meditation and 
 the spiritual fruit to be gained therefrom, but he 
 taught them how to meditate, taking the method of 
 St. Ignatius as best suited to the spirit of the Con- 
 gregation. He came frequently to Bertrand, usu- 
 ally on Wednesday evening, gave instructions to 
 the sisters, heard confessions, inquired into the 
 little affairs of the day with fatherly solicitude, and, 
 having spent the night at the home of Mr. Ber- 
 trand, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice on Thursday 
 morning, with a beautiful reverence that made the 
 Mass seem what it is, the "only real thing on 
 earth." Then, before leaving for Notre Dame, he 
 would have a few more words of cheer for the de- 
 voted laborers in the poor vineyard, and his parting 
 blessing carried with it a joy, an unction, that shed 
 a brightness over the day until the night fell, when, 
 the labors over, the sisters gathered before a statue 
 of Our Lady to sing as a vesper hymn, the Stabat 
 
36 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 Mater. This statue was brought from France in 
 1845, and was honored in the community-room at 
 Bertrand under the title "Our Lady of Consola- 
 tion," and surely there was need of Mary's gentle 
 help. How many a young Sister of the Holy Cross, 
 brave, yes, but weary and disheartened, perhaps 
 just ready to take her hand from the plough and 
 to look back, instead turned to the sweet face that 
 made the heavenly Mother seem an earthly one in 
 nearness and humanness, and in that look, which 
 was prayer, gained strength and courage anew! 
 And in the years since, has the statue been a solace, 
 a comfort; when it was removed from Bertrand to 
 St. Mary's, it occupied a mound where Loreto now 
 stands, and when, in 1859, Loreto was built, the 
 statue was placed in a niche in the faqade. Later, 
 when the community chapel was erected against 
 Loreto, the statue was installed in the novitiate, 
 where it remained for several years. At present, 
 it has a place of honor in the sitting-room of the 
 sisters' infirmary, where it has a double claim to 
 its dear title, "Our Lady of Consolation." 
 
 The little log chapel at Bertrand was a place of 
 memories to the sisters ; built on the Niles road by 
 Father Badin, of missionary fame, it was moved to 
 
The Sisters at Bisrtrand 37 
 
 Bertrand and joined to the convent building as a 
 room for the community prayers and reHgious exer- 
 cises. It was the ardent desire of the sisters to have 
 the Blessed Sacrament in this chapel, and Right 
 Reverend Bishop Lefevre, on the occasion of his 
 first official visit, readily granted the permission; 
 but none dreamed how tragic would be the manner 
 of the fulfilment of their hopes. 
 
 jThat night, November 7, 1847, the village church 
 was robbed, the tabernacle was broken open and 
 the sacred vessels taken. The discovery of the sac- 
 rilege in the morning filled the community with 
 sorrow, and the sisters offered prayers of repara- 
 tion while awaiting the coming of Father Sorin. 
 On his arrival, he removed the Sacred Hosts which 
 had been left on the corporal to the sister's chapel, 
 and the procession from the church was sadly im- 
 pressive. The log cabin was a worthy place of 
 worship for the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who 
 within its hallowed walls, gathered light and 
 strength for the apostolic life, a life imitative in a 
 degree of Father Badin, who built the log church, 
 and who so often offered the Holy Sacrifice therein. 
 This zealous missionary, who for some time made 
 Notre Dame his home, followed with interest the 
 
38 A Story o? Fii^ty Years 
 
 progress of the new community, and it seems espe- 
 cially fitting that he now rests at Notre Dame, be- 
 side Father De Seilles and Father Petit, a trilogy 
 of names that live on the pages of the history of the 
 great Northwest, and, we feel confident, on the 
 pages of the eternal records. 
 

 CONSOLATION. « 
 
38 
 
 vKS 
 
 prnq-ress of the new community, and it seems cspe- 
 Pitting that he now rests at Notre Dame, be- 
 side Father De Seilles and Father Petit, a trilogy 
 of names that Hve on the pa he history of the 
 
 great Northwest, 2 
 pages of the 
 
 /AOlTKAOZViO'D ^0 -{QKA TC^O 
 
' 1 1 y 
 
Development of Community 
 at Bertrand. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Whe:n the charm of the early morning hours is 
 gone and the heat and burden of the day is upon 
 the laborer, there is naturally a flagging of interest, 
 if not of effort. The day seems long, the work 
 hard, the earth unresponsive, and the heavens 
 stretch out like a vast dial, marking but hours of 
 toil. Then it is that the inner spirit calls upon the 
 strength and courage gained in the silent night, 
 and, armed with purpose, the hands take up the 
 work again, the mind passes from seedtime to 
 ripened harvest fields, and the heart is renewed in 
 hope. Thus, the little community in the beginning 
 of 1848 confronted a reality that called for heroic 
 courage. The eagerness of initial effort, the 
 strength that comes with united action in common 
 struggles, common dangers, common deprivations, 
 had lost the glow of the first fervor, and but for 
 
 39 
 
40 A Story of Fifty Ykars 
 
 the strength gained in the silent watches in the little 
 log chapel, where faith and hope and love were re- 
 newed, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross would, in the annals of time, have been "as 
 the remembrance of a guest of one day that passeth 
 by." 
 
 The foundation years gave place to the period 
 of actual organization, and from 1848 to 1855 the 
 community took shape along positive lines laid 
 down by the intrepid Father Sorin, who, though 
 known in those days as Father Superior, and later 
 as Father Provincial, had all the cares and all the 
 anxieties regarding matters spiritual and temporal, 
 that fall to the lot of a founder. Details were not 
 small to Father Sorin, and yet he ordered all things 
 with a largeness of understanding that marks the 
 wise administrator. Keen insight, quick compre- 
 hension of a situation, full appreciation of opportu- 
 nity and firm grasp of affairs, all of which are 
 looked upon as characteristics of the American of 
 to-day, were shown by Father Sorin in the formative 
 period of the community of sisters under his guid- 
 ance, and to his wise counsel and prudent adminis- 
 tration, as well as to his constant efforts to spiritu- 
 alize actions and sanctify motives, does the Congre- 
 
DevKi^oPMENT OF Community at B^rTrand 41 
 
 gation, under God, owe its preservation, its growth, 
 its power for good. 
 
 While the sisters continued their services along 
 domestic lines for the Fathers and brothers at 
 Notre Dame, preparation for the work of education 
 engaged the special energies of the community. 
 Professors from Notre Dame and those of the 
 members who were competent to teach were em- 
 ployed in preparing the sisters. Nor were students 
 lacking. Inconveniences notwithstanding, the 
 school at Bertrand had all the pupils that could be 
 accommodated, though up to this time, because of 
 scarcity of teachers, little in the way of educational 
 facilities could be offered. 
 
 April 28th, 1848, brought a serious loss in the 
 death of Mother Mary of the Cenacle, Superior of 
 the sisters, who was an exemplary religious and 
 wise executive. The archives record that "Mother 
 Cenacle was a woman of tried virtue and of more 
 than ordinary merit. Her knowledge of the world, 
 her tact, zeal, devotedness, obedience, spirit of faith 
 and of confidence in God, whom she loved with all 
 her heart, made her beloved by all. Her short life 
 in religion was a long series of acts of all the vir- 
 tues, and her protracted malady placed her great 
 
42 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 courage in a strong light. Of her last end it was 
 said, *If angels were to die, they would surely die 
 such a death as hers ! ' " 
 
 Mother Cenacle died at Fort Wayne, where she 
 had been taken to consult a physician, and where 
 the Sisters of Providence gave her and Sister As- 
 sumption, who accompanied her, not only hospital- 
 ity, but sisterly kindness and sympathy. After 
 Mother Cenacle's death, Mother Theodore Guerin, 
 the able and zealous founder and superior of the 
 Sisters of Providence in this country, moved by a 
 generous sympathy, visited the bereaved commu- 
 nity at Notre Dame and Bertrand, consoling the 
 sisters and aiding them by her motherly counsel, 
 and this at a time when her own way was beset with 
 trials. 
 
 Sister Assumption took Mother Cenacle's place 
 temporarily ; and she was succeeded by Sister Mary 
 Redemption, who in turn was replaced by Mother 
 Mary du Sauveur, who was brought from Canada 
 in July, 1849, by Father Sorin, to be Superior of 
 the little community. This appointment was most 
 timely, for Mother du Sauveur was a woman of 
 discernment as well as of superior education. There 
 was an immediate impetus in school-work, and 
 
D^v^i^oPM^NT OF Community at B^rtrand 43 
 
 soon was inaugurated a period when it was said, 
 "The Academy begins to fly with its own wings." 
 These "wings" were forty feet each, and attached 
 to a building with ninety-two feet frontage, a struc- 
 ture most imposing for those times. In 1850 the 
 roll showed fifty boarders, and everything was so 
 well organized as to justify the publication of a 
 prospectus, setting forth the advantages of St. 
 Mary's Academy, as the new school was called, and 
 giving terms and regulations for the wardrobe re- 
 quired by pupils. The reader of the modern school 
 prospectus smiles at the schedule of prices ; for ex- 
 ample: "Board and tuition, thirty-five dollars per 
 session of five months." And one sees the wisdom 
 of the postscript to the wardrobe regulations, which 
 says, "Pockets must be inserted in all dresses of 
 pupils." The directions for reaching the institution 
 also teach an object lesson. The prospectus states 
 that a "daily line of stages running from Niles to 
 South Bend and passing through Bertrand forms 
 the connection between the Michigan Central and 
 Southern railroads, and renders the Academy easy 
 of access from all parts of the country." In those 
 days, to come from Chicago, one had to take the 
 steamboat across Lake Michigan to St. Joseph, and 
 
44 A Story oi^ Fifty Years 
 
 travel from there to Bertrand by stage ! However, 
 in 1851 the road now known as the Lake Shore 
 and Michigan Southern was completed, much to 
 the convenience and advantage of Notre Dame and 
 Bertrand. In January, 1851, the State of Michi- 
 gan recognized St. Mary's, and granted a charter, 
 which seemed to insure the carrying on of the good 
 work, and at the same time to give the public con- 
 fidence in the institution. Soon after this, while 
 Father Sorin was in France, he procured what 
 served as a charter for the spiritual life of the pu- 
 pils — namely, the rules and constitutions for an As- 
 sociation of Children of Mary, with an act of affili- 
 ation with the branches of the Society in Europe, 
 enriched by the Church with indulgences. The 
 Sodality was formally established at St. Mary's, 
 Bertrand, in May, 1852. 
 
 The same year Mother du Sauveur was replaced 
 by Mother Ascension as Superior. The frequent 
 changes chronicled for the early years were, no 
 doubt, trying in some ways ; but fortunately, Father 
 Sorin's spirit was dominant at both Notre Dame 
 and St. Mary's, Bertrand, so a change of superiors 
 did not always mean a change in methods of admin- 
 istration. 
 
Deve;lopmKnt oi< Community at Be:rtrand 45 
 
 The disposition to spare no means that might fit 
 the rehgious for their work, was early evident in 
 the community; and, in 1851, sisters were sent to 
 Loretto Convent, in Kentucky, to take lessons in 
 painting and music. The forming of a class for 
 deaf-mutes necessitated the special training of 
 teachers for the work; so Sister Mary Angela 
 (Eliza Gillespie), whose religious life forms an im- 
 portant part in the life of the community, was sent 
 to France, there to make her novitiate, and at the 
 same time to learn the science of instructing deaf- 
 mutes. On her return in February, 1854, Sister 
 Angela received the "obedience" of directress of 
 the Academy at Bertrand. With the sisters who 
 returned from France was Mother Mary of the 
 Immaculate Conception, sent from the Mother- 
 House to make the regular official visit. The task 
 was a difficult one; and if results were not satisfac- 
 tory to the community in this country, it is not to 
 be wondered at, considering that the visitor judged 
 from the standpomt of a stranger and a foreigner. 
 Some of the measures taken by Mother Conception 
 were looked upon as drastic, but as there was no 
 question as to the visitor's authority, so there was 
 
46 A Story oi^ Fi^ty Ysjars 
 
 no question as regards the obedience rendered by 
 the sisters. 
 
 The diocese of Vincennes had passed into other 
 hands ; and while there could be no impugning the 
 uprightness of intention on the part of ecclesiastical 
 authorities there or in the diocese of Michigan, the 
 atmosphere had not the clearness of perfect under- 
 standing. The relations between France and the 
 Indiana province, and the relations between Notre 
 Dame and Bertrand, gave to the little missionary 
 and educational centre, notwithstanding its actual 
 dependence on the diocesan powers, a seeming aloof- 
 ness, a solidarity that presented the aspect of inde- 
 pendence. Because of this, there was a withhold- 
 ing of that full episcopal approbation which is abso- 
 lutely necessary to the peace and happiness of true 
 children of the Church. There could be no censure 
 on the sisterhood, but there was wanting the sym- 
 pathy which makes labor light and which takes the 
 savor of bitterness from the bread of toil. 
 
 About this time, 1854, the novitiate was moved 
 from Bertrand to Notre Dame, and the sisters sta- 
 tioned there took possession of the new house, 
 where the privacy of almost cloistered community 
 life was enjoyed. But God's love presented fresh 
 
'^ji^HiMLJ^l'^'^^^'i^ •i.-"i'^; " "•; -V- 
 
 ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, BERTRAm, MICHIGAN. 
 
 
n as r- he obedience render^' 
 
 the sisters. 
 
 The di'Vr-sc of Viucennes had passed into other 
 hands ; and while there could be no irripiigning the 
 uprightness of intention on t^ ' ' > : -f ;--i 
 
 aut-^--* ••--■' '■ ■' ■ ■■" '"■ *''-■ 
 
 • i the n 
 Dame and Bertrand, gave to the little missionary 
 and educational centre, notwithstanding its actual 
 dependence c^n ^' ' liocesan rtov,'r:,,-i seeming aloof- 
 
 lutely necessa. , , 
 
 children of the Church. There >ure 
 
 on the sisterhood, but there was wanting the sym- 
 pathy which makes labor light and which takes the 
 savor of bitterness from the bread of toil, 
 
 time, 1854, the novitiate was moved 
 from Dame, and the si 
 
 tioned Uicrc ' i.juse, 
 
 where the privary •.>! * '-i lamunity 
 
 life was enjoyed. But v.... presented fresh 
 
De:vi;i.opme:nt o? Community at Be:rtrand 47 
 
 trials. During the first retreat in the new convent 
 an epidemic broke out at Notre Dame, claiming one 
 after another among the religious — priests, brothers 
 and sisters. It proved to be the cholera, then prev- 
 alent in the United States, and it left the ranks of 
 the religious sadly depleted; while those who were 
 spared were worn out physically from nursing the 
 sick, burying the dead and at the same time carry- 
 ing on the duties of the daily routine. Many a 
 scene of heroism was enacted in those dread days, 
 and many a humble soul rose to heroic heights in 
 those hours of trial. Truly God was with the com- 
 munity, and the crosses that rose in the graveyard 
 were so many new claims to the title "Congregation 
 of the Holy Cross." 
 
 While Notre Dame passed through this period 
 of ordeal, the establishment at Bertrand, under the 
 direction of Sister Angela, succeeded beyond ex- 
 pectation; she seemed to impart her spirit to all, 
 sisters and pupils. The standard of the school was 
 raised ; there was the beginning of a general trend 
 towards the best in the intellectual and artistic 
 training of the students; and her hands fashioned 
 the first rude book-shelves that were dignified with 
 the name of "library." But this success notwith- 
 
48 A Story oi? Fifty Years 
 
 standing, there was always a feeling of insecurity 
 by reason of the sentiments of the Bishop of De- 
 troit, and Father Sorin thought of establishing the 
 sisters at Mishawaka, where some time before he 
 had invested in property with this project in view. 
 As a preliminary step, a school, ''Holy Angels 
 Academy," was opened, with Sister Euphrosine as 
 Directress ; but, owing to prejudice, fostered by the 
 " Know-Nothing Party," there were few pupils. 
 Later, the orphans who had been cared for at St. 
 Mary's, Bertrand, and the pupils of the Industrial 
 School were transferred to Mishawaka, where they 
 remained until May, 1855. 
 
 Meanwhile a tract of land west of Notre Dame, 
 along the St. Joseph River, known as the Rush 
 property, heretofore resolutely kept out of the mar- 
 ket by the owner, despite the efforts of the Congre- 
 gation to secure it at a reasonable valuation, was 
 sold to Father Sorin for eight thousand dollars, 
 whereupon the problem of a suitable site for the 
 Mother-House of the sisters was solved. Father 
 Granger called Father Sorin's attention to a 
 wooded elevation on the river bank, a mile 
 and a quarter from Notre Dame, which 
 seemed especially adapted for the new home; 
 
DeVE:LOPME:NT OF COMMUNITY AT Be:rTRAND 49 
 
 and, after consultation with Bishop Purcell, 
 the Chapter of Administration resolved that there 
 should be no further expenditure at Bertrand or at 
 Mishawaka, but that all available means should be 
 used in establishing the sisters on the site chosen, 
 a movement entered into with spirit, all objections 
 on the part of the See of Vincennes having been 
 withdrawn. A sufficient appropriation was made, 
 ways and means considered, and the corner-stone 
 was blessed April 24th, 1855, by Father Sorin, who 
 gave the institution the title, "St. Mary's of the 
 Immaculate Conception." In May of that year, the 
 Industrial School — ^pupils and building — was trans- 
 ferred to the eminence overlooking the ravine east 
 of the present buildings at St. Mary's, and was 
 known as "St. Joseph's School." Later it was 
 moved a short distance westward. Excellent train- 
 ing was given in industrial arts, until in 1862, when 
 the demand for sisters in other lines of duty made 
 it necessary to discontinue the work. 
 
 In May, 1855, the sisters' house at Mishawaka 
 was placed in the hands of a contractor, to be moved 
 to the Rush property, and the closing months of the 
 school year at Bertrand were marked by prepara- 
 tions for leaving the early home of the community. 
 
50 A Story o^ Fi^y Ye;ars 
 
 Very material encouragement to carry on the proj- 
 ect came to Father Sorin about this time in the gift 
 of a valuable estate in Ohio, by Mr. William Phe- 
 lan, stepfather to the Reverend Neal H. Gillespie, 
 C. S. C, and Sister M. Angela. By assuming the 
 mortgage on the property and fulfilling certain 
 monetary conditions, the community secured pos- 
 session of land worth three times the indebtedness 
 on it. This unlooked-for good fortune removed 
 any lingering question as to the expediency of the 
 new foundation then under way, and gave fresh im- 
 petus to the work. Everything pointed to the wis- 
 dom of the move, yet the sisters of the pioneer days, 
 as the hour for departure drew near, remembered 
 the roses and the sweetbriar rather than the thorns. 
 The very places of hardship were endeared to them, 
 and the humble chapel was full of hallowed memo- 
 ries. On April 26, 1854, the Association of Noc- 
 turnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament had 
 been established at Bertrand, and the hours when 
 the sisters had knelt in turn as ambassadors for the 
 Congregation before the Altar-throne had bound 
 them by a thousand ties to this home of their early 
 religious life. But the reahzation that the same 
 King would receive their homage in a new court 
 
De:ve:ivOpme:nt o? Community at Be;rtrand 51 
 
 took the sharp edge from the natural sorrow of 
 leaving the old convent home, and the Commence- 
 ment Exercises, held on June 28th, marked the close 
 of a notable epoch in the life of the community and 
 the beginning of an era even more important. 
 
Some Successes and Failures. 
 
 4t 4t 4t 
 
 In TrueJ character interpretation one must har- 
 monize contradictions, so also one must blend suc- 
 cesses and failures in portraying the development 
 of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross, thus giving recognition to the fact that not 
 results alone, but processes as well, make up life. 
 Then, too, success and failure are relative terms, 
 and, until we can measure the force of a spiritual 
 influence, must remain so. In the early days of the 
 community, many of the undertakings of the sisters 
 more than met the most sanguine expectations, 
 while others fell far short of even reasonable hopes. 
 Whatever the causes of the failures, — whether er- 
 rors of judgment or understanding, personal limi- 
 tations in those charged with the several works, or 
 a combination of unfortunate circumstances, — it 
 remains a fact that every enterprise was undertaken 
 and carried on with a good intention. The results 
 
 52 
 
Some; Succe;sse:s and Failures 53 
 
 only verify the words of St. Paul, it is not he that 
 planteth, it is "God that giveth the increase." 
 
 Within a week after his arrival at Notre Dame 
 du Lac, Father Sorin had written to the Very Rev- 
 erend Father Moreau about the Indian missions, of 
 which the new home of the Fathers of the Holy 
 Cross was the centre. He related to him the story 
 of Father De Seille and Father Petit, and asked if 
 he might follow their example and devote himself 
 to the needs of the Indians. He referred to his 
 love for the work imposed on him by obedience, 
 but added with simple earnestness: "To declare 
 everything without reserve, I love, too, the Indians 
 of M. De Seille and of M. Petit. I thank Heaven 
 that I am now among them. I see nothing in the 
 world to be preferred to the condition of a mission- 
 ary among the Indians. I have been informed of 
 the best means of inducing them to do good, and, 
 I hope, with the help of God, to succeed in this some 
 day. I am still young, I shall learn their language 
 in a short time ; in a year I hope to be able to under- 
 stand them. Let me then hasten to my dear Indi- 
 ans. Yes, it is settled, you grant my request, you 
 permit me to look upon this flock, now without a 
 shepherd, as my own portion." 
 
54 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ye:ars 
 
 In the same letter, as recorded elsewhere, Father 
 Sorin asked for sisters for the Indian mission. At 
 the Mother-House in France, the apostolic spirit 
 was strong, and this country was regarded by many 
 of the priests, brothers and sisters only as the home 
 of the Indian, From a diary of a member of the 
 community, still living, we learn that she was 
 drawn to Holy Cross through accounts given by 
 Father Baroux of the labors of the sisters at Poka- 
 gon, Michigan. And this missionary spirit was 
 manifested as a community characteristic from the 
 first. 
 
 The sisters arrived at Notre Dame in 1843, and 
 in the spring of 1845, Sister Mary of the Crucifix- 
 ion (Angot) and Sister Mary of the Holy Cross 
 (Sweeney) went from Bertrand to Pokagon to 
 teach the Indians. Father Allouez, in 1680, had 
 founded a Christian settlement among the Potta- 
 wattomies, near the present site of Niles, Michigan, 
 and the mission work was kept up until 1759; then, 
 for want of laborers, the vineyard was without care, 
 except for the ministrations of passing mission- 
 aries, until in 1830, when, in answer to an appeal 
 to the See of Detroit by the Chief Pokagon, the 
 services of Father Badin, the first priest ordained 
 
SoM^ Succ^ss^s AND Faii,ure:s 55 
 
 in the United States, were secured for the Indians. 
 The Chief's petition has all the simple dignity of 
 sincerity, and speaks volumes for the spirit incul- 
 cated by the early missionaries. One can readily 
 picture Pokagon's erect form and earnest face as 
 he thus pleaded: 
 
 My Father, I come again to implore you to send us a 
 Black Robe to instruct us in the Word of God. If you have 
 no care for us old men, at least have pity on our poor 
 children, who are growing up as we have lived, in ignorance 
 and vice. * * * We still preserve the manner of prayer 
 as taught to our ancestors by the Black Robe who formerly 
 resided at St. Joseph. Morning and evening, with my wife 
 and children, we pray together before the crucifix. Sunday 
 we pray together oftener. On Fridays we fast until even- 
 ing, men, women and children, according to the traditions 
 handed down by our fathers and mothers, for we ourselves 
 have never seen a Black Robe at St. Joseph. Listen to the 
 prayers which he taught to them and see if I have not 
 learned them correctly. 
 
 And the records go on to say that the Chief then 
 fell upon his knees, made the Sign of the Cross 
 and recited in his own language the Lord's Prayer, 
 the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed and the Ten 
 Commandments. 
 
 Father Badin was succeeded in 1832 by Father 
 De Seille, and his work was taken up by Father 
 Benjamin M. Petit. A few years before the com- 
 
56 A Story of Fifty Yejars 
 
 ing of the sisters, the Government had transferred 
 the Indians of this region to a reservation west of 
 the Mississippi ; but there were some who preferred 
 to depend upon the soil and their own labors, so 
 they remained in Southern Michigan and Northern 
 Indiana, forming a part of the then existing par- 
 ishes. There were about two hundred in all, and it 
 was to teach the children of these Indian families 
 that the religious went to Pokagon. 
 
 The sisters occupied a small log house, close to 
 the little frame church. They learned the language 
 of their pupils, taught them their religion and the 
 ordinary branches of a common school education, 
 entering into their hopes and plans with an interest 
 that won gratitude and confidence. Indian hymn- 
 books were secured, and the praises of Mary rose 
 before Our Lady's shrine with a sweet earnestness 
 that brought solace to the devoted teachers and en- 
 couragement in the arduous work. Sister M. Basil, 
 Sister M. of the Assumption, Sister M. of the Sa- 
 cred Heart and Sister M. of the Redemption were 
 among the missionary sisters at different times, and 
 often in the vacations they entertained the commu- 
 nity by telling their experiences with the Indians 
 and by dramatically rendering the Indian songs and 
 
Some: Successes and Failures 57 
 
 hymns. It was a happy mission, but the building 
 up of the country and the gradual dispersion of the 
 Indians did away with the need of the sisters, and 
 the house at Pokagon was closed, after a period of 
 usefulness extending over about seven years. 
 
 Between 1847 and 1855, foundations were made 
 at St. John's, Mackinac, Louisville, Lowell, La- 
 porte, Michigan City and Mishawaka. But the 
 scattered population, the scarcity of permanent 
 priests, which made it impossible for the sisters to 
 hear Mass and receive the Sacraments regularly, 
 the difficulty of direct communication with the 
 Mother-House, and the absence in not a few cases 
 of the necessities of subsistence, made it imperative 
 to give up some missions which in the beginning 
 had seemed promising. Of the above establish- 
 ments, Lowell, Laporte and Michigan City are the 
 only ones that became permanent. 
 
 In 1847, four sisters formed part of a colony 
 which made a foundation at St. Laurent, Canada; 
 but as the Mother House in France had most to do 
 with its development and as it remains under the 
 authority of France, the history of its progress, 
 however interesting and edifying, does not properly 
 belong to this narrative, A little later than the 
 
58 A Story of Fifty Ye;ars 
 
 Canadian settlement was that of New Orleans, 
 which also forms a part of the French Congrega- 
 tion. It was opened in 1849, when four sisters 
 went to assist the priests and brothers and to care 
 for boys at an orphan asylum in that city. The 
 development of the Southern establishment was 
 rapid and other lines of work demanded attention. 
 It was evident to those at New Orleans and at 
 Notre Dame that a novitiate was a real need and 
 Ste. Croix, France, was early petitioned for the 
 necessary authorization. At the instance of Father 
 Moreau, a foundation was made in New York from 
 New Orleans in 1854, and glowing representations 
 of the situation on the part of the superior then in 
 charge in New York, resulted in the sending of 
 sisters for the undertaking from Notre Dame, Can- 
 ada, and New Orleans. Father Sorin, supposing 
 that Notre Dame du Lac was the Mother-House for 
 the missions in this country, took measures regard- 
 ing the personnel of the institution, which met with 
 opposition because of counter-orders from France. 
 Misunderstandings between the ecclesiastical au- 
 thorities in New York and those of the community, 
 disaffection among members in New Orleans and 
 in New York, and individual errors in judgment 
 
Some Succe:ssks and Faii,ure:s 59 
 
 and discretion, brought about, both in New Orleans 
 and New York, conditions painful and humiliating 
 to those to whom the honor of the Congregation 
 was sacred. There could be but one course to pur- 
 sue in regard to the Eastern house ; the sisters were 
 withdrawn and the institution closed. 
 
 The year 1856 witnessed the establishment of 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Chicago, where, 
 under the Right Reverend Bishop O'Regan, they 
 took charge of the domestic service of the Univer- 
 sity, conducted by the Fathers and Brothers of the 
 Holy Cross, taught the Holy Name parochial 
 schools, St. Joseph's German school, and opened an 
 industrial school. The difficulties inevitable in 
 foundation days were encountered, but there was 
 an encouraging interest in the work on the part of 
 the clergy and people. The schools were prosper- 
 ous and the field for good seemed to promise results 
 gratifying to the community. But the transfer of 
 Bishop O'Regan in 1858, and the subsequent in- 
 stallation of the Right Reverend Bishop Duggan, 
 as his successor, brought about great changes. The 
 new incumbent refused to recognize the arrange- 
 ments or even the formal contracts of his predeces- 
 sor in regard to the devoted Fathers and Brothers 
 
60 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 of the Holy Cross; and after a series of appeals, 
 the Congregation was recalled by Father Sorin, 
 the sisters being included in the withdrawal, al- 
 though they were not directly concerned in the un- 
 pleasantness with the Bishop. The account of the 
 sisters' departure as recorded in the diary of one 
 of the religious, tells us with a touch of humor, 
 that "Captain Gleason, who was preparing to go 
 to the war, had his company, the Montgomery 
 Guards, and a band of music, escort us to the depot, 
 and Mother Liguori remarked that our departure 
 looked like a triumph." The "triumph" was only 
 in looks, however ; for the sisters left Chicago with 
 regret. They had made many friends, and the ser- 
 vices of the community, to all appearances, were 
 needed at the time; humanly speaking, it seemed a 
 mistake to give up the mission; and, if it is true 
 that "obedience is better than sacrifice," it is also 
 true that sometimes obedience is sacrifice. 
 
 In 1856, the Right Reverend John Nepomucen 
 Neumann, of saintly memory, requested the Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross to establish an industrial school 
 in Philadelphia, and four sisters under the direction 
 of Sister M. Angela were sent on to make the foun- 
 dation. Before many months the parochial schools 
 
SoM^ Succe:sse:s and Failurks 61 
 
 at St. Paul's and St. Augustine's were in charge of 
 the sisters, who had the consolation of seeing their 
 labors fruitful of good from the beginning. The 
 financial stress of 1857 was felt very keenly by the 
 community, but, notwithstanding, success crowned 
 the efforts of the sisters, who, in 1861, opened in 
 West Philadelphia a select school for day pupils 
 and boarders. Everything pointed to the accom- 
 plishment of good in the field of Christian educa- 
 tion, but the disturbed relations between France and 
 Notre Dame, referred to in the account of the New 
 York foundation, brought about conditions in Phil- 
 adelphia that called for summary action on the part 
 of those concerned. Father Sorin's decision was, 
 that, as affairs seemed to approach a climax the 
 effects of which could not be foreseen, the sisters 
 had better return to the Mother-House. Here, 
 again, obedience meant sacrifice, and it was a sad 
 comfort to know that the Right Reverend Bishop 
 Wood, who had succeeded Bishop Neumann, told 
 the sisters, as he gave them his parting blessing, 
 that he more than regretted their leaving. 
 
 Susquehanna, which claimed the sisters less than 
 two years, Buffalo, tentatively held as a mission for 
 one year, and Bourbonnais Grove, Illinois, where 
 
62 A Story o^ Fi^y Ydars 
 
 the sisters conducted a school from 1858 to 1860, 
 complete this chapter which we have headed "Suc- 
 cesses and Failures." Failures those mission as- 
 suredly were, if we consider their want of perma- 
 nency, and, in some cases, the circumstances which 
 brought about their dissolution; but, if we take 
 into consideration the fact that in the process of 
 those years of trial, the general body of the com- 
 munity was growing, and that its spirit was being 
 confirmed by the hand of God with the strengthen- 
 ing chrism of sorrow ; if we remember that through 
 those foundations individual souls were benefited, 
 and that some of the most useful and edifying sub- 
 jects of the Congregation during those years cast 
 their fortunes with the humble followers of the 
 Cross, then must we hesitate before pronouncing 
 a failure that which in the alphabet of Providence 
 may have spelled success. 
 
FIRST BUILDINGS AT ST. MARY'S (1855). 
 
62 . o^ Fii as 
 
 tb? nducted a school from 1858 to 
 
 iiis chapter which we have headed "Suc- 
 
 and Failures." Failures those mission as- 
 >uicat.y were, if we consider their want of perma- 
 nency, and, in some cases, the circumstances which 
 brought about their dissohi^^ton : but, if we tnVf 
 into consideration the fart 
 
 years of trial, the 
 was growing, and t! 
 confirmed by the hand of God with the strengthen- 
 ing chrism of sorrow ; if we remember that through 
 those fouIid^bfl«^fAdiviml5^s^H2^^^^^^8^Mted, 
 and that some of the most useful and edifying sub- 
 jects of the ConprAornfirri nirrit^nr i^^-.; .. ^ • . • 
 
 their fortune^ v 
 
 Cross, tis< 
 
 a failure that wl , Provit 
 
 may have spelled success. 
 
The Founding- of St. Mary's. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of Our 
 Lady, is to many of the Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 one of those "hoHest of hoHdays," an anniversary 
 not of the heart alone, but of the soul, for it is the 
 day on which they received the religious habit and 
 pronounced their final vows. More than this, it 
 is the anniversary of the establishment of the 
 Congregation in its new home on the banks of the 
 winding river. 
 
 The archives relate that on the Feast of the 
 Assumption, 1855, the sisters from Bertrand went 
 to Notre Dame to celebrate the festival with the 
 religious solemnity already a feature of the holy 
 days in that centre of faith and piety. All assisted 
 at the Holy Sacrifice and remained for Vespers in 
 the afternoon. The procession in honor of Our 
 Blessed Mother was an institution even in those 
 days, and it is not hard to imagine the wistful looks 
 that must have been turned towards the west as 
 
 63 
 
64 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 the procession wound around the lakes and the sis- 
 ters sang the invocations to Our Lady; and, as, 
 later, heads and hearts bowed in the chapel for the 
 blessing of Mary's Son, how fervently must not 
 His benediction have been implored on the new 
 foundation ! 
 
 When the religious ceremonies of the day were 
 over. Father Sorin brought Sister M. Angela and 
 Sister M. Euphemia to St. Mary's ; and if there was 
 little formality in the manner of installation, it is 
 hardly to be wondered at, for the building, as the 
 two sisters found it on that first day, fifty years 
 ago, suggested nothing of ceremony. The frame 
 structure from Mishawaka had been put together 
 on its new site, and only one room in it was plas- 
 tered and ready for occupancy. Outwardly cheery 
 and full of courage, the two sisters went through 
 the inhospitable-looking building, and if there was 
 any sinking of the heart at thought of all that was 
 to be done, it showed not in look or word. Having 
 arranged that Sister Angela and Sister Euphemia 
 sleep at St. Joseph's Industrial School, referred to 
 in a previous chapter. Father General left the pio- 
 neers, and, with his blessing on them, the two sis- 
 ters faced the new situation alone. 
 
The Founding of St. Mary's 65 
 
 Sister Angela — or Mother Angela, as we may 
 hereafter call her, for from this time on we find her 
 always in some official relation with the community, 
 — began at once to plan the work of preparation 
 for the coming of the sisters, and for the opening 
 of the school in September. The next morning 
 she declared that the measures arranged for in 
 their legislative meeting of the night before called 
 for an immediate executive session; whereupon, 
 she herself set about washing windows, while Sis- 
 ter Euphemia, with equal zest, applied herself to 
 cleaning the floor ! 
 
 The second night also was spent at St. Joseph's ; 
 but some furniture having been brought from Ber- 
 trand, the third day found the two sisters fully in- 
 stalled. All day long they were too much occupied 
 with the work of cleaning and arranging the house, 
 taking room after room, as the plasterers and car- 
 penters completed each, even to look at the beau- 
 ties of nature around them; but in the long, quiet 
 evenings of those first days the charm of the place, 
 the patient grandeur of the great trees, the endless 
 song of the river, — all must have impressed their 
 hearts ; and if in the distance they heard the bell at 
 Notre Dame, they must also have heard close to 
 
 5— 
 
66 A Story of Fifty Y^ars 
 
 them the soft music of the Angelus that would one 
 day ring out across this forest soHtude. 
 
 Order and comparative comfort grew out of this 
 seeming chaos; by degrees the sisters were trans- 
 ferred from Bertrand to St. Mary's and in six 
 months all, except those employed at Notre Dame, 
 were domiciled at the new Mother-House, which 
 included the convent, which served as novitiate and 
 house of Professed, the Academy, the Industrial 
 School, and the School for Deaf-Mutes. The rec- 
 ords give the number of sisters who, in August, 
 1855, moved directly from St. Mary's, Bertrand, to 
 the new St. Mary's, as twenty-five, all but ten of 
 whom are on the honor-roll of the dead. The fol- 
 lowing are the surviving pioneers who will have a 
 special, a personal interest in the celebration of St. 
 Mary's Golden Jubilee, a Jubilee made possible by 
 their self-sacrifice, their devotedness, their untiring 
 labors: Mother M. Augusta, Sister M. Compas- 
 sion, Sister M. Euphrasia, Sister M. Euphemia, 
 Sister M. Augustine, Sister M. Appoline, Sister M. 
 Anatholie, Sister M. Bertha, Sister M. Clothilde 
 and Sister M. Bernard. 
 
 Though there was not a little prejudice among 
 non-Catholics of the neighboring towns, some of 
 
Th^ F'ounding o^ St. Mary's 67 
 
 the leading citizens of South Bend showed an in- 
 terest in the new foundation ; Judge Stanfield aid- 
 ing materially in putting St. Mary's on a legal basis 
 as a regular corporation, giving his counsel and 
 services most generously, and before the opening 
 of the Academic years 1855-1856, the institution 
 had a legal existence and was recognized by the 
 State. 
 
 Until 1860 the buildings were the frame struc- 
 tures which had been moved from Mishawaka and 
 Bertrand, and the ways and means adopted in order 
 to meet the demand for room in those days, fully 
 verified the saying about necessity and invention. 
 Among the various Bertrand contributions to the 
 new foundation was the little blacksmith shop, or 
 cottage, mentioned before as having been pur- 
 chased for five dollars. This frame building served 
 as a sort of guest house, and was for a time occu- 
 pied by Mr. and Mrs. Phelan, Mrs. Redman (Sis- 
 ter Elizabeth's mother), and her grandchild, Edith 
 Lilly, who became Sister M. Cecilia. In 1858, a 
 frame building was erected south of the "old brown 
 house," as the first Academy was called in later 
 years, and was used as a general assembly hall 
 until 1859, when it became St. Michael's Chapel. 
 
68 A Story of F'ifty Ykars i 
 
 In time it retroverted to the original purpose, but 
 having been partially destroyed by fire in 1879, it 
 was torn down. The next structure erected was 
 the Chapel of Loreto, the Santa Casa of St. Mary's, 
 and while there is little in the way of official record 
 regarding this blessed shrine, there are many who 
 cannot forget Loreto in the setting of their soul- 
 history. The plan of the chapel, with exact meas- 
 urements of the Holy House at Loreto, was brought 
 from Italy by the Reverend Neal H. Gillespie, C. 
 S. C, and the building begun in 1859 was blessed 
 by the Right Reverend Bishop Luers, of the diocese 
 of Fort Wayne, in September of the same year. 
 Though a shrine of devotion open to all, for years 
 it was associated closely with the Sodality of the 
 Children of Mary, and it has always been a favorite 
 spot with the students, as many votive offerings 
 testify. There in the quiet chapel the cares of the 
 busy school-day seem to slip off as the chaplet of 
 Our Lady slips through the fingers, while to the sis- 
 ters, Loreto is a place where the present meets the 
 past before the Altar throne, and where, almost un- 
 consciously, the heart frames the prayer, "Eternal 
 rest give unto them, O Lord !" Adjoining Loreto, 
 a small presbytery was built the same year. Father 
 
Thk Founding of St. Mary's 69 
 
 Serin's room leading into the chapel ; and additions 
 later on gave accommodations for the chaplains and 
 for visiting clergy. 
 
 In 1862, the first brick structure, long known as 
 the main building, was put up and fitted with every 
 convenience of that time, and the increasing num- 
 ber of pupils justified the most sanguine hopes of 
 those charged with the administration. The music- 
 hall was decided upon in 1865, this building mark- 
 ing the tenth year of the establishment of the new 
 St. Mary's. And what changes had been wrought 
 in those ten years, changes which held within them- 
 selves the promise of future developments! The 
 grounds had been artistically laid out, largely by 
 Mr. Phelan and Mother Angela, the Rosary Circle 
 forming the centre of a beautiful design in land- 
 scape gardening ; cedar and osage hedges had been 
 set out, and the avenue symmetrically outlined in 
 maples and sycamores; the lilac bushes, forming 
 fragrant lanes of purple bloom, had been planted 
 and the orchards well started. Nature's charms 
 had been, if not doubled, at least enhanced by an art 
 that recognized the charms of nature unadorned. 
 
 All this is of material growth, but it implies 
 the progress of the Congregation in number and 
 
70 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ye:ars 
 
 in standing. In this decade the community more 
 than doubled in membership, and though some of its 
 efforts in the way of extending its usefulness had 
 proved unsuccessful, as elsewhere recorded, other 
 successful foundations had been made, permanent 
 establishments of which an account will be given 
 later. The work of the sisters during the Civil 
 War also calls for special mention, but, chronolog- 
 ically, it is to this period of the community's devel- 
 opment that the narrative belongs; and the with- 
 drawal from St. Mary's and the missions of the 
 large number called for in the war-hospitals, added 
 not a little to the already heavy burdens of the sis- 
 ters left at the home-posts. But if this time was 
 one of care and of unremitting labor on the part of 
 all, it was not without its compensations, for the 
 number of students at St. Mary's was larger than 
 ever before and there was a distinct academic spirit. 
 The records of those momentous years include 
 the names of many earnest workers in the building 
 up of the community and the school, and where all 
 gave of themselves so generously, seemingly desir- 
 ing only to spend and be spent for Him whose cause 
 the work primarily was, it is impossible to give an 
 adequate list unless all are mentioned. 
 
Thi^ F'ounding of St. Mary's 71 
 
 A notable event in this first decade of years was 
 the official visit, in 1857, of the Very Reverend 
 Basil Moreau, Superior General of the Congrega- 
 tion of the Holy Cross, a visit attended with im- 
 portant results, and one which marked a new period 
 in the life of the community. The official bearing 
 on the Congregation of the Superior General's 
 coming belongs to a later chapter; here we shall 
 simply quote from a letter of Father Moreau's his 
 description of the reception he met at St. Mary's, 
 with a view to showing how much had been done in 
 the way of progress along artistic lines, and how 
 from the first Mother Angela's influence was felt in 
 all things, even the smallest. The extract is from a 
 letter written by Father Moreau on board the ves- 
 sel which bore him back to France, and was ad- 
 dressed to all his spiritual children : 
 
 The benedictions of heaven are too abundant not to ac- 
 knowledge the protection of the august Patroness of the 
 Society of the Sisters, and to honor whom, the good Supe- 
 rior of the Academy at St. Mary's (Mother M. Angela) 
 prepared a beautiful ceremony, the remembrance of which 
 will never leave me. It was on the evening of September 
 8th that I was witness of a majestic procession composed 
 of all the religious and the students, each bearing a wax 
 candle like a starry light; numerous arches ornamented 
 with taste and glittering with lights spanned our way; and 
 
72 A Story o^ Fifty Years 
 
 at the end of a long avenue, on a little mound overhung 
 by a tall tree, an altar had been erected and decorated to 
 receive the statue of the Blessed Virgin, which was carried 
 in state by the white-veiled young girls. While the proces- 
 sion moved through the dusk, hymns were chanted. From 
 this station we went along a path lighted by tapers to a 
 beautiful island, which was blessed and consecrated to the 
 Immaculate Virgin. 
 
 Thus we see in the days of small but enthusiastic 
 beginnings the ever-abiding desire of Father Sorin, 
 Mother Angela and the sisters to draw young 
 hearts through the medium of the beautiful to the 
 God of beauty. What processions and sacred pag- 
 eants became in later years at St. Mary's, we see 
 in these lines from the pen of Eliza Allen Starr : 
 
 And the processions at St. Mary's— those marking the 
 Rogation Days, Corpus Christi, the Feast of Our Lady of the 
 Sacred Heart — so unique in their beauty, so unrivalled in 
 their picturesque surroundings! Whatever might be their 
 grandeur at Notre Dame, there was a tranquillity peculiar 
 to St. Mary's, as the procession on Rogation Days passed 
 under the blossoming boughs of the orchard on its way to 
 the shrine of Our Lady of Peace in the freshness of the 
 spring mornings ; or, for Corpus Christi, or Our Lady of the 
 Sacred Heart, just at the close of the day when the candles 
 in the hands of the sisters and pupils made a line of blessed 
 light along the winding bank of the St. Joseph River, paus- 
 ing at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; her arbor overhanging 
 the edge of the wooded bank, and the "coo" of the mourning 
 doves nested among the firs coming in like touches of pathos 
 
The; Founding of St. Mary's 73 
 
 to the songs of praise; then, to turn into the garden walks 
 to Trinity Arbor, overrun with the blossoming trumpet- 
 vines, their flowers darting out like tongues of flame ! No 
 pupil at St. Mary's can ever forget those processions ; and 
 no sister will forget how faithfully the beautiful ceremonial 
 was always observed and forwarded by the beloved founder 
 of Notre Dame and St. Mary's. In this way an aesthetic 
 education, in its most exalted sense, has been given to every 
 one so happy as to linger among these delightful groves and 
 shaded ways. 
 
 Indeed, in all lines of the training given at St. 
 Mary's in the early days, is seen a forecast of the 
 years to come. Mother Angela was, in a sense, 
 ahead of her time in matters pertaining to the edu- 
 cation of young women, and long before the days 
 of "higher education," she had outlined a plan of 
 studies for St. Mary's teaching body that had as 
 an end the highest and best in mental and moral 
 training. To the first ten years must we trace also 
 the beginnings of the reputation for excellence in 
 the art of music which St. Mary's enjoys. In the 
 Bertrand days. Sister Elizabeth (Mrs. Lilly) and 
 her mother, Mrs. Harriet Redman, identified them- 
 selves with the community, and both consecrated 
 their marvellous gift for music to the service of God, 
 though Mrs. Redman did not become a religious. 
 Sister Elizabeth's enthusiasm, combined with her 
 
74 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 power of imparting knowledge of the musical art, 
 soon drew pupils, and the encomiums she won for 
 St. Mary's were remarkable for those times. 
 
 The records of the early years are most inter- 
 esting to those who see in the past the promise of 
 to-day, and viewed in such a light there is a signifi- 
 cance in reports of Commencement Exercises, when 
 in drama-form, arranged especially for the occa- 
 sions, "Fabiola" and "Marie Antionette" and 
 "Blanche of Castile" won laurels for the fair por- 
 trayers of those historic characters. In connection 
 with Commencement memories, we shall be par- 
 doned for recalling one of Most Reverend Arch- 
 bishop Riordan's reminiscences — namely, that on a 
 certain occasion, when St. Mary's premiums had 
 not arrived in time for the distribution. Mother An- 
 gela borrowed the books received a few hours be- 
 fore by some of the Notre Dame students, the Arch- 
 bishop among them, and after they had stood proxy 
 for the belated books, and had been presented in 
 public to the fair recipients, they were collected and 
 returned to their rightful owners. 
 
 Though in the years preceding, the Academy 
 had sent forth worthy students who had completed 
 the studies of the course as then outlined, it was in 
 
The: Founding of St. Mary's 75 
 
 1860 that the first graduating medals — Latin 
 crosses in silver — were conferred. Of this class, 
 Mrs. Virginia Spittler Hammond, Lafayette, and 
 Miss Ellen Eddy, South Bend, Ind., were honored 
 guests at a late alumnae gathering. 
 
 The later years of this decade brought many stu- 
 dents from the South, and the spirit of patriotism, 
 then in the very atmosphere of the country, stirred 
 the quiet of even the convent halls, when the North 
 and South met in the quick give and take of charge 
 and retort. The story of one encounter, which, at 
 the time, was widely circulated by the press, had as 
 the leader of the Union party. Miss Minnie Sher- 
 man, daughter of General Sherman. The enthusi- 
 astic Federals among the Seniors draped the Stars 
 and Stripes over a doorway through which the 
 student body had to pass ; but a loyal daughter of the 
 South saw the emblem, and with flashing eye 
 stepped from the ranks and pulled the flag from its 
 place. According to the newspaper reports of the 
 affair, we should here give as a denouement the list 
 of wounded combatants; but truth obliges us to 
 spoil the dramatic story by recording that, though 
 there was a sharp sortie of some kind, the war which 
 threatened, was, thanks to the presence of Mother 
 
76 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 Angela and the sisters, confined to deadly glances 
 and unspoken threats of vengeance. 
 
 Mother Angela's indefatigable zeal made it pos- 
 sible for her to seem to be in many places at once; 
 for in the ten years constituting this first period 
 of the life of the community we find record of her 
 labors at St. Mary's, at Notre Dame, in Chicago, 
 in Philadelphia, in Washington, and in the army 
 hospitals at Memphis, Cairo and Mound City, while 
 the variety of interests which engaged her powers 
 challenges wonder and admiration. Whether com- 
 piling text-books, superintending the organization 
 of a hospital corps, translating the Directory and 
 Rules for the Congregation, conducting an exami- 
 nation of the classes, or presiding at the sisters' 
 recreations, Mother Angela was always a centre of 
 helpful activity, radiating an influence that impelled 
 to highest effort; and it is not to be wondered at 
 that in those early troublous times the community 
 considered her vocation to Holy Cross a direct 
 answer to prayer. 
 
Relations with France and 
 Notre Dame. 
 
 4t 4t 4t 
 
 Obe^diEnce; is the first virtue of the true relig- 
 ious ; it is also the keynote to her relations with law- 
 fully constituted authority. The members of a re- 
 ligious body are bound together by ties similar to 
 those which insure the oneness of the family group, 
 and as the children are to the parents, so are the 
 subjects to their superiors. Hence there was a 
 double significance in the title "Father" as applied 
 by the first Sisters of the Holy Cross to the Rever- 
 end Anthony Basil Moreau, their spiritual guide, 
 their devoted friend, the founder of their little corps. 
 To him they rendered implicit obedience, and it was 
 at his bidding and with his blessing that the mis- 
 sionary band of four intrepid souls set forth to new 
 lands, to face new conditions, under the guardian- 
 ship of his representative — the Reverend Edward 
 Sorin. In those early days, the name of Father 
 Moreau was enshrined in the memory of each of 
 
 77 
 
78 A Story o^ Fifty Ye^ars 
 
 the devoted exiles; and, as recruits from France 
 joined the colony, memories were renewed, while 
 those from this country who entered the ranks soon 
 learned the story of Le Mans; and when, in 1857, 
 he visited his American family, he was received 
 with genuine welcome. 
 
 From the foundation days in the United States 
 until this visit of the Very Reverend Superior Gen- 
 eral, the sisters had little or no direct communica- 
 tion with the Mother-House, as Father Sorin, now 
 fully empowered to act for Father Moreau, had 
 taken charge of the community. In 1852 he had 
 been made Provincial, and, in 1854, because of the 
 exigencies of the times, he had asked and obtained 
 dispensation from obedience to Ste. Croix, the foun- 
 dation house in France, for a term of years. Father 
 Sorin's position was hardly an enviable one. A re- 
 ligious under the vow of obedience, he felt the 
 weight of his own personal obligation, as well as 
 his responsibility for others, soul and body, who 
 were bound to obey him. In addition, he was 
 charged by the Bishop of the diocese of Vincennes 
 with the spiritual interests of a widely scattered 
 population; and was at the same time the head of 
 an educational m.ovement, the direction of which 
 
Ri:i.ATioNS WITH France; and Notr^ Dame 79 
 
 called for more than ordinary ability, energy and 
 foresight. The spiritual relationship with the 
 Mother-House was fully recognized and highly 
 prized by Father Sorin, and there was little room 
 for personal ambition in the whole-hearted dedica- 
 tion of his life to his chosen as well as appointed 
 task. 
 
 There is not infrequently in human affairs a col- 
 lision of interests, each of which has a moral right, 
 according to the individual standpoint, and when 
 this is the case there is more or less of the tragic in 
 the results. Father Moreau wished to be superior 
 in temporals, as in matters spiritual, over the Con- 
 gregation of the Holy Cross in the New World; 
 he claimed the final word as to the profession of 
 subjects — priests, brothers and sisters; his sanction 
 was required for the acquisition or the alienation of 
 property; and he delegated to no one the privilege 
 of appointments in the community. In none of 
 these claims did he demand more than he felt was 
 his right by virtue of his office. The community in 
 this country, represented by Father Sorin, was will- 
 ing to render all respect to the Mother-House, but 
 it was not to be expected that France would fully 
 understand conditions in the new province. The 
 
80 A Story op Fifty Years 
 
 distance made it impracticable to submit many of 
 the business questions that naturally arose, — ques- 
 tions peculiar to the conditions of the times and de- 
 manding immediate settlement. The councils of 
 administration at Notre Dame and St. Mary's, Ber- 
 trand, were better qualified than were strangers to 
 decide upon the admission of subjects; and, finally, 
 in the appointments to the various offices and mis- 
 sions, intimate knowledge of circumstances, as well 
 as a delicate tact, was necessary, the first of which 
 essentials was impossible to anyone not on the 
 grounds. Viewed dispassionately, and as a thing of 
 the past, it would seem that Father Sorin took the 
 broader view, and that his apprehension of the 
 larger relationships, which included all that Father 
 Moreau had as ultimate end, together with the 
 means that led thereto, showed a love for the gen- 
 eral good rather than any desire of personal gain 
 or aggrandizement. 
 
 While this statement of affairs would seem to 
 refer to the relations between Notre Dame and 
 France only, the sisters also were concerned, inas- 
 much as Father Sorin was the general adminis- 
 trator and counsellor for them during the first thir- 
 teen years of the community's existence ; and if the 
 
Relations with France and Notre Dame 81 
 
 efforts of the sisters had finally met with anything 
 like success, there was not one among them who did 
 not feel that it was largely due to Father Sorin. 
 There was no thought in those early years of "mine 
 and thine" in the matter of property and finances. 
 But "the new growth in the plant swelling against 
 the sheath, which at the same time imprisons and 
 protects it, must still be the truest type of progress" ; 
 so, in the course of events, the question of a distinct 
 business organization naturally arose. The formal 
 approbation of the priests and brothers hastened 
 the solution of the question, for Rome had required 
 the immediate severance of the sisters' branch from 
 the association at the Mother-House, and had urged 
 the same separation, as soon as practicable, in this 
 country. The decree was promulgated in 1857, 
 when the Very Reverend Superior General visited 
 the institutions in Canada, Louisiana and at Notre 
 Dame. Measures were at once taken to bring about 
 a settlement, but it was no easy undertaking, and it 
 was not until 1862 that the division was finally 
 made, the Sisters of the Holy Cross receiving one- 
 third of the resources of the Congregation and 
 assuming one-third of the Order's liabilities. It 
 was, of course, understood that the sisters should 
 
82 A Story o^ Fifty Ye^ars 
 
 continue their services at Notre Dame, the convent 
 division of which was looked upon as a mission be- 
 longing to St. Mary's, the Mother-House in the 
 United States. 
 
 In the meantime, friendly relations were main- 
 tained with France. The Mother-General of the 
 sisters visited this country, and Mother M. Angela 
 and Mother M. of the Ascension were delegates to 
 a General Chapter held in 1860 at Le Mans. The 
 year following, Father Sorin was appointed to gov- 
 ern the sisterhood without foreign intervention; 
 but the Reverend Visitor sent in 1862 by Father 
 Moreau did not respect this arrangement, and 
 Father Sorin withdrew from the superiorship of 
 the community of sisters. The matter became seri- 
 ous ; the Right Reverend Bishop of Fort Wayne in- 
 terested himself so far as to send, in the name of the 
 sisters, a petition to Rome asking the approval of 
 the community as a distinct organization, and the 
 appointment of an American Bishop as Apostolic 
 Visitor. Archbishop Purcell also used his influence 
 in the furtherance of this measure ; and at the same 
 time the proposed Constitutions of the sisterhood 
 were submitted for official approbation. The au- 
 thorities in Rome charged with the affairs of relig- 
 
82 A iSroRY or I-ifty Years 
 
 ^» 'mue their services at Notre Dame, the convent 
 ion of which was looked upon as a mission be- 
 longing to St. Mary's, the Mother-House in the 
 United States. 
 
 In the meantime, friendly rel 
 tained with France. The V 
 
 •'d this 
 ana Aioli:cr M. of u... .'-.. 
 a General Chapter held in i ^ . ..^....o. 
 
 year following, Father Sorin was appointed to gov- 
 ern the sisterhood without foreign intervention; 
 but the Re- .OTa5V€aHOs^3ftKfeOl862 by Father 
 Moreau did not respect this arraneenic 
 Father Sorin wit' 
 the con 
 
 ous ; the Rtghi Reverend iiishop oi 1^ on iii - 
 
 terested himself so far as to send, in the name oi the 
 sisters, a petition to Rome asking the approval of 
 the community as a distinct organization, and the 
 appointment of an American Bishop as Apostolic 
 Visitor, Archbishop Purcell also used his influence 
 in the furtherance of this measure ; and at the same 
 time the proposed Constituti<»ns of the sisterhood 
 were submitted for official approbation. The au- 
 thorities in Rome charged with the affairs of relig- 
 
Ri:i.ATiONS WITH France: and Notr^ Dame; 83 
 
 ious communities, though interested in the well- 
 being of the Congregation, were slow in acting be- 
 cause of conflicting statements that had been sub- 
 mitted. The resignation of the Very Reverend 
 Abbe Moreau, in 1866, however, and the subse- 
 quent election of Father Sorin as Superior Gen- 
 eral, with the privilege of residing at Notre Dame, 
 were followed, in 1869, by the rcognition at Rome 
 of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the United States 
 as a distinct Order, with St. Mary's as the Mother- 
 House, and the Very Reverend Edward Sorin 
 as Ecclesiastical Superior. This joyful news 
 was communicated through the Apostolic Visitor, 
 the Most Reverend Archbishop Purcell, and his 
 congratulations and those of the Reverend Bishop 
 Luers signalized a new era in the history of the 
 community. 
 
 Father General, as the Reverend Edward Sorin 
 was now called, was charged to draw up Rules in 
 accordance with the Constitutions, and these with 
 the Directory were issued the next year. An elec- 
 tion of officers was held in August, 1869, and the 
 first council of administration under the new 
 regime was composed of Mother M. Angela, as 
 Mother Superior; Mother Charles, First Assist- 
 
84 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 ant ; Mother M. Eusebia, Second Assistant ; Mother 
 M. of the Ascension, Mistress of Novices, and 
 Mother M. Emily, Stewardess, — all able women, all 
 thoroughly imbued with a deeply religious spirit 
 and all in perfect sympathy with Father General. 
 Ever3rthing looked promising; and yet, conscien- 
 tious motives and tender, grateful affection not- 
 withstanding, the beautiful relations between 
 Father General and St. Mary's were shadowed in 
 the years that followed, not so much by misunder- 
 standing as by a want of understanding. 
 
 If the process of readjustment in the life of the 
 individual is attended with difficulties, incompara- 
 bly more difficult is the work of reconstruction, 
 when to a passing generation is committed as a 
 charge the enlarging of the scope of action, the up- 
 lifting and perfecting of the ideal already formu- 
 lated, already sanctified by worthy effort of an es- 
 tablished institution. Many demands were made on 
 St. Mary's for the work of the missions. The sup- 
 ply of sisters did not begin to meet the wants ; Notre 
 Dame grew rapidly, and the increased student body 
 necessitated the employment of seculars for the 
 work of the various domestic departments. This, 
 of course, could not but be unsatisfactory; and, in 
 
RELATIONS WITH FrANCE AND NoTRE DamS 85 
 
 1872, Very Reverend Father Sorin conceived the 
 idea of opening a novitiate at Notre Dame for the 
 reception and training of subjects for the special 
 needs of the place. Mother M. Ascension took 
 charge of the new venture, and for seventeen years 
 the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 presented the anomaly of having two novitiates, the 
 one at Notre Dame only nominally under the admin- 
 istration at St. Mary's, the Mother-House. There 
 was no question as to the admirable religious train- 
 ing at Notre Dame; the spiritual advantages were 
 all that could be desired, and many excellent sub- 
 jects were received; but the establishment was 
 looked upon with disfavor by many of the best 
 friends of the Order, who saw in it a detriment to 
 the sisterhood and an obstacle in the way of Papal 
 approval. 
 
 Women, especially in the religious world, are 
 inclined to be conservative and to keep to old stand- 
 ards, particularly when the claims of new standards 
 are in seeming conflict with claims of gratitude and 
 affection ; so every concession was made by the ad- 
 ministration at St. Mary's rather than cause a posi- 
 tive breach with Notre Dame. Yet, under all, there 
 was the persistent call of a larger obligation which 
 
86 A Story of Fifty Y5:ars 
 
 took not a little from the joy that comes of perfect 
 understanding. The Apostolic Approbation of the 
 new Constitutions of the Congregation of the Sis- 
 ters of the Holy Cross, in 1889, for a term of seven 
 years, provided for but one novitiate ; so the novices 
 at Notre Dame were transferred to the novitiate 
 at the Mother-House, which still remains the only 
 one of the Congregation. In 1892 the status of the 
 relations between the two institutions at St. Mary's 
 and Notre Dame was drawn up by formal contract ; 
 and though, in 1893, a renewal of the former un- 
 pleasantness threatened, the contract is still in force 
 and most amicable relations continue to be main- 
 tained. 
 
 All through it is to be noted that it was only in 
 official matters that there was ever any difficulty. 
 During all the years recorded in the above narra- 
 tive. Father General continued his ministrations at 
 St. Mary's, as he had done at Bertrand, considering 
 no detail too small for his personal attention and 
 interest; and he spent at least a third of his time 
 in his beloved room adjoining the Chapel at Loreto, 
 that shrine so dear to his heart. In the Perpetual 
 Mass, instituted by him in 1879, his spiritual daugh- 
 ters had a share ; and from the first up to as late as 
 
RELATIONS WITH France and Notre: Dame: 87 
 
 June, 1893, when His Eminence Cardinal Satolli 
 visited St. Mary's, Very Reverend Father General 
 was the guest of affection and honor at every nota- 
 ble function held at the Convent or the Academy. 
 
 And if Father Sorin was kindness, considera- 
 tion and courtesy itself with regard to St. Mary's, 
 the same may be said of all the priests and broth- 
 ers of Holy Cross. Even in troubled times, when 
 Father General could not see things as St. Mary's 
 viewed them, or the sisterhood could not take his 
 view of them, the ties formed in early days between 
 the two branches of the Association were not 
 broken, and there was never any interruption in the 
 exchange of the little offices that mean much in the 
 way of encouragement and sympathy. The priests 
 of the Holy Cross have ever ministered to the spir- 
 itual needs of the community, — sisters and stu- 
 dents ; they have ever been ready to make it possible 
 for St. Mary's to have the pomp of church ceremo- 
 nial when occasion demanded; they have lent pres- 
 tige to celebrations by their presence, and have 
 always given their service willingly in the way of 
 lecture and instruction in both Convent and Acad- 
 emy; in fine, the Golden Jubilee which has called 
 forth these pages would hardly have been but for 
 
88 A Story ojp Fifty Y^ars 
 
 the devoted Order of Holy Cross, to the spirit of 
 which is joined in unity of interest and aims, as well 
 as oneness of means, the Congregation of the Sis- 
 ters of the Holy Cross. 
 
The Civil War Period. 
 
 4t 4t S 
 
 The Daughters of the Revolution are justly 
 proud of the heritage of their name and descent; 
 and equally do they who claim kinship with the 
 heroes of a later period of trial, glory in the honor 
 of their ancestors or comrades, as the case may be; 
 and tales of their valor and stories of their suffer- 
 ings recounted in these times of peace stir the blood 
 and quicken the pulse, making one realize that true 
 patriotism is indeed a sort of religion. It was this 
 real love of country, animated by Christian charity 
 and zeal, that, in 1861, prompted the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross to respond to the call of need, by volun- 
 teering to go to the succor of the sick and wounded 
 in the military hospitals and on the field of battle. 
 
 All who offered their services could not go; but 
 those who were selected were followed by the lov- 
 ing sympathy and prayers of their sisters at home, 
 who half envied them the privilege they enjoyed; 
 though consoling themselves by the thought that 
 
90 A Story o^ Fi^y Y^ars 
 
 it was as Sisters of the Holy Cross the devoted 
 nurses were enrolled on their country's record, and 
 that the sisters on the field of active duty, as well 
 as those in their Convent home, found courage in 
 the same cross-surmounted flag, while all prayed 
 for the peace and well-being of the land they loved. 
 On October 22d, 1861, Very Reverend Father 
 Sorin issued the following official letter, which is 
 eloquent of the spirit of the community at that time : 
 
 St. Mary's of the Immaculate Conception. 
 October 22, 1861. 
 My dear Daughters in Christ : 
 
 Among the distressing features of the times, I am glad to 
 convey to you some consoling news ; for, however much we 
 deplore the distracted state of our country, we find a grati- 
 fication in being able to assuage some of its sorrows. Indeed, 
 simple as it is to us religious, I hail it as an event which I 
 chronicle with pleasure, knowing in advance that you will 
 learn the news with delight, 
 
 A most honorable call has been made on your community 
 by the first Magistrate in our State* asking for twelve sisters 
 to go and attend the sick, the wounded and dying soldiers. 
 The call has been unhesitatingly responded to, and this 
 afternoon six Sisters of Holy Cross started for Paducah, 
 Kentucky, — namely. Mother Angela, Sister Magdalene, Sis- 
 ter Winifred, Sister Adele, Sister Veronica and Sister Anne. 
 Six more are preparing to start for Missouri within a week. 
 
 They were chosen from a large number of volunteers; 
 and if we judge of their sentiments by the joy with which 
 
 •Governor Morton, at the instance of General Lew Wallace. 
 
The Civil. War Period. 91 
 
 they received word of their selection, we have reason to 
 believe that they duly appreciate the honor and favor be- 
 stowed on them. It is in this light we should view the event ; 
 for were it possible that the community should ever forget 
 such an act of devotedness, Heaven will not let it go unre- 
 warded. 
 
 It is well known that in the late Crimean War the Sisters 
 of Charity covered themselves with glory before men, and, 
 doubtless, with merits before God. When the record of our 
 present struggles will be handed down to posterity, will it 
 not be a source of joy for the Church to be able to show, in 
 every rank of society, the name of many a glorious hero 
 generously sacrificed for the rescue of the country ? 
 
 But why should we be left out of the list? Are we not 
 members of the holy band of the Cross — a company recently 
 formed to meet the chief needs of our time? If the Standard 
 of the Cross, under which we have enlisted, knows of no 
 enemies among men, if our object, on the contrary, is to 
 rally them all under the precious emblem of our salvation, 
 our little army stands arrayed against the enemy of mankind, 
 the spirit of darkness, and the evils and the wounds which 
 he has inflicted on humanity. Hence, wherever there is a 
 pain to soothe, a pang to relieve, a bleeding heart or limb 
 to treat or dress, there is a field for us to enter, under pain 
 of deserting our noble banner. 
 
 Such is the field now opened by the calamity of our land. 
 Four of our Fathers have already entered it; and in a few 
 days a dozen sisters of the same family will have gone, with 
 no other arms but their Cross and their Beads; bringing 
 with them in the devotedness of their hearts a pledge of effi- 
 cient help, and in the modesty of their countenances edifica- 
 tion and the influence for good. 
 
 If man in the discharge of duty is always entitled to 
 
92 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 some share of sympathy, this is especially true when a gen- 
 erous obedience to the voice of his country brings him to 
 sufferings and all sorts of peril. This cannot be denied. 
 Nor is it idle to show that our institutions are not useless 
 or totally dead to the vital interests of the land; for thus, 
 and thus only, the eyes of many will be opened to the real 
 spirit of religious communities. A little band of devoted 
 sisters, ministering like angels amidst the soldiery, will do 
 away with prejudices and show the beauty and resources of 
 the Catholic Faith to support man in all possible trials much 
 more forcibly than volumes of argument and evidence. 
 
 But, laying aside all terrestrial considerations, there are 
 souls to be saved — souls redeemed by Jesus Christ, and ex- 
 posed to eternal ruin. Who knows if, after receiving the 
 kind ministrations of these angels of the earth, those poor 
 sufferers will not be willing to listen to the words of salva- 
 tion ; and if thus made to feel the benefit of their devoted- 
 ness, they will not permit them to prepare their souls for 
 baptism and heaven? If a single soul could thus be gained 
 to God, would it not more than justify the trial? But who 
 could tell how many may thus be sent to heaven ? What a 
 joy will it not bring to the apostolic heart of our venerated 
 Founder to hear of this heroic act of charity undertaken 
 by this little vanguard of his company in the New World ! 
 It seems I hear his voice from beyond the waters cheering 
 the privileged twelve on their noble errand of charity. It 
 is in his name I have blessed them ; and they may rest as- 
 sured that while they follow the fortunes of the battle- 
 fields of the nation, he, like Moses, will be praying for them 
 on the mountain-top; we, too, will persevere with him in 
 prayer in their behalf. In all our houses there shall be of- 
 fered for them a general Communion every Saturday, that 
 
The: Civil War Period 93 
 
 they may fully discharge the important trust they have re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Our Blessed Mother has seen the little band on their 
 knees in her own House of Loreto, and again, at the Por- 
 tiuncula, among the angels ; doubtless she has blessed them, 
 and taken each of them in her special custody. To those 
 beloved sanctuaries they will often return in spirit; there 
 also we shall meet them to entreat the august Mother of 
 God to grant success to their noble mission. 
 
 E. SoRiN. 
 
 It was thus with the blessing of obedience that 
 the sisters entered upon their chosen labors, and, 
 from that time until the close of the War, they gave 
 their untiring services to the care of the sick and 
 wounded in the military hospitals at Washington, 
 Memphis, Paducah, Louisville, Cairo and Mound 
 City, as well as on the hospital boats that bore the 
 suffering soldiers from the scenes of strife to where 
 they might receive medical attention and the care 
 they needed. The war records of those momentous 
 years (1861-1865) bear the names of nearly four- 
 score Sisters of the Holy Cross, many of them long 
 since mustered out of life's warfare; two of them, 
 Sister M. Fidelis and Sister M. EHse, died in ser- 
 vice the first year of the War, one at Mound City, 
 the other at Cairo ; and the list of surviving sisters 
 who still love to talk over war-times in true "vet- 
 
94 A Story o^ F'ifty Years 
 
 eran" fashion includes the names of Mother M. 
 Augusta, Sister M. Compassion, Sister Bernard, 
 Sister Aloysius, Sister Celestine, Sister Augustina, 
 Sister Adele, Sister Catherine, Sister De Sales, 
 Sister Athanasius, Sister Anthony, Sister Magda- 
 lene, Sister Bartholomew, Sister Matilda, Sister 
 Martha, Sister Ferdinand, Sister Victoria, Sister 
 Gregory, Sister Theodore, Sister Odelia, Sister 
 Helen, Sister Paula, Sister Lydia, Sister Placidus, 
 Sister Irene and Sister M. of the Passion. 
 
 The first band, with Mother Angela in charge, 
 reached Cairo on October 24th, where they at once 
 reported to General Grant, who received the sisters 
 with courteous consideration. They then proceeded 
 to Paducah, where they took charge of the military 
 hospital. In November, Mother Angela received a 
 dispatch from Washington, D. C, with orders to 
 open the hospital in Mound City. She telegraphed 
 to St. Mary's for sisters, and, with a young girl as 
 companion, started at once for the scene of new 
 labors. The hospital was a large unfinished block 
 of warehouses; but before long the Government 
 had converted the structure into commodious quar- 
 ters, where, under the management of the sisters, 
 the hospital came to be known as one of the best in 
 
The: Civil, War Period 95 
 
 the military service. At times there were from a 
 thousand to fourteen hundred patients under treat- 
 ment, many of the sick and wounded being prison- 
 ers of war. There was no distinction of North and 
 South in the wards of the soldiers, and the closeness 
 of death taught life the lesson of love. The records 
 of the various nurses tell of scenes that even to wit- 
 ness without flinching must have called for more 
 than merely human strength of mind and heart. 
 For instance, one recounts that after the battle of 
 Fort Donelson, in February, 1862, wounded soldiers 
 were borne in that presented a pitiful spectacle of 
 suffering. Many had been neglected on the field, 
 and frozen members were the consequence. The 
 condition of some was too heartrending even to 
 mention, but to all the gentle ministrations of kind- 
 ness gave what relief was possible. What added 
 to the trying situation was that there were few sis- 
 ters and many demands ; and though the sisters did 
 not spare themselves night or day, they could not 
 accomplish all that they wished. Their own com- 
 fort was their last consideration; indeed, during 
 the first year they endured many privations. Not 
 unfrequently the sisters — and Mother Angela was 
 no exception — had to sleep on the floor. 
 
96 A Story of Fifty Y^ars 
 
 In the spring of 1862, the Ohio River overflowed 
 the country about Mound City, and the hospital was 
 surrounded by water. All communication with the 
 outside world was carried on by means of boats, 
 and, as the flood showed no signs of abating, the 
 sick and wounded who were at all able to bear the 
 fatigue, were transferred to Jefferson Barracks in 
 St. Louis, the others being moved to the upper 
 stories of the building. It was during this time 
 that Sister Fidelis, faithful indeed, was called to 
 her eternal reward. As her body lay on a cot, wait- 
 ing the arrival of the undertaker, the water reached 
 a height of several inches on the floor of her room. 
 When all was ready, soldiers placed the cofiin in a 
 boat and it was rowed through the woods to the 
 railway station, to meet the train for Chicago, en 
 route for St. Mary's. 
 
 It was a sad Good Friday for the sisters who 
 looked over the stretch of water and watched until 
 the boat with its precious freight was lost to view, 
 but they knew that for Sister Fidelis Easter was 
 near. Dr. McMahon, who attended the sister during 
 her illness, was deeply impressed by her gentle pa- 
 tience and simple piety. One day he made a remark 
 about the fine appearance the front of the hospital 
 
^: 
 
 ^ 
 
 "NORTH CAMPUS AND TENNft 
 
96 A StijuY OF Fifty Ysars 
 
 spring Ji 1862, the Ohio River overflowe i 
 
 -c c'juntry about Mound City, and the hospital was 
 
 surrounded by water. All communication with the 
 
 outside world was carried on by means of boats, 
 
 and, as the flood showed no sv:rv^ '^' abating, the 
 
 sick and wounded whr var the 
 
 , gue, were transfer 
 
 Louis, the raoved to the upper 
 
 stories of. the buiidmg It was during this time 
 
 that Sister Fidelis, faithful indeed, was called to 
 
 her eter^g^kt5Waj:^iA3\sdviR Wi^fiS m^cP^^t, wait- 
 
 A at and it wa . 
 railway station, to meet 
 route for St. Mary's. 
 
 It was a sad Good Friday for the sisters who 
 looked over the stretch of water and watched until 
 the boat with its precious freight was lost to view, 
 ■( .., ,' . 1-,,..,,, a,^^ fQj- Q.:c<... ■:;^j[gjis Easter was 
 
 ... ,. - .5. d the sister during 
 
 her illness, 'by her gentle pa- 
 
 tience and simple piety. One day he made a remark 
 about the fine appearance the front of the hospital 
 
m^M^ 
 
The Civil, War Period 97 
 
 presented, and Sister Fidelis told him she had never 
 seen the outside of the building, as it v^as evening 
 when she came. "What," said the astonished doc- 
 tor, "you have never seen the outside of the build- 
 ing in which you have lived six months ?" And he 
 evidently was impressed by the fact, as he spoke of 
 it to the other doctors more than once. 
 
 Mother Augusta and her little band of nurses ar- 
 rived at Cairo, Sunday, December 13, 1861; hav- 
 ing heard Mass at St. Patrick's Church, and break- 
 fasted at the presbytery, thanks to the kind invita- 
 tion of the pastor, they proceeded to the hospital, 
 then known as "The Bulletin,'' later as "St. John's." 
 The surgeon in charge. Dr. Burke, conducted the 
 sisters through the wards, which were in a frightful 
 state. The apartments on the first floor had been 
 used as receiving and operating rooms, and ampu- 
 tated arms and legs and pieces of human flesh were 
 strewn around. The walls and floors were blood- 
 stained, and, altogether, the sight was appalling. 
 But Mother Augusta and her two assistants began 
 work at once; with the help of orderlies detailed 
 for that purpose, conditions were gradually 
 changed, and before many days the work of caring 
 for the sick and wounded and administering the 
 
98 A Story of Fifty Y^ars 
 
 household affairs of the hospital was as well system- 
 atized as was possible under existing circumstances. 
 
 Mound City, Memphis and Cairo were the gen- 
 eral centres of the corps sent from St. Mary's, and 
 they were drawn on for nurses on the transports 
 and on the hospital boat Red Rover, from which 
 the sisters heard the firing at Vicksburg, and saw 
 more than one boat run the blockade. 
 
 Sometimes the individual records of the sisters 
 in relating edifying incidents, unintentionally re- 
 veal heroism and devotedness on their part. A case 
 in point is furnished by the fragment of a letter or 
 report — presumably sent to the superiors at home 
 and found among detached papers — simply relating 
 the conversion and happy death of a young soldier- 
 nurse, detailed for night duty. It was for the story 
 of the young man's conversion that the letter was 
 written, but the setting of the story tells that the 
 sisters were at a pest hospital in Missouri, at a small 
 town called Franklin, or Pacific City, where there 
 were a number of soldiers, not wounded, but suffer- 
 ing and dying from camp-fever, pneumonia and 
 other diseases prevalent and too often fatal in the 
 camps. It was a forlorn, desolate, unwholesome 
 place, but with the help of three energetic sisters, 
 
Thk Civil War Period 99 
 
 aided by the Sanitary Commission, a better condi- 
 tion of things soon prevailed, and the men began to 
 improve. 
 
 One of the nurses, in citing her war experiences, 
 writes: "After one battle there were seven hun- 
 dred in the hospital, and only four sisters to 
 wait on them. It was heartrending to see the poor 
 men stretching out their hands to us to attract at- 
 tention, for many of them were not able to speak." 
 Again she writes : "At another time the small-pox 
 broke out among the soldiers, and we had charge of 
 the pest-house," adding, with sweet humility: 
 "After the epidemic, by request of the doctors, / 
 was sent home on a four months' furlough." In 
 this case, the editorial "we" hardly serves to con- 
 ceal identity. 
 
 The military hospitals at Paducah and Louisville, 
 "The Overton" at Memphis, "St. Aloysius" in 
 Washington, D. C, the Naval Hospital, also at 
 Memphis, all were scenes of the sisters' labors; 
 "The Overton" especially, the sisters remaining 
 there until after the war. On the conclusion of hos- 
 tilities they were transferred to the city hospital at 
 Memphis, where they remained as long as their ser- 
 vices were needed. 
 
100 A Story o^ Fi^ty Ykars 
 
 Mother Angela kept up her home duties during 
 the years of the war, and found time to visit her 
 missions in Philadelphia, as well as to serve as in- 
 termediary with the ecclesiastical authorities in 
 Chicago, when the question of the community's 
 withdrawal was first broached. But the sisters en- 
 gaged in the military hospitals were never forgot- 
 ten, and she kept in constant touch with each and 
 all. Her visits to them were frequent and her 
 enthusiasm worked a magic charm over fatigue and 
 discouragement. There are people who can inspire 
 others to do that which, ordinarily speaking, is im- 
 possible; Mother Angela was one of these. Her 
 faith and courage would not recognize limitations, 
 hence the nature, the magnitude, of her achieve- 
 ments and those of her sisters. 
 
 The following incident, written by Mother An- 
 gela herself, and reprinted, with kind permission, 
 from the Ave Maria, tells something of what the 
 sisters went through, and how they acquitted them- 
 selves under circumstances such as try men's souls : 
 
 A Death that Recalls a Noble Deed. 
 
 Died, at the Mother-House of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross, St. Mary's. Notre Dame, Ind., July 28, 1885, Sister 
 Mary of St. Josephine. 
 
The Civil War Period 101 
 
 Sister Josephine was one among the first of the eighty 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross who, during the late Civil War, 
 served the sick and wounded soldiers in the military hos- 
 pitals of Louisville, Paducah, Cairo, Mound City, Memphis 
 and Washington City. 
 
 Those who knew this quiet, gentle religious only during 
 the last twenty years of her life could scarcely realize what 
 courage, even heroism, animated her during those years of 
 the war spent in the hospitals. We give below one in- 
 stance among many others. 
 
 In the summer of 1862 the Confederate Fort Charles, on 
 White River, was attacked on land by a force under the 
 command of Colonel Fitch of Indiana, and from the water 
 by gunboats commanded by Commodore Davis. In the 
 midst of the battle the boilers of one of the gunboats ex- 
 ploded, frightfully scalding Captain Kelty and some fifty 
 others. The sufferers, in their agony, leaped into the river ; 
 and as they did so, a broadside from Fort Charles poured 
 bullets and grapeshot into their parboiled flesh. 
 
 The battle ended with the capture of the Fort, and the 
 wounded of both sides were taken to Mound City Hospital 
 — a block of some twenty-four unfinished warehouses and 
 store-rooms that had been converted into a vast hospital, in 
 which, after some of the great battles in the Mississippi 
 Valley, as many as two thousand patients were treated by 
 a staff of medical officers and nursed by twenty-eight sis- 
 ters. Sister Josephine being one of them. Colonel Fry, com- 
 mander of the Fort, supposed to be dangerously wounded, 
 and Captain Kelty were of the number brought to Mound 
 City after the surrender of Fort Charles. 
 
 The latter was a general favorite among the men and 
 officers of the Western flotilla. His sad state — the scalded 
 flesh falling from the bones, and pierced with bullets — 
 
102 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 excited them almost to frenzy. He was tenderly placed in 
 a little cottage away from the main building; and Colonel 
 Fry, with a few other sufferers, was put in a front room 
 on the second story of the hospital, under the immediate 
 care of Sister Josephine. 
 
 The next day the report spread like wildfire through the 
 hospital, and among the one hundred soldiers detailed to 
 guard it, that Captain Kelty was dying. The wildest ex- 
 citement prevailed; and in the frenzy of the moment, Colo- 
 nel Fry was denounced as his murderer; it was declared 
 that he had given the inhuman order to fire on the scalded 
 men. Everyone firmly believed this. But it was not true. 
 Colonel Fry was ignorant of the explosion on the gunboat 
 when the order was given. 
 
 Sister Josephine, very pale, yet wonderfully composed, 
 went to the sister in charge of the hospital, to say that all 
 the wounded had just been removed from the room under 
 her care, except Colonel Fry. The soldiers detailed to 
 guard the hospital, and the gunboat men, had built a rough 
 scaffold in front of the two windows of the room, mounted 
 it with loaded guns, and loudly declared that they would 
 stay there, and the instant they heard of Captain Kelty's 
 death they would shoot Colonel Fry. "And," continued 
 Sister Josephine, "the doctor made me leave the room, say- 
 ing that my life was in danger. He took the key from the 
 door and gave it to 'Dutch Johnny,' telling him that he had 
 entire charge of the man within." 
 
 Now, Dutch Johnny was one of six brothers ; five had 
 been killed at Belmont; Johnny was so badly wounded and 
 crippled in the same battle that he was useless for active 
 service, and so was left to help in the hospital. But one idea 
 possessed him ; in revenge for his brothers' death he intended 
 to kill five Confederates before he died. 
 
Thi- CiviIv War Pi^riod 103 
 
 In this fearful state of affairs, the sister in charge went 
 to the Surgeon General of the staff, begging him to see 
 that no murder be committed. Dr. Franklin answered that 
 he was powerless to control events, and that the captain 
 of the company guarding the hospital was absent. 
 
 "Then," said the sister, "I must call my twenty-seven 
 sisters from the sick; we will leave the hospital, and walk 
 down to Cairo." (A distance of three miles.) 
 
 In vain did the doctor represent to her the sad state of 
 all the patients she was leaving. She would not consent to 
 remain in a house where murder would soon be committed, 
 except on one condition : that the doctor would give her the 
 key of Colonel Fry's room, and that the sisters have the 
 care and entire control of the patient. 
 
 "But," expostulated the doctor, "it will be at the risk of 
 your lives ; for if Captain Kelty dies — and I see no hope of 
 his recovery — no power on earth can restrain those men 
 from shooting Colonel Fry." 
 
 "Oh, doctor!" she answered, "I have too much faith in 
 the natural chivalry of every soldier — ^be he from North 
 or South of Mason and Dixon's line — ^to fear he would 
 shoot a poor wounded man while a sister stood near him !" 
 
 Seeing the sisters would leave if this request was not 
 granted, the doctor sent for Dutch Johnny, took the key 
 from him and gave it to the sister. The latter called for 
 Sister Josephine, and both went in haste to the room of the 
 wounded man. 
 
 As they turned the key and opened the door, a fearful 
 scene was before them. Colonel Fry lay in a cot ; his arms, 
 both broken, were strapped up with cords fastened to the 
 ceiling; one broken leg was strapped to the bed; only his 
 head seemed free. As he turned it, and glared fiercely, as 
 he thought, upon another foe, he seemed like some wild ani- 
 
104 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 mal at bay and goaded to madness. Before Sister Josephine 
 had been forced to leave the room, she had closed the win- 
 dows, and lowered the blinds; but her successor, Dutch 
 Johnny, had changed all this; he had rolled up the blinds, 
 and thrown up the lower sashes. And there, on the raised 
 platform, not fifty feet from him, Colonel Fry could see the 
 faces and hear the voices of the soldiers and gunboat men, 
 shouting every few minutes for him to be ready to die, 
 for they would shoot him as soon as they heard of Captain 
 Kelty's death. 
 
 Very quietly and gently did Sister Josephine speak to 
 the wounded man, moistening his parched lips with a cool- 
 ing drink, giving what relief she could to his poor tortured 
 body, and assuring him that she and the other sister would 
 not leave him; so he need not fear that the soldiers would 
 fire while they remained. 
 
 When these men saw the sisters in the room they begged 
 them to leave — even threatened — but to no purpose; brave, 
 noble Sister Josephine and her companion stood at their 
 post all through that long afternoon and far into the night; 
 and they prayed, perhaps more earnestly than they ever 
 prayed before, that Captain Kelty would not die; for, in 
 spite of all their assuring words to Colonel Fry, they did 
 not feel so very certain that their lives would be safe among 
 frenzied men, bent on taking revenge into their own hands. 
 
 In the meantime it became known that Captain Kelty 
 was a Catholic — a convert — though for many years he had 
 neglected his religious duties. A messenger was sent to 
 Cairo to bring Father Welsh to the dying man. When he 
 came. Captain Kelty was in delirium, and the Father could 
 give him only Extreme Unction. Soon after, about nine 
 o'clock, he sank into a quiet sleep. He awoke, perfectly 
 conscious, near midnight, made his confession, received Holy 
 
The Civii< War Period 105 
 
 Communion, and took some nourishment. The doctor said 
 all danger was over, and a messenger ran in breathless haste 
 to spread the glad tidings. The excited soldiers fired a few 
 blank cartridges as a parting salvo, jumped from the scaf- 
 fold, and were seen no more. The rest of the night good 
 Sister Josephine took care of her patient, undisturbed by 
 any serious fear that both might be sent into eternity before 
 morning. 
 
 When the naval officers, who the night before had looked, 
 as they feared, their last look on the living face of Captain 
 Kelty, went up the next day from Cairo and found him out 
 of danger, they laughed and cried with joy. In a whisper 
 Captain Kelty asked them to be silent a moment and listen 
 to him. In a voice trembling with weakness he said : 
 
 "While I thank these good doctors for all they have done, 
 I must testify — and they will bear me out in what I say — 
 it was not their skill, nor any earthly power, that brought 
 me back from the brink of the grave, but the saving and 
 life-giving Sacraments of the Catholic Church." 
 
 Colonel Fry and Captain Kelty had long known each 
 other. Both were naval officers, until at the beginning of 
 the war Captain Fry left the service, and was made Colonel 
 Fry in the Confederate army. 
 
 As soon as Captain Kelty was well enough to learn what 
 had passed, he declared Colonel Fry was guiltless of the 
 barbarity of which he had been accused. And Sister Jo- 
 sephine was made the bearer to her patient of all the delica- 
 cies sent to Captain Kelty, and which he insisted on sharing 
 with Colonel Fry. 
 
 As soon as Captain Kelty could travel, he was taken to 
 his home in Baltimore. For his bravery he was made 
 Commodore, and placed in command at Norfolk; but he 
 was maimed for life : his right hand and arm, all shrivelled 
 
106 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 and wasted, hung lifeless by his side. When able to take 
 such a journey alone, he went all the way back to Cairo, to 
 see again and thank those sisters, who, he said, under God, 
 had saved his life in a double sense. He remained until his 
 death a most fervent Catholic. 
 
 Colonel Fry, after many months of suffering, also recov- 
 ered; he was paroled, and returned to his home in New 
 Orleans. There he became a Catholic, often declaring that 
 good Sister Josephine's bravery and devotedness during that 
 day and night of torture and agony, followed by months 
 of long suffering, were eloquent sermons that he could not 
 resist. 
 
 A few years after the close of the war, he was one of the 
 leaders of that rash band of adventurers who invaded Cuba. 
 His fate is well known : with those under his command, he 
 was captured and executed. But it is not so well known 
 that he profited by the days spent in prison, in instructing 
 those with him; and many were converted to the holy 
 faith that first came to him through Sister Josephine. 
 
 Twenty-three years to the very month passed away, when 
 quietly and calmly, as in the discharge of hospital duties, 
 this good sister, strengthened by the Sacraments of the 
 Church, literally fell asleep in Our Lord, a few days after 
 the close of the annual retreat, at which she had assisted. 
 Owing to the intense heat of the weather, it was deemed 
 necessary to advance the hour of burial from six o'clock in 
 the morning to eight o'clock of the previous evening. Scarce 
 ever was a procession more affecting: the sisters — more 
 than three hundred in number — all bearing lighted tapers, — 
 the Rev. Chaplains, and the venerable Father Sorin, Supe- 
 rior-General, C. S. C, followed the remains of Sister Jo- 
 sephine through the beautiful grounds of St. Mary's to the 
 cemetery. The moon shone as brightly on her lifeless body 
 
Th:^ Civil War Period 107 
 
 as it had shone years ago through the open window on her 
 brave, gentle form, when she saved from death or insanity 
 the wounded prisoner in her charge. 
 
 It was Mother Angela herself who was Sister 
 Josephine's companion on that awful night at 
 Mound City, and it was witnessing acts of heroism 
 like this that prompted a non-Catholic chaplain to 
 say: "How can you do it, Mother Angela?" To 
 which she responded by taking up her crucifix and 
 saying: "It is easy. Here is something to give us 
 courage." 
 
 From a letter written to the Freeman's Journal 
 of March 26th, 1887, by Eliza Allen Starr, we give 
 the following: 
 
 During the early days of the War and the hospital service, 
 we all know how inadequate were the supplies for the sick 
 and wounded; how meagre the equipment for the hospital 
 nurses. A poor little circular stovepipe served the inde- 
 fatigable Mother Angela on which to prepare with her own 
 hands the early cup of gruel for her patients, rising at four 
 if need be, or at three in the morning to answer the first 
 call of the sufferers ; and the character of the stores provided 
 was such as few could realize one year later. At this time 
 the Commissary board sent a visitor to the camp and hos- 
 pital where Mother Angela and her sisters were stationed. 
 During all these months nothing could exceed the courtesy 
 of the officers, who always shared any choice provisions 
 which came to them with the sisters, as they supposed, 
 
108 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 while the sisters as scrupulously passed on to their patients 
 everything which could tempt the sick appetite, sharing in 
 fact only the rations served regularly to the hospital wards. 
 When the Commissary visitor arrived, he was duly escorted 
 to the hospital, which excited his warmest approbation for 
 its order, neatness, comfort of every sort; but as he was 
 bowing himself out in the most complimentary manner from 
 the presence of Mother Angela and her band of sisters, she 
 
 said to him : "But, Mr. , you must allow us to show 
 
 you some hospitality. Pardon our lack of silver and porce- 
 lain, but take a cup of hospital tea!" "Thank you, thank 
 you, Mother Angela, but I have taken dinner already with 
 the officers and need nothing." "Allow me to insist!" and 
 before another excuse could be urged, a sister appeared 
 with a snow-white napkin and the tin cup and spoon of the 
 hospital and — the anything than fragrant beverage of hos- 
 pital tea. "Sugar, Sister," said Mother Angela, and before 
 the visitor could wave off this fresh specimen of hospital 
 luxury. Mother Angela had dumped into the tin cup what 
 resembled the scrapings of the molasses barrel more than 
 sugar. Being a gentleman from the toe of his boot to 
 the crown of his head, he drank the cup of tea, well stirred, 
 to its dregs, without a grimace, bowing as he handed the 
 empty tin cup to the sister, while Mother Angela rubbed 
 her little hands with unmistakable glee, and the full merri- 
 ment of laughing eyes, as she said, "I knew, Mr. , you 
 
 would wish a taste of our hospital tea !" 
 
 The Commissary visitor vowed in his heart as he turned 
 from the hospital door, that the next train on his arrival 
 home should take, as he said in his letter to Mother Angela, 
 such stores to her own and to every hospital under his 
 charge, as a Christian man could accept without shame 
 from the hand of any hospital nurse in the land. 
 
The Civil War Period 109 
 
 There were, of course, many laughable happen- 
 ings in the hospitals, and an exchange of visits 
 among the sisters meant an exchange of experi- 
 ences. There was need of something to lighten the 
 gloom of those dread days. At the "Overton" in 
 Memphis, one time, the sisters found that some of 
 their snowy, fluted caps were missing, and a diligent 
 but unavailing search was made among the belong- 
 ings of the negro help, who were known to have 
 a well-developed community-spirit as to movable 
 property. As a last resort, a guard, with a musket 
 in hand, presented himself before them as they 
 were gathered at supper, and with well-assumed 
 gravity, announced immediate court-martial if the 
 sisters' bonnets were not forthcoming. There was 
 a hasty scramble for hidden boxes, etc., and the 
 fluted borders of the caps were produced, sewed as 
 ruffles on what were to be party dresses at a pro- 
 spective dance! 
 
 Volumes might be written on the sisters' heroism 
 and devotedness, but all this pertains to the least 
 important services rendered by them. The record 
 of the spiritual good they accomplished will never 
 be known. The number of soldiers who asked for 
 Baptism and who died with the regenerating wa- 
 
110 A Story oi? Fifty Years 
 
 ters still fresh on their heads is beyond counting. 
 The most precious memories of the sisters who 
 ministered to the sick and wounded during the Civil 
 War are those of soul-awakenings, of pitiful grop- 
 ings in the darkness that in God's goodness led to 
 light eternal, of victorious struggles against doubt 
 and despair, and of peaceful and holy deaths. Many 
 a man came to know the beauty of the Church 
 through the lives of the sisters, and many a soldier 
 and doctor and civilian learned to love the religion 
 for itself, which they first respected as the religion 
 of the sisters. This is a subject on which much 
 might be said, and one might give many interest- 
 ing items to show the deference of the soldiers, the 
 kindness of officers, as well as the courteous consid- 
 eration of State officials, and the authorities at 
 Washington, towards the sisterhoods in general, the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross in particular. Suffice it to 
 say, that the sisters' calendar marks more than one 
 memorial day in the year as sacred to sweet mem- 
 ories. 
 
 On the occasion of Very Reverend Father Sorin's 
 Golden Jubilee, in 1888, Most Reverend Archbishop 
 Ireland paid a tribute to the Congregation which 
 seems fitting here as an illustration of the view 
 
RIVER VIEWS. 
 
110 A Story op Fiipty Y^ars 
 
 teic -nu iJt'sh on their heads is beyond counting. 
 The most precious memories of the sisters who 
 ministered to the sick and wounded during the Civil 
 War are those of soul-awakenings, of pitiful grop- 
 ings in the darkn^^ss that in God'«; ^roodness led to 
 light eterns doubt 
 
 and despair, an 
 a man came t 
 
 througfh the lives oi ^uc sicvs.., ^ r 
 
 and doctor and civilian learned to luvt tuc icjigion 
 for itself, which Ihev first respected as the religion 
 of the sisters. This is a nnir. t on which much 
 might be said, and one ni interest- 
 
 ing items to show the dcf'prenrf of t1 
 kindness of 
 
 eration onties at 
 
 Washington, towards the sisterhoods in general, the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross in particular. Suffice it to 
 say, that the sisters' calendar marks more than one 
 memorial day in the year as sacred to sweet mem- 
 ories. 
 
 On the occasion of Very Reverend Father Sorin's 
 Golden Jubilee, in 1888, Most Reverend Archbishop 
 Ireland paid a tribute to the Congregation which 
 seems fitting here as an illustration of the view 
 
The: Civil War Period HI 
 
 taken of the work of Holy Cross by those not of 
 the community: 
 
 Father Sorin appealed to the Sisters of the Holy Cross; 
 and they, brave as they were tender of heart, rushed south- 
 ward to care for the wounded and soothe the pillow of the 
 dying. Few things were done in the past half -century to 
 break down more effectually anti-Catholic prejudice than 
 the sending of our generous sisters to the battle-field and 
 the military hospitals. The soldiers venerated the sisters, 
 and never since have they ceased repeating their praise. 
 There were other priests and other sisters in the war ; those 
 of the Holy Cross made up the greater part of the roster; 
 none excelled them in daring feats and religious fervor; no 
 other Order made for the purpose sacrifices as did the Holy 
 Cross. 
 
 Father Sorin, you have saved the honor of the Church. 
 I speak from a special knowledge of the facts, and I speak 
 from my heart ; and could the country's martyrs speak from 
 the silent earth at Gettysburg and a hundred other gory 
 fields, their voices would re-echo with our own in your praise 
 on this glorioiis anniversary. 
 
 A grim souvenir of the days of strife rests at the 
 foot of the flagstaff on the campus at St. Mary's, 
 two cannon, "Lady Polk" and "Lady Davis," cap- 
 tured from the Confederates at Island No. 10, and 
 presented by Commodore Davis, Commander of 
 the Western Flotilla, to Mother Angela, whose idea 
 it was to have them molded into a massive statue 
 of Our Lady of Peace, — a beautiful idea which it 
 
112 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 is to be hoped will some day be carried out. Mean- 
 while, the cannon lie there on the lawn, the Stars 
 and Stripes floating over them, the robins perching 
 on their great tubes, the squirrels playing in and 
 out, and happy children nestling against them. Al- 
 ready are they dedicated to Our Lady of Peace ! 
 
 There is something about the religious life that 
 makes it akin to the military life; in both we find 
 uniformity, the communal spirit, thorough organi- 
 zation, respect for authority, and obedience. Per- 
 haps it is because of this, or perhaps it is because 
 of the martial spirit in Mother Angela and the loyal 
 soldiers who made up the corps of nurses that so 
 eagerly went to the front, that the favorite vacation 
 song of the sisters is a home version of an old war 
 song. Each year on the eve of the general disper- 
 sion for the missions, the sisters in the olden times 
 used to gather on the lawn in front of the convent, 
 and as the darkness fell and the hush of night 
 touched the sounds of day to silence, the soldiers 
 of the Cross thus sang their farewell for another 
 year to their beloved convent home: 
 
The Civil. War Period 113 
 
 We are tenting to-night on the dear home ground, 
 
 Give us a song to cheer, 
 A song of hope for our eager hearts, 
 
 And our path of duty clear. 
 
 Chorus: — Many are the hearts that are beating to-night, 
 Beating as they think of home, 
 Many are the hearts, with the parting hour in sight, 
 And the field of strife to come. 
 
 We are waiting to-night on the dear home ground. 
 
 Thinking of the days gone by. 
 Of the Vows we have made, and the love we must bear 
 
 Those Vows till the day we die. 
 
 We are ready for the strife, and the dear home ground 
 
 Shall cheer our memory still, 
 And the loved and true who have gone before, 
 
 Record our warm good will. 
 
 We are waiting to-night on the old home ground; 
 
 But, our labors one day o'er. 
 We shall come to sleep 'neath the old home ground, 
 
 And shall part from home no more. 
 
In Ways of Peace. 
 ^ # ^ 
 
 ThK force that creates and sustains in a crisis is 
 not, according to some authorities, quite the same 
 that is wanted in time of ordinary routine to con- 
 tinue and preserve ; and, yet, much of the foresight, 
 energy and devotedness that marked the work of 
 the sisters during the Civil War was shown in the 
 years following that period, when their labors were 
 no less strenuous, though they were directed in 
 ways of peace. Indeed, it is a question whether 
 anything worth while in the way of upbuilding can 
 be done without the qualities that are, in a sense, 
 heroic. It was, then, in the spirit of a Hilda of 
 Whitby, a Gertrude of Helfta, a Hildegard of Ru- 
 pertsberg, that Mother Angela and her co-laborers, 
 after the storm-and-stress foundation years of the 
 community were over, carried on the work of edu- 
 cation at St. Mary's. 
 
 There was from the beginning a purpose in view. 
 Nothing was added to the curriculum or taken 
 
 114 
 
BEXD OF RIVER AT ST. MARY'S.— APPROACH TO 
 THE ACADEM] 
 
In Ways of Peace. 
 
 S * 4 
 
 The force that creates and is 
 
 not, according to some authorities, quite the same 
 that is wanted in time of ordinary routine to con- 
 tinue and preserve ; and, yet, much of the foresight, 
 energgTa9^K(te9|^dii?^ftj^tTi^af^e^^t}i| work^of 
 the sisters during the Qki3aV%a^'3sRSts shown in the 
 years following that period, when their lal^ •'- 'vere 
 no less strenuous, thoiip'h thrv w^r^ ■ in 
 
 ways o 
 
 anything worth while \\\ the way of upbuilding can 
 be done without the qualities that are, in a sense, 
 heroic. It was, then, in the spirit of a Hilda of 
 Whitby, a Gertrude of Helfta, a Hildegard of Ru- 
 pertsberg, that Mother Angela and her co-laborers, 
 after ihe storm-and-stress foundation years of the 
 community were over, carr^"-^^ ^n the work of edu- 
 cation at St. Mary's. 
 
 There was from the beginning a purpose in view. 
 Nothing was added to the curriculum or taken 
 
 114 
 
In Ways o^ Pe:ac^ 115 
 
 therefrom without a far-reaching reason, and to 
 this fact the course of training owed in later times 
 its stability as well as its symmetry of development. 
 Ideals must be personal before they become com- 
 munal, it is true, but "ideas become fruitful and 
 productive of good only when they are embodied 
 in institutions"; these words of Bishop Spalding's 
 have the support of experience. Mother Angela, 
 as we have said, was ahead of her times in her ideas 
 of education for young women, and many of the 
 notions advanced to-day as new by educators were 
 embodied in the plans outlined in the first days of 
 the community, and taught and emphasized by her 
 in word and deed all through the years of her active 
 career as Superior. Entering into the teaching 
 principles of the Congregation, they derived a spe- 
 cial force, and are at present fruitful of even better 
 results than Mother Angela herself dreamed would 
 be the outcome. In the prospectus for 1866, one 
 sees the beginnings of every department of St. 
 Mary's present educational system, and whether 
 one considers the systematic preparation of the sis- 
 ters for the work of teaching or the training of the 
 pupils under their care, one must admire the plan 
 which made its later development possible. 
 
116 A Story oi^ Fii^ty Ye:ars 
 
 The chronology of this period, 1865 to 1880, 
 opens with the record of a blessed event, the found- 
 ing of Our Lady's Journal, the Ave Maria, and St. 
 Mary's claims a small share in the honor of the 
 event through Mother Angela's brief term as assist- 
 ant to the Very Reverend Father Sorin, founder 
 and first editor. June of that year, 1865, found the 
 Httle community at St. Mary's out of debt, where- 
 upon it was immediately decided by the Chapter of 
 Administration to go into debt again by erecting 
 a music hall, a steam-house and an addition to the 
 presbytery, — an outlay that was justified by the 
 prosperous condition of the school, which in those 
 years averaged two hundred and fifty pupils. 
 Within five years, the Academy wing, running 
 south from the music hall, and a new laundry build- 
 ing, were found necessary, thus testifying to the 
 general progress of the institution. The course of 
 studies was advanced for that time, and the music 
 department, in both the science and the art of music, 
 was exceptionally fine. As early as 1865 and 1866, 
 we find record of prizes for thorough-bass and mu- 
 sical composition. Lectures by distinguished visi- 
 tors and the Reverend Fathers and Professors at 
 Notre Dame were among the advantages then of- 
 
In Ways of Peace: 117 
 
 fered; and the annals of the community note, in 
 particular, lectures on politeness by Professor How- 
 ard, now Judge Howard, a distinguished member 
 of the Indiana Bar. 
 
 The brick and mortar age of an institution is 
 not usually connected with highest ideals in the cul- 
 tivation and dissemination of art, and yet St. 
 Mary's had its dream of becoming an art centre 
 long before the purpose took definite shape. The 
 collection of art-treasures really began before the 
 Academy was furnished with what might be termed 
 the necessaries, but the influence of this movement 
 was strong in the forming of an atmosphere which 
 made for culture, and which perhaps would never 
 have been but for this timely untimeliness. For 
 nearly ten years, beginning in 1871, Eliza Allen 
 Starr lent the inspiration of her gifted mind and 
 heart to the formation of the young sisters who 
 showed artistic talent, and the methods then in- 
 augurated in the art department of the Academy 
 were reduced to principles which guided the sisters 
 in their teaching of art in all the schools of the com- 
 munity. This period, too, was especially rich in 
 religious vocations among the graduates, giving to 
 the community devoted members who passed on 
 
118 A Story op Fifty Y^ars 
 
 the traditions of the early years of fervor and self- 
 sacrifice to the increasing number of subjects, as 
 well as to the many who call St. Mary's Alma 
 Mater. 
 
 An election of officers in 1870 resulted in the fol- 
 lowing able staff: Mother M. Angela, Mother 
 Charles, Mother Eusebia, Mother Ascension and 
 Mother Augusta. After two years, Mother Com- 
 passion took the place of Mother Ascension, who 
 went to Notre Dame, and Mother Annunciata was 
 appointed to the post left vacant by the sudden 
 death of Mother Eusebia, whose particular charge 
 was the Academy, — a charge administered with 
 exceptional zeal and ability. In 1875, Mother 
 Augusta was sent to open an Academy and a hospi- 
 tal in Salt Lake City, and her place as stewardess 
 at the Mother House was filled by Mother M. Col- 
 ette. The Council had but one other change until 
 1882, and that was the substitution in 1878 of 
 Mother M. Genevieve for Mother Charles, who as- 
 sumed the directress-ship at St. Mary's, Salt Lake 
 City, in place of Mother M. Augusta, through 
 whose efforts the Utah foundation had met with 
 gratifying success. 
 
 The spirit of progress which characterized the 
 
COMMUNITY CHAPEL. 
 
118 A Story of Fifty Yi^ars 
 
 ttie traciJiJuCi of ttie early years of fervor and seif- 
 sacrifjce to the increasing number of subjects, as 
 well as to the many who call St. Mary's Alma 
 Mater. 
 
 An election of officers 't? 1R70 ref iHed in the fol- 
 low? , Mother 
 usebia, M .cension and 
 Mother Augusta. After two years, Mother Coii, 
 passion took the place of Mother Ascension, who 
 went to Notre Dame, and Mother Annunciata was 
 appointed to the j^aSlKliaf«T\acai!lM^ the sudden 
 death of Mother Eusebia, wliose particular charge 
 v.-^^ the Academy, — a charge nfliiiirsi^tf^rprl with 
 rational zeal and ability. 
 
 > rkpen an Academy a; . 
 tal in Salt Lake C her place as stewardess 
 
 at the Mother House was filled by Mother M. Col- 
 ette. The Council had but one other change until 
 1882, and that was the substitution in 1878 of 
 Mother M. Genevieve for Mother Charles, who as- 
 sumed the directress ship at St. Mary's, Salt Lake 
 City, in pl:ice of Mother M. Augusta, through 
 whose efforts the Utah foundation had met with 
 gratifying success. 
 
 The spirit of progress which characterized the 
 
>t 
 
 
 
^ In Ways of P^ace: 119 
 
 community all through the formative years was 
 thoroughly rational; enthusiasm did not falter be- 
 cause long processes had to precede accomplish- 
 ment ; and this means a great deal in works of edu- 
 cation. To kindle a fire of eagerness to know, or 
 to awaken a love for the higher things, calls forth 
 noble efforts; but to keep on rekindling fires of 
 eagerness and reanimating ardor, is what counts in 
 the training of youth. A right idea of the duty of 
 service is also an essential to success in educational 
 work, and the motto of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross in those days might have been these words of 
 Sir Philip Sidney: "To what purpose should our 
 thoughts be directed to various kinds of knowledge, 
 unless room be afforded for putting it into practice 
 so that public advantage may be the result ?" 
 
 Sometimes it was the impossible that was under- 
 taken, and the results only proved anew the blessing 
 attached to simple obedience. Bishop Spalding 
 says : "We can do or learn to do whatever with all 
 our soul we desire and will to do" ; and it was this 
 desire, this will, that made the efforts of the sisters 
 so fruitful as regards their labors in their own men- 
 tal equipment and the training of their students. 
 Prayer and labor, labor and prayer, — this was the 
 
120 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 programme of every day and every hour ; and work 
 begun for God and persevered in for His sake could 
 not fail of abundant blessing. 
 
 To 1875 belongs the addition to the buildings at 
 St. Mary's of the cottage occupied for several years 
 by Mrs. Piquette (now Mrs. F. Van Dyke, of De- 
 troit, Michigan), later used as an infirmary for the 
 students. Its charming situation near the river- 
 bank and the cosiness of the little place endeared it 
 to many, and even the new St. Joseph's Hall, with 
 its modern conveniences, will not make the alumnae 
 forget the old infirmary, where it was understood 
 that bread and jelly had power to alleviate many of 
 the ills to which schoolgirl spirits are heir. 
 
 Two special features of the community, for many 
 years peculiar to St. Mary's, are the summer-school 
 and the scholasticate. Many years before the Chau- 
 tauqua movement, generally considered initiatory 
 of the summer-schools now so common throughout 
 the country, vacation classes were carried on at St. 
 Mary's; regular lecture courses were given, labor- 
 atory and class-work prosecuted, and the best in 
 pedagogics inculcated in theory and practice. The 
 scholasticate, according to the Constitutions of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross, is a period after the nov- 
 
In Ways o^ Pe^ac^ 121 
 
 iceship and before the final vows, extending over 
 several years, during which time special attention 
 is given to the science and art of teaching. This 
 institution has ever been regarded as most impor- 
 tant, though the pressing demands for sisters at 
 home and on the missions not infrequently inter- 
 fered with its functions, leaving to the summer- 
 school part of the training for the young teachers. 
 The chapter covering this stage of the history 
 of St. Mary's seems uneventful, for to separate 
 records were left the facts having to do with the 
 Civil War, and also those bearing on the official 
 acts of administration; but, perhaps of a convent, 
 as of a woman, it is well when there is little of 
 history to record. The years, however, were filled 
 with duties and hopes and fears. There were dis- 
 appointments and losses. But the memories for the 
 most part are fair; they hold enshrined faces of 
 loved ones and words of helpful counsel, precious 
 hours in the chapel, moments of holy exaltation 
 during the beautiful Corpus Christi and May pro- 
 cessions, or the solemn, haunting ceremonies of 
 the Church. And though this era leads us to the 
 community's Silver Jubilee, 1880, out of the un- 
 written, unrecorded past, the voices of those gone 
 
122 A Story oi^ Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 before speak to us in everything about us, remind- 
 ing us that we are heritors of a sacred legacy, and 
 that our one hope must ever be, as theirs was — the 
 Holy Cross. 
 
An Exemplar of Faith and Zeal. 
 
 * 4t 4t 
 
 If we trace heredity in the mind of man and the 
 influence of racial spirit in his emotional character- 
 istics, we may also, and with quite as much definite- 
 ness, map out the lineage of his soul. There are 
 certain traits of the spiritual life which mark the 
 followers of particular schools of sanctity, and kin- 
 ship of soul not unfrequently discovers itself in re- 
 mote branches of spiritual families where no rela- 
 tionship was to be expected. Thus do we like to 
 think that Father Edward Sorin, whose name is 
 the centre of interest all through these humble rec- 
 ords, was in the spiritual order a lineal descendant 
 of Francis, the dear Saint of Assisi. In an instruc- 
 tion which the venerated Father General once gave 
 in the little chapel of Loreto on the holy man of 
 Umbria, he said: "Do you know what I consider 
 the secret of his life ? It was his loving heart. He 
 became a seraphic man because his heart was a 
 loving one. It is in proportion as we love anything 
 
 123 
 
124 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 that we devote our efforts to it." And if here we 
 have the keynote to the Hfe of St. Francis, we have 
 also the keynote to the life of Father Sorin. Love 
 of God filled his heart, and of it were born a great 
 faith, an untiring zeal. 
 
 The expression of his faith, his zeal, is the com- 
 munity which he founded in this country, and the 
 history of his life is embodied in the history of the 
 Congregation of the Holy Cross. The dates that 
 outline his career are not many. February 6th, 
 1814, marked his birth at Ahiulle, near Laval, 
 France, and he was always a Frenchman, loyal in 
 his allegiance to his mother-country, while sincerely 
 devoted to the interests of his adopted land. May 
 27th, 1838, was the day of his elevation to the 
 priesthood, and on June 9th of that year, he offered 
 for the first time the Chalice of Salvation, which 
 was the stay of his soul through the long years of 
 a busy and selfless life. In 1840, he entered the 
 society of which, in 1868, he became the Superior 
 General, an office which he held until his death in 
 1893. In 1842 he claimed the United States as the 
 home of his adoption, and here was the scene of 
 his labors, his struggles, his defeats and his tri- 
 umphs; here, too, it was that he exercised those 
 
An Exemplar of Faith and Zeal 125 
 
 powers of mind and heart which so greatly dis- 
 tinguished him. 
 
 It is hard to know of which to speak first, his 
 faith or his zeal; indeed they cannot be spoken of 
 apart, for faith was the soul of his every action. 
 Intellectual power is universally recognized, and 
 each triumph it achieves over material forces is 
 received with acclamation; yet, despite this very 
 natural glorification of the mental faculties, and 
 despite the large measure of admiration which we 
 must perforce accord to the prudence, foresight, 
 organizing power and executive abilities of Father 
 Sorin in the upbuilding of Notre Dame and St. 
 Mary's, we must still believe that 
 
 More things are wrought by prayer 
 Than this world dreams of. 
 
 He himself attributed to prayer any success that 
 crowned his eflForts, and forty years after he had 
 made the consecration of his life-work in the New 
 World to the Blessed Virgin, he wrote : "From that 
 moment I do not remember a single instance of a 
 serious doubt in my mind as to the final result of 
 our endeavors." And he added: "Before I lose 
 faith in prayer, I shall certainly lose my mind." 
 It is not always easy to understand the workings 
 
126 A Story o? Fifty Ye^ars ^ 
 
 of faith in a soul animated with its spirit. Most of 
 us cannot enter perfectly into the feeling of one 
 who finds God in everything; who rests all hope of 
 success on Him; who accepts good and evil alike 
 as coming from His hand. The point of view from 
 which such souls make their observations is so far 
 removed from that taken by the world, that a true 
 application of them is rare, and what is highest 
 wisdom in their eyes is consummate folly when 
 viewed from an earthly standpoint. Here is an in- 
 stance in point : 
 
 In 1879, when Notre Dame, the pride of his 
 heart, lay a heap of smoldering ruins, Father Sorin 
 received as a gift a check for one thousand dollars. 
 Money was a necessity, and as he looked at the 
 paper he could not but have thought how profitably 
 it might be used. But, animated by faith, he real- 
 ized, with the Psalmist, that "unless the Lord build 
 the house, they labor in vain that build it," and the 
 money was sent to the saintly Cardinal Bonaparte, 
 in Rome, that Masses might be ofTered for the souls 
 in Purgatory, and their aid secured in the work of 
 rebuilding the college. 
 
 As we look back at the simple faith of St. Fran- 
 cis, the soft mists that hung over the Umbrian 
 
An Exemplar of Faith and Z^kl, 127 
 
 slopes invest the actions of that man of God with 
 a certain charm; the Fioretti that bloomed in the 
 soil of the thirteenth century are fragrant and fair 
 in their setting of the past ; but there is more prose 
 than poetry in an act of faith that in these our times 
 spells renunciation. Sacrifice is the test of faith. 
 
 Of Father General's zeal there is much to say. 
 To see what he accomplished in his half century 
 of missionary life, one would suppose that he was 
 eminently a man of affairs, that he was active, 
 eager, ambitious ; and he was all three ; active, inas- 
 much as he never wearied of importuning Heaven 
 for help; eager in so far that he could never abide 
 indifference in the cause of religion and education; 
 ambitious, yes, his soul was full of ambition for the 
 honor and glory of God and His Blessed Mother. 
 In the world of everyday duty, also, we find him 
 active in planning, eager in executing his plans and 
 ambitious for their full measure of success. But 
 it was the end that ennobled his quiet activity, his 
 calm eagerness, his impersonal ambition. One could 
 not associate his courtliness, his dignity, his priest- 
 liness, with anything of the small, the sordid. What 
 in another man might seem like avarice, in Father 
 Sorin was zeal for God's work, — zeal prompted by 
 
128 A Story of I^ifty Years 
 
 an ardent yet serene faith. The difference between 
 great and little men, Goethe says, is in the amount 
 of energy applied to their undertakings; and if 
 Father Sorin is measured either by this standard or 
 by his achievements, he must be looked upon as a 
 great man. 
 
 It is true that we may not be just and honest 
 when we inordinately admire; but surely, fulness 
 of knowledge entitles the Sisters of the Holy Cross 
 to the enjoyment of the "dear delights of enthu- 
 siasm" as regards their beloved Father, without 
 their having to plead guilty to the charge of inor- 
 dinate admiration. From the fulness of knowledge 
 it is that his Hfe-work is outlined in these pages; 
 and even the meagre outlines show it to have been 
 a full life, full as to the number and extent of under- 
 takings as well as actual accomplishment. 
 
 In every life that is, in a sense, public, there is 
 one special aim to which a man's efforts are de- 
 voted ; on it are focused his soul's highest powers ; 
 but a hundred subsidiary interests receive his atten- 
 tion, interests which, however divergent their lines 
 seem to be, are finally centred on life's one dearest 
 object; and, indeed, in the direction and concentra- 
 tion of these minor interests is his devotion to the 
 
VIEW FROM WEST ORCHARD 
 
128 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 an ardent yet serene faith. The difference between 
 great and little men, Goethe says, is in the amount 
 of energy applied to their undertakings; and if 
 Father Sorin is measured either by this standard or 
 by his achievements, he must be looked upon as a 
 great man. 
 
 It is true that we may not be just and honest 
 when we inordinately admire; but 
 of knowledge entitles the Sisters 
 to the enjoyment of the "dear dchghts oi enthu- 
 siasm" as regards their beloved Father, without 
 their ha^^ing tf^{>M§ac^?ft^ t>^P^ ^^M^ge of inor- 
 dinate admiration. From the iuh' ~- ■ i ! nn^Al^vlcr^ 
 it is that his life-work is outhnc^ 
 and even the meagre outlines show it to ha. 
 a full life, full as to the number and extent of under- 
 takings as well as actual accomplishment. 
 
 In every life that is, in a sense, public, there is 
 one special aim to which a man's efforts are de- 
 voted; on it are focused his soul's highest powers; 
 but a hundred subsidiary interests receive his atten- 
 tion, interests which, however divergent their lines 
 seem to be, are finally centred on life's one dearest 
 object; and, indeed, in the direction and concentra- 
 tion of these minor interests is his devotion to the 
 
An Ex^mpIvAr of Faith and Z^ai, 129 
 
 main object best shown. The earnestness with 
 which this end is sought is commonly termed en- 
 thusiasm; in the science of the spiritual life it is 
 known as zeal. 
 
 Consecrated to the work of the sacred ministry, 
 in the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Father 
 Sorin's one object in life was to promote the honor 
 and glory of God through his community. That 
 was his soul's desire, and as subsidiary interests 
 came anything that might even remotely affect the 
 cause to which his life was dedicated. As a con- 
 sequence, zeal for souls was one of his strongest 
 characteristics, and his efforts in their regard were 
 untiring. To lead young hearts to God, to train 
 them up in the way of virtue, to plant the seed and 
 foster the sweet blossoms of love for the Mother of 
 God, — these he considered privileges higher than 
 those conferred by earth's patents of nobility. It 
 was this zeal for souls that moved him to establish 
 at Notre Dame and St. Mary's the Associations of 
 Notre Dame des Victoires, of Our Lady of Lourdes, 
 of Our Lady of Good Counsel, of Prayer for the 
 Clergy, and of Prayer for Peace. They were all 
 means to a great end. The founding of the Ave 
 Maria was one of his dearest projects, and was ever 
 
 9— 
 
130 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 the object of his soHcitude, even when to other 
 hands the editorship had been confided. Father 
 Sorin's interest in matters educational is shown in 
 his work as Founder of Notre Dame and St. Mary's, 
 and that his knowledge of the needs of the times 
 was practical, rather than merely theoretical, may 
 be seen in his letters to the teachers, and his in- 
 structions in the teachers* meetings and to the 
 Councils of Administration. Fenelon and Dupan- 
 loup embodied in their works the best to be found 
 in modern pedagogy; these were his guides, and 
 whether the question before him was one of choice 
 of text-book or the value of a proposed disciplinary 
 measure. Father Sorin's decision was always based 
 on sound psychologic principles. He believed in 
 encouragement, and had the power of inspiring the 
 young to noble effort. His appreciation of merit 
 on the part of others was notable, and his generous 
 praise was proof of a greatness of heart. In recog- 
 nition of his work in educational lines, the Minister 
 of Public Instruction in France conferred on him, 
 in 1888, the insignia of an Officer of Public Instruc- 
 tion. Surely no one was ever more deserving of 
 the violet ribbon and golden palms. 
 
 Of Father Sorin's work as founder, organizer 
 
An Exempi^ar of Faith and Zeal 131 
 
 and administrator we have spoken in preceding 
 chapters, in outlining the process of growth in the 
 early days of Holy Cross; there remains only to 
 recall his labors in what St. Gregory the Great 
 styles the art of arts, namely, the government of 
 souls. 
 
 To him the Congregation of the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross was very dear, and the spiritual inter- 
 ests of all its members called forth his most earnest 
 efforts. As has been said elsewhere, he gave per- 
 sonal attention to the formulation of their Rules 
 and Constitutions, taught them himself the meth- 
 ods of meditation best suited to their needs, gave 
 instructions and points of meditation ; and it was in 
 these familiar discourses that he imbued his spirit- 
 ual children with the faith that burned within him. 
 The blessed in Heaven were not to him so many 
 abstractions, — they were real. The simple faith 
 of a St. Francis did not with him need a certain 
 stage-setting of time and place to make it compre- 
 hensible. A miracle on the banks of the St. Joseph 
 River would not have been more of a wonder to 
 him than is the story of the wolf of Gubbio to us. 
 In his mind the nineteenth and thirteenth centu- 
 ries were identical as regards God's manifestations. 
 The atmosphere surrounding him was too rare to 
 
132 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 support the skepticism of to-day; and it was this 
 spirit of faith which he strove to engender in the 
 hearts of all who called him Father. 
 
 There is not a department at St. Mary's but has 
 felt Father Sorin's blessed influence, and whether 
 one whispers an Ave at the shrine of "Our Lady of 
 Peace," or kneels in the little cemetery to breathe 
 the De Profundis, ever and always is his name 
 blended with the thoughts that well up in these hal- 
 lowed places; and Loreto! one could not count the 
 hours he spent there, in the stilly eventide, when 
 only the light of the sanctuary lamp pierced the 
 shadows, or again in the early hours of dawn when 
 he would seek that sweet haven, there to prepare 
 for the day's great act, the Holy Sacrifice. 
 
 Truly there was prophecy in his paraphrase of 
 the valiant Greek's words: "When I die, I shall 
 leave two daughters to perpetuate my memory, St. 
 Mary's and Notre Dame." And as long as there 
 shall remain a Sister of the Holy Cross, the mem- 
 ory of Father Sorin will be cherished ; and in these 
 days of Jubilee, we who lovingly remember him of 
 great-hearted faith and untiring zeal, hope and pray 
 that he, the "mirror of constant faith, revered and 
 mourned," may intercede for us that our faith fail 
 not and that our zeal may more and more abound. 
 
132 A vStory of Fifty Years 
 
 support the skepticism of to-day; and it was this 
 spirit of faith which he strove to engender in the 
 hearts of all who called him Father. 
 
 There is not a department at St. Mary's but has 
 felt Father Sorin's blessed influence, and whether 
 one whispers an Ave at the shrine of "Our Lady of 
 Peac: 
 the De i 
 
 lowed places ; and Loreto ! one could not count the 
 hours he spent there, in the stilly eventide, when 
 only the light of the sanctuary lamp pierced the 
 shadows, or again in th^4aDl5*slisiifiri3:«sifedawn when 
 he would seek that sweet * 
 
 T: 
 
 iruly there was prophecy in his paraphrase of 
 the valiant Greek's words: "When I ilic, I shall 
 leave two daughters to perpetuate my memory, St. 
 Mary's and Notre Dame." And as long as there 
 shall remain a Sister of the Holy Cross, the mem- 
 ory of Father Sorin will be cherished; and in these 
 days ;ee, we who lovingly remember him of 
 
 great-hearted faith and untiring zeal, hope and pray 
 that he, the "mirror of constant faith, revered and 
 mourned," may intercede for us that our faith fail 
 not and that our zeal may more and more abound. 
 
MotheriAngela. 
 
 4t 4t * 
 
 A RKiviGious community is not exactly like any 
 other corporate body. The individuals blend more 
 perfectly into a harmonious whole, and in a Congre- 
 gation like that of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 
 which there is no distinction of choir and lay, the 
 true ideal of a Christian democracy is to be found. 
 All work together for the general good, the scope 
 of individual effort being largely regulated by that 
 fundamental principle of the religious life — obedi- 
 ence. Catholic sisterhoods, however, are not excep- 
 tions to the universal laws of human affairs ; rather 
 do we find in them the higher fulfilment of the 
 law ; hence, when a religious gives evidence of un- 
 usual gifts of mind, as a rule, not only is oppor- 
 tunity given her, but also the encouragement and 
 support of her community. 
 
 An illustration in proof of this is to be found in 
 the life of Mother Mary of St. Angela, virtually 
 the founder of St. Mary's, who for more than thirty 
 
 133 
 
134 A Story o^ Fifty Years 
 
 years governed the growing community, formed its 
 members and directed its manifold energies. Of 
 this vahant woman much has been written in a frag- 
 mentary way, and very much more of interest and 
 edification might be written; recognition of her 
 great achievements, sincere and grateful affection, 
 the full sympathy of common aims, and thorough 
 appreciation of her remarkable gifts, are not want- 
 ing among those to whom she was an example and 
 an inspiration. But the time has not come for a 
 formal "life." The biography of Mother Angela 
 belongs to a later period, when the years shall have 
 given the right perspective, not for an effective pic- 
 ture only, but for a true picture, for Mother An- 
 gela was, to employ an over-used term, in advance 
 of her times and larger than most of her contem- 
 poraries. Our sketch can be, at best, but a partial 
 portrait. 
 
 Mother Angela's ancestry in this country takes 
 us back to 1765, when Neal Gillespie came from 
 Scotland and settled in Delaware. There, at Wil- 
 mington, he married Eleanor Dougherty, and, in 
 1778, he and his family moved to what is now 
 Washington County, Pennsylvania, across the Mo- 
 nongahela River from Brownsville, where he built 
 
Mother Ange:l A 135 
 
 a home on "Indian Hill." One of his daughters 
 was the wife of Hugh Boyle and the mother of 
 Maria Boyle, who became the wife of Thomas 
 Ewing, of Lancaster, Ohio. His son, Neal Gilles- 
 pie, Jr., married Elizabeth Purcell, and of the seven 
 children born to this marriage we are especially 
 concerned with two, Maria Louise, the eldest 
 daughter, the wife of Ephraim Lyon Blaine and 
 mother of James G. Blaine ; and the eldest son, John 
 Purcell Gillespie, who, on February 12, 1821, mar- 
 ried Mary Madeleine Miers, the daughter of Henry 
 Miers and Rachel Duffield. Two sons and three 
 daughters were the fruit of this marriage; among 
 them, Eliza Maria, the subject of this sketch, born 
 February 21, 1824; Neal Henry, who became a 
 priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and 
 Mary Rebecca, the wife of Philemon Beecher 
 Ewing, one of whose daughters is Sister Mary 
 Agnes of the Holy Cross. Neal Gillespie, Jr., built 
 for his son, John P., and his daughter, Maria, a 
 double house south of his home on the Indian Hill 
 farm, and here it was that Mother Angela as a 
 child was the companion and close friend of her 
 cousin, James Gillespie Blaine. 
 When Eliza was twelve years old her father died, 
 
136 A Story o^ Fi]?ty Ye:ars 
 
 and two years later the family took up their home 
 at Lancaster, Ohio, where, in 1841, Mrs. Gillespie 
 was married to William Phelan. The education of 
 her children was a matter of solicitude to Mrs. Phe- 
 lan, and Eliza was entrusted to the Dominican Sis- 
 ters at Somerset, Ohio, where she formed an attach- 
 ment for the white-robed Daughters of St. Dominic 
 that lasted all her life. She also spent some happy 
 years, the concluding ones of her school-life, with 
 the Visitandines at Georgetown, D. C, where, we 
 are told, she was a general favorite, because of her 
 charming personality and brilliant talents. 
 
 Then came the crucial period, through which 
 every one endowed with a perception of all that life 
 holds, must pass. For some, circumstances govern 
 life, for others, life governs circumstances; and it 
 is not hard to understand that Eliza Gillespie be- 
 longed to those who know and feel that man is mas- 
 ter of his fate. In the years that followed her 
 school-life she took a prominent place in society 
 with a graciousness that charmed all, and both in 
 Washington and at Lancaster made many friends. 
 Always full of energy as she was, we are not sur- 
 prised to learn that she was active in social affairs, 
 entered into charitable movements with enthusi- 
 
Mother Angsi.a 137 
 
 asm, taught poor children, sewed for the several 
 institutions of charity in the city, and was a leader 
 in the many activities of the Church. The social 
 incidents of those times in which she took part read 
 strangely to us, who can hardly imagine James G. 
 Blaine arrayed as an Indian, or General Ewing in 
 kilts as a "Highland Archer,'' or General W. T. 
 Sherman as the hero of a conquest over a bat that 
 threatened to disturb the pleasure of a party of 
 young folk. 
 
 But Eliza Gillespie was not satisfied with the 
 social round, even though it held elements of the 
 useful. Her soul was awake, not to the wonder 
 of a world always fair to the young, but to a world 
 that enters seldom into the dreams of youth. She 
 heard a voice that called her, not to a life of pleas- 
 ure, but to one of renunciation, to a career, not of 
 power, and honor, but of humble and obscure ser- 
 vice. She had seen the splendors of the dreams 
 with which the imagination fills the soul of youth, 
 but she knew they were but dreams; and with a 
 joy the world knows not of, she emerged from a 
 spiritual crisis, of which those nearest and dearest 
 to her knew nothing, and announced her intention 
 of dedicating herself to the service of God as a 
 
138 A Story of Fifty Ye;ars 
 
 Sister of Mercy. Once the determination was 
 reached there was no struggle, no work of read- 
 justment, for she had never really felt herself at 
 one with the life around her. 
 
 She decided to enter a convent of her chosen 
 order in Chicago, and with her beloved mother, 
 who, like another St. Anne, wished to accompany 
 her daughter to the temple of dedication, she set 
 forth from Lancaster, having arranged to stop at 
 Notre Dame to say farewell to her brother Neal, 
 then preparing for the holy priesthood. And she 
 little dreamed that God was about to set His seal 
 on this beautiful affection, and that she was to be 
 more than ever a sister to the young levite. 
 
 The first person the travellers met at Notre Dame 
 was Father Sorin, and as his keen glance fell upon 
 Miss Gillespie, a something prophetic must have 
 stirred his soul, and his words in the first moment 
 of conversation must have communicated to her a 
 vague sense of a mysterious soul-influence, for she 
 unnecessarily emphasized the fact that she was on 
 her way to Chicago to become a Sister of Mercy. 
 How true it is that an ordinary action may change 
 the whole current of life! Eliza Gillespie, in fol- 
 lowing the dictates of natural affection, was obey- 
 
Mothe:r Ange:i:.a 139 
 
 ing a power that was destined to influence number- 
 less souls. With St. Paul, one must exclaim, "Who 
 hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been 
 His counsellor?" 
 
 Further conversation with Miss Gillespie con- 
 vinced Father Sorin that this chosen soul was des- 
 tined for Holy Cross, and he explained to her the 
 object of the Congregation and its needs. But in 
 order to avoid precipitancy in deciding, he urged 
 her to spend a few days at the convent in Bertrand 
 in prayer and silence, during which time he, too, 
 would pray to know the Divine will in her regard. 
 Mrs. Phelan naturally wished Eliza to be near her 
 brother, who was tenderly attached to his sister, 
 but both expressed their hope only in prayer. At 
 the close of the retreat Miss Gillespie announced 
 her decision to take her stand with the Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross, and this after having seen the 
 privations and the hardships that made up their 
 humble life. It was the heroic in her that was ap- 
 pealed to and it was the heroic that nobly responded. 
 
 At once it was arranged by the Council that the 
 new postulant should make her novitiate at the 
 Mother House in France, and there be grounded 
 in the principles of the religious life, while, as a 
 
140 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 side issue, she was to study the best methods for 
 the instruction of deaf-mutes. Preparations were 
 hurriedly made, and on the feast of the Patronage 
 of St. Joseph, 1853, she received the habit of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross, with the name Sister 
 Mary of St. Angela. Immediately after her recep- 
 tion, accompanied by Sister M. Emily, she started 
 for France, where, under the guidance of the Very 
 Reverend Superior General, Father Moreau, she 
 passed her period of probation in the convent of the 
 Sisters of Bon Secours, at Caen, and with such evi- 
 dences of a marked vocation that, by dispensation, 
 she made her religious profession the same year, 
 on the 15th of December. February 2nd, 1854, 
 found her again at St. Mary's, Bertrand, where she 
 was charged with the direction of the school, and 
 from that time until her death, in 1887, she was 
 associated in one capacity or another with the ad- 
 ministrative body of the community. The history 
 of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross is, in a sense, the story of Mother Angela's 
 religious life, the beginnings of which, as a dis- 
 tinguished friend of St. Mary's has so well said, 
 prove beyond question, ''that a healthy and splen- 
 did mind may seek in the religious life a harmoni- 
 
Mothe:r AngkIvA 141 
 
 ous completion, a happy and beneficent existence, 
 and that such a mind — long enough in contact with 
 the pleasures of the world to enjoy them, and so 
 situated as to have encountered no heart-break, but 
 on the contrary to have entered upon a career of 
 distinction — may see in total self-abnegation the 
 highest duty." 
 
 With her whole heart in the work. Mother An- 
 gela took up her allotted task, and at once showed 
 the wisdom of those who had made the appoint- 
 ment. Her strong intellect, broad culture and high 
 sense of the responsibility resting upon the Chris- 
 tian woman led her to formulate the plan of educa- 
 tion which St. Mary's has ever striven to carry out. 
 And in order to insure permanency in the work and 
 success in the efforts, she devoted herself particu- 
 larly to the training of the sisters engaged in any 
 way with the development, the well-being, of the 
 pupils under their charge. To-day, a teacher de- 
 pends not a little on material equipment; his tools 
 must be many and modern and of the best; fifty 
 years ago a teacher depended upon mental and 
 moral equipment, supplying the absence of material 
 helps with interest and earnestness and ingenuity. 
 Who shall say which method conduces most to the 
 
142 A Story oi? Fifty Y^ars 
 
 development of mental and moral powers in the stu- 
 dent ? If the school exists to teach "the high mean- 
 ing of the everyday act and the everyday life, the 
 beauty of work, of unselfish work, with ambition 
 to do the appointed task," then Mother Angela and 
 her co-laborers were true educators. The annals 
 of the community show that the regular branches 
 of a practical education, the modern languages, 
 music, art, and the home-accomplishments, were 
 equally the object of Mother Angela's personal in- 
 terest and attention. The teachers first and then 
 the students were urged on, but the stimulus of 
 authority was also the stimulus of inspiration, en- 
 couragement. It was through Mother Angela that 
 Eliza Allen Starr gave to St. Mary's the impetus of 
 her love for the highest in Christian art, and it was 
 also through her efforts that St. Mary's was made 
 a sharer in the artistic publications of the Arundel 
 Society in London, — a privilege enjoyed by few in 
 this country at that time. And it may be said that 
 such efforts were never relaxed. 
 
 Mother Angela saw everything, learned from 
 everything, and if on her return from each of her 
 visits to Europe, she brought treasures for studio, 
 library and museum, she brought greater treasures 
 
Mothe:r Angela 143 
 
 in the ideas with which she enriched those who 
 came in contact with her gifted mind. 
 
 Of her services during the Civil War, brief men- 
 tion has been made elsewhere, but we may add here 
 that her patriotism was what would be expected 
 from one of her family. She was an American in 
 every trait, though her kinship with the Celtic race 
 was evident in her artistic tendencies. Mother An- 
 gela's personality had a fascination about it; she 
 was courteous, tactful, sympathetic, a rare conver- 
 sationalist ; in fine, a woman of highest culture and 
 truest spirituality. 
 
 Her relations with her community were too sa- 
 cred for words, and yet grateful appreciation 
 prompts a warm tribute to her zeal, her self-sacri- 
 fice, her humility, her unreserved devotion to Holy 
 Cross. In her position as superior she met many 
 contradictions; naturally, there were times of mis- 
 understandings, of fears and doubts, but she stood 
 the test of trial, hiding the heart-aches that must 
 often have been hers. Her activities covered a 
 wide field, and her efforts were never personal, but 
 were for the community. At one time she compiled 
 a series of readers — "The Metropolitan" — in 
 which work she was assisted by the distinguished 
 
144 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 scholar, Orestes Brownson; later she was instru- 
 mental in the publication of the Excelsior Series 
 of Readers and other text-books. Again, we find 
 her deeply interested in the promotion of work for 
 poor churches, affiliating the Congregation of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross with the long-established 
 Sanctuary Societies of Rome and Paris. 
 
 All through these years of arduous labors, 
 Mother Angela was an exemplar of religious sim- 
 plicity and poverty as regards her personal needs. 
 Those who knew her intimately say that she never 
 thought of herself, of her comfort or even conven- 
 ience. She was impetuous — how could she have 
 accomplished all that she did, had she been other- 
 Yvise? — ^but her sweet humility more than made 
 amends if on occasion she was carried away by her 
 earnestness, her zeal. This beautiful spirit of humil- 
 ity is illustrated in these lines to Very Reverend 
 Father General, written in the early days : 
 
 "I cannot rest to-night without asking you to 
 forgive the vivacity with which I expressed my 
 own opinions. Be assured, dear Father, in pro- 
 portion as they were strong, in the same proportion 
 am I not only willing, but anxious to fulfil what- 
 ever God may inspire you for the best. I shall 
 
MoTH^ Ang^IvA 145 
 
 therefore hold myself in readiness to-morrow morn- 
 ing to fulfil with joy and alacrity whatever you 
 may decide." 
 
 This letter illustrates, too, her obedience, a vir- 
 tue especially characteristic of her, and founded on 
 a true spirit of faith. Mother Angela's remark- 
 able grasp of the fundamentals of religious life gave 
 her a more than ordinary influence over the sisters, 
 an influence in the exercise of which she never 
 failed to allow for the personal deflection of the 
 compass of individuality; and it was her recogni- 
 tion of the personal element in her companions that 
 made her so successful in developing the best in 
 the community. 
 
 In the early days, before the organization of the 
 Congregation was really complete, the Mother Su- 
 perior had practically most to do with the govern- 
 ment of the various branches of the community, — 
 the novitiate, the Academy and the missions, and 
 Mother Angela administered affairs with an all- 
 comprehending sympathy that spoke the large 
 mind, the large heart. She entered fully into Father 
 General's ideas for the expansion of the commu- 
 nity, and, if he planned, it was Mother Angela who 
 met the difficulties attendant upon execution, and 
 
 10— 
 
146 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 always with an indomitable spirit. She knew, too, 
 whereof she spoke, when, in 1875, she penned these 
 words: "Ah, wo do not know how to say the Te 
 Deum until we have passed many days bowed to 
 the earth reciting the Miserere." 
 
 It is not surprising that Mother Angela's health 
 gave way under the strain of labors and responsi- 
 bilities. Twice she neared the valley of the shadow 
 of death, and twice God's hand was stayed at the 
 voice of prayer; but in March, 1887, the end came, 
 when none might prevail with the Divine Will, and 
 Mother Angela went to her reward. She had 
 known the discipline of sorrow, of disappointment, 
 and had proved herself worthy these marks of 
 God's loving favor; she had known also the disci- 
 pline of success, a more trying test, and here, too, 
 she proved her moral fibre to have been of the fin- 
 est. Upon the grief and joy of earth alike, she 
 closed her eyes, never more, we fondly trust, to look 
 upon sorrow again. Her memory is a precious 
 one to her sisters, a blessed one to the many young 
 hearts that turned towards her trustingly here 
 at St. Mary's. Her friends were legion and were 
 of all classes and all lands. Testimonies to her 
 worth came to the Congregation of which she was 
 
Mother Ange:i.a 147 
 
 a shining light, from Rome, France, Ireland, Eng- 
 land, Canada and Mexico, and all voiced regret that 
 Mother Angela was called from earth. 
 
 At one time she wrote : "Oh, I greatly fear the 
 judgments of God, and unless I am aided by the 
 charity of others, what shall I do? My soul is filled 
 with terror when I think how worse than empty- 
 handed I am. May God have mercy on me !" But 
 those who knew her great charity, who were bene- 
 ficiaries of her zeal, those who walked beside her 
 along what was often a via dolorosa, think of her 
 only as enjoying the Vision Beautiful that cheered 
 her in life's darkest hours, the vision of Him for 
 whose sake she carried the cross to the end, and 
 for whom, like St. Angela, her devoted patron, she 
 led countless other souls up to the Holy Mount. 
 
St. Mary's, the Mother-House. 
 
 ThS organization of the Church is an object of 
 admiration even to those outside of its beneficent 
 influence. A Guizot, a Macaulay, a Froude, are 
 forced to pay it the tribute of their praise when 
 they look upon it merely as a human institution, 
 wliile they vainly strive to explain by natural causes 
 the secret of its marvellous vitality. Some econo- 
 mists vaguely apprehend the truth of the matter, 
 as, for instance, when Augustine Birrell says, "It 
 is the Mass that matters ;" but only those who have 
 felt in their souls the divine influence radiating 
 from the altar, and who realize the meaning of the 
 words, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will 
 build My Church," fully understand the power 
 of "the most imposing organic Symbol of Christen- 
 dom," and the relations between the Holy See and 
 the faithful in every part of the world. 
 
 In the economy of the Church, religious Orders 
 have always played an important part, and from 
 
 148 
 
St. Mary's, th^ Mother-Houss 149 
 
 the earliest ages we find the Holy See securing the 
 well-being of monastic houses by its paternal pro- 
 tection, while in turn the religious thus favored 
 have ever considered it a high privilege to serve 
 the successor of St. Peter. The allegiance thus of- 
 fered, however, in no wise interferes with the au- 
 tonomy of the Order itself, and Rome, having once 
 sanctioned the constitution and laws of a congre- 
 gation, not only respects them, but enforces them. 
 We have a parallel case in the government of the 
 United States, where we find a State within a State, 
 independent, yet interdependent. 
 
 Every religious community, then, has direct or 
 indirect relations with the Holy See, and depends 
 on Rome for its right to exist. When communica- 
 tion with the Propaganda is direct, we have what is 
 called a community governed by a general admin- 
 istration; when a religious house is under the im- 
 mediate direction of the Ordinary in whose diocese 
 it is situated, the community is styled diocesan. 
 Practically, there is little difference, for every well- 
 regulated congregation must ever consider it a priv- 
 ilege to have as its guide and director, the Bishop 
 under whose jurisdiction it is. At all times and in 
 all places where they are established, the Sisters 
 
150 A Story of Fifty Yejars 
 
 of the Holy Cross have been blessed with the co- 
 operation of the Bishops, who were true shep- 
 herds in the fold of Christ, and they have always 
 found obedience to their Constitutions, in the mat- 
 ter of respect and obedience to the Ordinary, a duty 
 of grateful regard and of pleasure as well. Chap- 
 ter third of the Constitutions of the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross states that "No House of the Congre- 
 gation can be established without the previous con- 
 sent of the Bishop of the Diocese," a provision 
 which gains a special significance in this narrative. 
 The community has numerous missions, the mem- 
 bers are therefore benefited by the paternal interest 
 of many zealous Bishops. 
 
 The term "Mother-House" explains the relation 
 between St. Mary's and its missions. Congrega- 
 tions approved by the Holy See and having a gen- 
 eral administration are, naturally, stronger than 
 diocesan establishments. St. Mary's serves as the 
 nursery of the Order and the training-school of 
 the teaching body, besides being the home of the sis- 
 ters, where in sickness there is rest and care, and 
 where, at the hour of death, they receive the conso- 
 lations of our holy religion in an atmosphere that is 
 in a sense native to the soul, recalling the days when 
 
y~- 
 
 STILE AT WESTERN APPROACH TO NOTRE DAME. 
 ST. MARY'S ENTRANCE AND MAIN AVENUE. 
 
150 A Story of Fifty Y^ars 
 
 of the iioi} cross have been blessed with the co- 
 operation of the Bishops, who were true shep- 
 herds in the fold of Christ, and they have always 
 found obedience to their Constitutions, in the mat- 
 ter of respect and obedience to the Ordinary, a duty 
 of grateful rr. 
 
 of the * 
 
 :u: .;? can b- ->hed wilhoul the pi'^vioui. i,o*. 
 
 sent of the ' •• Tj '' - - r.n 
 
 which'eM^^^^^'^^ OT ^;)^pa^*5^^ visiaTZTw tk ^jz 
 
 The com*'^''"^'*^^' ^.c^^ ..^mcr^jub ■ -^- --in- 
 
 : - - ;;r^' benefited bv ' interest 
 
 between St. Mary's and its m 
 tions approved by the Holy See and having a gen- 
 eral administration are, naturally, stronger than 
 diocesan establishments. St. Mary's serves as the 
 nursery of the Order and the training-school of 
 the te ■ body, besides being the home of the sis- 
 ters, ,. .V.V 11 sickness there is rest and care, and 
 where, at the hour of death, they receive the conso- 
 lations of our holy religion in an atmosphere that is 
 in a sense native to the soul, recalling the days when 
 
St. Mary's, the; Mothe;r-Hous^ 151 
 
 young in the religious life it pledged fidelity to the 
 end, and where, year after year, at the annual re- 
 treat, this pledge was solemnly renewed. 
 
 The Congregation of the Holy Cross is small, 
 numbering only about a thousand souls, and though 
 scattered over many States and Territories, St. 
 Mary's is "home" to all the establishments of the 
 community; the spirit of loyalty to the Mother- 
 House, a marked characteristic of the sisters, has 
 ever been one of the consolations of the superiors, 
 as their letters and other records abundantly testify. 
 Each summer there is the eager home-coming of 
 the sisters who are stationed near enough to St. 
 Mary's to justify the journey, while even from the 
 far missions of California some enjoy the privilege 
 of the return every year, thus keeping strong the 
 ties of affection that bind all in one family. At reg- 
 ular intervals, as the Rule requires, each establish- 
 ment of the Order is officially visited by the Mother 
 General, or a representative from the Mother- 
 House, thereby insuring a uniformity in action and 
 a oneness of spirit that make for the strength, mate- 
 rial and spiritual, of the Congregation. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the founda- 
 tions from the Mother-House in the early years, 
 
152 A Story oi^ Fi^ty Y^ars 
 
 and, as the community became known, there were 
 many appHcations for its services in the various 
 Hues in which the Congregation carries out its 
 purpose as a reHgious body. In so far as the num- 
 ber of subjects permitted, the community gradually 
 extended its sphere of activity, always considering 
 the good to be accomplished rather than the mate- 
 rial advantages to be gained. But the demand has 
 always exceeded the supply, and the constant prayer 
 of the community is that the Lord of the harvest 
 may send more laborers into His vineyard. 
 
 The most convenient summary of the missions 
 conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Cross will, 
 perhaps, be according to location, rather than date 
 of foundation, and those nearest home are the es- 
 tablishments in the State of Indiana. First of these, 
 even antedating the present Mother-House, is the 
 home of the sisters employed at Notre Dame. At 
 that great centre of varied activities, the Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross have the care of the sick, are 
 charged with the domestic work, are engaged in 
 some of the branches of the publishing department, 
 and teach in St. Edward's Hall. St. Joseph's Acad- 
 emy, South Bend, is also one of the old foundations, 
 and seems almost like a part of the Mother-House; 
 
St. Mary's, the; Mother-House: 153 
 
 it is the centre from which are suppHed the teach- 
 ers of the parochial schools attached to St. Patrick's, 
 St. Mary's and St. Hedwig's congregation. On the 
 east side of the city are Assumption School, the par- 
 ish school of St. Joseph's Church, and St. Joseph's 
 Hospital, a splendidly equipped, new building, on 
 a height overlooking the St. Joseph River and val- 
 ley. Near Fort Wayne is a mission that is endeared 
 by many associations, for it claimed the special 
 and personal interest of the Very Reverend Father 
 Sorin, — the Academy of the Sacred Heart, — which 
 dates back to 1866. Like St. Mary's, it has the 
 charm of solitude, and in its beautiful environment 
 traditions find a favorable atmosphere. St. Rose's, 
 Laporte; Holy Angels' and St. Vincent's, Logans- 
 port; St. Charles', Crawf ordsville ; St. Michael's, 
 Plymouth; St. Vincent's, Elkhart; St. John's, 
 Goshen; St. Mary's, Union City; St. Paul's, Val- 
 paraiso; and St. Mary's, Anderson, are the other 
 schools in the diocese of Fort Wayne, at present 
 under the direction of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross. 
 
 St. John's Hospital, Anderson, founded through 
 the munificence of Mr. and Mrs. John Hickey, repre- 
 sents an important phase of the Congregation's ac- 
 
154 A Story o^ Fi^ty Y^ars 
 
 tive life, in a constantly growing field of Christian 
 charity. 
 
 At Morris, Illinois, the Congregation conducts 
 St. Angela's Academy and the parochial school at- 
 tached to the Church of the Immaculate Conception. 
 St. Angela's was founded in 1857, and has won an 
 enviable name in the world of Catholic education. 
 The pupils of this institution prove that right educa- 
 tion is to fit the student for life and its manifold 
 duties. St. Patrick's, Chatsworth ; St. Mary's Acad- 
 emy, Danville; St. Mary's School, Westville; St. 
 Mary's Infirmary, Cairo; and Our Saviour's Hos- 
 pital, Jacksonville, are also in the archdiocese of 
 Chicago. Ohio has one house of the Order, Mt. 
 Carmel Hospital, at Columbus, an institution which 
 embodies, as some one well expressed it, all that 
 science and heart can give to a home for the sick. 
 
 The Eastern houses are near enough together to 
 give the community the strength of union in that 
 province, and at least two of the foundations claim 
 nearly as many years as does the Mother-House it- 
 self. St. Patrick's School, Baltimore, was opened in 
 1859, and St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum, Washington 
 D. C, was founded about 1856. The latter institu- 
 tion has come to be a landmark in the Capital, and 
 
CONVENT AND NOVITIATE. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
154 A Story of Fiipty Y^ars 
 
 tive liif,, iu a constantly growing field of Christian 
 charity. 
 
 At Morris, Illinois, the Congregation conducts 
 St. Angela's Academy and the parochial school at- 
 tached to the Church of the Immaculate Conception. 
 St. Angela's w^ ' "i has won an 
 
 enviable na; 
 
 upils of this institution provt x- 
 
 tion is to fit tb * it for life ^ma :■.:. ii..:n-ioid 
 
 duties. St. Patrick .s, v.iiatsworth ; St. Mary's Acad- 
 emy, Danville; St. Marv's School, Westville; St. 
 Mary's Infirma-^^.^LWBy^ Mh'^^Via^mc^Tiour's Hos- 
 pital, Jacksonville, are nJ«?o i- 'mcese of 
 
 )hio h: 
 Carmel Ho 
 
 embodies, as some one well express 
 science and heart can give to a home for the sick. 
 
 The Eastern houses are near enough together to 
 give the community the strength of union in that 
 province, and at least two of the foundations claim 
 nearly as many years as does the Mother-House it- 
 self. St, Patrick's School, Baltimore, was opened in 
 1859, and St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum, Washington 
 D. C, was founded about 1856. The latter institu- 
 tion has come to be a landmark in the Capital, and 
 
St. Mary's, the Mother-House 155 
 
 its wise administration has won for it encomiums 
 from men of prominence and national fame. More 
 than once has its name been spoken in the House 
 and in the Senate in illustration of what the Cath- 
 olic sisterhoods in this country are doing in the 
 cause of charity; and there are traditions sacredly 
 cherished and religiously handed down, year after 
 year, of personal marks of interest in the orphan 
 boys and their home, shown by President Lincoln, 
 while recent favors from the present incumbent at 
 the White House threaten to cause heated debates 
 among the boys as to the relative value of coins 
 of kindness bearing respectively the dates 1865 and 
 1905. St. Cecilia's Academy has seen much of the 
 changing panorama of Washington life, and view- 
 ing it from the heights she has gone on quietly, un- 
 affected by time's vicissitudes. Her pupils know her 
 devotedness and are proud of their Alma Mater. 
 The sisters who teach St. Peter's School make St. 
 Cecilia's their home. Holy Cross Academy is in 
 the west end of the city, on Massachusetts Avenue, 
 and numbers among its friends and alumnae many 
 people of prominence in the District. It is recog- 
 nized as a centre of educational interests, and it is 
 only a question of time when it will have a building 
 
156 A Story of Fifty Y^ars 
 
 and an equipment commensurate with its needs and 
 position. From Holy Cross are taught St. Mat- 
 thew's and St. Paul's Schools. The Reverend Dr. 
 Stafford's new school, St. Patrick's Academy, last 
 but not least on the Washington list, is also in 
 charge of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. 
 
 St. Mary's Academy, Alexandria, goes back to 
 1869 for its beginning, but can point to its fine 
 newly-appointed Colonial mansion should anyone 
 refer to an old-time atmosphere about the historic 
 Virginia town. In Baltimore, the sisters direct St. 
 Patrick's School, St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum, and 
 the Dolan Aid Asylum, on South Broadway, while 
 in St. Pius' parish, they conduct the parochial school 
 and St. Catherine's Normal Institute. A normal 
 school for Catholic teachers was one of Mother An- 
 gela's long-cherished plans, and she thought of 
 founding it at Washington, D. C, but the Most 
 Reverend Archbishop Bailey expressed his prefer- 
 ence for Baltimore as its location. The building 
 was blessed by His Grace, March 11, 1875, and at 
 the Silver Jubilee of the Institution in 1900, His 
 Eminence Cardinal Gibbons voiced the general ver- 
 dict, that the sisters in founding St. Catherine's had 
 builded better than they knew. 
 
St. Mary's, tnt Mothe:r-House: 157 
 
 The community is represented at Lancaster, 
 Pennsylvania, by three schools, Sacred Heart Acad- 
 emy, Sacred Heart School and St. Anthony's 
 School. Farthest east, and youngest on the list of 
 the houses of the Congregation, is St. Paul's School, 
 connected with the Paulist Church in New York. 
 The southern province claims two foundations, — 
 both in Texas, — St. Mary's, Austin, one of the com- 
 munity's most important houses, and St. Mary's, 
 Marshall. On our way west, we may mention St. 
 Mary's School, Davenport, Iowa. In Utah are 
 some of the community's most ambitious founda- 
 tions, — St. Mary's Academy and Holy Cross Hos- 
 pital, splendidly equipped institutions and each 
 doing exceptionally fine work in its line. Both have 
 passed their Silver Jubilee year and are a pride and 
 an ornament to Salt Lake City. The sisters also 
 care for the children at St. Ann's, an orphan asy- 
 lum which is a monument to the zeal and charity 
 of the Right Reverend Bishop Scanlan. Ogden 
 has one of the finest buildings in the State in Sacred 
 Heart Academy, which holds a place second to none 
 among the schools of the West. St. Patrick's 
 School, Ogden; St. Mary's, Park City, and St. Jo- 
 seph's, Eureka, complete the Utah list. In Idaho, 
 
158 A Story of Fifty Ykars 
 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross are to be found at St. 
 Teresa's Academy and St. Alphonsus' Hospital, 
 Boise City, and at St. Joseph's School, Pocatello. 
 In CaHfornia the sisters at St. Augustine's, Fresno ; 
 St. Charles', San Francisco, and Holy Rosary, 
 Woodland, call St. Mary's "home" ; and sunlit and 
 fair as is their western abiding place, in days of 
 trial, as in days of jubilee, their hearts turn to the 
 "old home ground." 
 
 All this reads like a mere inventory, and yet the 
 establishment and growth of each of St. Mary's 
 missions mark distinct steps in the development of 
 the community during the past fifty years. In the 
 case of each mission there were the inevitable diffi- 
 culties of the founding and the first years of effort, 
 the trials and the triumphs, all acting and reacting 
 in the upbuilding of the Congregation. In the pages 
 of this brief narrative, these branch establishments 
 are merely mentioned, but when the history of the 
 community comes to be written, as some day it will, 
 they will naturally have whole chapters devoted to 
 them, and the story will be of interest and edifica- 
 tion. The histories of all its missions are preserved 
 in St. Mary's archives ; but should these records be 
 destroyed, there would still remain at the Mother- 
 
St. Mary's, the: Mother-Hous^ 159 
 
 House, beyond earthly power of destruction, death- 
 less memories of loyalty and devotedness, as imper- 
 ishably written as is the memory of faithful children 
 on the heart of a loving mother. 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roll. 
 # ^ ^ 
 
 "DuTiEis towards the Deceased Members of the 
 
 Congregation" is the title of Chapter XLIV. in the 
 
 Book of Rules of the Sisters of the Holy Cross ; and 
 
 the following extract shows the spirit of the rule, 
 
 the letter of which deals with the formal suffrages 
 
 to be offered for the departed : 
 
 Among the precious consolations which a community of- 
 fers to a religious soul, there is, perhaps, none calculated 
 to make a deeper impression than the suffrages designated 
 by the Rule. In the world, the old adage, "Out of sight, out 
 of mind" is, unfortunately, too true; in religion, the mem- 
 ory of the dear dead is vividly and sweetly kept in the 
 hearts of the survivors ; and in truth the fervor of a congre- 
 gation is nowise better attested than by its undying and 
 prayerful affection for its departed members. 
 
 From the earliest days of the community, the list 
 of its dead has constituted the honor-roll of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross, and with the Congrega- 
 tion's first hostage to Heaven, Sister Mary of Mt. 
 Carmel, who died August 1st, 1847, there was es- 
 tablished, as it were, a new field of labor, where 
 
 160 
 
TY CEMETERY. 
 
 V^' 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roll, 
 
 * * -0 
 
 Book oi isters u: •s;and 
 
 the following extract shows the spirit of the rule, 
 the letter of which deals with the formal suffrages 
 to be offered for the departed : 
 
 of- 
 
 to make a deeper impress. 
 
 lie. In the -" 
 -. . , ,- " iij, union'.;;.- ■ , , 
 
 ory of the dear dead is vividly and sweetly kept in the 
 hearts of the survivors ; and in truth the fervor of a congre- 
 gation is nowise better attested than by its undying and 
 prayerful affection for its departed members. 
 
 From the earliest days of the community, the list 
 lead has constituted the honor-roll of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross, and with the Congrega- 
 tion's first hostage to Heaven, Sister Mary of Mt. 
 Carmel, who died August 1st, 1847, there was es- 
 tablished, as it were, a new field of labor, where 
 
 160 
 
St. Mary's Honor-RoIvI. 161 
 
 those who were taken from earthly toil in the vine- 
 yard of Holy Cross, might still bear part with far 
 greater efficacy in the work of their community; 
 and every member since added to the Sisterhood of 
 the Holy Cross triumphant has bound the two 
 branches more closely together. 
 
 Never are the dead forgotten by the community, 
 and never has there been a sign of the merely per- 
 functory in the fulfilment of love's duty to the de- 
 parted. It is not the "poetry of the tomb" that 
 wreathes the names of the dead with immortelles, 
 it is the beautiful doctrine of the Church, — Mother 
 Church indeed, — that with its knowledge, its appre- 
 hension, its appreciation, of the mysteries of tender- 
 est affection, consoles us by reminding us that death 
 is not the end of all, and that to put on immortality 
 is not to lose sight of those once loved. 
 
 Every Order has its own special means of insuring 
 the faithful memory of the dead; with the Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross there are two constant reminders 
 of those gone before. Each day, before the reading 
 of the Martyrology at the close of the midday meal, 
 announcement is made of all those the anniversary 
 of whose death the day marks ; and, in each house, 
 at the entrance to the community-room or chapel, 
 
 11— 
 
162 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 as the case may be, there is a card bearing the names 
 of the deceased members. In addition to this, dur- 
 ing the annual retreat at the Mother-House, the 
 sisters go in procession, once a day, to the commu- 
 nity cemetery, there to offer general prayers for the 
 departed. And if "it is a holy and wholesome 
 thought to pray for the dead, that they may be 
 loosed from their sins," this pious remembrance is 
 not without its advantages to the living. There is 
 indeed a threefold benefit to be derived : it is an in- 
 centive to renewed effort, an encouragement in the 
 way of perseverance, and it keeps alive in the com- 
 munity that sense of obligation which kinship with 
 the noble dead imposes. 
 
 There are more than three hundred names on the 
 honor-roll of the dead of the Congregation of the 
 Sisters of the Holy Cross, and in the last resting- 
 place at St. Mary's, shadowed by tall cedars, there 
 is a memorial cross to each one, even though the 
 remains, as in the case of those who died at a long 
 distance from home, rest elsewhere. Truly, it is 
 God's Acre, and the great stone crucifix in the main 
 walk of the cemetery stands a monument to the dead 
 and a sign of hope to the living. 
 
 The history of the community has been largely 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roll 163 
 
 influenced by those who now rest from labor; and 
 yet, if the dead form a great democracy, there was 
 no less a democracy when they were actively en- 
 gaged in the realities of life. "The high, stern- 
 featured beauty of plain devotedness to duty," actu- 
 ated each one, whether that duty called to command 
 or to obey ; and while all are gratefully remembered, 
 mention can be made in these pages of only a few, — 
 those who at some time bore the burdens of official 
 position at the Mother-House, and so, perhaps, be- 
 cause of greater responsibility have greater need of 
 prayerful remembrance. 
 
 The death in 1848, of Mother M. of the Cenacle 
 (Louise Naveau), mentioned elsewhere in this 
 chronicle, was the first great loss sustained by the 
 sisters ; and the blow fell at a time when the com- 
 munity seemed little able to sustain it; but her 
 devoted love of Holy Cross was an assurance to 
 those who mourned her death that she would not 
 forget her spiritual children, to whom she had en- 
 deared herself by her many virtues and her untiring 
 efforts in the interests of the struggling commu- 
 nity. It was under Mother Cenacle's inspiration 
 that the beginning of a real educational spirit made 
 itself felt at Bertrand, and the preservation of that 
 
164 A Story o? Fifty Years 
 
 spirit through the years that followed her death 
 showed that she had not labored in vain. 
 
 Mother M. Eusebia (Anna Mcintosh), who 
 yielded her soul to God, October 9, 1872, was an- 
 other sad loss to the community in general, and to 
 the administrative body in particular. She received 
 the habit in September, 1856, and was professed in 
 March, 1858. Her rare gifts were recognized at 
 once, and her power as a teacher was evident from 
 the first. A woman of culture, accomplished, tact- 
 ful, full of resources, deeply impressed with the need 
 of a solid religious training for young women, it 
 is not surprising that she was selected as a member 
 of the Council at St. Mary's, with the affairs of the 
 Academy as her particular charge. Mother Euse- 
 bia was a true educator and the influence of her 
 beautiful personality, her forceful character, no less 
 than her splendid mental qualifications, fitted her in 
 a special manner for her work. Her hold on young 
 minds was that of the ideal teacher, and she could 
 ill be spared from the task that seemed to be hers 
 by right of her almost unique fitness. No death is 
 untimely when we consider that He who orders all 
 things measures time by the heart-beats of His 
 love; but humanly speaking, Mother Eusebia's death 
 
FAMILIAR SCENES. 
 
164 A Story o? Fii^ty Ye^ars 
 
 spirit Ml rough the years that followed her death 
 showed that she had not labored in vain. 
 
 Mother M. Eusebia (Anna Mcintosh), who 
 yielded her soul to God, October 9, 1872, was an- 
 other sad loss to the comtnunitv ^n pi-eneral, and to 
 the adm /ed 
 
 March, 1858. Her r 
 
 once, and her power v, ev ident from 
 
 the first. A woman ot culture, accompHshed, tact- 
 ful, full of resources, deeply impressed with the need 
 
 ,-.? n -.iM .-::,'-;.. ,ic: frainincT for yoimg women, it 
 " -^ . v.- "-: Vftpd n«; n meniher 
 
 Academy a iSC; 
 
 bia was a true educator and the influence of her 
 beautiful personality, her forceful character, no less 
 than her splendid mental qualifications, fitted her in 
 a special manner for her work. Her hold on young 
 minds was that of the ideal teacher, and she could 
 ill be : • ■ *"rom the task that seemed to be hers 
 by rigiu ., . almost unique fitness. No death is 
 untimely when we consider that He who orders all 
 things measures time by the heart-beats of His 
 love ; but humanly speaking. Mother Eusebia's death 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roi.i. 165 
 
 was an irreparable loss. She was in her forty-third 
 year and had been sixteen years a Sister of the Holy 
 Cross. On the day preceding the night of her 
 death she seemed to be in her usual health, but was 
 seized with an illness which resulted fatally in a few 
 hours. The alumnae of the years 1866 to 1872 hold 
 Mother Eusebia's name in grateful memory, and 
 reminiscences of those days recall beautiful traits 
 of character and noble qualities of heart and soul. 
 All remember with affection the human side of the 
 earnest, impulsive woman, but only because it em- 
 phasized the qualities that belonged to the just, the 
 straightforward, the humble religious. There was 
 nothing petty, nothing selfish about her. More 
 than one St. Mary's graduate calls Mother Eusebia 
 blessed for having given her pupils a philosophy of 
 life based upon religious principles. One of her 
 latest official acts was to reorganize for the scholas- 
 tic year 1872-1873 the reHgious associations of the 
 school, and at the last meeting of the teachers, only 
 three days before her death, she spoke nearly the 
 entire hour on the necessity of basing education on 
 religion, and of sanctifying by a spiritual motive 
 their every effort in the accomplishment of their 
 duties. The memory of her life is to the Congrega- 
 
166 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 tion a legacy of beautiful lessons and potent influ- 
 ences for good. 
 
 Mother M. Colette (Isabel Cunnea) was the next 
 member of the administrative body called to her 
 reward; and her death, December 10, 1890, though 
 long expected, brought sorrow to every house of the 
 Order. Twenty-seven years a religious. Mother 
 Colette had served the community nobly, consecrat- 
 ing her every moment to the furtherance of its 
 smallest interest. A practical financier, she was 
 chosen in 1875 as stewardess, an office she ably 
 filled up to the last. To the poor she was ever full 
 of charity, and an honest appeal always went to her 
 heart. But it was among her own that she was 
 best known and best loved. "In counsel prudent 
 and wise, in disposition modest and unassuming, in 
 character integrity itself," she was revered and 
 loved and trusted by all. Years before her death 
 the warning signs of the dread disease that closed 
 her unselfish life prepared her and her sisters for 
 the inevitable; long, weary months of intense suf- 
 fering was her portion, but she bore all with quiet 
 patience, keeping to her post as long as it was at all 
 possible. But when the end came, and it came all 
 too soon, the community was little prepared for the 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roli. 167 
 
 loss, which seemed personal to each sister. Mother 
 Colette was a woman of faith, and in her fine men- 
 taHty, her strong character and broad, tolerant, 
 kindly nature, she was a force in the Congregation 
 she loved. She was truly a valiant woman, and 
 "from the uttermost coasts was the value of her." 
 In 1864 Sister M. of St. Charles (Joanna Flynn) 
 was elected to the office of local Superior at St. 
 Mary's, a position she held for fourteen years, dur- 
 ing which time she was truly an assistant and coun- 
 sellor to Mother Angela and the other members of 
 the Administration, and a mother to those under 
 her immediate care. Mother Charles was unique 
 in personality. Almost masculine in strength of 
 mind, she was yet gently thoughtful of the hundred 
 and one things that make for the well-being of the 
 home, the comfort of the sisters. Her methods in 
 the class-room and with the students in general 
 were much like those of the venerable Dr. McCosh, 
 and many of the stories told to illustrate character- 
 istics of the kindly old professor at Princeton, re- 
 mind one irresistibly of Mother Charles. School 
 traditions give interesting accounts of the days, or 
 rather nights, when star-gazing called for out-of- 
 door sessions of class, or of lessons in mathematics 
 
168 A Story of Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 made as fascinating as nature-study is to-day. Her 
 abilities were so thoroughly appreciated, that in 
 1878, when it was decided that she should replace 
 Mother Augusta at St. Mary's, Salt Lake City, 
 there was general mourning at the Mother-House. 
 But the court of religious obedience knows no ap- 
 peal, and Mother Charles went to her western mis- 
 sion followed by the esteem and love of all who had 
 been associated with her. Her final return to the 
 ''dear home-ground" was in December, 1890, when 
 all that was mortal of Mother Charles was laid to 
 rest in the little community cemetery. 
 
 Sister M. of St. Emily (Julia Rivard), already 
 mentioned as Mother Angela's companion when she 
 went to France to make her novitiate, is also on the 
 list of general functionaries in the early days. At 
 intervals between 1857 and 1866, Sister Emily filled 
 the position of local stewardess, and a devoted inter- 
 est in anything that pertained to her charge was 
 ever a marked characteristic of her religious life. 
 Simplicity and charity were the qualities which en- 
 deared her to all, and of these virtues she showed 
 an example to the last. Her death occurred in 
 December, 1891, full of years and merits. 
 
 From 1861 to 1864, the name of Sister M. Ed- 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roll 169 
 
 ward (Mary A. Murphy) appears as one of the 
 community's officers, though grateful regard of 
 Sister Edward needs not the written record to in- 
 sure her remembrance. Her special charge in the 
 early days was the class of deaf-mutes, to whom she 
 was the best of friends and kindest of mothers. 
 Whether at St. Mary's or on the missions, she was 
 a devoted, faithful, and able member of Holy Cross, 
 and her death in 1892, at Laporte, Indiana, brought 
 mourning to all who knew her true worth. 
 
 The names of Mother M. of the Ascension (Ma- 
 thurine Salou) and her beloved sister. Mother M. 
 Ursula (Augustine Salou), appear early on the 
 community's list of efficient and devoted members. 
 Mother Ascension was intimately connected with 
 the foundation of the Congregation, when special 
 executive abilities were needed. Deeply religious, 
 she proved an ideal Mistress of Novices, a position 
 of vital importance in a young community. In 1872, 
 Mother Ascension was charged by Father Sorin 
 with the government of the sisters at Notre Dame, 
 and during the years of partial separation from the 
 Mother-House, her sympathies were with the pro- 
 posed new branch. Strong faith, intense love of 
 Holy Cross, and a deep spirit of prayer were marked 
 
170 A Story of Fifty Ysars 
 
 characteristics to the end. The cross above her 
 humble grave at St. Mary's bears the date May 1, 
 1901. 
 
 Mother Ursula, for many years the Prefect of 
 Discipline at St. Mary's, — and a prefect respected 
 and loved, — was also for a short time Mistress of 
 Novices, hence a member of the home council. Her 
 gentleness, her unobtrusiveness, her motherly care 
 of the students, are edifying memories to those who 
 were in her charge, and many a quaint story told 
 in broken English and French has Mother Ursula 
 for centre of interest. She passed to her reward 
 at Notre Dame, July 23, 1898, after a long illness, 
 and rests at her beloved St. Mary's. 
 
 From July, 1854, to March, 1901, is a long period 
 of service, and it is the measure of Mother M. Eliz- 
 abeth's years as a Sister of the Holy Cross. It was 
 at Bertrand that Harriet Redman Lilly entered the 
 community, and from the first her exceptional musi- 
 cal gifts were fully dedicated to the Congregation 
 of her choice. Mother Elizabeth, as she was affec- 
 tionately called by her sisters and by the hundreds 
 of pupils who learned more than music from her 
 instructions and example, was a remarkable char- 
 acter. She was born of Anglican parents in Sussex, 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roli. 171 
 
 England, in 1820, and numbered among her rela- 
 tives Dr. S. Arnold, who for more than sixty years 
 was organist at Petworth, and Dr. George Arnold, 
 a long time organist at the Cathedral of Winches- 
 ter. For upward of forty years. Mother Elizabeth 
 was in charge of the Department of Music at St. 
 Mary's, and until forced through failing strength 
 to give up active work, she was a model of fidelity 
 to duty. At various times during the early years, 
 she held offices in the general administration, never 
 neglecting, however, her beloved art. Nowhere did 
 her soul of music find more fitting expression than 
 when she presided at the organ in the chapel. Her 
 magnetic touch is lovingly remembered by those who 
 stood by her in the choir, and who carry in heart 
 and mind a picture of her frail figure, seemingly 
 a part of the instrument that responded to her touch, 
 and close beside her, her daughter. Sister M. Ce- 
 cilia, also an artist in the world of tone, and like her 
 mother, a Sister of the Holy Cross. Sister CeciUa, 
 beloved of all, was called to her reward, April 14, 
 1885, six years after the death at Notre Dame of 
 her equally gifted brother, the Rev. Father Lilly, 
 C. S. C. Mother Elizabeth's mother, Mrs. Harriet 
 Redman, also made her home at St. Mary's, though 
 
172 A Story op Fifty Y^rs 
 
 not a religious, and is buried within the enclosure 
 of the convent cemetery. 
 
 All through the years this family of remarkably 
 fine musicians lent a prestige to St. Mary's by their 
 gifts and their personality; distinguished visitors 
 to the Academy always carried away delightful im- 
 pressions of their genius, and the records tell of the 
 pleasure experienced by visitors of note, — Edwin 
 Booth for one, whose wife was a pupil at St. Mary's, 
 — in meeting Mother Elizabeth, and on hearing her 
 and Sister Cecilia interpret the great tone-masters. 
 The kinship of artistic natures seldom fails to make 
 itself felt. The closing chord of Mother Elizabeth's 
 harmonious life was struck in 1901, but the memory 
 of her devotedness adds a beauty and a harmony to 
 the lives of those who are carrying on the work to 
 which she so earnestly dedicated herself for nearly 
 half a century. 
 
 During the hush of the annual retreat, July, 1901, 
 death came to one held dear, and through the still- 
 ness the sad tolling of the convent bell sounded 
 forth its message, — Mother M. Siena, Mistress of 
 Novices and Member of the General Council of Ad- 
 ministration, is no more. On July 11th, her great, 
 ardent soul went to its reward, and on the 13th, 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roli. 173 
 
 her solemn burial took place. Mother M. Siena 
 (Julia Murphy) was fifty-one years of age, thirty- 
 one of which were spent in the religious life, in 
 which she fully consecrated to God's service the 
 noble gifts of mind and heart with which He had 
 endowed her. Sacred Heart Academy, Fort Wayne, 
 Indiana; St. Mary's Academy, Austin, Texas; St. 
 Mary's Academy, Salt Lake City, and the Novitiate 
 at the Mother-House were the scenes of her labors ; 
 and whether she was engaged in teaching music or 
 charged with directing others, her actions were ever 
 characterized by a truly admirable large-hearted- 
 ness. The following extract from an editorial no- 
 ticeof her death in one of the Salt Lake City papers, 
 embodies Mother Siena's characteristic qualities : 
 
 Though secluded from the world, she endeared herself to 
 all who came within the circle of her acqaintance. Without 
 guile, she was always sincere and honest in her expressions. 
 Her earnest nature, her straightforward manner, her whole- 
 heartedness won for her the respect and admiration of all. 
 Visitors, after short interviews, could see in the nun wear- 
 ing the humble garb of the religious, a highly cultivated 
 mind, with varied knowledge and a sympathetic heart that 
 was deeply moved by the woes of the world and ever ready 
 to assist those who were in need. 
 
 Non-Catholic student, convert, sister, vocal 
 teacher, and Directress of the Academy, — thus may 
 
174 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 be epitomized Mother Lucretia's outward life at St. 
 Mary's ; a woman of remarkable faith, a truly spir- 
 itual woman of high nobility of mind, a faithful Sis- 
 ter of the Holy Cross, — thus may be summarized 
 the characteristics of her inner life. In 1865, Alida 
 Fuller was one of the graduating class who bade 
 farewell to St. Mary's, her Alma Mater. She at 
 once entered upon a bright social life only to find 
 that it met none of the aspirations of her mind and 
 soul, and though surrounded by everything that 
 wealth and position could give, she longed for a 
 life of consecration to God. In 1867, at the age of 
 twenty-two, she enrolled herself as an aspirant to 
 membership in the Congregation of the Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross. Strongly opposed by her father 
 and brother. Sister Lucretia had much to contend 
 against, but never for a moment did she falter, and 
 her piety and fortitude were an edification to all. 
 For many years she was a teacher where her girl- 
 hood days were spent, and for five years, 1881- 
 1886, Directress of the Academy. Later she 
 was Superior of Holy Rosary Academy, Wood- 
 land, California, for nine years, during which 
 time she had the mournful consolation of 
 attendance upon her beloved father in his 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roi.l 175 
 
 last hours. Judge Fuller did not formally em- 
 brace the faith chosen by his daughter. This was 
 a sorrow to her, but she had the comfort of know- 
 ing that he was entirely satisfied with her choice of 
 life and was happy in her happiness. Sacred Heart 
 Academy, Ogden, and St. Mary's Academy, Salt 
 Lake City, respectively, were under her wise di- 
 rection from 1895 until the year of her death, 1903. 
 Mother Lucretia was a woman of unusual ability 
 and energy, of great devotedness and faith, and, as 
 one who knew her well expressed it, she labored as 
 if all depended upon human efifort and prayed as if 
 all depended upon prayer. She was a double loss 
 to the community, for she had reached the years 
 when the knowledge that enriches life was hers, 
 and when her soul, through suffering, had learned 
 the wisdom that makes for strength, and had seen 
 the vision that enlightens the path of those who 
 seek the ways of justice. 
 
 On the morning of April 27th, 1900, after receiv- 
 ing the last Sacraments, Mother M. Annunciata, 
 Mother General of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, 
 departed this life. She was surrounded by her spir- 
 itual children, whose tender ministrations eased the 
 pangs of a long and trying illness. Mother Annun- 
 
176 A Story of Fifty Ykars 
 
 ciata was the first Superior General to die while in 
 active discharge of her office, but her death brought 
 mourning, not only to the Mother-House, but to the 
 missions, far and near, under the care of the Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross. Many among them who have 
 spent their strength in God's work, hold in loving 
 memory the picture of the happy, pious young girl, 
 Margaret McShefifery, who, in 1860, left Philadel- 
 phia for St. Mary's, filled with the desire to conse- 
 crate her life to religion. They remember the quick 
 development of her unusually gifted mind and gen- 
 erous heart under the influence of training and en- 
 vironment, until she stood an ideal religious teacher. 
 Still a young sister, Mother Annunciata was called 
 in 1872, to be Directress of the Academy, an office 
 which she wisely administered for nine years. In 
 1881, obedience assigned her to duty in Salt Lake 
 City, and one year later she was transferred to 
 Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden, where, as Superior, 
 she devoted herself, heart and mind, to the cause of 
 religious education. Re-elected, in 1889, to the 
 office of Directress of Studies at the Mother-House, 
 she returned to her old duties with the enthusiasm 
 of early years and a widened and deepened experi- 
 ence. , . . -. *; 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roi,i. 177 
 
 In the eulogy pronounced at her funeral we find 
 her views of education outlined in the following 
 extract : 
 
 Mother Annunciata's idea of education was religious train- 
 ing-, and her constant endeavor was to render it thorough 
 and complete. In her plan a Christian character was the 
 foundation of all graces and refinements and accomplish- 
 ments. And when it devolved upon her to train others to 
 carry on the work in which she had so long been engaged, 
 she never tired of inculcating the importance of the Little 
 Catechism. ***** gj^e ^^d made a thorough study of the 
 Church's dogmas, and had a firm grasp of the philosophical 
 and theological principles on which they rest. She fully 
 realized the importance of solid catechetical instruction, and 
 during the years when she was Directress of the Academy, 
 she claimed it as her privilege to give the regular bi-weekly 
 conferences on Christian Doctrine. 
 
 Mother Annunciata's charity was broad and far-reaching, 
 active and practically helpful. I have seen eyes brighten 
 and then grow dim at the mention of her name, which 
 doubtless recalled the memory of some golden deed of gen- 
 erous compassion. 
 
 In 1895, the voice of the General Chapter elected 
 Mother Annunciata to the office of Mother General 
 of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, entrusting to her 
 management the temporal and spiritual interests of 
 the growing community. Within a few months, 
 however, her health became seriously impaired, and 
 it was no small trial to her to find herself, though in 
 
 12— 
 
178 A Story oi^ Fifty Years 
 
 a position to do much good for the community she so 
 loved, rendered powerless by reason of bodily in- 
 firmity. 
 
 True daughter of the Cross, Mother Annunciata 
 knew the bitterness of trial, of sacrifice; but her 
 nature was true to her name — the mystery of hope, 
 the Annunciation — and her life held the Cross at 
 heart as did the Angel's message. She loved the 
 spring-time, the warm sunshine, and the birds and 
 blossoms of the young year, and those who had 
 hoped that the return of the bright days would 
 bring renewed strength to their beloved Mother, 
 saw instead the spring weaving a covering of green- 
 sward and early flowers over her last resting-place. 
 There is no need of the written tribute to keep her 
 memory alive; she lives in many hearts that love 
 her. From the earliest sixties. Mother Annunci- 
 ata's strong personality made itself felt ; and in the 
 memories of all the years, there is heard her sweet, 
 clear voice that poured her heart out in the prayer 
 of music. True indeed was it, as a friend said of 
 her: "Mother Annunciata had a passion for per- 
 fection in education and life, and to the day of her 
 death her soft voice never lost its power of stimulus 
 and inspiration. She was a loyal friend, a wise 
 
St. Mary's Honor-Roll 179 
 
 counsellor, and the very heart of truth dwelt in 
 her." 
 
 How inadequate must any notice of the departed 
 members of a religious community be! To know 
 them fully, to appreciate their power, their real 
 worth, one must have lived within the sphere of 
 their influence. This is true whether we speak of 
 those in places of responsibility or of those in the 
 ranks. To discern the qualities that made for some 
 of the influences cited, is not unfrequently to recog- 
 nize defects, for in the religious life the human is 
 not entirely eliminated ; rather is it purified, uplifted 
 and pressed into the service of souls ; therefore do 
 we lovingly say: Requiescant in pace! But the 
 honor-roll of the Congregation of the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross, with its three hundred noble dead, is, 
 nevertheless, to those who survive, a litany of ven- 
 erated names, each one of which calls forth the in- 
 vocation, — ora pro nobis. 
 
A Period of Quiet Progress. 
 ^ # ^ 
 
 A SURVEY of the various periods which make up 
 the history of our country emphasizes the fact that 
 those most eventful were not always the most im- 
 portant. By eventful is understood abounding in 
 public actions that seem to be epoch-making in their 
 force and their effects. The same holds true in the 
 history of an organization; long periods of quiet 
 progress, unmarked by crises of any kind, show a 
 society in its normal state, and give a better idea 
 of its qualities inherent and acquired ; it is in such 
 times, too, that resources are husbanded, and a re- 
 serve fund of power provided to meet any emergen- 
 cies that may arise. Such a period of quiet prog- 
 ress were the years following the Silver Jubilee of 
 St. Mary's, years deep-rooted in the past, and draw- 
 ing from it the strength of a steady growth toward 
 better and higher things. The first quarter of a 
 century of the community's existence was indeed 
 eventful; it included the foundations at Bertrand 
 
 180 
 
A Pe:riod o? Quie:t Progress 181 
 
 and St. Mary's, the organization of the sisterhood, 
 the outHning of plans of work, the formulation of 
 Rules and Constitutions. Then began a new era. 
 The pioneer days were over, the desert had been 
 made to blossom like the rose, and a younger gener- 
 ation of religious had come into the vineyard of the 
 Lord. There was much for them to do, but to gar- 
 ner ripened sheaves carries with it a compensation 
 often denied to the sower of the seed. 
 
 The running chronicle of this period must be 
 premised with the reminder that in our brief record 
 of Father Sorin's life and in that of Mother An- 
 gela, as also in the chapter dealing with the rela- 
 tions between the central organization in France 
 and St. Mary's, and between Notre Dame and St. 
 Mary's, mention has been made of matters belong- 
 ing chronologically to this part of our narrative, 
 but, inasmuch as the subjects there touched upon 
 were dealt with by the administrative body of the 
 Congregation during the years now in review, an 
 occasional passing repetition is not to be avoided. 
 
 From 1882 to 1895, Mother M. Augusta was 
 charged with the general administration of affairs 
 of the community, with the title of Mother Supe- 
 rior. From 1889, however, according to the Con- 
 
182 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 stitutions, then temporarily approved by Rome, she 
 was called the Mother General. Only deference to 
 Mother Augusta's beautiful humihty restrains the 
 grateful eulogy demanded by her wise administra- 
 tion. Only those who know her gentle firmness, 
 her entire devotedness to the community, and who 
 followed her career through phases of the life of 
 the Congregation when as much depended upon 
 attitude of mind as upon action, can fully realize 
 what her government, her personality, meant. 
 Mother Augusta's Council comprised Mother M. 
 Genevieve, who was first assistant from 1878 to 
 1895, and at various times during her term of of- 
 fice. Mother M. Angela, Mother Annunciata, 
 Mother Lucretia, Mother Colette, Mother Praxedes 
 and Mother Sabina. 
 
 The check which conventual custom places upon 
 public recognition of the services of religious still 
 living, forces a brief digression here, the object of 
 which is to express a regret that record may not 
 be made in these pages of many devoted sisters 
 whose life and labors have merited the grateful re- 
 gard of the Congregation. The history of the com- 
 munity owes much, for instance, to Mother Com- 
 passion, one of the pioneer members, for years Mis- 
 
ST. JOSEPH'S HALL, ACADEMY AND NOVITIATE. 
 
 M m 
 
182 A Story of F'ifty Y^ars 
 
 stitutions, then temporarily approved by Rome, she 
 was called the Mother General. Only deference to 
 Mother Augusta's beautiful humility restrains the 
 grateful eulogy demanded by her wise administra- 
 tion. Only those who know her gentle firmness, 
 her entire devotedness to the community, and who 
 followed her career through phases of the life -A 
 the Congregation when as much depended upon 
 attitude of mind as upon action, can fully realize 
 what her government, her personality, meant. 
 Motharr i!5i«^«ii8a<iflAJCHMicik'3K)i;fl$)JKi5«fe^MatheTrzM . 
 Genevieve, who wa^ uisi assistant from 1878 to 
 1895, and at various times during her tf^'^' '■' of- 
 fice, Mother M Anov^b Mr-«?ier * • > 
 Mother Lucret, , ies 
 and Mother Sabina. 
 
 The check which conventual custom places upon 
 public recognition of the services of religious still 
 living, forces a brief digression here, the object of 
 which is to express a regret that record may not 
 be made in these pages of many devoted sisters 
 whose life and labors have merited the grateful re- 
 gard of the Congregation. The history of the com- 
 munity owes much, for instance, to Mother Com- 
 passion, one of the pioneer members, for years Mis- 
 
A PERIOD OF Quiet Progress 183 
 
 tress of Novices at the Mother-House; to Mother 
 Genevieve, to Sister Praxedes and to Sister Am- 
 brose, all at one time honored members of the gen- 
 eral administration. But perhaps it is the sinking 
 of individual experience into the collective experi- 
 ence of an institution that gives it its strength, 
 making it, in a sense, the only complete unity. 
 
 As a result of the impetus of the early years and 
 the full and willing collaboration of every member 
 of Holy Cross in later times, the equipment of St. 
 Mary's as Mother-House and educational centre 
 gradually grew in extent and usefulness. As to 
 buildings, addition after addition was made; first 
 the wing running west from the music-hall ; then a 
 southern extension. In 1886, the beautiful chapel 
 was begun, and on August 29, 1888, its altar of 
 sacrifice was consecrated by the Right Reverend J. 
 Dwenger. A year later the clock-tower portion of 
 the convent was erected, followed in 1892 by St 
 Angela's Plall, and in the next year, 1893, by the 
 present novitiate building. 
 
 In keeping with the material progress was the 
 advance made in educational lines. The summer- 
 schools were a source of inspiration as well as of 
 instruction to the teaching body, while in the hos- 
 
184 A Story oi^ Fi^ty Ye:ars 
 
 pitals the demands of the times were met by skilled 
 nurses and pharmacists. In these years Father 
 Sorin was still the ever-faithful encourager of all 
 earnest effort. The novices were spurred on by his 
 exhortations, the professed sisters had the benefit of 
 his wise counsels, and to the students at St. Mary's 
 he continued to be friend and guide and mentor. 
 To his relations with the missions may be traced 
 much of their success, for Father General and his 
 co-laborers in governing the community realized 
 the importance of all the foundations, particularly 
 the parochial schools. His instructions and letters 
 to the sisters on the spiritual value of their work, 
 and the deference due to the wishes of the pastors 
 in charge of the schools, showed that he had given 
 the subject not only careful study but solicitous 
 thought and earnest prayer. A serious view as 
 regards the responsibility of the teacher is the only 
 one that insures even a measure of success, and this 
 was ever held before the religious both at the 
 Mother-House and on the missions. Father Gen- 
 eral's directions to the sisters embodied sound prin- 
 ciples of teaching, and in the letters of this period 
 we find valuable suggestions which show not only 
 his own views, but those of the community, on edu- 
 
A PERIOD OF Quiet Progress 185 
 
 cation. In a circular, dated August 29, 1880, we 
 
 read: 
 
 What I want in this circular is to bring our whole family 
 to a new and lively sense of our duty on the vital question 
 of religious education. The daily and universal demand that 
 Catholic educators should not be satisfied with the mere 
 name of Catholic institutions, but should more amply prove 
 the real and thorough Catholicity of the education imparted 
 in their schools, cannot be disregarded. Even what was 
 deemed sufficient a few years ago does not now meet the 
 wants of an age, remarkable, above all others, for its trend 
 towards infidelity and materialism. These tendencies can- 
 not be resisted any longer save by a superior training in the 
 positive teachings and moral habits of religion, without 
 which Catholic education is only a name. Understand me 
 well: to-day, more than ever before, Catholic education 
 means for our youth a knowledge of divine truths, more 
 comprehensive and developed, more visibly sustained by 
 daily Christian practices; practices cheerfully accepted and 
 faithfully observed as an indispensable evidence of their 
 initiation to a Catholic life, of which they will feel proud 
 all their life, and not ashamed or tired, as so many are when 
 entering upon their duties in society, evidently because their 
 early training never established a foundation upon which 
 anything solid might rest. 
 
 Of every child confided to us by Catholic parents we 
 must, first of all, make a practical Catholic for life. This 
 is our first duty; to overlook or discharge it negligently 
 would be a heinous offense to society and a serious sin 
 against God. We know by heart the Divine warning : "Woe 
 to him who does negligently the work of God !" Each time 
 
186 A Story op Fipty Y^ars 
 
 a child is presented and received in our schools, a contract 
 is entered upon, with a clear obligation on our side to train 
 that immortal soul for the Court of Heaven. To one assum- 
 ing such a responsibility, that child shall be, the whole year, 
 an object of constant solicitude; otherwise, there is wanting 
 even a sense of common honesty; with such a charge no 
 thoughtful religious can trifle. 
 
 In one of his letters of a year later, Father Sorin 
 inculcates the filial virtues in so positive a manner 
 as to make one feel that he had the prophetic in- 
 stinct and saw the trend of our day towards the 
 breaking" of the home-ties. His teaching was as 
 follows : 
 
 It seems to me that one of the greatest services we may 
 render to society at large is to return youths to their fami- 
 lies, not only with improved minds, but above all, with 
 hearts so enlarged by temporary separation and a constant 
 attention on the part of their teachers to the cultivation and 
 perfection of their first and best affections, as to convince 
 their dear parents and home circle that they return to them 
 more affectionate than they left them a few months before. 
 
 This is not simply sentimental; there is a philosophy in 
 this. In such a faithless age as ours, one of the surest and 
 safest means to prevent the collapse of society is to bind, 
 and to hold more and more strongly bound, the child's heart 
 to the parent's heart, to the family, to the home, to primitive 
 and innocent affections. Any real educator with a compre- 
 hensive mind must feel that there is nothing so powerful in 
 our days, in order to bring a student to the prompt fulfil- 
 ment of duty, as to keep prominently before him the joy of 
 
A PERIOD OF QuiKT Progress 187 
 
 delighting, or the pain of grieving the heart of a dear father 
 or mother at home. But, as Httle passions and difficulties 
 arise, this motive must gain constantly in weight and in 
 efficiency from an ever-increasing sentiment of filial attach- 
 ment in the child's breast towards loving parents at home. 
 
 Such is the training a child must receive at school — the 
 full observance of the Fourth Commandment. A young 
 heart formed after this precept, growing daily in love for 
 his parents, will be blessed, not only with a long life, but 
 with success through life and honor and glory to his own 
 name and family. Hence, again, let us make it a point, day 
 by day, to keep the children's affections towards their par- 
 ents more and more real and tender as a most prolific source 
 of true happiness at home, a security for society at- large, 
 and a strong barrier against the contagion of seductive 
 examples. 
 
 The growing reputation of St. Mary's was a 
 gratification to Father Sorin, and a source of deep 
 consolation to those charged with its affairs. New 
 friends were made and old friends remained loyal. 
 Encouragement and assistance were not wanting, 
 and in this atmosphere of peace and good will, of 
 honest and intelligent effort, there was a steady 
 progress in all that made for the general good of 
 the Congregation. It was of the art-work of this 
 decade that Eliza Allen Starr, an ever-faithful 
 friend, wrote most glowingly, and of the music de- 
 partment of these years that Margaret Sullivan, 
 
188 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 always alive to the possibilities of the community, 
 gave enthusiastic praise in the leaaing journals. 
 
 But in 1887 the shadows gathered over Holy 
 Cross — or was it God's light? — and Mother An- 
 gela went to her eternal reward. With her life was 
 snapped a golden link that bound the growing com- 
 munity with the past, and those who had known her 
 and labored with her and loved her, never wholly 
 passed out of the shadow of her death. 
 
 1888 marked an event in the history of the Con- 
 gregation, as well as in the life of Father Sorin, 
 namely, the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. 
 This Golden Jubilee was a blessed day for all. 
 Mother-House and missions vied in offering grate- 
 ful homage. It was with joy and pride that St. 
 Mary's welcomed the guests who came to honor the 
 occasion — His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons and 
 other distinguished members of the hierarchy. And 
 as grateful regard twined laurels for Father Gen- 
 eral, love wove with them, for sake of the sweet 
 past, rosemary and rue. 
 
 With the approval of the Constitutions and Rules 
 of the Congregation in 1889, there came a new 
 sense of responsibility. It was as if one long wait- 
 ing in the vestibule of a temple had beheld the doors 
 
ST. ANGELA'S HALL (.GYMNASIUM). 
 
 "^S^. 
 
188 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 always alive to the possibilities of the community, 
 gave enthusiastic praise in the leading journals. 
 
 But in 1887 the shadows gathered over Holy 
 Cross — or was it God's light? — and Mother An- 
 gela went to her eternal reward. With her life was 
 snapped a golden link that bound the growing- com- 
 munity with the past, and those who had k :r 
 and labored with her and loved her, never wholly 
 passed out of the shadow of her death. 
 
 1888 marked an event in the history of the Con- 
 gregation, as iWII^Fffle^ft^?.?f^«SftlV--^rin, 
 namely, the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. 
 This Golden Jubilee was a blessed day for all 
 Mother-House and • • '■ ^ ■^■* 
 
 ful homage. It w., ■■■ , t- 
 
 Mary's welcomed the guests who came to honor the 
 occasion — His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons and 
 other distinguished members of the hierarchy. And 
 as grateful regard twined laurels for Father Gen- 
 eral, love wove with them, for sake of the sweet 
 past, rosemary and rue. 
 
 With the approval of the Consiituiions and Rules 
 of the Congregation in 1889, there came a new 
 sense of responsibility. It was as if one long wait- 
 ing in the vestibule of a temple had beheld the doors 
 
A PERIOD oif Qui^T Progre:ss 189 
 
 swing open and had been bidden to enter. There 
 in the great body of the Church, Holy Cross took 
 its place, and though a humble place, the atmos- 
 phere of peace, of security about it, called forth 
 from the heart of every Sister of the Congregation 
 the words of the Disciples of old, "Lord, it is good 
 for us to be here." Responsibility is a great stim- 
 ulus, and with the new mark of trust in the com- 
 munity shown by the Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIIL, 
 an era of renewed effort began, and the impulse was 
 felt along all lines. Partial or inadequate achieve- 
 ment, the only thing possible under former condi- 
 tions, no longer satisfied. New methods of peda- 
 gogy were adopted and the science and art of teach- 
 ing went hand in hand. It was Mother Annun- 
 ciata, who as Directress of the Academy, inaugu- 
 rated the upward educational movement which 
 marks St. Mary's of to-day, and the structure of 
 higher education built by her, had as foundation a 
 thorough training in Christian Doctrine. 
 
 Important as are the qualities that mark the effi- 
 cient teacher in the school, the skilled nurse in the 
 hospital, more important are the qualities that dis- 
 tinguish the good religious. Certain traits are com- 
 mon to all communities, but each Order has its own 
 
190 A Story o^ Fifty Years 
 
 characteristics, its own spirit, its own special devo- 
 tions. These distinctive marks seem to emphasize 
 themselves in times of crises, whether of trial or of 
 triumph. In this joyful event of the Congregation's 
 approval, truly an event in this period of quiet prog- 
 ress, the Sisters of the Holy Cross proved anew 
 that the characteristic of the sisterhood is devoted- 
 ness to duty, the spirit of the community that of loy- 
 alty, and the special devotions of the Congregation 
 love of the Sacred Heart in the Sacrament of the 
 Altar and tender love for Mary, the Mother of God. 
 In 1864 the Society of Perpetual Adoration was 
 instituted at St. Mary's, Bertrand, and since then 
 it has been the privilege of the community to be 
 ever represented at the Divine Court by one or 
 more of its members. This Perpetual Adoration 
 is an important factor in the history of the Congre- 
 gation, an influence more potent in the work of fifty 
 years than any other, material or intellectual. The 
 other special devotion of the Sisters of the Holy 
 Cross has ever been to Our Lady in her Immaculate 
 Conception and in her Seven Dolors. Father Gen- 
 eral was a faithful knight of the Blessed Virgin, 
 and his spiritual children were one with him in love 
 for their Oueen, How much love for Mary has 
 
A Period o^ Quiet Progress 191 
 
 had to do with the upbuilding of the Congregation 
 we shall never know, but we cannot be far wrong if 
 we attribute to her sweet influence any good that 
 has been accomplished. Love for God and love for 
 His Mother have permeated the teaching of the 
 sisters, and the chief beauty of St. Mary's is that it 
 is the dwelling place of Him whose delight is to be 
 with the children of men. The Papal approval of the 
 Congregation, then, gave St. Mary's new cause for 
 gratitude, new obligations with the privileges as- 
 sured by the Church, and new opportunities for 
 proving devoted and loyal. 
 
 St. Mary's had the honor, June, 1893, of enter- 
 taining for the first time. His Eminence Cardinal 
 SatoUi, then Apostolic Delegate, and nature and art 
 combined to make the outward welcome commens- 
 urate with the feelings of all. His Eminence was 
 accompanied to the Convent and Academy by 
 Father General, though he was then in feeble health. 
 This function was almost the last important one 
 that he attended. In October of the same year he 
 rested from his long and fruitful labors, and the 
 last to^meet his dying gaze were faithful children 
 of the Congregation he had guided and guarded so 
 ^ell — Sisters of the Holy Cross. His life closed a 
 
192 A Story o? Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 long chapter in the missionary annals of the Church 
 in the United States, and it closed, too, a most im- 
 portant epoch in the history of the community. The 
 last blessing of the devoted Father on his children 
 not only set the seal of his love on the past, with its 
 joys and sorrows, its successes and failures, but also 
 on the future, with its ideals, its hopes, its blessed 
 promises. 
 
St. Mary's To-Day. 
 
 4> 4t ^ 
 
 Saint Mary's, as it is to-day, naturally, looms 
 up large in the picture of fifty years recalled in 
 these Jubilee days ; not that it is regarded as a thing 
 apart from the St. Mary's of the past, but because 
 it is in the foreground of vision, hence is out of 
 proportion unless focal distance is taken into ac- 
 count. The glorification of the present does not in 
 any way, however, imply comparison with the past, 
 rather is it a tribute of to-day to the initiative, the 
 effort, the success, of yesterday. The soft-toned 
 convent bell, brought from France to Notre Dame 
 in 1843, that first rang out the Angelus over the 
 solitude of St. Mary's, still marks the hours to-day ; 
 and as sweetly and as resonantly does the past speak 
 to the present in a thousand other ways and through 
 a thousand other, if silent, tongues. The present 
 that forgets its past can hope for no future. 
 
 The latest decade of the community's history 
 opens with 1895, and the Council then elected to the 
 
 193 
 
 13— 
 
194 A Story o^ Fifty Ymrs 
 
 administration of affairs, insured not only fidelity to 
 the sacred traditions of the past, but at the same 
 time perpetuated a policy that stands for all that is 
 highest and best in the way of progress. The offi- 
 cers chosen were Mother M. Annunciata, Superior 
 General; Mother M. Perpetua, Local Superior; 
 Mother M. Pauline, Directress of the Academy; 
 Mother M. Siena, Mistress of Novices, and Mother 
 M. Sabina, Stewardess. The signal success which 
 blessed their labors proves that they realized the 
 difference between personal experience and the col- 
 lective wisdom of a community, which is, apart from 
 its spiritual nature, the resultant of time and human 
 effort, infused with that higher wisdom that comes 
 of disappointments and trials and lowliness of heart. 
 It was during this administration that the old 
 spirit of devotedness to country manifested itself 
 anew, not only in the veteran nurses of the Civil 
 War, but in the younger generation that showed a 
 willingness, rather an eagerness, to serve the sick 
 soldiers in the hospitals of the South during the 
 late Spanish-American trouble. 
 
 August 23, 1898, a call from Washington, 
 through Miss Ella Loraine Dorsey, who as Daugh- 
 ter of the American Revolution, stood sponsor for 
 
St. Mary's To-day 195 
 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross, met with unhesitat- 
 ing response. Though the sisters had just received 
 their assignments for the year and had gone to 
 their several posts, in some cases to distant points, 
 such as Idaho and Utah, they were recalled to the 
 Mother-House, and by September 7th, the first de- 
 tachment of nurses, with Sister M. Lydia (Clif- 
 ford) as Directress and Sister M. Emerentiana 
 .(Nowlan) as general assistant and secretary, ar- 
 rived at Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Kentucky, 
 where they at once began their arduous labors 
 under trying circumstances. Meanwhile, on Au- 
 gust 30th, Mother Annunciata sent the following 
 communication to the Governor of Indiana : 
 
 To the Honorable J. L. Mount, Indianapolis, Indiana : 
 
 Your Excellency: In view of the great suffering now 
 existing among our soldiers, I beg to offer you the free use 
 of our hospitals in the State, St. John's, Anderson, and St. 
 Joseph's, South Bend, with the services of the sisters sta- 
 tioned therein. I regret exceedingly that both are small. * * 
 * * but such as they are, they will be at your service as 
 long as you may find it necessary or convenient to use them. 
 I have the honor to remain. 
 
 Your Excellency's obedient servant, 
 
 Mother M. Annunciata, 
 Mother General of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. 
 
196 A Story oi^ Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 To this letter the following telegraphic reply was 
 received : 
 
 To the Mother General of the Sisters of the Holy Cross: 
 In the name and on behalf of Governor Mount, I thank 
 you for the great Christian spirit contained in your generous 
 offer in behalf of our sick soldiers. The tender is timely 
 and is in keeping with the splendid record of your noble sis- 
 
 Charle;s L. Wilson, 
 Military Secretary. 
 
 Similar oflfers were made to Governor Bushnell 
 of Ohio, and Governor Tanner of Illinois, regard- 
 ing the hospitals in their respective States under 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross. 
 
 In the Division Hospital at Camp Hamilton, then 
 the largest field hospital in the United States ser- 
 vice, there were sometimes as many as six hundred 
 patients in care of Sisters of Charity, Sisters of 
 Mercy, trained secular nurses and the little band 
 of Holy Cross. So pressing were the duties, that 
 working hours were not unfrequently from six in 
 the morning until nine or ten at night, with barely 
 time for meals. Officers, surgeons and soldiers 
 were kind and courteous, showing themselves grate- 
 ful for any and every service rendered. The ladies 
 in Lexington, as well as the various sisterhoods of 
 
FAVORITE WALKS. 
 
196 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 To this ictter the following telegraphic reply was 
 received: 
 
 To the Mother General of the Sisters of the Holy Cross: 
 In the name and on behalf of Governor Mount, I thank 
 you for the great Christian spirit contained in your generous 
 offer in behalf of our sick soldiers. The tender is timely 
 and is in keeping with the splendid record of your nohle sis- 
 
 "^'^'*^' Charf.ks L. Wir^oN, 
 
 Military Secretary. 
 
 Similar offers were made to Governor Bushnell 
 of Ohio, and Governor Tanner of Illinois, regard- 
 ing the hospitals in-'^tfl^rllJSStlv? States under 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cro<--<?. 
 
 In the Division Hospital • Hamilton, then 
 
 (he largest field hospital in the L. 
 vice, there were sometimes as many as six hundred 
 patients in care of Sisters of Charity, Sisters of 
 Mercy, trained secular nurses and the little band 
 of Holy Cross. So pressing were the duties, that 
 working hours were not unfrequently from six in 
 the morning until nine or ten at night, with barely 
 time for meals. Officers, surgeons and soldiers 
 were kind and courteous, showing themselves grate- 
 ful for any and every service rendered. The ladies 
 in Lexington, as well as the various sisterhoods of 
 
St. Mary's To-day 197 
 
 that city, were most thoughtful and generous in 
 lending aid and comfort to the sisters at the camp, 
 and when some of them succumbed to typhoid and 
 malaria, — two Holy Cross sisters among them, — 
 they were at once taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, 
 Lexington, where they received every care. 
 
 The time of service was short and yet they were 
 weeks to be remembered. Reminiscences of the sis- 
 ters include memories of weird scenes, when the 
 nurses on night duty passed around in the stillness 
 in the city of tents ; memories of touching last hours 
 when young soldiers spoke of dear ones they would 
 never more see, entrusting to the sisters sacred 
 messages of farewell ; memories of Holy Mass cele- 
 brated out of doors, when the earth seemed one 
 great altar-stone for the sublime service. 
 
 When Camp Hamilton was broken up in Novem- 
 ber and the soldiers moved South, the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross were transferred to hospital service 
 at Camp Conrad, near Columbus, Georgia, where 
 Christmas was spent amid surroundings unusual to 
 those who were wont to associate the Yuletide with 
 winter scenes in northern climes. 
 
 In January, 1899, the sisters were ordered to 
 Cuba by transport Panama, a prize vessel captured 
 
198 A Story o^ Fii^ty Ye;ars 
 
 from the Spanish. Arrived in Matanzas, orders 
 were received from Surgeon-General Sternberg to 
 return to the United States, and, soon after, the 
 services of the sisters, fortunately, were no longer 
 needed. Sister Brendan (Connor), Directress of 
 Mt. Carmel Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, at the in- 
 stance of Governor Bushnell, took charge of two 
 hospital trains which were sent South to bring home 
 the sick soldiers of Ohio regiments. Sister Bren- 
 dan also went to Porto Rico on the same merciful 
 errand. 
 
 The brief term of service of the sisters was 
 officially recognized, and the archives at St. Mary's 
 hold highly-prized testimonials from officials, in- 
 cluding record of a personal tribute from President 
 McKinley, as to the efficiency, devotedness and 
 "splendid military discipline" of the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross, who felt honored to be associated in 
 its hour of need with their beloved country. 
 
 Meanwhile, on the "old home-ground" the even 
 tenor of things went on in the steady progress of 
 the community. We say even tenor of things, for 
 alternations of success and failure maintained a 
 certain balance and there was always a general 
 movement on and upward. Conditions in the world 
 
St. Mary's To-day 199 
 
 of education had brought about a change in things 
 pedagogical, and, as ever, St. Mary's was ready- 
 to seize upon the salient points of good in new meth- 
 ods, while holding fast to the fundamental, time- 
 tried principles of the old system. In thus keeping 
 "abreast of the times," — a saying that may mean 
 so much or so little, — St. Mary's has ever been care- 
 ful lest emancipation from one system lead into new 
 servitude. As a disinterested attestation that this 
 effort in keeping to the happy medium has been 
 successful, we may cite the following declaration 
 on the part of a prominent college woman, inter- 
 ested in the higher education of women, especially 
 in Catholic schools. She writes : "After visiting the 
 schools in the East, I am impressed with the fact 
 that the Sisters of the Holy Cross are the sanest, 
 most progressive and really educational sisters I 
 have met. Their schools are on a very high plane." 
 What an educational institution stands for soon 
 makes itself felt, and while higher education does 
 not mean the leading of minds and hearts into re- 
 gions beyond practical everyday truths, it does mean 
 the elevation of the soul above the little truths that 
 the common eye can seize. To truth, to charity, 
 to the best in the intellectual and the spiritual world. 
 
200 A Story of Fifty Ye;ars 
 
 all other things are subordinate, and the only higher 
 education that is worth while is the education which 
 inculcates this doctrine of living. The moral val- 
 ues are what count, and from earliest years St. 
 Mary's has endeavored to imbue the minds and 
 hearts of its students with this idea. The annals 
 of the Academy relate that when the Right Rev. 
 Monsignor Straniero visited St. Mary's in 1886, 
 he commented upon the spirit of the school, which 
 seemed to him to be one of perfect sympathy and 
 co-operation between pupils and teachers, giving 
 the Academy, as the distinguished visitor expressed 
 it, the atmosphere of a seminar, as understood in 
 European institutions. This attitude between stu- 
 dent and teacher is precisely the one desired by the 
 faculty, as it insures best results in the way of sym- 
 metrical development of mind and heart. 
 
 While in these years every energy was directed 
 to the perfection of the curriculum, the aids to gen- 
 eral culture were not neglected. Literary societies, 
 art circles and musical clubs still supplemented the 
 solid routine work in other lines. Mother Annun- 
 ciata, in starting St. Mary's Chimes, the official 
 organ of the Academy and College, carried out the 
 intention originally conceived in the '60's, when 
 
St. Mary's To-day 201 
 
 regular MS. journals were written and edited by 
 the students and read by them at the weekly assem- 
 blies. The relation between the MS. paper and the 
 printed one illustrates the relation between St. 
 Mary's of the early years and the St. Mary's of 
 to-day. 
 
 The spring of 1900 found the community mourn- 
 ing the death of Mother Annunciata, and the fair- 
 est memory of her was the heritage of noble prin- 
 ciples which she had left her spiritual children. 
 The material good we do to others, in a sense, 
 passes away; the truth we impart to them lives 
 forever. 
 
 July, 1901, rounded another period in the admin- 
 istration of the Congregation, and the regular elec- 
 tion then held resulted in the following corps of 
 officers: Mother M. Perpetua, Superior General; 
 Mother M. Aquina, Local Superior; Mother M. 
 Pauline, Directress of the Academy; Mother M. 
 Bethlehem, Mistress of Novices; and Mother M. 
 Sabina, Stewardess. Under this efficient staff, St. 
 Mary's is to-day fulfilling the promises and realiz- 
 ing the hopes of the past. 
 
 And what is meant by the St. Mary's of to-day? 
 In our brief outline of its history, readers at least 
 
202 A Story o^ Fifty Y^ars 
 
 partly familiar with the material growth of the in- 
 stitution have been supposed, hence the absence of 
 description. But, even at the risk of making our 
 sketch savor of the prospectus, we must give at 
 least an impression of the institution that stands for 
 the labor of devoted souls to whom sorrow and toil 
 were as privilege and opportunity to build for pos- 
 terity. St. Mary's is a little town in itself, and in- 
 cludes in a connected scheme of distinct buildings 
 the college, academy, music-hall, convent and novi- 
 tiate. Separate buildings are the church, close to 
 which is the little chapel of Loreto, a facsimile of 
 the Santa Casa at Loreto, Italy; and adjoining this 
 is the presbytery, the home of St. Mary's chaplains. 
 Northeast of the church is St. Joseph's Hall, the 
 students' infirmary, and north of that stands St. 
 Angela's Hall, which is used as gymnasium, as well 
 as for commencement exercises. The convent, no- 
 vitiate, infirmary, laimdry, etc., spread out west and 
 south of the academy, making an extensive, if not 
 imposing, group of buildings. 
 
 The church, Romanesque in style, is one of the 
 most notable structures at St. Mary's, and is a mon- 
 ument to Very Reverend Father Sorin, whose plan 
 was carried out in the designs of the architect. The 
 
St. Mary's To-day 203 
 
 stained-glass windows from Le Mans, alone, lend it 
 distinction. The clear coloring, the delicate blend- 
 ing of tones, and the artistic handling of form, give 
 the windows an artistic value out of the ordinary. 
 They are all memorial gifts, several representing 
 St. Mary's alumnae. And what memories are called 
 up as one stands at the threshold of the holy tem- 
 ple! Before the gleaming altar souls have bound 
 themselves to Christ by triple vow; at the white 
 shrine of Our Lady, young hearts have risen to 
 noble heights of aspiration as the sweet May hymns 
 rang out; kneeling at the Sorrowing Mother's 
 shrine, or St. Joseph's altar, or close to the 
 throne of the Sacred Heart, many a soul-struggle 
 has been fought and many a victory gained. His- 
 toric fields know not the glory of the soul-triumphs 
 that are won in many a convent chapel, at many a 
 wayside shrine. There are memories, too, of noble 
 ceremonials when St. Mary's has been honored by 
 the presence at the functions of the Church of its 
 highest dignitaries, — a Monsignor SatoUi, a Mon- 
 signor Martinelli, a Monsignor Falconio. And if 
 its walls have rung with the Te Deum, they have 
 echoed also the De Profundis. The quiet of the 
 dawn hour and the Holy Mass, the hush of the day 
 
204 A Story of Fifty Yfars 
 
 hours with the undying star of Hght in the sanctu- 
 ary, the peaceful benediction at dusk — memories of 
 all these blend with the voices of counsel heard in 
 years gone by at retreats or in sermons in the hal- 
 lowed place. Truly, the chapel is the heart of St. 
 Mary's. 
 
 In the growth of the Academy buildings the orig- 
 inal design was not adhered to ; necessity frequently 
 governed the plans of new structures, in some cases 
 sacrificing harmony to immediate utility. But a 
 system of massive porches and the general arrange- 
 ment of the grounds since the erection of Collegiate 
 Hall, have in a way unified the effect. The acad- 
 emy is devoted to the college-preparatory depart- 
 ment, which includes the primary, intermediate and 
 academic classes. The students of this division have 
 their own sleeping apartments, dining-hall, recre- 
 ation halls, reading and class-rooms, sharing with 
 the Collegiates the chapel, gymnasium and general 
 assembly hall. 
 
 The new college building is a splendidly planned 
 structure of Bedford stone and pressed brick, and 
 is distinctly up to date in appointment. Offices, 
 parlors, lecture-rooms, library, laboratories, gym- 
 nasium, private apartments, lavatories, — all are 
 
■^T| 
 
 
 *% 
 
 COLLEGIATE HALL. '^^'^ «; 
 
 If 
 
 I 
 
204 A Story of Fifty Yejars 
 
 hours wii( .iic undying star of light in the sanctu- 
 ary, the {/caceful benediction at dusk — memories of 
 all these blend with the voices of counsel heard in 
 years gone by at retreats or in sermons in the hal- 
 lowed place. Truly, the chapel is the heart of St. 
 Mary's. 
 
 In the growth '"'^>g- 
 
 ^ ; V . i iied tiic piaiis oi new strucLUito, m some cases 
 sacrificing harmony to immediate utility. But a 
 system of massive porches and the general arrange- 
 ment of the srrounds since the erection of Colle2:iate 
 Hp'V. nnve m ?! w--- • '- ' ■ r> eftect ^he acad- 
 
 tniary> 
 academic classes. The students of this division have 
 their own sleeping apartments, dining-hall, recre- 
 ation halls, reading and class-rooms, sharing with 
 the CoUegiates the chapel, gymnasium and general 
 assembly hall. 
 
 The new college building is a splendidly planned 
 structure of Bedford stone and pressed brick, and 
 is distinctly up to date in appointment. Offices, 
 parlors, lecture-rooms, library, laboratories, gym- 
 nasium, private apartments, lavatories, — all are 
 
-KH 
 
St. Mary's To-day 205 
 
 thoroughly equipped. This department is privi- 
 leged to have a private chapel in which the Blessed 
 Sacrament is kept, and from this centre of devotion 
 there radiate a strength and light, without which 
 all other strength and light count for little. 
 
 The edifices devoted to convent and novitiate uses 
 are, of course, severely plain, but are commodious, 
 and in comparison with the accommodations of 
 early years, luxurious. The community infirmary, 
 too, has its tabernacle before which burns the un- 
 dying flame that tells of the Divine Dweller there. 
 
 Within the buildings, wherever one turns, there 
 is that which elevates heart and mind. Beautiful 
 reproductions of the world's masterpieces in paint- 
 ing and sculpture supplement the spoken and 
 printed word in the inculcation of love for the best. 
 Of the art-teaching and the art environment of St. 
 Mary's, the late lamented Eliza Allen Starr, surely 
 a competent critic, once wrote: 
 
 As to St. Mary's Art School, I believe it is quite un- 
 surpassed in the thoroughness of its training or the study 
 of nature. There have been, still are, artists among the 
 sisters who are giving forth, far and wide, among all their 
 missions, the best principles of art, while at St. Mary's are 
 monuments to those who have adorned wall and sanctuary 
 with works which will inspire devotion through the coming 
 
206 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 generations, meriting for it the name of "a centre of Chris- 
 tian art." It is an unconscious, artistic education which St. 
 Mary's is bestowing upon all who are trained within her 
 walls. 
 
 Cardinal Newman's dictum, "accomplishments 
 are not education," is indeed true. It is also true 
 that training in the arts is not necessarily the teach- 
 ing of accomplishments. Music, as a science and as 
 an art, may be as broadly educative as are chem- 
 istry and mathematics ; it is in this wide sense that 
 it is considered at St. Mary's, where from early 
 years, as noted elsewhere in this narrative, music 
 has been taken seriously. The physics of sound, 
 the evolution of the various schools of music, the 
 literature of the art, — all enter into the regular 
 musical course, which aims to give the highest tech- 
 nical training, as well as the best in the way of intel- 
 ligent and artistic appreciation and interpretation. 
 St. Mary's Conservatory has received splendid tes- 
 timonials from master-teachers at home and abroad. 
 
 Of the other departments it need only be said that 
 education without participation, so long a seeming 
 principle in all schools of other years, no longer pre- 
 vails, and the laboratory method, the research 
 method, fully obtain. Electivism, long under con- 
 
St. Mary's To-day 207 
 
 sideration, is arranged for in the curriculum to 
 which the Golden Jubilee year has led, that is, a 
 modified electivism, a choice under right guidance 
 and along correlated lines of study. The general 
 culture-value of the English courses is thoroughly 
 recognized, and that a measure of success has been 
 reached, is evident from these appreciative words 
 by an eminent man of letters : 
 
 I have not had the opportunity of making a thorough 
 examination of the methods of teaching literature in St. 
 Mary's Academy, but I have been in the way of knowing the 
 spirit and aims of the department, and of getting into the at- 
 mosphere of the school. I have been struck by the evi- 
 dences of a true feeling for literature ; a sense of its vital sig- 
 nificance, of its spiritual as well as aesthetic value. The 
 interest of the students and the spirit and attitude disclosed 
 in their written work, have impressed me as showing high 
 intelligence in teachers and enthusiastic responsiveness on 
 the part of students. I have felt that literature is interpreted 
 at St. Mary's in its highest relations and deepest meaning; 
 that it is approached with fresh feeling and studied with 
 true insight. 
 
 The work in philosophy, literature, history and 
 science is supplemented by excellent lectures. The 
 students enjoy the privilege of hearing discourses 
 by the Reverend Fathers of the University of Notre 
 Dame, the benefit of whose knowledge and experi- 
 
208 A Story oi^ Fifty Y^ars 
 
 ence is always at St. Mary's command, and by other 
 distinguished speakers, divines and laymtn. 
 
 Methods of study which obtain to-day call for 
 much in the way of equipment, and even if one 
 regrets the passing of the days of few books and 
 much learning, a large library is a necessity in an 
 educational institution. Fifty years ago the books 
 of St. Mary's library were easily carried by one sis- 
 ter in the process of moving from Bertrand to the 
 present St. Mary's. Now there is a collection of 
 books running up into the thousands and handled 
 by card catalogue. The department libraries, too, 
 have assumed respectable proportions, and books 
 are used, not as ornaments, but as regular mental 
 tools. 
 
 As to laboratories, St. Mary's, once proud to 
 possess an air-pump, now has well-appointed physi- 
 cal, chemical, geological, botanical and biological 
 laboratories, where the order of studies in the sci- 
 ences is research work. 
 
 This cataloguing of the special features of St. 
 Mary's and its advantages must conclude with a 
 passing mention of a department, which, at its in- 
 stitution a few years ago, was looked upon as, to 
 say the least, a questionable innovation, but about 
 
EAST CAMPUS. 
 
208 A Story o^ Fii^ty Ykars 
 
 ence is always at St. Mary's command, and by other 
 distinguished speakers, divines and laymen. 
 
 Methods of study which obtain to-day call for 
 much in the way of equipment, and even if one 
 regrets the passing of the days of few books and 
 much learning, a large library is a necessity in an 
 education he books 
 
 of St - le ca&iiy cairied by one sis- 
 
 ter in the process ot moving from Bert rand to the 
 present St. Mary's. Now there is a collection of 
 books running up into the thousands and handled 
 by card catalogue. .J^k^^ep^^^nt libraries, too, 
 have a'-?''"T!f"«^1 respectable proportions, and books 
 ornaments, but r al 
 
 tools. 
 
 As to laboratori ly's, once proud to 
 
 possess an air-pump, now has well-appointed physi- 
 cal, chemical, geological, botanical and biological 
 laboratories, where the order of studies in the sci- 
 ences is research work. 
 
 This cataloguing of the special features of St. 
 Mary's and its advantages must conclude with a 
 passing mention of a department, which, at its in- 
 stitution a few years ago, was looked upon as, to 
 say the least, a questionable innovation, but about 
 
St. Mary's To-day 209 
 
 which there is no question now — namely, the de- 
 partment of Physical Culture. Under the direction 
 of a graduate from Dr. Sargent's famous Boston 
 School of Physical Training, the work, general and 
 special has been attended with splendid results, and 
 the admirable equipment of the two gymnasiums is 
 an incentive to the best in physical training along 
 rationally conservative lines. 
 
 The restful scenic beauty of St. Mary's environ- 
 ment must be seen to be appreciated. High on a 
 plateau extending a south and west exposure to the 
 winding St. Joseph River, rich in noble trees, — 
 great rugged oaks, sycamores, maples and pines, — 
 the site has every advantage of natural beauty; 
 added to this, art has joined with nature in making 
 lovely this home of peace. Long stretches of lawn, 
 broad acres of orchards, out-of-door shrines that 
 seem a part of their sylvan setting, shady walks 
 that lead to ideal nooks along the river, lend en- 
 chantment to the landscape. No word-picture, no 
 reproduction in pencil or brush, can give the charm, 
 the atmosphere of it all. 
 
 But if the ornaments of a home are the friends 
 who visit it, so may we say that the pride of St. 
 Mary's are those who call her Alma Mater. The 
 
210 A Story o^ Fifty Y^ars 
 
 formal Alumnae Association, composed of the grad- 
 uates of the institution, now numbering hundreds, 
 has shown itself devoted and loyal; no less so are 
 the thousands who, though non-graduates, look 
 back with grateful hearts to the fair school-days 
 spent at St. Mary's. It is a sweet consolation to 
 feel that the love of young hearts bears in mature 
 years the fruits of loyal deeds. 
 
 Much of what has been written of the St. Mary's 
 of to-day refers to the educational work alone, but 
 all else of the community's spirit is implied. No 
 part of a work of a Congregation stands alone, and 
 in the building up of the Mother-House, there is 
 no most distant mission of the Order of the Sisters 
 of the Holy Cross that is not deeply concerned, and 
 there is no Sister of the Holy Cross who has not 
 shared in the toils, the sorrows, the helps, the suc- 
 cesses, that have come to their convent home. The 
 Jubilee celebration is held at St. Mary's, and it is 
 also held in every house of the Order. 
 
 Briefly and in barest outline has the story of the 
 community's fifty years been told. Benefactors and 
 friends have been referred to only in general terms ; 
 not because they were forgotten, but because they 
 are all remembered. The tablets of the heart hold 
 
St. Mary's To-day 211 
 
 the names, but the written record would be too 
 long. Diffculties have been lightly touched upon, 
 not because they were few and of passing impor- 
 tance, but because through them the Congregation 
 has been purified and sanctified, and any successes 
 that have come, had their beginnings perhaps in 
 those very trials. Community soul-processes, no 
 less than individual soul-processes, are sacred. The 
 outcome of movements rather than the weary strug- 
 gle toward it has been registered, but to the 
 thoughtful reader results are worth only what they 
 cost, and that which is bought with the coin of sacri- 
 fice bears upon it forever the stamp of its price. 
 And has the record of all these years been only of 
 love and devotedness and loyalty and perseverance 
 on the part of the sisterhood pledged to St. Mary's ? 
 Has every Sister of the Holy Cross regarded the 
 honor of the Mother-House as dearer than her 
 own? There have been defections, but not many; 
 and though St. Mary's has felt and still feels the 
 sorrow that comes to a mother in the disloyalty of 
 a child, like a mother she tries to palliate the wrong, 
 if it was wrong, and not rather weakness ; and she 
 tenderly prays for them as she turns with trusting 
 heart and kindling eyes to her faithful ones, who in 
 
212 A Story o^ Fifty Ye:ars 
 
 this year of Jubilee gather at the dear Mother- 
 House, at the dear home-altar, there as Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross, to renew vows of fealty, not "until 
 death do us part," but for time and eternity. 
 
St. Mary's To-Morrow. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 St. Mary's is fifty years old, and its brief story 
 has been related. There is a finality about such a 
 statement that does not seem in keeping with a jubi- 
 lee spirit. Half a century is not long for a religious 
 community that is ever renewing its youth, that is 
 ever placing before the young noblest ideals for the 
 building up of the perfect life. Let us rather say — 
 St. Mary's is fifty years young, and its period of 
 fullest achievement is to come. The past has but 
 awakened "the love of excellence" which, as Bishop 
 Spalding says, "bears us up on the swift wing and 
 plumes of high desire, — 
 
 Without which whosoe'er consumes his days 
 Leaveth such vestige of himself on earth 
 As smoke in air or foam upon the waves." 
 
 And if the prophet-gaze were given us, what 
 would we wish to see as the future of the Sisters of 
 the Holy Cross? First and last, only what God 
 wills for the Congregation, as His instrument of 
 
 213 
 
214 A Story of Fifty Years 
 
 good. Humanly speaking, we would wish St. 
 Mary's to be forever young, young in energy, in 
 strength, in courage ; yet old in patience, in endur- 
 ance, in wisdom. We would wish to see its powers 
 grow that it might always prove a factor for good 
 in Church and State, a promoter of the truly Chris- 
 tian, truly Catholic spirit in the home and in society. 
 We would wish its missions to multiply and grow 
 strong, spreading the Congregation of the Holy 
 Cross wherever there is need of ministrations for 
 the sick, care for the orphan, training for youth. 
 We would wish the community to be ever progress- 
 ive in the best sense, realizing that the spirit of the 
 age is the one in which we live and is not to be con- 
 demned, save in some of its exaggerated manifesta- 
 tions. We would wish St. Mary's, with Mary Im- 
 maculate as ideal, to stand for the highest and the 
 best, for faith and hope and love and knowledge, 
 translated into service for God and humanity, thus 
 insuring for the Congregation of the Sisters of the 
 Holy Cross, and for St. Mary's, the nearest ap- 
 proach on earth to immortality. 
 
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 A story of fifty years > from the 
 annals of the Congregation of 
 the Sisters of the Holy Cross y 
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