7 10 108 https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/ad8f06015b467be463a9885813c1dfdd.jpg a735053e8606c2a7c064fd9468d2f3ee Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sisters of Charity of New York Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Bullock, Angelica Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sugrue, Noreen, SC Location The location of the interview The New Jewish Home, Kittay Senior Apartments, Bronx, New York Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data audio/mp3 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 28:52:00 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugrue, Sister Noreen, SC Oral History Subject The topic of the resource Sugrue, Sister Noreen, SC Description An account of the resource Sr. Noreen Sugrue has shared her reative skills as a teacher, artist and Congregation archivist. She taught elementary grades, spirituality to novices, and art to students of all ages, including one summer in Appalachia and ten summers at the New York Foundling. From 1973-1986 as the Assistant Archivist for the Congregation, she chose a new archives storage location and designed the building space, managed the artifacts in the Elizabeth Seton Museum, and arranged and described the historic materials. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sugrue, Noreen, SC Bullock, Angelica Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of New York Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019-05-06 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mindy Gordon (Transcriber, Editor) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for reproduction or quotation must be obtained through written application to: Director of Archives, Sisters of Charity of New York, 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, New York, 10471. This permission is valid only insofar as the Archives of the Sisters of Charity of New York, as owner or custodian, has any rights in the matter and does not remove the responsibility of the author, editor, and publisher to guard against the infringement of any rights; including copyright, that may be held by others. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/wav application/pdf Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Sugrue, Noreen, SC Oral History Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant New York City https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/e9045a29ce91e2cddfe87ea9011dbd84.pdf cff5969bec48f6770e248db7c6515a11 PDF Text Text 1 ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW OF SISTER MARY CLARE HUGHES, D.C. JUNE 17, 2019 CONDUCTED BY SISTER MAUREEN SCHMALZRIED, D.C. Transcribed July 9, 2019 by Scott Keefer Sister Mary Clare, Welcome. It’s good to have you with us today. I wonder if you could tell us something about your vocation story. Well I’m happy to be with you and to talk about the community rather than my vocation story, but I’ll tell you a little bit about how I came to the community. In the summer of [19]42, my sister said to me, “Clare, are you going to the community or not?” And I said “OK, do you have to know?” Well, she said, “if you’re going to the community, I’ll get married in August. If you’re not, I’ll have a Thanksgiving wedding.” Well, I said, “Kitty, maybe you’d better consider August.” So she was married August 29, and I left home on September 8. I already had one brother in the seminary and one other sister married, and shortly after I came to the community, two brothers were conscripted, and there was no one home with my mother. So if I hadn’t come that September of ’42, I don’t know when I might have come, or if I would have come. But anyway, I did come in September of ’42, and I postulated at old Mt. Hope [in Baltimore], and we had about 20-some other women postulating with me at Mt. Hope, and it was a great time. Getting used to living with more than your own family, getting used to living with the sisters day by day – because in high school we went home at the end of the day. We didn’t live with them-- Mt. Hope eventually became Seton, but when I was in postulatum, it was called Mt. Hope, so I should be referring to it as Mt. Hope. I left Mt. Hope to go to the seminary around December 2 of 1942, and my vocation date – the day I recorded as entering the community – is December 14, 1942. I was in the seminary ‘til January of ’44, and I was missioned to St. Joseph’s School, Martinsburg, West Virginia, and I was missioned to the third and fourth grade. Of course, I knew discipline was a problem, but Sister Imelda Maillette was a first and second grade teacher separated from me by a cloak room. So she helped me out, and gradually the discipline became possible for me. So you began as a teacher? I began as a teacher, but, in January of 1946 my Sister Servant received a call from Emmitsburg to ask me if I would consider entering nursing. Well, I had one time thought of nursing, so I couldn’t say no to the community, although I was very, very happy teaching and happy in Martinsburg. But as I say, I couldn’t say no. �2 So I left there within a week to come up to St. Joseph’s, because I was getting to the class in the College, and the second semester had already started. So that was the reason for my quick exit from Martinsburg. I had two other sister companions, Sister Annina Scharper and Sister – I think her name became Mary, I’m not sure – I knew her as Angelica Ahl, and the three of us went through nursing together. [note: Sister Angelica’s name became Sister Margaret] From the College, we went down to old Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., and we had women companions in class with us, and they were delightful. We went through our basic nursing with some courses out at Catholic University, because we were matriculating for a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing, so the degree had to come from the Catholic University. It was called Providence Hospital’s School of Nursing at the Catholic University when I went there. As I finished my nursing program with my baccalaureate, Sister Isabelle [Toohey] asked me if I would continue and matriculate with my Master’s program, which I did do. So I didn’t leave Providence Hospital until January of ’51, at which time I was missioned to Jacksonville, Florida. On my first mission to Jacksonville, Florida, I was named Director of Nurses, and in those years, the Director of Nursing had both nursing service and nursing school, but of course I had an assistant in the school and an assistant in nursing service, but they were very happy years. I was a very young sister on that. There was only one other young one, Sister Jane Francis Fairley. All the other sisters were elderly and it so happened that the community asked me in May of – I’m not sure the year, but I’ll think of it later – if I would become the Sister Servant and administrator. Well, my father and mother had taught me obedience, so no matter how I felt about it I had to say yes. So I followed Sister Evelyn Roach as the administrator and Sister Servant. The sisters were delightful. They were just delightful. They supported me in many many ways. For instance, one sister was approached by one of the doctors, and he said, “Sister isn’t Sister very young to become the administrator?” And Sister Philomen [Scholl] said to him, “Doctor, Sister is older than the Queen of England.” She didn’t say by a couple weeks though. But that was the type of support I received and it was just delightful. That helped a lot, didn’t it? It was a great help, a great help. And I had others. Pauline Mitchell who was just a wit of our creation and so many other sisters. Of course, in those days, we had many more sisters assigned in the hospital. Unfortunately, they began to dwindle. I was administrator there for just two years when the community asked me if I would go to Saginaw, Michigan as the administrator because Sister Camilla, who had been the administrator there was chosen as our treasurer. So sister came to Emmitsburg, and I went from Jacksonville, Florida to Saginaw, Michigan in January, the coldest month. �3 When I got to Saginaw, all I could see was grey. It was grey outside. Everything inside was painted grey. It was just a grey situation. Sister Constantia Clark was assigned to help me in Saginaw the construction being done when I went there. She also thought it was too grey for everybody, so when it came to painting our refectory, we had three grey walls and one coral wall, and it just made all the difference in the world in our lives, because three times a day we had the benefit of that brightness and looking at our sisters in a very bright way. So we loved it, and I loved it, and I loved Saginaw. Another advantage, one block away was St. Vincent’s Home. So we had another community of sisters nearby, and that was delightful. They came over every Sunday morning for the second mass. Those were the years when we had a second mass on Sunday, and then we went back to St. Vincent’s to have breakfast with them. It was just such a comradery, and we looked forward to those weekends, and they looked forward to our coming over to their house. Nice community time. It was a beautiful community time. I received word, however, after two years in Saginaw that I was going to be missioned here to the Provincial House, and I was going to be a member of the Council. Sister Eleanor [McNabb] had just been made Visitatrix in August. In January, I was missioned from Saginaw – you’ll note that was two years exactly that I was in Saginaw – and Sister Marie Daly happened to be in Saginaw when I left. So we drove down to get a train in Detroit, and as we drove down to Detroit, we listened to the takeoff of [Alan] Shepherd going out into outer space. So I always remember that astronaut’s feat in relation to when I left Saginaw. What a memory! Then I came here to Emmitsburg and found out that I was going to be acting as the assistant to Sister Eleanor, which I thought would never going to work out, that I didn’t have enough experience, that I wasn’t old enough. However, God was very generous in his graces, and his sisters again-- the support, they practically carried me along. I couldn’t help but do OK. I don’t know that I did well, but I did OK. I remained here, believe it or not—I think I was here 21 years, 12 years as assistant to Sister Eleanor and nine years as Visitatrix. So that totals I think 21 years. In those 21 years, many things happened as far as community and vocation is concerned, and I’ll bring them up as we talk a little bit more, like the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the beginning and continuation of general assemblies in the community. It was a great grace to be at the first one. We had one that was scheduled for two years in a row over Christmas and New Year. It was I think 1968 to 1969. The Perfectae Caritatis indicated that all communities must have assemblies and elect their general superiors. Well we were already electing our General Superiors by the Sister Servants of Paris. But with the new constitution, that election was designated to be carried out by the general assembly. �4 During the 21 years that I was here at Emmitsburg at that time, many, many major events took place, and I was very blessed to be here for those particular events. For instance, we closed the [St. Joseph] College. That wasn’t a fortuitous event, but it was a historical one, and it occurred in 1973, but there were other community events that were even more historical that I shared in, such as going to the general assembly. That only could be an experience that I wish every Daughter of Charity could in her lifetime experience. It is such a community event that—it’s just almost unbelievable to tell somebody when you think that there is a Visitatrix and one or two delegates from every province in the world participating in that meeting, and you just realize the depth of community experience that’s there and the love of the community as expressed by those members of the general assembly and how for the sake of the community they worked hours and hours into the evening and early morning hours to get the best in our constitutions so that our community could have the strongest community life in order that we would take care of the poorest of the poor. And oh! Some of those sisters lived in such poor countries. To hear the representatives from Madagascar and Mozambique speak, it was wonderful for we Americans to learn from them exactly how they took care of the poor. It encouraged us, motivated us to come back to our country, our United States of America, and do even more for the poor if that were possible. It was just such an experience of service of the poor as we experienced an even wider community living among the members of the assembly, and we were doing that to strengthen our community life, our prayer life, for the service of the poor. What a grace! Such a wonderful privilege and such a wonderful, wonderful grace! The assembly started in Rome because that’s where the Church asked us to start. But guess what. The mayor of Rome had all these religious communities moving into Rome, and we were tax-free. So he went to the Holy Father and asked that the Church stop asking the communities to have their headquarters in Rome because he needed more tax money, and we were coming in and coming in, but not taxable. How interesting! In the summer of 1946, I was home here at St. Joseph’s for summer courses, and Mother Antoinette Blanchot was elected during that summer. She stopped here at Emmitsburg, so we had an opportunity to meet her, and what a fortunate occasion that was because we all became fascinated with her writings as she took office in Paris. It was just a great gift to have met her on the way to Paris. That was special. �5 I came to Emmitsburg from Saginaw in January of 1952, and I do think I’ve mentioned this before, but I was here for the exhumation of the remains of Elizabeth Seton, which took place on October 26, 1962. For those of us who have never been present for one, I was very taken with the strict legality of it. We all had to take oaths that we would not touch anything, that we would not move anything, and we kind of stayed in the same position all during the exhumation. And when the two pathologists took the bones of Elizabeth from the coffin that she was in and laid them out on—I would say a door, it was a long board—they put all the bones out to identify them, and they identified them by her height and other indications that they – the professionals – knew but I didn’t know. One of the things they told all of us was that one of the phalanxes of one of the toes of Elizabeth Seton was missing, and they could not go on without that. So we all were quite concerned that this would throw off the process of the beatification, but fortunately one of the secretaries remembered that there was a relic of Elizabeth Seton in the safe of the Visitarix’s office. So we waited while she went and got that phalanx, and that pathologist verified that it was the missing phalanx of the toe and then they verified that it was a completed skeletal remains of Elizabeth Seton. What a privilege that was. Was any of the clothing left? You know, I don’t remember whether any of the clothing was left, but if it were, it would have been just pieces of clothing. I would have remembered if it were a dress or a cape or her cap, but I do not remember that. All I remember was the dust and the bones and the little coffin. I came to Emmitsburg in January of 1962 and was named, God help me, Provincial assistant to Sister Eleanor McNabb. Of course, because I was assistant, I had opportunities for which I am most grateful and which I thank God every day that they were available to me. I was present for the beatification of Elizabeth Ann Seton on March 17, 1963, and that was the last official act of Saint John XXIII. Of course he was not Saint then, he was John XXIII. But we could tell even then that he was not well. You could tell it from his eyes, the dark, dark, dark circles of his eyes. But it was such a glorious occasion. We who were there had to thank the many, many sisters, college graduates, friends of the community who had worked so hard for Elizabeth’s beatification. They had had all types of petitions signed and sent to Rome, and it was they that should have been fortunate enough to be there. But we tried to represent them by expressing our gratitude to them to Elizabeth on that special occasion. In December of 1963, Mother Guillemin visited Emmitsburg. I should know much more about that visit. But unfortunately, at this point, I remember just the highlights. One of the highlights was Mother wanted to see the lights of New York. That amazed me because I know the city of Paris is called the City of Lights, but she wanted to see New York. So we went to New York in the early evening. We crossed all the bridges of New York so that Mother Guillemin would have a good look at New York City from different vantage points. The next day we took her to view the windows so she could see the windows along Fifth Avenue that were fixed for Christmas, �6 and of course, we took her in to Saks Fifth Avenue so that she could see the decorations. But you know right well we didn’t buy anything at Saks Fifth Avenue. And of course, Mother didn’t know what Saks Fifth Avenue was, but the decorations were glorious to view, and we were happy that we were able to show them to Mother Guillemin. And she was happy to see them. Oh, I’m sure she was happy to see them. Of course, there are two very particular occasions that occurred later in the month of September of 1964, and the first one was the change of the habit. And if I recall correctly, it was September 12, and, miraculously, the whole world changed on December [correction: September] 12, whenever that date was in their country. Because Father Slattery and Mother Guillemin had gone to Spain because the Spanish sisters would be the ones that would gave up the most in changing the habit, since they had had—even while we wore the cornette, they wore a different headpiece. But Father and Mother asked them if they would change, and they agreed to change. So the whole world changed on that date of September 12. We’ve had to be very grateful. So they agreed to go along with it, and that’s why everyone was so grateful. They agreed, and they changed. It’s remarkable, I was here at the Provincial House, and we were a much larger group of sisters here then than we are now that it went so smoothly. But one sister, after mass, went back upstairs and took off her new coif and put on her cornette and went about her daily chores. One of the workmen saw her and immediately got in touch with another sister to tell her that Sister Frances Miller had changed back into the old habit. So the sister explained to her that we would no longer change after mass and put on a different coif or a different cornette, because in the old days that’s what we did. We wore a special a apron and a special cornette to mass and holy communion and after breakfast. We changed them, and that’s what Sister Frances did. She was just keeping with tradition. But it was wonderful that everyone was able to change throughout the world. And of course you know, as everybody does, that the coif changed quite quickly. I don’t remember the date that we got word that the white wouldn’t curl underneath the blue as we first did it and it was straighter and looked much more finished and tailored. But everybody... it’s remarkable, the simplicity that was manifested in that change. All regretted losing the cornette because it was so widely known and we received it when we received the habit. But everyone was so simple in accepting the decision to change the habit, and, as we all remember, it was recommended by the Second Vatican Council. And I was just so amazed and full of thanksgiving that that change went as well as it did. It was all grace. Grace through and through. �7 Later that same month of September, the 20th to be exact, I think only something like eight days, a week and a day, another enormous change took place for all the sisters here in Emmitsburg, and that was our move from the old Provincial House to the new Provincial House. Remember, that was two gigantic changes for the sisters in this mission, because they were primarily the older sisters of the province, the older ones who were here because they could no longer manage steps or some of the physical conditions on the missions, or they were in the infirmary. We had a great number of sisters here, but they accepted that change so beautifully. The sisters came in from the missions to help walk with the sisters, or if they needed to be driven down to the new provincial house, they went along with them. In essence, it became a bit of excitement instead of a chore. It became almost a celebration, and that helped to make everybody so accepting and so grateful, because when they saw the new provincial house and all the amenities it had provided each one of us, we couldn’t help but be grateful. It was beautiful. It was beautiful, there’s no doubt about it. Of course, as you recall, we didn’t have the basilica for many, many, many months. The chapel was in the large room beneath the basilica, which was not divided up as it is now, it was just a large auditorium at that period. The alter was on the stage, but as I approached that chapel one morning, that’s when I became aware of the difference in our habit. I entered those three little steps down into what is now the museum of the basilica, and you saw nothing but the dark, dark, dark headpieces, which you didn’t see upstairs because the sisters weren’t in rows next to one another. But down there we had to sit in rows in order to fit ourselves in, and it was the area where I was very aware of the difference in the habit. But again, that was just a feeling, and I could thank God that the change went well, and it was better for everybody that we had change. I remember people saying how dark everything was because we were used to seeing the white cornette and the white collar in the back, and it was all dark blue. Yes, it was very, very dark And just another P.S., I was a postulant in 1964, and we could not wait to get into the basilica, which we called the big chapel. And we decided we would be in for Christmas, and Christmas came and went and we did not get in it. So we finally went in it on January 16, 1965, and we declared, that must be Christmas. I think that’s very important that it be known and recognized that we really didn’t move in ‘til ’65. January 16, that date sticks into my mind. And the crucifix had a corpus on both sides. That’s right. The large crucifix over the alter had a corpus on either side of the cross. Later, I’d say maybe a year or so, might have been earlier, someone pointed out that that was not �8 liturgically correct, that we just had the corpus on the side of the cross that the congregation viewed. So the figure on the reverse side of the cross was removed, and I have to say I don’t know where it went or what happened to it. But it was a gorgeous figure, but unfortunately... I’m sure some church has it now. Someone told me that they gave it to some church. I don’t know which one it was. I’m sure it was given to a church, but I’m not sure which one at the moment. Another momentous occasion arose during my years up here, and that was the establishment of the domestic, provincial, and general assemblies, and it was so edifying – and that’s the word that meant the most to me, it means the most to me right now – it was edifying to see how everyone in this facility entered into that preparation. Because those of us who were in the community at that time remember we had to fill in little blocks along the edges of all the papers, and that was a bit hard for fingers that were arthritic or old, but the sisters entered into that very, very industriously. And they wanted to share, because this was the community’s future, they wanted to share in those questions, and knew that their questions would represent them at the assembly. So they worked very hard on those first questionnaires. It was wonderful to see. And then of course, after those went to Paris, we entered into our first provincial assembly, and that was held in what is now the Shrine. It was the large space under the big chapel as it was called then. It was not yet known as the basilica, and that assembly was held in that room. And we do have pictures to go along with this, I know. But the table was up front, and at the table sat Sister Eleanor and Father [Charles] O’Connor, and, I’m pretty sure it was sister Mary Carol Eby was the secretary of the assembly. Although by constitution, it was probably the provincial secretary, so I think Mary Carol must be up there reporting, but I’ve seen a picture and reviewed it so often, and it shows Father and Sister Eleanor and Sister Mary Carol giving a report at the microphone, and I think that’s why her name immediately came to my mind. That room was filled because our province then comprised the whole Eastern seaboard, Ohio, and Michigan. So that room was filled. But at the election of delegates for the assembly during those days, Sister Hilda Gleason and myself were elected as delegates to the first international assembly. The reason I’m stressing the word international is that assemblies were held in the community before this, but they were only attended by the Sister Servants of Paris. And of course we had to remember that we had a couple hundred houses in Paris. So it was a large assembly, but it was limited to the particular geographical area. Again, by mandate of Perfectae Caritatis, our constitutions were looked at and updated and representation from all the provinces was indicated as the best way for all the Daughters of Charity to be represented at the general assembly. So it was with such anticipation that we went to that general assembly, and believe me, we took every Daughter of Charity with us, because we knew that we were only there as delegates it was emphasized. �9 Now, the Visitatrixes were ex officio, but the delegates were delegates elected by the provincial assemblies. So we were very conscious. It’s amazing, when you are elected, how conscious you are of being the representatives of those who elect you. But it was such unusually new experience for the delegates who were there. We learned how to accept and sit while somebody spoke in Portuguese, or somebody spoke in Spanish, or somebody spoke in Italian, or somebody spoke in French, or somebody spoke in English to be very mindful of what they were saying. And this was not as difficult as it sounds, because we had simultaneous translation. Every member of the assembly had simultaneous translation, and that was such a great benefit to each one of us, because no matter what the delegate or Visitatrix, no matter what language she spoke in, we got the translation in our own language. What a tremendous benefit that was. During the assembly, on August 11, 1968, Sister Hilda Gleason was elected a General Councillor, and that was a real privilege that she should come from our province. We know now that the holy spirit was behind our voting that day, because Sister Hilda, after her term as General Councillor, was missioned to Taiwan, as Vice-Visitatrix of Taiwan, and then later became the Visitatrix of Taiwan and served the community so admirably both as General Councillor going all over the world in that role and then establishing the community and similarly helping to establish the Church in Taiwan with such a tremendous role, and Sister filled it admirably well. Two of the Sisters in Taiwan under Sister Hilda were Sister Evelyn Frank and Sister Annina Scharper. Neither of them had any study in the Chinese language, so they were both named to go to the University, and they attended the University for two years and became, in that being together, great friends, and that friendship has endured to this day. When Sister Evelyn was Mother General, she had occasion to come here to the United States on business, and she always stopped to see Sisters Annina. It showed us that a happy friendship can exist in our community and remain very strong and loving and still be just such a boon to everybody around them, not just the two of them, because we shared in that friendship as well. It’s not my intention to give a chronological history in giving my autobiography, but as I relate community events, I think it’s important to name the date when something happened, or to give the date when something happened, so I am aware that as I mention what happened in my life, I am giving dates and just ask you to forgive that and understand why I’m doing it. We like to have dates. Oh good, we like to have dates, well that’s good. Mother Chiron came to Emmitsburg in January of 1969 for the erection of the five provinces of the United States. From the original two provinces, which were established in 1910, the St. Louis and the Emmitsburg province, were to be subdivided into five provinces. For that occasion, Mother Chiron came to Emmitsburg, as did the sisters, as many as could, from the other provinces to be present for that at the establishment of their new provinces. It was a wonderful occasion. �10 We know that the provinces of Los Altos Hills [California]; St. Louis, Missouri; Evansville, Indiana; Albany, New York; and Emmitsburg, Maryland were established in January of 1969. Many wonderful things occurred because of that division into those five provinces, and we see God’s hand in that because more Daughters were able to become acquainted with other aspects of their province, of their missions, of their ministries, and able to take greater part in it. We see that that was a wonderful event not just for the community, but for the Church, because we were better able to serve the poor through the division of the provinces. Of course, history has changed that, and we’ve reunited, but that is history. That’s what happens in history, but at the time of the division into the five provinces, there was an upsurge in interest in the community and a greater ability to serve the poor in our various missions of the five provinces, so it was a wonderful event. It was the right thing to do at that time. Right thing to do at that time. It was the right thing. A major change occurred for the Emmitsburg province in July of 1972 when the sisters of Villa St. Michael in Baltimore, Maryland moved here to the Emmitsburg campus, and that involved 133 sisters. I was on-deck for that, and it was so remarkable, and so enjoyable, and so edifying if I may still use that word to see how those sisters took that change. Now you remember, most of them would be in the 80s and 90s and some even in the 100s, but they came up here as delighted as they had been to go on their first mission, because it was something new for them, and it gave fresh views and fresh things to do to sisters who had been settled in their retirement in Emmitsburg. It was wonderful occasion for us who lived here as well as for those who were coming to join us in our community life here in Emmitsburg. Believe it or not, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now Saint Teresa of Calcutta, visited Emmitsburg in October of 1975, and I have done a little bit of math on that, that was just the following month Mother Seton was canonized in September of ’75, and Mother Teresa came in October. And her reason—expressed reason for her visit was to visit the tomb of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. It was an unusual visit in every sense of the word. The Council had to be the night before in Wheeling, West Virginia for the retirement festivities of Bishop Hodge Joseph Hodges [Joseph Howard Hodges]. He had been a product of our St. Joseph’s School in Martinsburg and had kept close to the community all through the years, so the Council was scheduled, and the people in Wheeling had bene notified that the entire Council would come. When we heard about Mother Teresa’s wish to come here, and her schedule wouldn’t allow for any changes, so we were in Wheeling ‘til about 11:30, and then we drove back to Emmitsburg, and I don’t think anybody who took that trip was in bed before 2:30 or 3:00, and Mother was due here at 8 in the morning. That’s the only time that her schedule would allow. But you know, it’s like everything else, if you turn it over to God, it works out well. We didn’t show too much fatigue that day, and Mother was bright eyed and so interested in anything we could share with her about Saint Elizabeth Ann. �11 She stayed through the dinner hour, and I can still see her standing by the mike, where you so often stand Maureen [addressing interviewer], just where that mike is now. She stood and talked to the entire community. And what did she talk about? She talked about love. How all of us need and appreciate loving and how anyone with whom we come in contact in our various apostolates, as they were called then, needs to be shown love. It was such a simple but effective message for every Daughter in that refectory, and we had to express our gratitude to Mother Teresa for that, because it was message that everyone valued, and it also showed Mother Teresa’s great sensitivity to any audience that she might be speaking with, and I think her visit brought great benefit to any of us who were present here for it. Recently, there was an anniversary of that visit, the 50th anniversary of that visit, and the pictures came up on the email on the iPhones, and one of my nieces told me that her son had pictures of Mother Teresa visiting Emmitsburg that day. They were on email; we had not put them there. So I think that maybe the Frederick Post would come that day to take pictures of Mother Teresa and seen that they got on the email for the 50th anniversary of her visit. Because to Frederick, that was a visit to Frederick County, not just to St. Joseph’s, Emmitsburg. Richard McCullen, our Superior General, visit Emmitsburg in 1982. His warmth, his wit, and his wisdom charmed all of us. Two stories associated with his visit are always in my mind. The first is that the five Visitatrixes came together with Father to receive council and to ask questions of him, and during that visit, the five Visitatrixes and Father went out to the Shrine of Saint Vincent on the grounds of the Provincial grounds because it was in a new setting, and Father was going to re-bless the statue. He did do that, and we were conscious during the blessing that there was a reporter there because she had her little pad and was making notes with what was occurring and what remarks Father might have made. But it surprised us because we finished the blessing, but the young lady cornered Father and kept him for quite amount of time, and we just stood off waiting for him to join us for our continuation of our meeting. However, it went to over half an hour. So the other Visitatrixes went inside, but I waited for Father. When the young lady finally left, he came to me and said “Sister, I’m sorry about that, but that was that young lady’s livelihood.” How conscious I was by that remark, that Father was always conscious of his service of the poor and showed his great compassion and understanding of other people. Another story that happened while Father was here. He was very busy during the day, so he went to see the Villa sisters after supper. Of course, many of them were already in bed, but that didn’t phase Father. He went from room to room, and he’d say to the Sister as he entered “Sister, would you care to receive my blessing?” and of course they’d say yes. We went into this one room, and he said that to the sister, and the sister said “Oh Father, I’d be happy to have your blessing.” And with that, she pulled her hands out from under the covers, and she had black woolen gloves on [holds hands together in front of her]. Of course, Father and I wanted to laugh, but we had to hold our mirth until we left sister, because it just showed her �12 great reverence for the blessing of God, particularly when it was given to us by our Superior General. That visit showed his great concern for every sister, because it wasn’t just the Visitatrixes he met with. He’d greet every sister, and if she wanted to stop, he’d stop. It just showed me a completely wonderful side of Father, just to see him in action, and his gift of sharing himself totally. He really gave himself completely. During that same time period, Jimmy Carter, the President of the United States, also visited the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Accompanying him were his wife, Rosalyn, and her mother, his mother-in-law. After touring the Shrine and listening to a brief account of Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life, he was very relaxed, comfortable, enjoyed what he was seeing and hearing, and did not seem a bit hurried. As he was leaving, the sisters gathered around the front door, and he was there among us, and I mean among us because the Daughters surrounded him. As he left, he gave me an embrace, and that picture was picked up by many of the newspapers in our country, and circulated, but happily it was because he was at the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. That was special to have him visit wasn’t it? Oh, it was very special to have him visit. Rosalyn was very simple also, and the mother-in-law... She was part of the little party. They stood in the Shrine over by the alter of Elizabeth Ann Seton and just asked any questions and listened to our responses and anything we shared with them. It was a lesson for me in true simplicity. True simplicity. And I’m sure other sisters could tell you many other things about that visit of President Carter. But it was really a highlight of my years here in Emmitsburg. The President of the United States and the head of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity. I see them as two wonderful events in my time at Emmitsburg. I should have said this first. The day before our President came to the Provincial House, the FBI crawled all over our place. Every nook and cranny of the Basilica, the corridors that he was going to traverse, the lobby that he was going to enter in to, it was crawling with FBI men. But of course, the Daughters enjoyed it, because they saw what happens when you do have a person who is subject to all types of untoward people who might want to get a hold of him. They have to be very careful where he goes. We understood it, and we just enjoyed the FBI men. We would try to converse with them, but they were serious about they work. They didn’t really enter in. They were gentlemen, but they were about their business. Throughout my terms here in Emmitsburg, I was very much aware of the support I received from our Vincentian brothers, and that included believe it or not Father [William] Slattery, Father [James] Richardson, and Father McCullen during my terms. I was also here for other terms like Father [George Gregory] Gay’s, but it was after I was out of office that he came. However, Father Slattery was not only admired by we the Daughters of Charity of Emmitsburg and the United States. When we did go over to the assembly, we saw the respect, love, genuine appreciation of our French sisters for Father Slattery. �13 This is just a little aside, but you know when we changed the habit back in 1964, the whole world changed at the same time, because Mother Guillemin and Father Slattery went to Spain and asked the sisters of the two different habits there if they would change to the universal one, and they all agreed. So on that day of the change of habit, the whole world changed, and I just thought the pair of them, Sister Guillemin and Father Slattery could convince anybody to do what the Lord wanted us to do. Thank God for that. Yes, thank God for that. In addition to the generals that gave assistance to me, I have to be very aware of the Directors who shared their understanding, their knowledge of the community, their appreciation of what the Daughters of Charity were doing with me and what an assistance that was in my years, and I must particularly mention Father [Charles] O’Connor and Father [John] Cusack. I know they’re both in Heaven now, and I hope they’re praying for this province and the larger St. Louis province as it is now, because they really worked with us at the grassroots, and I think they can present our situation to God and get his adit. We always have God’s support, I’ve no doubt of that. But even more mindful they will make him of what we are doing down here, I’m sure. I cannot forget though that we also had the Brothers in town. At one point we had five priests at the priests’ house in town. They came over here for confessions. They came over here for all types of liturgies because the Shrine was fairly new at that time. We had many, many types of events and liturgies, and our Vincentian brothers were always on deck. You could count on them. We could have 15 bishops, but hidden behind those bishops were our dear C.M. brothers, and were they wonderful to us. I’ll have to tell almighty God how grateful I am for them. As I listen to myself, I keep hearing the word “thanksgiving,” and that’s a word I know I will always associate with my vocation, my years in Emmitsburg, my understanding and working with so many different wonderful sisters and priests, particularly our Superiors. There all owed a deep gratitude, but I’ll come back to that a little later. After I left the terms up here in Emmitsburg, I worked for a number of years in different apostolates. I was at Providence Hospital for two years, Jacksonville for another two, Bladensburg for two, and then in 2000, I was asked to assume the directorship of the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann, and I filled that role to 2005. That made me so aware, as I was jotting those dates down of how my life here in Emmitsburg was so intertwined with that of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, our American foundress, because I was here for her exhumation, her beatification, her canonization, her removal of relics from the College chapel to our Provincial House chapel, her removal relics from above the alter of the Provincial House chapel to where they are now in her little Shrine in our basilica. As the years passed, I saw what other Directors in the Shrine have done and how they have had so many different programs and booklets and occasions to invite the public and how we are �14 progressing in making Elizabeth Ann Seton known to more and more Catholics. It is, as I want to emphasize, the part of so many of our lay staff that are doing that. But the seed is growing. The seed if growing because so many come and are greeted so well by our staff of the Seton Shrine that many of them do return, and even return from distances. It is with great gratitude that I’m aware that that’s occurring. From the Shrine, I was assigned to the ministry of prayer in the Villa St. Michael, and I came here in January of 2006. What a tremendous missioning that was for me because being here at St. Michael’s Villa, has really been the zenith of my vocation. I am here among many wonderful Daughters of Charity who have had all types of experiences, all types of encounters with the poor, all types of experiences that they share with us, we share with one another, and it has been so enriching. I myself must say, I think my years at the Villa, as I remarked earlier, are the zenith of my vocation. It is such a grace and a blessing to be here among them. Here I celebrated my 75th year of vocation, and here, as I said, I live with such marvelous Daughters, and without trying, just being, there is a togetherness that is most unusual, and so affectionate, so caring, so supportive. I just think that God saved the Villa, and he saves it for many sisters, as their last mission because I am with so many excellent Daughters, and we are all on the road to deeper companionship with Jesus, so there is a union among, and a purposefulness among us, not artificial, it’s just there. It’s part of us. It’s such a great experience of community. I have always loved the community, but I think I have experienced it in it’s completeness, it it’s fullness here at Villa St. Michael. Thank God for the Villa. Thank God for my sister companions. If I could sing, I would sing the hymn “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” for as I worked on these taped minutes of my autobiography, I was more and more aware of the fact that my life was one complete succession of graces and benefits from God. I know family, faith, community are tremendous blessings from God, but all of them, faith, family, and community, have become deeper in my awareness of God’s goodness to us by living in the Villa. I cannot stress that enough. I would put that at the basis of all my happiness in all my final years of community living. We’re all getting ready to join him. We’re all trying to deepen our companionship with Jesus, so that when he comes for us, we will love him as much as we can, and that forms a bond that I’ve never felt before. I’ve always loved community, always stressed that the three middle words are “You” and “I,” and it has to be together we form community. But in the Villa, it is not just expressed, it is lived and it is felt. And it propels me forward, and I thank God with all my heart for my years at the Villa, and also for all his blessings of faith, community, family, anyone else that I received during my whole life, I want to thank him for them. But the zenith is the Villa. And we thank you, because you have been a blessing to us also. � https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/f16c2b384223325d5e3a08afecfec962.mp3 9e1e6b22f3d15097bc09e7897b9cf991 https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/918e80a540ed8d55237eac7052aa394d.jpg 20024b385c23d7ce3d24d775bfef1b57 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hughes, Sister Mary Clare, D.C. Oral History Subject The topic of the resource Hughes, Sister Mary Clare, D.C. Catholic hospitals Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Emmitsburg Province Description An account of the resource Sister Mary Clare Hughes, D.C. discussed her life in community as a Daughter of Charity. She began her career as a nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL and St. Mary’s Hospital, Saginaw, MI before becoming Assistant Visitatrix of the Eastern Province of the Daughters from 1962-1969, Assistant Visitatrix of the Southeast Province from 1969-1974, and Visitatrix of the Southeast Province from 1974-1983. Relating to her time in office, she discusses the first Provincial and General Assemblies of the community after Vatican II, the changing of the Daughters of Charity habit, the exhumation of Elizabeth Ann Seton in anticipation of her beatification, the division of the five provinces in 1969, the closing of St. Joseph College, the building of the new provincial campus in Emmitsburg, and important guests such as Saint Teresa of Calcutta and President Jimmy Carter. She also discusses her close collaboration with General Councillor Sister Hilda Gleason and Vincentian Superior Father Richard McCullen. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hughes, Sister Mary Clare, D.C. Schmalzried, Sister Maureen, D.C. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019-06-17 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keefer, Scott (Transcriber) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Rights owned by Sister Maureen Schmalzried, D.C. Permission for any type of publication of archival materials, including text, photographs, video, or audio must be secured from the Daughters of Charity Communications Director before publication. Contact archives staff for appropriate forms and contact information. Relation A related resource RG 1-3 Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Collection RG 3-4 Habit Collection RG 4-31 Rev. Richard McCullen Collection RG 6 (General Councillors) Hilda Gleason RG 7-4-5 Erection of Five USA Provinces Collection RG 9-4-1 Sister Eleanor McNabb Collection RG 11 Emmitsburg, MD – St. Joseph’s Provincial House Collection RG 11 Emmitsburg, MD – Seton Shrine Center Collection RG 11 Emmitsburg, MD – Villa St. Michael Collection RG 15 Provincial and General Assemblies Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 1:08:20 Audio/mp3 Application/pdf Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral History Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hughes, Sister Mary Clare, D.C. Oral History Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1924-2019 https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/24b22cb8bc93057d9a2dbc01c6c428aa.jpg 0c4122c09ab1674e76d2d453bb3e26b1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Poor Box from St. Patrick’s Asylum, Manhattan Subject The topic of the resource Poor boxes Charity Orphanages St. Patrick’s Orphan Asylum (New York, N.Y.) Description An account of the resource The first New York mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph in New York, the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, was incorporated in 1817. Known as St. Patrick’s Asylum due to proximity to St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, the orphanage was quickly filled, to capacity. To raise funds for a new building, a poor box was placed in St. Patrick’s Orphan Asylum by Sr. Elizabeth Boyle, who became the first Mother Superior of the Sisters of Charity of New York in 1846. The donations placed in the poor box were a source of support for many. The word, ‘Charity’ in gold, capital letters is painted on the front of box; a wood cross is positioned on top of the box. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1820 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for reproduction or quotation must be obtained through written application to: Director of Archives, Sisters of Charity of New York, 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, New York, 10471. This permission is valid only insofar as he Archives of the Sisters of Charity of New York, as owner or custodian, has any rights in the matter and does not remove the responsibility of the author, editor, and publisher to guard against the infringement of any rights; including copyright, that may be held by others. Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Wood, with painted gold lettering Stand: 48” tall Charity box: 8” (tall) x 4” (width) x 2” (depth) Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant ca. 1822-1862 Sisters of Charity of New York https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/e08744bc1ee837c449b2c3aae126d332.jpg 5106cc751a0095b657598dc76b01f58e Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Embroidery on silk of pandas Subject The topic of the resource Catholic Sisters Religious women Missionary activity Orphans Embroidery Chinese artwork Hunan, China Missioners Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth Convent Station, NJ Description An account of the resource In October 1996 Sister Mary Carita Pendergast, a Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, received this piece of embroidery, framed in glass, from Agnes Chao, a Chinese woman living in Shanghai at the time. Sister Carita had been a missioner in Hunan Province, China from 1933 to 1951. The Sisters of Charity raised the orphaned Agnes from infancy and educated her to the level of a normal school (teacher education) graduate. Agnes then taught in the Sisters’ school in Wuki. When the Communist government interrogated Sister Carita prior to her expulsion from China in 1951, they turned to Agnes and demanded that she testify to the Sisters’ crimes, which she refused to do even with a gun pointed at her. In 1996 Agnes Chao was a grandmother, working in a factory; the cost of shipping the package to Sister Carita – a token of Agnes’s gratitude and concern – might have been two months’ salary. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for reproduction or quotation must be obtained through written application to: Director of Archives, Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, P.O. Box 476, Convent Station, New Jersey. This permission is valid only insofar as he Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, as owner or custodian, has any rights in the matter and does not remove the responsibility of the author, editor, and publisher to guard against the infringement of any rights; including copyright, that may be held by others. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1995 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Embroidery (under glass) Language A language of the resource English Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Relation A related resource N/A Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant N/A Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/31a11d352fbeec210a50abaeb1ee6380.jpg 849ef616b4a46cb7f72fd8d2cd1bfc02 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Statue of Madonna and Child Jesus Subject The topic of the resource Catholic Sisters Religious women Statue Madonna and Child Jesus Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth Convent Station, NJ Newark, NJ Madison, NJ Sisters of Charity of New York Description An account of the resource This statue of the Madonna and Child Jesus was given to Sister Mary Xavier Mehegan, a Sister of Charity of New York, circa 1859. The statue was given to her by the Sisters of Charity of New York when Sister Mary Xavier agreed to help found the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey. Now Mother Mary Xavier, she kept the statue in the first Motherhouse in Newark, New Jersey and carried it in her arms on the carriage ride to rural Morris County on July 2, 1860 when the Motherhouse was relocated to Madison, New Jersey. It is on display in the Heritage Room of the Motherhouse. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1859 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for reproduction or quotation must be obtained through written application to: Director of Archives, Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, P.O. Box 476, Convent Station, New Jersey. This permission is valid only insofar as he Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, as owner or custodian, has any rights in the matter and does not remove the responsibility of the author, editor, and publisher to guard against the infringement of any rights; including copyright, that may be held by others. Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Statue, plaster Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/b4f7edf0d34b9b1e56cfbc1bc44b953c.jpg 68411b881f3dcc3560ffb157dce5909d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Snowsuit from Roselia Boarding Baby Subject The topic of the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill (Greensburg, Pa.) Sisters-Religious life Hospitals-Maternity services Orphans and orphan-asylums Social service-Religious aspects-Catholic Church Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Maternity homes-Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh Orphanages-Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh Children Adopted children Adoption Women Pregnant Women Description An account of the resource Description A baby left on a convent doorstep on March 17, 1884 initiated the journey for the Sisters of Charity in Pittsburgh to establish their first healthcare institution, a medical facility and boarding home for foundlings and unwed pregnant women. With the help of Roselia and Charles Donnelly and other benefactors, the sisters opened a small house in July 1891. By the end of the first month, the admission of nineteen infants stressed the limits of the building. The need for additional space prompted Mr. Donnelly to purchase the old Ursuline Academy in the Hill District. It became known as Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital. From 1891 until its closure in 1971, over 27,000 orphaned and temporarily boarded children came through Roselia. Nearly 50 years later, John Smith* contacted the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill to learn more about Roselia and for clues into his beginnings. John’s connection to the Sisters of Charity, though brief, hints at the influence the Sisters of Charity can and have had on children. After his mother abandoned him at birth, infant John was sent to Roselia as a boarding baby in 1938. The Sisters of Charity in charge there lovingly cared for him for nine months. He was later formally adopted by his paternal grandparents. For 80 years, the outfit the Sisters delivered John home in was preserved in the family. The snowsuit includes the note: “Johnnie, You were so small your little feet were inside this little suit.” Thankful for the love and care of the sisters and for the opportunity to live a full and rich life, John donated this snowsuit to the archives of the Sisters of Charity, along with the story of his upbringing and family. It serves as a symbol of the warmth and love the Sisters have had for children, particularly foundlings, adopted children, and infants. The Sisters of Charity hold the records of Roselia and continue to field research requests related to birth parents and children. *Name anonymized to protect identity. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Source Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1938 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Costume (mode of fashion) Clothing & dress Language A language of the resource N/A Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-2018 Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/022581442207e88d86ddde786e4a51c8.JPG adcc02c527c03f6ee0afaf9b8c2f03d8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Key to the St. Joseph Motherhouse (Stokes Mansion) at Seton Hill Subject The topic of the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill (Greensburg, Pa.) Sisters-Religious life House key Engraving (metal-work) Description An account of the resource The original key to the front door of the Stokes Mansion which served as the first motherhouse and Academy of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg. Mother Aloysia Lowe, foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, used the key up until her death in 1889. The Sisters preserved the key as a treasured memento of the community’s early years in Greensburg. In 1932, in honor of the 50th Jubilee of the congregation, Father Daniel Sullivan, the first priest-president of Seton Hill College, commissioned a special engraved metal accompaniment for the key. It reads “With this key Mother Aloysia Lowe unlocked and entered this the first mother house of the Sisters of Charity Aug. 7 1882. Seton Hill.” On the reverse appears a quote attributed to Mother Aloysia which reads “I opened not merely the door of this house, I swung the gates of an era.” This attributed quote reflects the roles of Mother Aloysia as leader, foundress, and visionary. It serves as a reflection of the sisters’ astounding work over more than 150 years. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource c. 1882 (original key) c. 1932 (engraving) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives, Greensburg, Pennsylvania Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Metal (unknown) Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1882-1932 Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/836c1b6d32ab26439f9e4ffc925b8edc.JPG 6242454c8a8ac0581486866b8c97cb9d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Artists’ Palette and Brush used by William Lamprecht circa 1901 Subject The topic of the resource Subject Mural painters Mural painting and decoration--20th century. Convents--United States--History--20th century. Monasticism and religious orders for women -- Catholic Church -- History Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Ohio) Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Cincinnati (Ohio) Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio) Description An account of the resource Description For the eight months it took to execute the mural, William Lamprecht and his wife, Augusta, resided at Mount St. Joseph where he loved to take long walks to enjoy “God’s great Panorama.” A faith-filled man, the artist recognized his talent as a gift from God. He never began a project without preceding it with a novena of prayer and fasting. Each morning, he rose with the tower bell at 5 AM, attended Mass with the Sisters and received Holy Communion. When he began his painting each day, he left strict orders not to be disturbed. Lamprecht’s mural in the Motherhouse Immaculate Conception Chapel sanctuary dome, painted on a doubly curved surface like the inside of a bell, is of Mary Immaculate. Mary is depicted as the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1). The figure of Mary is 15 feet tall and the entire mural rises 65 feet above the wainscoting. Above the figure of Mary is God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The central figure is surrounded by angels, each representing a scriptural symbol associated with Mary’s role in redemption history. Below the figures of Gabriel and Michael, are angels carrying a crown, a lily branch, a psaltery, a palm of victory, the rod of Jesse, the Ark of the Covenant, a star, and a harp. The herald angel at the base carries a scroll: “In unbra manus suae protexit me” (In the shadow of His hand He hath protected me). When he completed his work, Mother Sebastian asked the artist how this mural compared to his other paintings. He replied thoughtfully, “It is my last and my best.” Shortly after completing the mural, Lamprecht’s health began to decline and, in 1904, he retired to his native country of Germany. He died March 19, 1922. Generations of Sisters of Charity, students at Mount St. Joseph Academy and the College of Mount St. Joseph, families, and guests have been awed and inspired by Lamprecht’s work as well as his devotion that shines through each brushstroke. A true blessing for many! Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Manufacturer A well-used brush and painter’s palette preserved more than one century ago are reminders of a significant chapter in the history of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. In 1899, Mother Sebastian Shea traveled to New York City in search of a muralist to paint the half-dome above the altar in the Motherhouse’s Immaculate Conception Chapel. The German painter William Lamprecht accepted the commission, excited by the size and scope of the project. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1901 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights, reproduction, and use requests or more information, please contact the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archivist Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Equipment and tools; Art and decorative works Mural is 65 feet tall, width figure not included in inventory Language A language of the resource Latin Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object; image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio) Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/cf24d31ea417ba8f5757e96e26fd8e26.JPG a22472a52915e95faddc12711a7836a0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lap Desk used by Mother Regina Mattingly circa 1855 Subject The topic of the resource Monasticism and religious orders for women -- Catholic Church -- History Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Ohio) Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Cincinnati (Ohio) Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio) Description An account of the resource A small brass plate inscribed “Sr. Mary Regina” affixed to a varnished wooden box - a black velvet-lined writing surface – small compartments for pens and ink – and tucked beneath, a secure space for writing paper, snippets already penned, or letters received. Mother Regina’s lap desk was a well-loved and treasured possession. When did she acquire such an item? On how many journeys did it accompany her? Imagine her carrying it as she made her way to Dayton to open the new St. Mary’s Academy in 1857. Or later, when she was Mother of the Congregation, did it accompany her as she traveled to visit the Sisters on the various missions? Did she use it as she sat in quiet corners at Cedar Grove, the Motherhouse of the Community at this time and the current site of Seton High School, writing in her journals? Or in her last months as she lay in a hospital bed suffering the ravages of cancer? Well-educated as a young woman, Mother Regina Mattingly was a deeply reflective person, a lover of books, a devoted educator, a keeper of journals, and a prolific letter-writer. Surely, for such a one, the familiar feel of the polished wood and the worn velvet cloth provided a sense of comfort and peace as she settled in with pen and paper. As she began her journals, she told herself, “All that I may promise in these pages shall be the true exponent of self, as far as circumstances will permit….I wish to be real in all things – real in friendship, real in practical piety, real in the correction of my many faults, real in my intercourse with others, and above all real in my love of God and His Sacred Heart.” She returns again and again to these themes, often starting a passage by describing some event such as the felling of trees at Cedar Grove, then shifting to a spiritual reflection, as when she writes, “It forcibly reminded me of the roots of our human passions with some of us have been tugging at for so many years.” A great lover of natural beauty, she often remarked on her surroundings as when she and Mother Josephine Harvey visited the Western missions where she was extravagant in describing the magnificent sights of the Colorado Rockies, and the gorgeous hues of the New Mexico Sangre de Cristo Mountains. By reading her journals and letters, it is possible to see deeply into the soul of this prayerful woman who was so influential in the foundational years of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. How many of these passages were written on her beautiful lap desk? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Manufacturer Unknown Lap Desk given to the archives following Mother Regina Mattingly’s death in 1883. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1855 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights, reproduction, and use requests or more information, please contact the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archivist Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Equipment and tools Wood with sectional compartments, measures 10” x 5” x 16” Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context N/A Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Cincinnati (Ohio) Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio) Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati https://www.scfederationarchives.org/files/original/1fbf36cec9cd6d094c850ef858825708.jpg 1592ad29a87fb85a0c4dff576e94cf5e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sisters Caring for Cholera Victims on McNabs Island, 1866. Subject The topic of the resource Nova Scotia--McNabs Island Cholera Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax, N.S.) Description An account of the resource The painting depicts a scene on McNabs Island in Halifax Harbour during a cholera outbreak in 1866. In the foreground are two Sisters in black habits. One is offering a cup to a woman in a shawl. The other Sister is surrounded by children. A third Sister is seen in a tent caring for a person. Makeshift tents are set up next to trees. Two ships are anchored in the Halifax Harbour. The SS England, a large ship carrying 1300 passengers bound for New York, was suddenly struck by a cholera outbreak was forced to make an emergency stop in the Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia. By the time the anchor had dropped, 50 passengers had already died of the disease. Archbishop Thomas Louis Connelly was concerned about the care of the sick, especially the orphaned children, and asked for volunteers to go to the island. Despite the very serious risk of contracting the disease, every Sister volunteered. Three Sisters were selected to minister to the sick on McNabs Island, and none contracted cholera. Within the congregation, this event is referred to as the start of health care ministries for the Sisters. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sister Agnes Berchmans Landry: Sister Agnes Berchmans Landry (1879-1973) originally painted the scene of the Sisters caring for cholera victims on McNabs Island for Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which was destroyed by fire in January 1951. After the fire, Sister Agnes Berchmans, though advanced in age, repainted the scene for the new Motherhouse. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity - Halifax Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available N/A Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1951-1973 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights, reproduction, and use requests or more information, please contact the Sisters of Charity – Halifax Congregational Archivist. Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Painting, 66” height x 47” width x 2” depth Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 95.267 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1866 Halifax (Nova Scotia) Sisters of Charity of Halifax