5 10 108 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/5000a1845e2bf94131aad5edd5540676.jpg 96f611ced5ff0e5f8c2709e3d8d6eb87 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/6f68812b3b72fa2a48b371a62b657fec.mp3 06be46f385dee104faeef795f23be475 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/61a40cfecec020315e7976ea58393797.pdf 6de0ed6a8d5af6a614eb3d1bbeb20c8f PDF Text Text Sisters of Charity - Halifax Excerpt of an oral history interview of Sister Maria Clare Kehoe conducted by Sister David Marie Campbell at Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1981. Transcribed by Mary Flynn, Congregational Archivist in 2020. Additions in brackets are for context. S. David Marie Campbell: Now there must be a few things in the West that you reallyS. Maria Clare Kehoe: We enjoyed the West very much. Very often Father Coughlin would come take us over to Ladysmith [British Columbia] then we went up Alberni, then another time we went up to St. Joseph's Hospital and we stayed there over two or three nights. All over the island he took us. He said we'd visit around a great many places. He thought that would be a good idea because as we were teaching to know as much as much as you possibly could about what we werewhere we where and what we were going to do and our teaching. So we got many good drives with Father Coughlin. But Father Kennedy came after him. Yeah, he was just a very fine priest. He couldn't do enough for us. I think we were the first ones- He got us a Frigidaire. We didn't have one. And he got us a Frigidaire, put everything in it. And we were very, very happy. In fact, the Redemptorists were wonderful to us, I must say. On our first Christmas, we had a... we put on a show, play. It was a very beautiful one. I still have the pictures, I think the pictures of that play. And the people just went out for us. S. David Marie Campbell: Who was in the play, the children? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: The children, the whole school, Point Grey. And we were then living at St. Helen's. We had 10 miles to go every morning to go to Point Grey. Sometimes we didn't get in there until 10 o'clock on account of the fog. So we'd find perhaps one of the eighth grade girls in our classes looking after or perhaps a Brother, one of the Brothers, because we had to go about 10 miles and byS. David Marie Campbell: How would you go? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: By bus, of course. That took, that took- 10 miles, it took us a good while to get there. Sometimes we would stop for about 15 or 20 minutes when some of the patches of fog would be coming in very heavily. That lasted for one year. And then I believe that was going to... Sister Rosaria was the Superior at St. Joseph's. And people, some Sisters were going to college and she thought, she asked Father Coughlin if he would try and get a house for us out there so the Page 1 of 11 �Sisters could live there. A Sister was going to go- but she didn't come in the end but we got the house. It was very lovely. It was a little grey house. It was only small, but was very, it was handy for four of us. Then finally we got from that house to a larger one called Noma Linda. Very lovely, up on a hill. Beautiful flowers. They had everything, even fruit trees on the land whereas I believe they have the new convent now. Our Sisters are still there. I loved that mission. It was very lovely. S. David Marie Campbell: I've never been west, so. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: No? Beautiful missions. In fact, all the missions were lovely there. Lovely there. We were very, very united as one, all the houses, very united. We'd meet very often, someplace like the Seton Academy, if there's anything going on. Sometimes lectures. I remember we had a couple of lectures from Mr. Coady. He was the lawyer there. I believe he has relatives. I think Sister, Sister David is one of his relatives. Yes, yes very close. He's a very fine, wonderful man. And then we had... there's another place there that we used to go downtown at... the McMasters. They had a tearoom. They're Antigonish people. S. David Marie Campbell: Yes. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And they were very kind to us, very lovely. Three, the three girls couldn't do enough for the Sisters. S. David Marie Campbell: So thenS. Maria Clare Kehoe: I believe now they're all in heaven. Not any of them living. Now Mr. Coady is. S. David Marie Campbell: Yes. Mr. Coady is. I think Miss MacMaster, didn't she marry a McKinnon? Isn't she still living? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I didn't know that. I knew Mrs. Coady very well because she's from Lingan [Cape Breton, Nova Scotia]. I knew her well, but I didn't know her.... I don't know aboutS. David Marie Campbell: MacMasters. Page 2 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: No, no. Rose and Tina and Anna were the three girls. The MacMasters. They were very wonderful people. S. David Marie Campbell: But when did you come back then from the west? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I came back... 1948. I taught 48 years without a let up. S. David Marie Campbell: 48 years? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Yes, I came to Dartmouth [Nova Scotia]. I left Dartmouth '59. I came to the [Mount Saint Vincent] Motherhouse for six months. Then I went to St. Mary's [Covent in Halifax, Nova Scotia] in 1961. I had my hip operation. And then I was at St. Mary's and I tutored some of the children for the school there in reading. I was... though I had a cane, I was able to do a great deal of work. Then I came to the Mount here in '67 because they were going to close St. Mary's. That's what I had understood but it was open for a year after. And when I came here, I also had a pupil that came. I had two pupils that I taught reading to in the afternoon, a couple of hours. Finally I had the second operation in August, that finally put me out of commission. S. David Marie Campbell: Not really. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well almost. I'm able to hop around now a little. S. David Marie Campbell: Yes. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: But then I had the operational on my knee. Two operations from on the 16th [?] 1976 and then '78 on May 20th I had the other operation on the same knee. And yet I am I going. S. David Marie Campbell: You're going, yes. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And I am 93 today. Oh no. S. David Marie Campbell: Page 3 of 11 �No you're not 93. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I'll be 93- uh 94 in May. S. David Marie Campbell: 94 in May, yes, you're saying. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And I'm still going. S. David Marie Campbell: You're still going. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And I hope to... I hope to see... S. David Marie Campbell: Do you want to see 100? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Yes, surely I'll be 100. S. David Marie Campbell: Yes. That'sS. Maria Clare Kehoe: Why not!? S. David Marie Campbell: No that's right too. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I don't want to leave now that we're having such a good time. S. David Marie Campbell: But aren't you glad that you, you lived in the days where things were difficult and are... you wouldn't want to be around these days? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Oh, I wouldn't want those over again. Not for a million dollars. S. David Marie Campbell: No, you wouldn'tPage 4 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: No, no, no. S. David Marie Campbell: You wouldn't? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: No I think this is- you can do so much more for God when you're free. You weren't free then. It was a bell here and a bell there and they were just ringing bells. S. David Marie Campbell: No that- no that's very true. Yes. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: What we didn't like very much was kissing the prie-dieux. You know. Everybody's hands were on those and I very seldom did, I kissed my own hand. S. David Marie Campbell: You didn'tS. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well I did because I felt the germs were on those. Everybody's hands on the prie-dieux. Of course I did. I didn't think it was wrong. And then kissing the floor. I don't know, I neverS. David Marie Campbell: Did you kiss the floor? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I didn't kiss the floor. I kissed my hand. S. David Marie Campbell: You didn't kiss the floor? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well no, no, Sister. The dust, the dirt. S. David Marie Campbell: I wouldn't have thought of that. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: You wouldn't have thought of it? I did. I think that's why I'm living so long. I gotS. David Marie Campbell: Page 5 of 11 �All the shortcuts. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I didn't get those germs going around. S. David Marie Campbell: Knew all the shortcuts. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I did. I had the shortcut. And I think the Lord approved of it, too. S. David Marie Campbell: Well you're very, you seem so, so terribly young, in your head. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I wasn't young when I entered. S. David Marie Campbell: No. And you are now. You're, you're certainly not, not any older in your mind. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well of course I'm not. Why should you be? S. David Marie Campbell: Well you're 93. You're almost 94. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Doesn't matter, dear. Doesn't matter. It's not the age at all. It's how you live. It's just that if you want to live old, you're going to live old. If you want to be young, you've got to live young. That's what I'm living. Young. S. David Marie Campbell: You're living young? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Yes. S. David Marie Campbell: You're still up to tricks. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I'm still up to tricks. I'll play them on anyone. I believe it's good for the soul. S. David Marie Campbell: It's good for thePage 6 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And I love reading stories, especially murders. S. David Marie Campbell: Oh, that's terrible. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well I know, but they're good, they're good. S. David Marie Campbell: Can you sleep at night, if you're reading themS. Maria Clare Kehoe: Oh, I sleep well at night, dear. Have no troubles falling sleep. S. David Marie Campbell: You have good eyesight, your- that's another blessing, too. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: My eyesight is too bad at all. No. S. David Marie Campbell: It might be just sort of providential. You can't run around or God knows what you'd be doing! S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well that's just- I think that's what's happened. Never know what I'd do. Might just run yet, you never know! S. David Marie Campbell: No, I thinkS. Maria Clare Kehoe: Miracles can be performed. S. David Marie Campbell: Well, the LordS. Maria Clare Kehoe: The Lord can perform a miracle that I could I could walk again without anything. S. David Marie Campbell: [laughing] Why would He waste a miracle on you at 93? Page 7 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well why not? Every minute you live is for eternity. S. David Marie Campbell: For eternity? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well, of course. S. David Marie Campbell: Well I think you'll very- you do much better. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: The Lord- He sees that you, you know, you want to live and you want to be good. You want to do more work for him. Why not? I still crochet and knit. S. David Marie Campbell: Oh, I know. That's what I mean. But He wants to- he's trying to hold your back! S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well, I know. butS. David Marie Campbell: He's not having an easy time. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Why would He hold me back? I can keep going. S. David Marie Campbell: But Sister Maria Clare, you're so involved and interested in young people that you know, people if people can come and talk to you as if you were as young as they are, young people, and you're really not that young. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Well of course. I love that. I loveS. David Marie Campbell: You enjoy young people? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I enjoy young people. Yes. I like young people. I don't like people that grumble and growl. I like the young. I like that they're starting out because I just know how I was myself when I started Page 8 of 11 �out. And I feel like that now. I could be young all over again. And start out and be just like one of them. S. David Marie Campbell: Yes. Well, I mean, it's, it's really it's wonderful for the for the young people too, becauseS. Maria Clare Kehoe: I have a great many that come and I'm able to say some things to them. S. David Marie Campbell: And it really is another thing too- it does is for young, even young Sisters coming and talking to an old, old Sister and find out she's not that old, old in her mind. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: No, I don't like that because I don't like them to say "old Sisters." I think they could say... S. David Marie Campbell: No I don't mean they say it but they're able to talk to an old Sister and find she's very young. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I say "senior Sisters." I don't like that word "old." I think that should be taken out of the vocabulary completely. "Old sisters." I know a Sister came in the other day with a flower to me. And she said, "here's a beautiful flower that a lady sent in to an old Sister." Well, I said, "take it right out here, because it doesn't belong to this Sister." And she said, "Oh, but Sister." I said, "now who was the lady?" She said "no, I don't think you know her." Well, I said "you go find the old Sister and give it to her because there's no old Sister in this room. Now please take it out." "Oh," she said "I'll leave it here for a while." Now that flower is still there. But I'm telling her to take it and find that old Sister. And I hope she does soon. S. David Marie Campbell: Do you think there's any old Sisters? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I don't think there is. S. David Marie Campbell: Some people some people are old before their time. So if that applies to religious life, too. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I don't know Sister. I think... they must be suffering from some disease. S. David Marie Campbell: It's a person's temperament. Page 9 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I think, though they must suffer. I don't think anybody would feel old, you know? I think the religious life, they have everything to live for. S. David Marie Campbell: Full life. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I think God is wonderful to call us to this life. S. David Marie Campbell: Well you, you've served- You've taught for 48 years. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: And if I had my life to live over again, I'd do the same thing. I'm positive I would. S. David Marie Campbell: What- did you teach... was it children you taught? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Oh I had beautiful children. Were they ever beautiful. Wherever I went, I'd tell them they were beautiful. S. David Marie Campbell: What grades? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Grade 2, Primary. I loved grade two. Three, the beginners. S. David Marie Campbell: These are interesting. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I had three grades: primary, grade 1, grade 2. That was my class when I went to Vancouver. I did enjoy them. They were just sweet to see it- just see them blossoming out, you know, the little ones come to you. I often felt sorry for those who taught the older ones. They'd come home dragging and worried looking and I was as happy as a lark after teaching those children. That's sad today that there are not enough teaching going on with the little ones. And really it's so- I feel terrible. S. David Marie Campbell: What do you mean, the Sisters not teaching them? Page 10 of 11 �S. Maria Clare Kehoe: The Sisters not teaching. Oh Sister. There's where you get them. I had a number here in the community. They remember from the time they were in my class I used to take them to the chapel and make a visit with Him. And they remember that. I had a number here. Sister Ignace Therese is one, Sister Agnes Bernadette, Sister Justa, that wonderful Sister, God love her! Oh, there's so many I had. And who's this other, there's one up here. Sister... S. David Marie Campbell: Not Laura Brennan? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: Laura Brennan! Yes. S. David Marie Campbell: Did you teach her? S. Maria Clare Kehoe: I remember saying that- I took her up to see the old Sister Ann Teresa that died. And she was laid out and she asked me, "what was it she had in her hand? Is there a piece of paper, that roll of paper?" And I said that was her passport to heaven. And she went home and asked her father what it meant. "Well," he said, "that was the paper that her vows were on and she took it to heaven." He knew about it. She's here. I meet lots of my pupils. But I said from the beginning, I think that children should have teachers and I'm sorry the parochial schools have gone out of commission. There should be more. S. David Marie Campbell: No, there's not very many now. S. Maria Clare Kehoe: They're not. That's a shame, Sister. We're not in contact at all with the children. Page 11 of 11 � 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 Halifax Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. 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 Kehoe, Sister Maria Clare, SC, interview [Excerpt] Subject The topic of the resource Sisters of Charity of Halifax; Teaching; Kehoe, Sister Maria Clare, SC Description An account of the resource Sister Maria Clare Kehoe (1887 - 1986) discusses her life as a Sister of Charity – Halifax. Sister Maria Clare spent 48 years as a teacher to grades primary to 4 and reminisces on her time spent at missions in Vancouver, British Columbia (1927-1948) and Halifax, Nova Scotia (1948-1981). Sister Maria Clare retired at 1959 from teaching and at age 93, is reflecting on her experience as a self-proclaimed “Senior Sister." Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Campbell, Sister David Marie, SC; Kehoe, Sister Maria Clare, SC Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity – Halifax Congregational Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1981 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Flynn, Mary (Transcriber) 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 00:16:23 Audio/mp3 Audio/cassette 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 SCHalifax_Kehoe Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1927-1981 Education Sisters of Charity of Halifax https://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://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/58c491bf6fc07923a300a7c6013a2d7e.jpg 973c4a96574fe29c1402afc903d147fe 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 King, Sister Rita, SC Location The location of the interview Convent of Mount Saint Vincent 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.) 54:50:00 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 King, Sister Rita, SC, Oral History Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rita King, SC Description An account of the resource As an educator and archivist, Sr. Rita King's career has been steeped in the pursuit of history. A former high school teacher, Dean and Principal, Sr. Rita was Congregation Archivist for over 15 years. During this time, she developed an arrangement by record group of archival materials and created a database of Sisters' records that became an essential research tool. Involved in the early development of the Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR), she served a two-year term as President. Retired since 2008, Sr. Rita provides her thoughts about the role of an archivist, training and archival certification. completion of the Community. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of New York 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 2019-07-30 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 King, Rita 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 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Sisters of Charity of New York https://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://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/a4746f23a5b5a4abcd0d46f323e05b6a.jpg bca62ad99e2e64865cee5d69f271abc6 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/6d2a9a8b16d1017915d9044e3f72e297.jpg 498e1f2c1248a97692ada6a68ba6977e 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 Linoleum blocks used to print front and back covers of the pamphlet, 'The Antigonish Way.' Subject The topic of the resource Adult education Agriculture, Cooperative Antigonish movement Cooperation Linoleum block printing Nova Scotia -- Antigonish County Relief printing St. Francis Xavier University-- Extension Dept Description An account of the resource Two linocut blocks, hand-carved by Sister Irene (Mary Anselm) Doyle in 1940. The linocuts utilize the “multi-block” printing technique, in which each color in a print is made from a different block. They feature thematic representations of Nova Scotian production of the era: fishing, agriculture, handcrafts, mining, and industry. The blocks were used to print an array of material, including sharkskin drapery, posters, and notably the front and back cover for the pamphlet, The Antigonish Way. Based on a series of radio broadcasts and published by the Extension Department at Saint Francis Xavier University, The Antigonish Way illustrates the history of the Antigonish Movement and its guiding principles. In the early 20th century, the Antigonish Diocese in eastern Nova Scotia experienced the dramatic decline of its resource based economy and extensive poverty. Diocesan clergy, Dr. Moses Coady and Father Jimmy Tompkins, advocated for adult education as a means of improving these social and economic concerns. This became commonly known as the Antigonish Movement and took the form of study clubs that would identify a community’s unique strengths and weaknesses, and then formulate collaborative solutions, such as cooperatives and credit unions. Then in 1928, Saint Francis Xavier University established the Extension Department, led by Dr. Coady, to teach and implement the methods of the Antigonish Movement in the wider community. Marthas were tasked with heading the Women’s Division, dedicated to encouraging women’s involvement in the movement. Sister Irene (Mary Anselm) Doyle, a talented artist, oversaw the Handicrafts Section which promoted traditional crafts such as weaving, knitting and other textile work, woodworking, canning, leatherwork, pottery, and printmaking. Sisters also supplied book-keeping services, established lending libraries, arranged study clubs, classes, and conferences, and aided in the production and distribution of Extension literature, such as the pamphlet, The Antigonish Way. It was one of many instructional publications the Extension Department offered to communities around the world that sought cooperative solutions to reduce poverty and strengthen local economies. Sister Irene Doyle’s block prints – a handicraft that illustrated Nova Scotian production and self-sufficiency, were perfectly suited for the cover. The legacy of the Antigonish Movement perseveres to this day—the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University, continues to teach its principles, fostering community-based development and leadership education at an international level. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sister Irene (Mary Anselm) Doyle, CSM, Artist Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, Antigonish Nova Scotia. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The prints were featured on the front and back cover for the pamphlet, The Antigonish Way, published in Antigonish, N.S. : Extension Dept., St. Francis Xavier University, 1943. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Extension Department of St. Francis Xavier's University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Online access is provided for research purposes only. Permission for reproduction or use requests must be obtained. Please contact: CSM Archives, Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, 75 Marian Drive, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2G 2G6. This permission is valid only insofar as CSM Archives, 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 Linoleum blocks 32 cm (height) x 23 cm (width) x 2 cm (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 1940-1943 Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada Coordinates: Lat: 45 39 00 N degrees minutes Lat: 45.6500 decimal degrees Long: 062 00 00 W degrees minutes Long: -62.0000 decimal degrees https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/916e73935e29eb6db19d804534124efc.tif cc74a2460133ce11b922092aadc673af https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/ace9ccaeef6eb6216c23f1b5ff0f9191.tif 003b34c987ba7b9274ee3985c20b0b57 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 Louise Le Gras Hall Subject The topic of the resource Administration building Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York Description An account of the resource Louise LeGras Hall, is the administrative center for the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York, Mount Saint Vincent, Bronx, New York. Named after St. Louise de Marillac (August 12, 1591-March 15, 1660), the building was renovated to accommodate three floors of office and meeting space for the Community's Leadership and staff. The building housed St. Vincent's Free School from 1876-1911, primarily funded through a legacy from a former pupil of the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, also on the Bronx campus. After this time, building was used by the College of Mount Saint Vincent as an auditorium and library, and also Elizabeth Seton School. The former Motherhouse building became Founder's Hall, primarily used for College activities and in 1971, the administration for the Community moved to LeGras Hall. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York 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 Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 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 Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LeGrasHall _ LeGrasHall_ 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 Vincent (New York) Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/15dd1b8dbeb950134b17817cee8db0be.jpg 336daaa46bc4c5f1a35ce7339d255656 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/2871295f715684981ecbbfd8b2da1a61.pdf d4137833f2cc21e137680bc89ca6d4ea PDF Text Text Interview of Sister Mary Elizabeth Middendorf Final copy October 2018 by Sharon Cecil, SCNA Mary Elizabeth Middendorf was born on July 30, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Clement Joseph and Hedwig Elizabeth Olding Middendorf. Whenever a child was born in the Middendorf family; Mary’s grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Olding, for whom Mary was named came and helped with the family . Mary’s brother, Ronald, was not happy when Mary was born. He told his grandmother to get that girl out of here. He did not want to share his parents. Eventually, Mary’s family grew by two sisters, Ruth Elaine and Martha Louise, and another brother, Thomas. Mary grew up in Cincinnati during the 1930 Depression. Her father who worked at a furniture company lost his job when the company closed due to the Depression. Her father went bankrupt and he began working odd jobs in order to provide for his family; he did this for three years. By 1937 her father had lost everything. He then found a janitorial job with the public school system. In 1937 Mary’s mother decided to go to work to help with the family finances. She did house work in various homes. At this time Mary was the oldest at home because her older brother had gone to the seminary. Therefore, Mary had the responsibility of caring for her siblings. She was about ten years old and accepted the challenge willingly. Growing up in Cincinnati, Mary was an avid Cincinnati Reds (baseball team) fan. Actually, she never went to a game but listened to the games on the radio. Mary and her siblings developed “home shows” of singing and dancing to entertain their family. Also, the neighborhood children gathered and performed shows for their mothers for a nickel. Mary gave the money that was collected to her mother. She bought 1 �the children some candy which was a real treat because they seldom had candy. The streets were the playground for Mary, her siblings and neighbors. Some of the games they played were red rover, hide and seek, baseball, jump rope and tag. The games were lots of fun and enjoyed by all. Mary went to Resurrection School for grades one through six and Holy Family School for grades seven through eight. The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati taught in both schools. When Mary went to register at Seton High School she did not know that money for books was required but she did not have any. She did not ask her mother for it because she knew she did not have it. Her mother told her if she had asked her for the money she would have found it for her. In the fall Mary went to Commercial High School, one of five technical schools in the public system. The classes were business oriented but Mary also took a Basic English class. She graduated after two years. While in high school Mary’s neighbor, Myrtle Doll, made clothes for her younger sister, Martha. She taught Mary how to cut and follow a pattern. This proved beneficial later in life. Mary was from a family of musicians. Her father played the violin and she had two aunts who played the piano and an uncle who played the clarinet. “ When I told my mother I was thinking about piano lessons, she suggested the Franciscan Sisters because she was taught music by them and thought they were good teachers. I had graduated from Commercial High School and was working full time at Trumble Electric so my lessons were after supper. After about three or four lessons Sister said to me, ‘I think I will keep you here.’ On the way home I thought about what Sister said and came to the conclusion that no one was going to make a nun out of me. I called Sister the next week and 2 �told her I was not going to continue the lessons anymore and gave some excuse.” In 1942 Mary was hired at Trumble Electric Company that was making war materials. Mary worked in the payroll office and had to prepare the factory workers’ payroll cards which had to be key punched with each workers’ number. Then the cards were sorted and the hours each worker worked were added. Mary found this very tedious and time consuming. During WWII Mary also worked as an Air Raid Warden for her street. In 1944, Mary’s friend and co-worker, Maxine, decided to enter nurse’s training. Mary thought she would like to do this too, but when she applied she was not accepted because she did not have basic high school courses. Again, Mary was denied an educational opportunity. But this did not deter Mary; she started night classes taking Chemistry and History. She continued to work and volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. Mary believed that this set the path for her career in nursing. In January of 1945, Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Covington, Kentucky was looking for young women to enter into the Cadet Nurse Training Program. Mary thought she would not be accepted because she did not have a traditional high school diploma. She was told that would not be a problem. She was accepted into the Cadet Training Program. The government paid for classes, uniforms and gave the cadets a stipend. This was a three year program but the last six months were to be completed working at various locations. The program ended and Mary was not obligated to go to a workplace. 3 �When Mary was a student nurse, a patient, Father George Donnelly deceased, from Saint Patrick’s in Covington, Kentucky asked Mary, “Why are you not at Nazareth?” She replied. “What is Nazareth?” Father George told her about Nazareth. Later, she met some Sisters of Charity of Nazareth when they came to see Father George. “In May of 1947 while working on the floor; I had some time off in the afternoon and on the spur of the moment I went to Father Donnelly and told him I wanted to go to Nazareth in September or I wasn’t going at all.” Father George sent her message to Mother Ann Sebastian Sullivan. He received a response telling Mary to come. Sister Mary shared, “Today the thought came to me, ‘You have not chosen Me but I have chosen You.’” Mary did not inform her family or friends she was going to the convent until she received the acceptance letter from Mother Ann Sebastian. She gave the letter to her parents. Both parents responded, “Do whatever you want.” Her friends did not say much. Mary’s parents did not drive so when it was time to go to Nazareth, Mary caught the streetcar to the bus station in Cincinnati. She rode a Greyhound bus to Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. She met a group of young women who were going to Nazareth. A driver from the hospital drove five of them to Nazareth. Mary entered the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth on September 24, 1947. She received the habit on March 25, 1948, and was given the religious name, George Maria. Father George had told Mother Ann Sebastin he wanted that name for Mary as he had led Mary to the community. Later, Mary returned to her baptismal name when it was allowed. 4 �The novitiate years were not difficult for Sister Mary. She attributed this to her being older and that she had completed two and a half years of nurse’s training. She was used to structure and went with the flow. In March of 1950 Sister Mary completed the novitiate. Sister Mary made first vows on March 25, 1950 and final vows on July 19, 1953. Sister Mary’s first mission was at Saint Joseph Infirmary in Louisville, Kentucky as a senior student nurse. Sister Mary had to have work outside of her classes. She worked at a clinic for the Louisville Health Department. She gave immunizations and physicals for children and made follow-up visits with them at home to make sure they did not have any reactions. She was responsible for the health care needs of her patients. After she graduated she had to take the State Boards and she passed. Then she received her Registered Nurse Certification. She continued to work on the floor at St. Joseph until October, 1951, when she was transferred to Marymount Hospital in London, Kentucky. She was nurse supervisor there until August of 1953. One morning at breakfast her superior informed her that she was to go to Saint Andrew School, and teach grades one through four. Sister Mary said, “I knew as much about teaching as a drop in the bucket!” She also had to prepare lunch for the students. Sister Mary had worked in the emergency room until after midnight. She felt that she was not fit to teach the children, but she did as she was directed. In a few days a Sister was sent to teach so Sister Mary happily returned to her nursing duties. Sister Mary was missioned at various places for only a year each; which at times she found challenging. Eventually, in August of 1953, Sister Mary transferred to Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee until 5 �November of 1954. She was night duty nurse supervisor. The doctor occasionally ordered a mixed prescription; and she had to call the pharmacist, and he directed her how to mix the medicine. In the beginning Sister Mary found this a bit of a challenge. In November of 1954, Sister Mary was moved to Saint Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she ministered for almost seven years. When Sister Mary arrived at the old Saint Vincent Infirmary, she was only there about three days before she moved to the new hospital. It was chaotic because the move occurred while they kept the hospital operating. The Sisters’ residence in the hospital was not ready. They were given patient beds temporarily but were moved about because their rooms were needed for patients. When the Sisters’ rooms were finished they were allowed to settle into their new home. Saints Mary and Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville was where Sister Mary was assigned in August of 1961. She worked as a nurse on the floor and also went to school. Although Sister Mary was certified as an RN she did not have a college degree. She began taking classes in 1961, at Catherine Spalding College in Louisville. A requirement for the class was to work in a health facility. Sister Robert Ann Cash would not allow Sister Mary to be a visiting nurse because Sisters were not to mix with the laity. Therefore, she worked in the Louisville Public Health Department. She gave immunizations, examined the babies and made home visits. In May of 1964 a Bachelor of Science in Nursing was conferred upon Sister Mary at the graduation ceremony. “In 1964 a superior came to me while I was at Spalding and said they wanted me to go to Catholic University and get a degree in Public Health Nursing as they needed someone to teach Public Health Nursing in the collegiate program. My response was, ‘You’re kidding, I don’t 6 �want to teach.’ I don’t like teaching. I finally gave in.” Sister Mary moved to Washington D.C. in August of 1964 where she pursued a Master in Public Health Nursing at Catholic University. She completed her required work and received her degree in August of 1966. Sister Mary received grants that paid for her education. In August of 1966 Sister Mary began teaching in the collegiate nurses training program at Catherine Spalding College. She taught a Public Health Nurse course and had speakers do presentations for the class. She told the students that their exam would be from information presented by the speakers. The students did not pay attention to speakers therefore they all failed the class. Sister Agnes Miriam Payne required Sister Mary to create another exam so the students would pass. Reluctantly, Sister Mary did as she was directed. In the end the students passed the class. She taught there f​ or ​two years. Then she returned to Saint Vincent Infirmary for a year before she returned to Saint Joseph Infirmary in August of 1968. She remained there until it was announced that St Joseph Infirmary was closing in 1970. Sister Mary started searching for what she was going to do next. It did not take long before Sister Mary embarked on another nursing ministry. She began working for Project H.O.P.E which was Health Opportunities for People Everywhere. Sister Mary and Sister Agnes Regina Siracusa began this ministry in September, 1970 on the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona. She was in charge of a clinic under the direction of a doctor thirty five miles away. She gave medications prescribed by the doctor to patients, gave physicals and referred people to the hospital if needed. Sister Mary had a good working 7 �relationship with the doctor at the hospital whom she called if she needed assistance. Sister Mary’s assistant, Rosita Curley, helped her learn the customs of the Navajo life on the reservation. One Navajo grandmother came daily for a cup of coffee. She was happy that Sister Mary called her “Granma.” Sister Mary and Sister Agnes Regina left the reservation in December of 1971 and returned to Louisville. Sister Mary was not still for long before she and Sister Agnes Regina set sail with Project H.O.P.E. in January 1972 and headed to Brazil. She departed on the SS HOPE, a hospital ship, from a port in Baltimore, Maryland. Once they boarded the ship, they were given life jackets and instructions on how to wear them. Also, they were given information about the ship. It took seven days to reach Brazil. Sister Mary recalled that on the way several of them got sea sick. After a few days of not eating; they were given anti-nausea pills each morning before breakfast. The pills solved the problem. Sister Mary did not have all leisure time on the ship. The group cleaned and painted the ship while on the trip. They also had classes in Portuguese and instructions on Brazilian culture. There was an initiation when they crossed the equator that was called “Captain Neptune”. They painted their faces and participated in various games to celebrate the crossing. A card was given to them so whenever they crossed the equator again, they would not have to be initiated. When the SS HOPE arrived at the Rio Grande de Norte, the mouth of the Potenji River, the natives had to dig out a channel of the river for the ship to fit. The ship docked at Natal, Brazil. Over two thousand people welcomed the ship. 8 �On the first day they were taken to see the hospital in Natal. There were no sheets on the beds and no panes in the windows, curtains covered the openings. They also went to a leprosarium and talked with a patient. They saw a man whose fingers were half gone due to leprosy. There were Sisters from five different religious communities working on the ship. The first night they arrived one of the doctors took them all to a restaurant for the evening meal. The Sisters discovered that purses were not allowed on the floor so they had to put them on chairs. At different times groups would go on excursions, one was to see the Amazon River. Sister Mary’s office was on the ship and Sister Agnes Regina worked in the operating room on the ship. They also lived on the ship and would share meals with the workers. A native driver and an interpreter drove Sister Mary to the interior of Natal, Brazil. She observed that the people lived in huts and all the cooking was done outside. The people slept in hammocks. Sister Mary visited, checked and addressed the patients’ health needs. If they had been in the hospital Sister Mary would check their vitals and medications. She taught them how to care for themselves. Occasionally, the priest went with Sister Mary on her visits. One morning at 10:00 A.M. when visiting a family, Sister Mary was offered a beer. She told Father that she did not like beer. He told her she had better drink it; because if she did not their feelings would be hurt. This was a first for Sister Mary, a warm beer in the morning! Sister Mary’s mission in Natal, Brazil was completed in December of 1972. Sister Mary loved her time in Natal. Sister Mary remembers that 9 �when SS HOPE began the return trip to the United States a severe storm occurred on their way home. They were given life jackets and given definite directions of what to do until the storm subsided. The ship was tossed back and forth by the huge waves. Sister Mary recalled that it was a very scary experience! She was very happy when the ship arrived at the port in Baltimore. Sister Mary returned to Louisville, December 20, 1972 from Brazil. She wasted no time before she took a position at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Louisville. Sister Mary provided one on one care for the veterans. If veterans were sent to a nursing home she explained to them how to care for themselves once they left the medical center. Later, Sister Mary followed up with the veterans in the nursing home. It bothered her that some of the veterans did not get the care they needed there. After a year Sister Mary left the Veterans Medical Center and worked at Health Care of Louisville. She worked in a clinic located at St. George’s School on Eighteenth Street. In August 1975 Sister Mary became a student in the Family Nurse Practitioner program in Indiana. The classes were in an area on the University of Indiana campus that was just for those studying to become Nurse Practitioners. Her Anatomy course was an in depth study of all the parts of the human body. She worked with another Nurse Practitioner and they gave physicals for the patients in a doctor’s office. Sister Mary completed the requirements for certification, and after passing State Boards she was certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Later, Sister Mary received certification in Geriatrics. Sister Mary worked at Nazareth Home in Louisville from 1976-1992 as a Nurse Practitioner. Sister Mary had an exam room in her office. 10 �“When I began as a Nurse Practitioner, the State required all employees to have physical exams to work in a nursing home. I did the physicals on the employees. Flu shots were given to employees and all residents if they wished.” When Sister Mary was Nurse Practitioner at Nazareth Home she was in charge of all health care for the Sisters. In the clinic she would prepare the Sisters for the doctor visits. The doctor came once a week and Sister Mary consulted with him if she needed something. Doctor Russell May, Director of Medical Care and Doctor Deitz Wolfe, his assistant, were very supportive of Sister’s Mary work at Nazareth Home. Sister Mary began a sabbatical in August 1992. She participated in a program offered by the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. The participants were priests, Sisters and brothers who lived together in one building. They took turns preparing liturgies. They took Theology and Philosophy classes. In their free time the group went on various outings. Some of the outings included a trip to Padre Island, an orchard, a San Antonio river walk and to a Mexican market. Sister Mary enjoyed the time shared on their trips. Sister Mary completed the program and the remainder of her sabbatical was spent in Louisville. Sister Mary became the campus nurse for Spalding University in October, 1993. She had a mini clinic where she gave flu shots after she received the prescriptions from the doctor at Nazareth Home. Sister Mary cared for the minor health needs of Spalding students for four years. On October 1997 Sister Mary retired from a nursing career of over forty years. Sister Mary was not one to be idle; after a few months of leisure she volunteered at the Family Scholar House in Louisville. She worked with 11 �the Project Women program that was formed to break the cycle of poverty for single mothers through college education. The program helped the women with various needs such as housing and finding jobs. When Sister Mary began in October of 1997 she filed and updated forms and typed minutes from meetings and prepared them for the next meeting. In the later years she only did the bookkeeping. Sister Mary enjoyed her work because she knew it was for a good cause. Sister Mary volunteered for twenty years with Project Women. Project Women was not the only group who benefitted from Sister Mary’s volunteerism. She was a quilter for Saint Agnes Church and the Little Sisters of the Poor both located in Louisville. She helped make quilts for their fundraisers to continue their ministries. Today, Sister Mary has a quilt on her bed that she quilted. It is beautiful. Sister Mary moved to the Motherhouse at Nazareth in March of 2017. I asked Sister Mary how she spent her time now that she is retired. She replied, “I am working on a lap quilt and a larger quilt, too.” Sister Mary continued by stating that everything is provided for her. She walks about outside with her “Jitney” (walker on wheels) and participates in exercise classes with Tootsie Gish. She also does a lot of reading of various types of books and participates in any activities that are offered. She is willing to help wherever there is a need. Sister Mary shared that the poverty she saw in Natal, Brazil left a lasting impression on her. She has never seen such poverty anywhere else in her life. Sister Mary described her life as a Sister, “It’s A Good Life.” She has not been limited and has done what she wanted throughout her life. 12 �Sister Mary concluded by saying, “The Blessed Mother has taken care of me throughout my life and as long as I have the Blessed Mother taking care of me I don’t worry.” “In all that has happened I feel that God has been directing my life without me knowing it.” . 13 � 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 Nazareth Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sharon Cecil, SCN Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Mary Elizabeth Middendorf, SCN Location The location of the interview Nazareth, KY, USA 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 Mary Elizabeth Middendorf, SCN Oral History Subject The topic of the resource Middendorf, Mary Elizabeth, SCN; Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SCN Archival Center Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SCN Archival Center Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 10/1/2018 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for any type of publication of archival materials, including text, photographs, video, or audio must be secured from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Archival Center before publication. Contact archives staff for appropriate forms and contact information. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 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 MMC-MaryElizabethMiddendorf Sisters of Charity of Nazareth https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/440a029407166ae47fd220250395bdac.jpg a03ee29049b3e9e3dc7e0549b4bcc1b9 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 Mère Marie-Anne, Foundress, wearing the Sacred Heart pendant Description An account of the resource Mère Marie-Anne, Foundress, wearing the Sterling Silver Sacred Heart as part of the Habit. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Religieuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur 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 1924 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 Religieuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacre-Coeur (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource sterling silver Language A language of the 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 https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/09366338ffce47c4f163096984974ecb.jpg d47ab2a4dd55c1a6eed50a7e90ab8e0b https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/44840e0dd065b28b50b74dba0e57ae7f.jpg 7c72be6058fcef629a10e17e4500120c https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/cc3a6732f8c227e5d0881844fe0eb400.pdf 57cd28526e13e6b18dd84960c376473c PDF Text Text REMEMBRANCE OF MY YOUTH by Sister Angelita Mombrado I was born in the village of Rippoli, the diocese of Bick, Province of Barcelona, Spain on the seventh of August, 1833. I was baptized in St. Maria’s church on the eighth of the same month and confirmed the following week. My parents were born and married in the same village. My father’s name was John Mombrado and my mother’s was Margarita Castain. My father was a confectioner by trade and that was his favorite occupation. He had a special affection for his little family. My parents were good and industrious Christians. God blessed their marriage with a family of three sons and four daughters. I was the first daughter and when scarcely eighteen months old used to give a great deal of trouble by going up and down the stairs and running over to see my grandmother who lived right opposite our place. One day while going down the stairs I fell and was seriously injured. I was very sick for some time. My parents were much grieved for they thought I would die. Every thing was prepared for my burial; and here I am today at the age of eighty-three a long way from my country. I remember my mother used to tell me it cost a great deal of gold to save me and that I was cured by a miracle. I often think how grateful I ought to be to God for having given me such good parents. After my recovery I would not sit any place but on the floor. They used to buy every kind of char and fancy stool for me to sit on, but I would not, for fear I would fall. When I was able to walk again and my mother saw I was growing strong and healthy, she put me in a school with the Nuns. The first lesson they gave me was in knitting stockings; that is the custom in Spain. The Nuns kept school in a private house because the persecutors had burned their convent. They used to iron the Church linens beautifully and I watched them instead of knitting. I was then about four years old. My mother was very pious. It must have been her prayers that obtained my cure. She used to take me to Mass every morning. One day she took me to see the ruins of the Nuns’ convent, so that I would remember it when I grew up. Very soon there was a war of the Carlos party in Spain and I remember a great many people came to our house to place themselves under the protection of our Blessed Mother, as we had an oratory. I was at this time about five years of age. The troops of soldiers came into our house ready to shoot anyone they met. My mother was confined to her bed with an infant three days old. The soldiers threw her out of her sick bed and injured her so badly that she was never well again. My dear father was hidden down in the cellar behind some barrels. The soldiers went down but did not find him. If they had 1 �found him they would have killed him. My mother, with all the invalids was taken to the church. My sisters and I were with our grandmother. After three days one of the good officers of the army approached my mother, asking her if he could do anything for her. My mother said, “Yes you can do something for me, but will you do it?” He said he would. Three times she asked him the same question, for she feared he would not do it. Then he said, “I give you my word.” My mother then said, “My husband has been in the cellar for the past three days and nights, bring him to me.” The officer went and called my father from a window opening on the street. As my father did not answer he called him by name, saying, “Come out I know you are there, your wife sent me for you.” My father came out wrapped in a black cloak and said, “My life for the love of God.” The officer led him to the Church pretending he was an invalid. Then my family left the city and went to a village to live with a family who were our friends. My mother was so ill that she has no nourishment for the infant and when passing over the river on the way to the village she dipped up some water in her hand and gave it to the baby. They were unable to find out what happened to the other four children. My brother was stripped of his beautiful velvet suit and left naked in the street; some of the soldiers wanted to kill him but the others said, “No we have what we want.” My sister and I were with our grandmother. In passing through the streets we saw the dead bodies of the victims lying about in thick streams of blood. My father’s store which was one of the finest was entirely destroyed and he was never able to recover it. When we all got together again we went to Barcelona. Every little while war would break out and we would be obligated to leave the city in order to save our lives. My mother put me in school but it was of no use; the war would break out and the teacher would tell us to run home. So I had very little opportunity to continue school. I was hardly eight years old when my mother died. Already capable of feeling this sacrifice, it seemed to me that our Lord had some special design upon me. When I was about twelve years of age, I made my first Communion in the church of St. Augustine, in Barcelona. It was the day the children of the Parish made their First Communion. I went to confession and the pastor asked me if I had made my First Communion. I said, “ No Father.” He took me into the sacristy and after examining me told me I could make my First Communion. I was delighted and my father was very much pleased and relieved. He would always remind me to go to Confession on my Feast Day and to go to Catechism in the Church. I remember when in Catechism class my name was very often called for a premium but I was too proud to go for it for fear it was not my name as they never spelled it correctly. Oh, my Saviour it makes me tremble when I think of what my parents went through during the persecution in Spain. My father must have suffered much for the sake of his family during the time he was hidden in the cellar. He loved our Blessed Mother very much and it was on the feast of her Immaculate Conception, at the age of sixty-two, 2 �that he died. My brother wrote me that my father’s last words were, that he died happy to leave one of his children consecrated to the service of God. That makes me think that he is in heaven praying for me. He passed through so much; how great is my sympathy for my parents! They were obliged to leave our native village and go to a strange country. As young as I was (five years old) I remember when we arrived in Barcelona we had no shelter for my poor sick mother. I do not recall if we had anything to eat during our journey. At last my father found a lady whom he knew and who had lived in our village. She gave us hospitality until my father found a location. Some time after that, wars broke out in Spain, especially in the city of Barcelona. Once a bomb fell on our house while we were at dinner and we had to run to the stable to save ourselves. Sometimes we were obliged to leave the city and got to some hole in a brick yard. We could see the bombs flying to destroy the city. Oh, my Divine Saviour, what calamities I have witnessed in my unfortunate country, constantly in trouble. Often we had to climb to the mountains for safety. After my mother died my father’s health began to fail. As I was too young to take care of him, he married an excellent lady, who was very good to him. I was put with a lady who kept a private school so I could learn something useful. My father was not able to pay but the lady kept me and I took care of her little boy. She was very good to me. I was with her five years. From her servant girl, who was very good and pious, I learned much about Nuns. I liked to listen to her; it recalled the days when I went to school to them and watched them iron the linens. I thought I would like to be a Nun after hearing so much of them from the servant girl. I used to dress like one in my play. I began to have a great esteem for Religious and it was my delight to hear them sing Mass. I took many a long walk just to pass the convent in the hope of seeing them. My father also liked to hear them sing the Mass; he was a musician and taught me vocal music when I was at home. The servant girl made a deep impression on me. She was instrumental in discovering my vocation, for after that I had no other desire than to be a religious and give myself entirely to God. I knew that in order to become a Nun it was necessary to have a large sum of money. My father could not possibly give it to me; but I trusted in Divine Providence. I began to pray that I might know how to communicate my desire to my father. My opportunity came on the twenty-eighth of August, Feast of St. Augustine. It was Sunday and my father took me for a walk along the seashore. We were conversing about the beauty of the sea. I had a great horror of the sea, and my father knew it but he said, “I want to take you to a beautiful place across the water.” I replied, “Oh, no, no, papa, please.” Then changing the subject, I asked, “ Papa would you like to have one of your daughters a religious?” He looked at me then said, “Yes I would on condition that she would be faithful in corresponding to her obligations.” He was acquainted with the duties of Religious, most of his friends being Priests. His answer made a deep impression on me but I replied that I thought I would be faithful if I were to become a Religious since God would help me. He said no more but we continued our walk. After a while I asked him to take me to a convent that I might speak to a Superioress. He took me and I told the Superioress my intention and the difficulty concerning the money. She 3 �made me sing; I sang the Immaculate Conception hymn, and she was much pleased with my voice and told me to learn to play music then I would be received. A friend of the Nuns was to take care of all my needs. But the Divine Master had other designs. I was trying to learn music but I feared it would take too long, so I thought I had better apply to the Sisters of Charity. The Sister Superioress knew me as I had visited her before with a friend who had joined the Community. I told her my desire and she said she would write to the Provincial House in Madrid. I waited anxiously for the answer. When I thought it had arrived I returned to the Sisters’ house but it happened that the Superioress was paying the nurses and sent word for me to come back the next week. O, my Saviour this was the Will of God. It was my first trial but I was not discouraged. I lived in hopes that Divine Providence would enlighten me. I continued to study. The priest who instructed me was a zealous religious and relative of ours. One day he told me that Bishop Amat had arrived from Rome and was in the city looking for students to take with him to California. In fun I asked, “ Is he looking for girls too.” He said, “Oh, I do not know about that.” What did he do but go and tell the Bishop what I had said. The Bishop told him to send me to him. The next day when I went for my lesson he told me Bishop Amat wished to see me. I said, “Oh, no, I do not go to see Bishops,” but he insisted, urging that he was related to us. I still refused but he continued to insist until I finally yielded. As soon as the Bishop saw me he asked if I would like to go to California with him. Without thinking I said, “ Yes if my father and my confessor will consent.” I did not think he was in earnest. My father was very sick, so I told him I could not ask his consent just then. The Bishop went through the country looking for students and I continued to wait for a reply from Madrid. When he returned he sent for me and asked me again if I would like to go with him. He had two other girls so that encouraged me. My father was better and I began thinking how I should ask his permission, as there was no time to lose. At last I took courage and asked, “ Papa will you permit me to go with Bishop Amat to California.” He said, “No what are you thinking about? Do you think going to California is like going to Gracia (a place to which we often walked) – you must go by sea.” I told him I was no longer afraid of the sea but he still refused. I went to ask my confessor and he said the same, arguing that I could do good in my own country. I pleaded that I was very anxious and that I felt a hand pushing me as if our Lord wanted me to go. Then he said he would give me three days to think it over, but the Bishop was to sail in two days and I told him so. Then he said, “I see that you are determined.” Then he gave me his blessing. I went to see my instructor and told him that my father would not consent. He went to see him and told him not to prevent me for it might cause him sorrow later. My father called me and said, “My child I cannot give you my consent, neither can I prevent you from going. You will have many trials, contradictions and sufferings, then you will blame me for letting you go.” I do not know where I got the strength to answer him, but I told him that whatever sufferings came to me I would take as coming from the Hand of God and never blame him for them. He could say no more but began to weep. He came with me to see Bishop Amat and the good Bishop encouraged him, telling him not to fret 4 �about me, I would be all right. He told me we were to leave after Mass at which he would give us Holy Communion. It was too much for my dear father to see to my passport so I asked my cousin to attend to it. As for myself, I felt very brave. It was the Hand of God that supported me. Very early the next morning, which was Sunday, my stepmother, my sister and my brother accompanied me to the Bishop’s residence. The good Bishop said Mass immediately, after which we had a cup of chocolate and started off. My folks wanted to enter the vessel but I would not let them. My father did not accompany me as he was too much grieved. We left the city of Barcelona on the twenty-third of April, in the year eighteen fifty-five. It was the second Sunday after Easter and the feast of the Translation of Relics of St. Vincent de Paul. It was the year that Spain celebrated the Dogmatic Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception. The celebration in our parish Church took place the day I embarked so I did not have the happiness of assisting but I was able to attend the service in some other churches and they were all very grand. I no longer had any fear of the sea but we had hardly entered the vessel when I began to be seasick. I did not know what was the matter with me as I had never been in a boat before. The Bishop soon perceived that I was sick and asked me if I wanted to go back. I told him my sacrifice was made already and I was going to continue the journey. Then he told me that if I died at sea I would be thrown overboard and be eaten by the fishes. I asked him if it was not the same to be eaten by fishes as by worms. He laughed and told me I was all right. I thought God would take care of me and if I should die I would be a martyr and go to heaven. Oh, how grateful I should be to God for having given me courage, for what would have become of me if I had not listened to His voice. When we arrived in Marseilles the Bishop went to arrange for the celebration of Mass. He took us to the English Consul who asked us if we were being forced to go; we told we were going voluntarily. In the evening we left for Lyons. From Lyons we went to Havre, where the good Bishop took us to the Sisters’ house. They were just taking the children to the Parish Church for May devotions, so we went with them. When we returned the Sisters gave us our supper and then we went to bed and had a good rest. The next morning the Bishop said Mass in the Chapel. We spent the day with the Sisters. They very kindly showed us the building. In one class room I saw about three hundred little children, one of them just three years old, and only one Sister teaching them. Little did I think I would be doing the same after some years. Later in the day we started for Paris. We spent the night on the train. I dreamed I saw a very pretty Sister of Charity. I had never seen the Sisters with the Cornette except in pictures; for in Spain at that time they did not wear the Cornette. I have heard they do now. We arrived in Paris at half past five. We were in a hack and as we drove through the street we saw a Sister of Charity. The Bishop told me she was going to see the Superiors. The Bishop took us to La Maison de la Providence and the pretty Sister I had 5 �seen in my dreams opened the door for us. I did not see her again although we stayed sometime in that house. Our Bishop went to St. Lazarre to see O.M.H. F. Etienne to ask him where it would be best for us to make our Seminary. O.M.H. F. told him in the U.S. as we could learn the English language. We remained in Paris to begin our postulatum until our Bishop was ready to sail. One day when the Bishop came to see us a Sister was in the parlor counting vestments. The Bishop remarked how busily she was working for the Missioners and told me to pay attention for I might have to do the same some day and so I did. During our stay in Paris I began to understand the French sermons and I was wishing that we might remain there. But the good Bishop had brought me from Spain to go to California so I had to keep my word and follow the designs of God. On the sixteenth day of May we started for the United States in company with the Bishop, Father Surrentin [Sorrentini], and the students. The previous day the Sisters had Forty Hours Devotion, and I asked to be allowed to stay up all night but they wouldn’t let me since I had to travel the next day. We had a frightful storm. The ship was nearly upset. I was very sick but not discouraged. I thought of nothing but the Holy Will of God. It was May and I am sure Our Blessed Mother protected us and enabled me to survive the long journey. Oh! how grateful I should be to God for what would have become of me if I had not listened to his voice. The good Bishop thought I was going to die. I passed ten days without eating or drinking anything. One day a student came to see me and told me they had had beans for dinner. I said, “Oh, you had beans for dinner; bring me some.” They brought me the beans and from that time I began to eat and to regain my strength. We arrived in New York on the Wednesday of Ember Week. The good Bishop took us to the Spanish Hotel and told us to eat our breakfast. The young Students made fun of me because I ate such a good breakfast. I told them not to bother me as I had been fasting long enough. After breakfast the Bishop sent the Students to the Seminary in Germantown. We girls remained in New York all day with the Bishop. In the evening I was sitting by the window and I saw a church all illuminated. I thought I would like to go to the church for a little while. I asked Father Surrentin [Sorrentini] and he went laughing to the Bishop to inquire of him what kind of postulants he had brought – they wanted to go to the Protestant Church. 6 �We next went to Philadelphia. Bishop Amat took us to Sister Gonzaga. She received us very kindly. Sister had known the Bishop as he had been many years in Philadelphia before he was consecrated. He left us with the Sisters and went to stay with his friend, Mr. Lopez, a Spanish gentleman who had married an American lady. The Lopez family wished us to take dinner with them, so on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity the Bishop asked Sister Gonzaga to send us to St. John’s Church for Mass and afterward they took us to their home. It was the feast of the Most Holy Trinity and we had a grand dinner with our Bishop, Father Surrentin [Sorrentini], the Pastor, and the Lopez family…. As soon as we were ready Bishop Amat came for us and we started for Baltimore. Sister Euphemia received us kindly and gave us dinner in the parlor with our good Bishop. In the evening Sister sent us to Mount Hope Retreat to spend the night. On the morning of the third of June we left for Emmitsburg. Very Rev. Francis Burlando, our beloved Father, and Mother Regina received our good Bishop and us very kindly. On the fifth of June we entered the Seminary. Sister Valentine, Directress, was extremely kind to us notwithstanding our inability to speak English. During my Seminary I was often sick due to the change of climate, but I was never discouraged; I felt happy to be in the Community. Before our Bishop left he gave us an instruction on perseverance. I am the only one of the three who persevered. I thank my dear Lord and I hope it will be so to the end. I kept the words of our dear Bishop and I remembered that he told us that when he was a novice he had a temptation to leave and he went to the Superior to tell him. When he knocked at the door the Superior did not hear him so the Bishop went away and the temptation left him. He never thought of leaving again. The Bishop was Spanish and a true son of St. Vincent. He had to leave Spain on account of the Revolution. We received the Holy Habit on October thirteenth, in honor of St. Therese. Sister Directress said I told her I had a sister named Therese. We remained only a short time in the Mother House as the Bishop was anxious to start for his diocese. We started early on the morning of the eighteenth of October. There were five of us – three Spanish sisters and two of the three American sisters whom the Superiors had generously given for the California Mission. They were Sister Scholastica and Sister Ann. Sister Corsina was already in San Francisco. The whole Community was at Mass. The Sisters sang “Soldiers of Christ Arise.” After Mass our lamented Father Burlando gave us his blessing and to each Sister, an umbrella. We had to go to New York in order to take the Steamer for California. When we arrived in New York Bishop Amat met us and took us to the hotel where we met thirteen 7 �nuns who were to travel with us as far a Panama. They were going to establish a school in Chile. Three Jesuit Fathers were also coming with us to California. We encountered a very bad storm at sea. The steamer was packed and all of the people were sea sick, even the sailors. I threw myself in a corner and lay down – Cornette and all. When I was able to rise a man offered me some brandy and I refused it. On our arrival in Panama the Nuns found they had missed the steamer for Chile. It distressed them very much to have to remain in Panama for the next steamer as they feared the Yellow Fever. We were fortunate enough to have to wait only a few hours. On the Pacific we had a dreadful time. They put us on deck with a crowd of people. It was so hot we could scarcely breathe. Dear Sister Scholastica went to the Bishop and asked for another place for she feared we would get sick. The good Bishop obtained from the captain a nice place. He also lent his own room for Mass. We had Mass and Holy Communion on Sunday. We made our Confessions sitting beside the Bishop in the midst of the crowd. The stewardess, who was a Catholic, was very kind to us and told us to ask for whatever we needed. Every afternoon she brought us a pie. We arrived in San Francisco at five o’clock in the morning on November fifteenth. Father Gallagher came to meet the Jesuit Fathers and kindly took us to the Sisters. They were just going to Mass so we went with them. Father Gallagher took the Bishop to see the Archbishop Alamany. Sister Francis McEnnis received us and when we came from Mass we had our breakfast. You can imagine what a sight we were after being one month at sea without changing our clothes. We did not wear the Cornette during our journey but only the bonnet and hoods. When the children saw us they did not think we were Sisters of Charity until we came down clean and dressed up. Bishop Amat brought the Archbishop to see us. Our Bishop brought the Pallium to Archbishop Alamany. Bishop Amat was consecrated in Rome on the eleventh of March, 1854. Our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX, had given him the body of St. Viviana for his diocese on condition that he would build the Cathedral in her honor. A number of Bishops had asked for this body but it was in the designs of Divine Providence that Bishop Amat should have it for he had not even asked for it. He brought it with him from Rome to Paris, where he had it fixed with wax. This Saint came all the way to California with us. Her body was first taken to Santa Barbara where the people received it with great pomp. It remained there for some time and when the church in Santa Barbara was burned, the body was removed to Los Angeles and placed in the old Church. The Cathedral was consecrated on the second Sunday after Easter, April thirtieth, by Archbishop Alamany, who came from San Francisco for that purpose. Bishop Amat being then too feeble. In the afternoon of the same day the Translation of the Saint’s body took place. There were enough people to form a procession from the old Church to the Cathedral. 8 �The building of the Cathedral cost Bishop Amat and Bishop Mora many anxious moments for it was not an easy undertaking to raise money in Los Angeles in those days. Mr. Mesmer offered himself and generously went from house to house begging for money. He succeeded and the Cathedral was finished and the debts paid. Now I must continue about our journey. The Bishop left us in San Francisco and went through the Diocese to find the best location for us. He saw that Monterey was not much of a place so he went to Los Angeles and decided that was the place for us and for him. He then wrote Sister Scholastica telling her he had found a place for us in Los Angeles. The steamer which could take us near Los Angeles sailed only once a month. It was ready to sail on the second of January. We were so anxious to begin our work that we left San Francisco without waiting to be told. The steamer brought us to San Pedro but as there were not public conveyances of any kind at the time we did not know how we were going to get to Los Angeles. Fortunately a lady who had traveled with us was met by a man with a wagon. She offered to take us with her and we were very glad to accept. The ride was splendid but as we neared the Los Angeles River the wagon stuck in the mud. There was nobody to pull us out. There were eight of us in the wagon, six Sisters, the lady, and the driver. We were there a long time, when some travelers came to our aid and we at last arrived in Los Angeles on the fifth of January, 1856. Our Bishop did not expect us until the next steamer, that is not for another month; so there was nobody to meet us. We did not know where to go. There were no streets, no people were around and only a few houses could be seen here and there…. The house was quite small. The people from whom we bought the place had brought it from London. They left a little furniture, but one afternoon, they came for it and we were left without anything. Sister Scholastica told Mr. Moran, our neighbor, that we had no beds. He said there was nothing he could do but go out to the carpenters and fill some sacks with shavings. Sister said that would do. We slept on those sacks for some time. I used to complain that they were awfully hard but Sister would motion with her finger to say nothing. Later a good lady gave us some wool to make mattresses. It took us some time to clean the wool. The carpenter made six beds and then we were grand. The children brought their beds and put them on the floor. We had to walk on them to go up to ours. In the morning they rolled them up and put them in the summer house as we needed the room for school. Some of the ladies used to come to the school with their children. Their servants would bring their lunch and they had their table in the yard. The room where the children slept was used as oratory, classroom, sewing room and parlor. Only God knows what we went through but nevertheless we were happy. In all kinds of weather we had to cross the [Zanja Madre] in a small boat to go to Mass. We were in great danger of falling in and had to hold each other’s hand to balance ourselves. 9 �The first Mass we heard in the old church was chanted by the Indian boys, who were taught by a Brother of the Sacred Heart. The old parish priest resigned and Father Blasé Bao [Blas Raho] took his place. The church was in ruins. Father Bao [Raho] repaired it and did a great deal of good for the people. He was made Vicar-General of the diocese. Father was very good to us and to our works. He thought we should build as the children were beginning to come and the house was too small. While the new house was being built we had to rent one in which to keep school. The corner stone of the new building was laid on the twenty-ninth of June, Feast of the Saints Peter and Paul. Father Bao [Raho] gave the children and us a little feast. He was very devoted and whenever he was given anything he would send it to us. One day Father came to the house and said he had a very sick man for us to take care of. Sister Ann said, “Father where can we put a sick man? We have hardly room for ourselves.” He said we must find a corner as the man had to be cared for or he would die. Sister Ann said there was a place near the gate where the gardener kept his tools and we could take them out and put the man in. Father brought he man and he got well. That was the beginning of the hospital in Los Angeles. Father Bao [Raho] wrote to St. Joseph’s for some Sisters for Santa Barbara and some for us. Father bought three pieces of white [linen] to make dresses for the children so that they would look nice on Easter. It kept us busy but they were all dressed up on Easter Sunday and the people admired them very much. He also gave us a picnic. He wanted to surprise us and said we were going to a funeral. We went to San Francisco in a stage expecting a real funeral. What did he bring but a stuffed sheep for us to eat! Father Burlando sent two Sisters for Santa Barbara. We were expecting two also but three came, one to take my place. I was sent to Santa Barbara to make a third there. The Sisters for Los Angeles got there on the second anniversary of our arrival so they found something done. We were just moving into the new house but I did not get a chance to sleep in it as they sent me immediately to Santa Barbara. I arrived there on the eighth of January 1858. The other sisters were Sister Mollain [Mullane], who was Sister Servant, and Sister Andrea. We began the Mission. The house had been lent to us for five years. We had the wealthiest children in the town in our school. Sister Andrea was teacher. The Sister Servant and I had to keep house but she was sick all the time. I had to do the cooking. I never liked kitchen work but Sister Servant said I should stay in the kitchen until I did like it. I tried my best and on days when Sister Servant was in bed I had to bring her a little of everything that I cooked so she could see if it was well prepared…. I had to wait on the children and take my meals with them. Sister Andrea was very generous. She attended to the supper and made the bread three times a week before going to class. At recess time she would put it in the oven. On Saturdays I took 10 �care of the children and Sister Andrea kept house and washed the clothes. I also kept the sewing class. With a bucket and rope we had to draw from the well all the water we used. The kitchen had to be moved outside on account of the smoke. I was nearly blinded by it. Some days the Sister Servant would have to go to her room and ask our Blessed Mother to make the fire burn and to keep the smoke down so that I could get dinner ready on time. One day I was not able to hold up my head I felt so ill. There was no one to get the dinner as the Sister Servant was sick in bed. The dinner hour came and everything was cooked. It was cooked by Divine Providence; I really did not do it and there was nobody else there. The same day after supper the Sister Servant told me to take the children for a walk. I had to tell her that I could not walk. Then she told me to finish the rest of the ironing. I felt so sick I thought I would drop dead. I often think now that I should have done as I was told, even if I had died taking the children out. I slept in the large girls dormitory. We went to bed at the usual time but I did not get up at four o’clock. Sister came and made me get up. I heard the girls say it was cruel for they knew I was sick. That Sister Servant was only one year in Santa Barbara. She was in the last stages of consumption. She worked as hard as any of us. She would clean the store room which was a very dusty place, and the rats and squirrels made plenty of dirt. The place was very old and damp. I wrote a letter one day and when I went to get it the next day it was all wet. It was even very hard to keep a fire burning for the sick Sister Servant. We had to cross the wet, muddy yard to get what we needed for cooking. Once there was a great flood and our whole place was filled with water. Fortunately, there was, at the time, a regiment of soldiers in town and the doctor asked the colonel to send some of them to open a place in the wall so the water could escape. They had no sooner done so than the water flowed out and we were saved. After that, the soldiers came to our well for the water as they couldn’t get it any place else for the other wells were dry. Then ours used to get dry after the wash was finished since the soldiers drew so much. Sister Andrea and I worked together and were happy in the midst of trials and inconveniences. I had a great trial and thought of leaving the Community. I was far away from home and would have had no place to go. I recommended myself to the prayers of the children without telling them my intention. Our Lord heard their prayers and the next morning, I had no thought of leaving and have not had any since. How grateful I ought to be to God for giving me courage to persevere in my dear vocation after many trials and difficulties. Our Sister Servant had gone to Los Angeles. She thought she would get well there but she died in a short time. It was more than a month before we learned of it as the mail came by the steamer which made only one voyage a month. 11 �We were only three young sisters, not one of us had made the Holy Vows yet; so dear Sister Frances McEnnis sent us an older Sister – Sister Polycarp O’Driscoll. She was made Sister Servant and we liked her very much. She made many improvements in the house and school. My health began to fail due to the dampness and over-work. Sister Polycarp took me out of the kitchen and put me in the school. I knew I was not capable of teaching but I fulfilled my duties in obedience and was very devoted to it so our dear Lord helped me. I had a good voice so I used to sing with the children in church until we got a teacher. When everything was going nicely our Lord sent us a cross. That year was so dry that the people lost everything; even the cattle died. They were not able to pay the tuition and we began to feel real poverty. The house had ben lent to us for only five years and we thought that at the end of that time we would be able to build, but we were not. It happened that on the very day that the loan expired, Mr. Aguire, the owner, wanted the house, so we had to leave it. Fortunately Dr. Den gave us a Ranch in Cinegites [Cieneguitas], so we went there and took the orphans with us. The house was very small but we made it larger by boarding it all around. We made an inner room for the children, a clothes room, a wash room and a little parlor. There was also a small kitchen and a very tiny attic out of which we made a dormitory. I slept up there and the roof was so low that I had to stoop in order to get in bed. Once in bed I could not turn over without bumping my head. There were holes in the wall and I was often visited by rats. In the morning I sometimes found them drowned in my wash basin. Oh! it was terrible. The foxes howled all night trying to get the chickens. I couldn’t sleep for fear that they would climb up, as we had made steps leading up to the attic and had turned one of the windows into a door. It had to be kept closed all night on account of the tramps so that left only one window for air. We had Mass only on Sundays and not then if it rained. The church was a small one that the Indians had attended. It was a long distance from our house and it was usually one o’clock before we got home and had our breakfast. If it happened to rain, we got home all wet and muddy. Sometimes our clothing was so drenched that we had the whole house wet. The house was on a hill and in order to get water we had to go down to the creek with buckets and carry it up. We did this every day after dinner and supper. There was no way of washing the clothes so Sister took some of the larger girls and went to a distant creek to wash them. They would bring them home in the evening all dry and ready to iron. We were given two hundred sheep. Sister gave me two little lambs to care for. To feed them I would dip my fingers in a basin of milk and they would suck the milk. They began to be troublesome as they grew so Sister gave them to a little boy who was always around our house. His mother had the lambs killed but the boy would not eat any 12 �dinner. He went to his aunt and then to his grandmother and found they also had some of the lamb. So he ate no dinner that day . I was not very well. My Sister Servant wanted to send me to San Francisco. I said, “Oh, no Sister do not send me away, let me die here.” Sister said, “I do not want you to die, I want you to get well but here we are so crowded. Let us see what Sister Scholastica will say.” Sister Scholastica told Sister to send me to her. I was delighted to go to Los Angeles, to my dear first mission. I arrived there in Holy Week so I had the good fortune of assisting at the ceremonies of that week. I gained a little strength and after one month I was sent to San Francisco with a band of five young sisters who had just received the Holy Habit. We had the Seminary in Los Angeles at that time. Sister Scholastica was Directress and Father Smith [Asmuth], Director. He did not live long. Father McGill succeeded him. Father Smith [Asmuth] was in San Francisco when I got there with the young Sisters. He sent them to different missions. Sister Frances McEnnis kept me with her. I was not well so she sent me to Mount St. Joseph’s. I got a little stronger there and was just beginning to feel at home when I was sent to St. John the Baptist's. They needed someone who could speak Spanish. I was there eighteen months. Then they sent me back to Santa Barbara. We only had one Mass a week there and I found that very hard. At one time we did not have Mass for several weeks, from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception to the last of January. No priest could get to us on account of the floods and heavy rain. The little adobe church that we attended was a long distance from our house. Sometimes we were caught in the rain. When we got home I would have to put the children to bed for fear they would catch cold. Sometimes it was two o’clock before we could get our breakfast. I used to say, “Oh, dear Lord surely my sins must be forgiven.” I was an angel for the children. They gave me a great deal of trouble because the Sister who had had charge of them let them have their own way. The Pastor and his assistant took turns to say Mass. When it was the Pastor’s turn, he would hear our confession and the children’s before Mass. The large girls received Holy Communion once a month and the little ones went to confession every three months. We would send the horse to the priest’s house on Saturday afternoon, by anyone that we could get to take it. When the priest got back home, he would take off the saddle and say, “Now George go home.” When we wanted to go to the town we had to go in the stage. It was very convenient as it passed near our place morning and evening and we did not have to pay any fare. 13 �Our big feast days we took the children to the Mission in our big wagon but not all could go. It was the greatest penance I could give them to keep some of them home for being bad. They would try very hard to be good for the next time. I remember once I punished one of them and kept her home on Ash Wednesday. While we were at church, she went to the kitchen and blackened her face with ashes from the stove. When we came home she said, “See I had ashes too.” After leading this kind of life for three years I told the Sister Servant I thought we should be in the city among the people and not out among the cattle. I suggested that we beg for money to build. We went to the city to beg and got enough money to build a small house. When it was finished, we left the ranch in Cinegites [Cieneguitas]; I never saw it again and I am not sorry. We kept school but found it hard to keep things going. Sometimes we had very little to eat. One day when I had the children out walking, we passed a garden, one of them said, “This is my uncle’s garden, let us go in and he will give us some vegetables.” We went in and he was glad to see us and gave us plenty of vegetables. After that he sent vegetables to us daily; God bless him. We then got along very nicely. We went to the parish church every day for Mass. On Sundays and holidays we had Vespers. Some days we had a second Mass. On those days we took turns to stay at home. We had charge of the choir. I used to sing with the children. My singing days are over now, and it is about time at the age of eighty-four. After a long time, I was sent back to Los Angeles. When I had been forty-seven years in California I was sent here to El Paso. It broke my heart to leave the children in California. I love children especially the orphans. I had left my country to come to California and I nearly died of grief when I was missioned. Besides my dear old Sister Servant had been in bed sick for three years. When I went in to say goodbye to her, I said, “Dear Sister Scholastica we came together to Los Angeles and I thought we would die together but now we are to part.” I felt very bad but I tried hard to keep back the tears. I paid for it later, for when I arrived in El Paso I became very ill. I turned as yellow as gold; the doctor told me I was in danger of being robbed. When I got well, I went on duty in the Chapel. I have had that duty for the past forty years, fourteen of which I have spent here in El Paso. I do not know how long I will remain here. My wish is to spend the rest of my days in Santa Barbara, because there is not one of the Sisters of the first band that went there, buried there, and I am the only one of them living. Yet I am satisfied to do the Holy Will of God and of my Superiors. Now I must say more about Los Angeles. The first house was built on Alamany [Alameda] Street. The corner stone was laid by Very Rev. Blasé Bao [Blas Raho] on the twenty-ninth of June, feast of SS. Peter and Paul. It was not a very large house and was situated in a public place, for which reasons we sold it after some years and bought a place on Boyle Heights. The digging of the foundation was begun on the tenth of February, 1888. Bishop Mora laid the corner stone. On September fourteenth, 1889, we 14 �moved in and our moving was great trouble. I had thought I would cry my eyes out when it came time to leave the old house, but I had no time for that. I was kept busy arranging things for the Chapel. I put them all into a trunk but could get no one to take it to the new house. Mrs. Workman was going to take Sister Scholastica to the new house in her buggy. I wanted to go with them but it was getting late and I had to see the trunk off. At last I got a wagon from a nearby store and was so happy at my success that I rode home in it. Then the driver took the trunk to the new house and I went in Mrs. Workman’s buggy. It was very late when I arrived. The altar had been brought from the old house and we were to have Mass the next morning, so I had to arrange for it. The Sisters said their night prayers and after they finished they put the candle out and I was left in the dark. I did not know where to go. I had no supper after working hard all day. Fortunately Sister Lucy Coleman took me by the arm and led me to a bed in the infirmary. There were no covers on it but I lay down without taking off my clothes and slept soundly all night. After Mass and breakfast, I straightened the Altar and as there was little water in the new house I had to go to the old house for some days to wash the Chapel linens. The first Sunday we spent in the new house, I intended after Mass and Benediction and my morning prayers to go to bed and rest. I was worn out after the long walks. But I was told to go to Mass in the city. I felt as if I would drop on the way but I went, through obedience, and nothing happened to me. We were many years in California before our Superior came to see us. In 1875 Mother Euphemia came to visit us. Some of the Sisters who had been exiled from Mexico were with us at the time and I thought I would be missioned. Mother Euphemia told me that she had not thought of it but that I had put the thought in her mind. I asked her if she remembered the nice dinner she had given us with Bishop Amat. Sister said she well remembered the trouble they had to get it. Bishop Amat told us that he was going to give us three Vincentians. They arrived in San Francisco on the ninth of March, 1864 and came to Los Angeles the eighth of May to open a college. We were delighted to see them. Their names were Father A. Smith [Asmuth], Father Rubi and Father Becker [Beakey]. They lived in an old house opposite the old Church. Later Mrs. Chaills [Childs] gave them a place and they built a house and began the college. We had to send them their meals for some time, that is, until they were settled. Father A. Smith [Asmuth] died and Father McGill came to take his place. A little later our Superior General, Father Etienne died and Father McGill was sent to Assembly and did not return. Then Father Richardson took charge of the college which was then on Sixth Street. Father Richardson and Father Landry built a very pretty place. Some time after Father Meyer was sent to replace Father Richardson. He was obliged to sell the old 15 �place and bought a new one on Grand Avenue. Father built a college and a church to which he gave the name of St. Vincent de Paul. At that time the place was considered to be very far away, now it is in the best part of the city. Before the reservoir was built the people use to carry the water in buckets from the [zanja]. They washed their clothes, bathed and emptied refuses in the same place. I remember when the first train passed near our house; the children were all excited and I had to open the window to let them see it. President Lincoln passed on the train and he asked the conductor who lived in our place. When he was told that the Sisters of Charity lived there he said, “Oh, they have a nice place.” That was the old place on Alamany [Alameda] Street. Oh, those happy days in California. The long walks on dusty roads that charity and duty required us to make were a great pleasure to me. I remember the first act of charity that we performed in Los Angeles. A poor Indian who had worked for our neighbor, Mr. Moran, died. Mr. Moran begged us to come to his funeral. The coffin was put on a wagon and we walked behind it. It was a very long walk over a dusty road but that was the only way to bury the dead in those days. The Indian boys, who were taught by a Brother of the Sacred Heart, used to sing the Mass. We had charge of the school and later of the choir also. Sister Corsina was a good singer, so she taught the children to sing the Mass. Sometime after Theresa Fox, a young girl from San Francisco came to be our music teacher. She was the first young girl to leave from California for St. Joseph’s to join the Community. I do not know if she is living now or not. In the afternoon, after school, Sister Scholastica would send us into our garden to pick strawberries. We grew enough of a variety of fruits to be able to sell some, and thus obtained money to buy flour and other necessary things. We also had a large vineyard. 16 � 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. Elizabeth Ann Seton Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. 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 Mombrado, Sister Angelita D.C. "Rememberance of My Youth", Memoir Subject The topic of the resource Mombrado, Sister Angelita, D.C., California, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Hospital, Orphanage, City of Angels, Amat, Bishop Thaddeus, C.M., Spanish Revolution, Catholic Diocese of Monterey, Los Angeles Orphan Asylum, Institucion Caritativa, Memoir, St. Vincent's Medical Center, St. Vincent's Institution Description An account of the resource In the fall of 1855, six sisters left Emmitsburg (three of whom had been recruited in Spain by Bishop Amat) and journeyed to California, one destined for San Francisco and five for the Diocese of Monterey. The sisters journeyed by steamer to Panama and crossed the Isthmus eventually arriving in San Pedro on January 6, 1856. Five of the sisters traveled on to Los Angeles where they founded an orphanage, school and infirmary. In her memoir Remembrance of My Youth, Sister Angelita Mombrado looks back on her years in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mombrado, Sister Angelita, D.C. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Daughters of Charity, Province of the West Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gainey, Sister Margaret Ann (Editor) Marca, Nicole (Editor) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright 2020 Daughters of Charity Seton Provincialate Los Altos Hills, CA 94002 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Paper PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Document Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DCLosAltos_Remberence of My Youth by Sister Angelita Mombrado.pdf Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain Los Angeles Santa Barbara 1833-1917 Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Education Healthcare Social Service https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/7825662cb49a3bcb4fc8e97546471a6e.jpeg 9a68a3d38fe10f0b8a49fadfa04fe70f https://scfederationarchives.org/files/original/4c975f4d5a10b361ae127dfe69a60bc0.jpeg a4c50c94b7b6f0e8ce6da90ef762ff1e 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 Mother Catherine Spalding's Writing Desk Subject The topic of the resource Writing desks Spalding, Catherine, 1793-1858 Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Archival Center Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1840-1860 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource N/A Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MCS Desk 1.jpeg MCS Desk 2.jpeg Description An account of the resource Mother Catherine Spalding, a founding leader of the new religious community in the new Catholic diocese of Kentucky, used this writing desk, ca. 1840-1860. Her peers so respected her that Sister Catherine was consistently reelected to six-year terms, despite giving Fr. David and Bishop Flaget “convincing reasons” why she should not retain leadership for life. Other Sisters collaborated with her Council, however, and numerous clergy and lay persons worked to establish the three main ministries that Kentuckians lacked. The desk is displayed in Heritage Hall, O'Connell Hall, on the campus at Nazareth, Kentucky. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource N/A Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission for any type of publication of archival materials, including text, photographs, video, or audio must be secured from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Archival Center before publication. Contact archives staff for appropriate forms and contact information. Relation A related resource N/A Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource wood furniture Sisters of Charity of Nazareth