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St. Joseph’s Free School and The Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, stained glass panels, 1810; 1859; 1943; 1972
Panel 1, upper section: Emmitsburg, Maryland, 1810:
In 1810 when Elizabeth Seton arrived in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the new community of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph’s, opened a free school, the two-story Federal-style building depicted, today known as the ‘White House.’ On February 22, 1810, three girls were the first day students to attend Saint Joseph’s Free School, the first free Catholic school for girls staffed by religious women in the country.
Panel 1, lower section: McGown’s Pass, Manhattan, 1847:
Mother Seton’s school in Emmitsburg was the precursor to the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, Bronx, opened after the New York Sisters separated from Emmitsburg community in 1847. Under the patronage of Reverend John Hughes, the first Archbishop of New York and brother to Mother Mary Angela Hughes who led the Community 1855-1861, the Academy at McGown’s Pass was regarded as one of the pioneer institutions in the East for the education of Catholic girls. In 1851, the Academy received its charter from the New York State Legislature. McGown’s Pass at approximately 109th Street and 5th Avenue, had been the location of Revolutionary War headquarters for George Washington and his army.
Panel 2, upper section: Font Hill-On-Hudson, Bronx, New York, 1859
When the Sisters were asked to vacate the McGown’s Pass property in Manhattan for the planned development of Central Park, they purchased the 55-acre estate Font Hill-On-Hudson located on the east bank of the Hudson River. In 1859 when construction of the first building at Font Hill-on-Hudson was completed, the building included accommodations for the new Academy and boarding students. The classrooms, grand study hall, art room, music hall, reception rooms, as well as the Convent and Chapel of the Immaculate Conception were housed in this building, today known as Founders Hall.
Panel 2, lower section: Tuxedo Park, New York, 1943
As the College student population increased, the need for separate quarters for the Academy’s faculty, students, and activities, was addressed. To provide a new location for the school, Archbishop Spellman deeded an estate in Tuxedo Park, New York, that had been donated to the Archdiocese of New York by Mrs. E. John Heidseick. On this property, the mansion ‘Chastellux’ first housed the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent at Tuxedo Park in 1943. In 1947, the Academy expanded in acreage when Mr. Erasmus Lindley deeded his adjacent home and property. -
Steeple from former Bethany Motherhouse Chapel, crowning a reflective pool in the Bethany Centennial Gardens
Built from 1962 to 1963, the steeple stood atop the Sisters of St. Martha’s Motherhouse Chapel for more than 50 years, sheltering the bell and serving as a hillside symbol of hope. Its construction, paired with a new chapel and wing, marked a period of immense growth in the size of the congregation.
Composed of a steel frame and clad in copper, the steeple is topped with a stainless-steel crucifix. This crucifix was a modern addition, replacing the original gold-leaf cross that was damaged during a storm in 2005.
When the Motherhouse was deconstructed, from 2018 to 2019, the remaining grounds were transformed into the Bethany Centennial Gardens. The steeple was then installed amid the garden. Refurbished, it now surmounts a granite and concrete reflective pool, and rests upon a weathered-steel base, bearing the inscriptions of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha’s “CSM” symbol, and a quotation from previous Chapters’ Directional Statements, “standing together in undaunted hope”. Still skimming the hillside, the steeple provides a peaceful place for contemplation and continues to be a visible symbol of the Marthas’ presence and faith. -
Order of Alhambra
In 1832, cholera ravaged the city of Philadelphia. The Daughters of Charity accepted the invitation to nurse in the city, the Almshouse, and the General Hospital to care for the victims of the dread disease. Two Daughters died during their service during this service.
Over 100 years later, the memory of the Daughters bravery in the face of a brutal epidemic remained strong. The Order of the Alhambra, a Catholic fraternal order, erected a plaque in Philadelphia General Hospital in a memorial to the Daughters’ service. -
Mother Catherine Spalding's Writing Desk
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. -
Sacred Heart Statue
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart statue; Mary is showing Jesus' Sacred Heart. Our Foundress, Mère Marie-Anne, saw this Statue in a window display in Montréal and reserved it to be bought at a later date. -
Sr. Alice Matthew’s Trunk
The trunk was a symbol of the Daughters of Charity and their ability and willingness to travel to wherever they were needed. The trunk was meant to be a semi-lightweight and convenient way to pack up all the clothing, habits, and necessities of life, while encouraging a sense of personal moderation amongst individual sisters. This trunk, in very good condition, belonged to Sister Alice Matthews, and still has the shipping information as she began her ministry at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. -
Sister Mary Josepha Murphy, S.C. Oral History
Description of Sister's interactions with Archbishop Robert Seton during her novitiate year -
Sister Anna Denise Murphy, S.C. Oral History
Description of Sister's early years at the House of Divine Providence; stories of Mother M. Xavier -
Mombrado, Sister Angelita D.C. "Rememberance of My Youth", Memoir
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.
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Sister Mary Emma McKinley, SC Interviewed by Sister Sally Duffy, SC August 19, 1978
An interview with Sister Mary Emma McKinley by Sister Sally Duffy. The interview was conducted soon after Sister Sally entered the Community in 1977 and her subject, Sister Mary Emma, had previously served as a Mistress of Novices from 1927 to 1934. The discussion centers on the stark changes to formation and religious life in the United States during the twentieth century. This recording is a part of the oral history series housed at the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archives.