DIVINE PBOVIDENOE 264 DIVIKE PBOVIBBNOE
purchased 30 June, 1921, to be used as a boarding of provincial. In 1909 there were 11 parochial school and novitiate for the province of Czecho- schools in 2 dioceses and 1 archdiocese; in 1921 Slovakia. In July, 1913, the Sisters withdrew from there are 24 in 6 dioceses and 1 archdiocese. In the creche at Wemstadt in Northern Bohemia. 1909 there was 1 academy; ten years later there where they had been established since 1907 and are 3, all in the home-diocese of Covington. St. where 162 children were cared for. In January, Camillus Academy, Corbin, was completed in 1915 1919, the Sisters withdrew from the Convent of and named in memory of Bishop Maes, who had St. Anthony at Schwarzen, where they had been strongly encouraged its erection. The academy is established since 1898, and since when 1485 children beginning to realize the sreat hopes he had for were taken care of in the kindergarten and 2171 its future. Situated in the heart of the famed children were instructed in the industrial school, mountain region, which is anti-Catholic, though the During the war most of the institutions were used people have the kindest natural impulses, the as hospitals for the sick and disabled soldiers, of academy trains the Catholic girls of the mountains whom about 25,000 were cared for. in new ideals, fitting them to return to their people
At present there are 1005 members of the congre- to reshape conditions and assume the responsibilities gation; 386 members have died since the foun- of Catholic womanhood. The majority of the dation of the order. The sisters own 36 institutions pupils enrolled are non-Catholics, and every year and in addition have 31 other institutions under there are conversions to the Faith. The removal their care, making a total of 67 institutions. These of prejudice, the kindly attitude of the people are training schools for women teachers, secondary towards the school, and the interest manifested in and elementary schools, housekeeping schools, com- it by all classes of people are altogether admirable, mercial schools, Sunday schools, industrial schools, The attendance approximates 200, of whom 48 are kindergartens, day nurseries, homes for children, boarders and mostly Catholics; only a small per- boarding places for orphans and other girls, homes centage of the day pupils are Catholics, for Corbin for ladies, homes and employment bureaus for poor is a small town witn lew Catholic families, servants, homes for invalided and incapacitated In 1919 the provincial house of the congregation servants, and hospitals for sick and mentally defec- was transferred from Newport to Melbourne, Ky. tive children. Among those under the care of the The erection of the new St. Anne Convent at Mel- Daughters of Divine Charitv are 3694 servants, 410 bourne was begun in 1918, and on 11 November, orphans, and 9509 school children. There are 163 1919, it was solemnly blessed as the provincial house commercial school students, 1690 industrial school by Bishop Brossart of Covington. Mt. St. Martin's students, 192 boarding school pupils, 24i54 kinder- Convent at Newport was then remodeled and con- l^arten children, 456 private pupils, and 372 train- verted into a young woman's home with resident mg school students. In the nospitals are 103 sick chaplain. The present condition of the American and 56 weak-minded and crippled. Province is this: 302 professed Sisters, 7 novices,
39 aspirants, 3 academies, 24 parochial schools, 1
Divine Providence, Sisters op. I. Sisters op infant asylum, the domestic departments of 6 in- DiviNB Providence (St. Jean-de-Bassel, Lorraine; stitutions, 1 home for aged women, Staten Island; cf. C. E., V-62d).— The reverting of Lorraine to 1 home for French emigrant girls. New York City; France at the close of the World War restored the 1 home for Catholic ladies, Baltimore; the Y. W. I., general mother-house of the Sisters of Divine Provi- Mt. St. Martin, Newport, Ky. The Sisters work in dence to its mother-country. During the war the the Archdioceses of Cincinnati, Baltimore, and New common destinies of the conflict were felt more or York, and in the Dioceses of Covinston, Columbus, less at the mother-house, but no damage or ruin Cleveland, Toledo, Providence, and Wheeling, was suffered in the property. Early in the war, 20 II. Sisters op Divine Providence op St. Vincent August, 1914, the French and German troops met de Paul (Rappoltsweiler, Alsace; cf. C. E., V-^b). in sharp conflict on the grounds of the convent of — ^The present superior general of the congregation St .-Jean-de-Bassel; thoSe slain in that engagement, is Mother Josepha Kleinhans, who succeeded Mother 116, are buried in a common grave on the convent Marie Aimee Schaeffer in 1919, the latter being in grounds, while more than 800 wounded in the same poor health. Mother Marie Aimee was exiled dur- engagement were cared for by the Sisters in the mg the World War (1917-19) and decorated with convent itself. In the change from the German the Legion of Honor in 1919. She Lad been vicar to the French tongue in the school throughout general from 1905. The superior since 1912 is Abb6 Lorraine and Alsace, the Sisters experienced but I^ace Fahmer. The following is a list of institu- little difficulty, and ever3rthing has prospered. The tions of the congregation with the number of Sis- boarding and normal school in Pecq, Belgium, which ters in each. In Alsace : mother-house (236 Sisters) was the most important establishment held by the and boarding school (26 Sisters) at Rappoltsweiler; congregation in that country, was destroyed com- boarding andt day school, Colmar (412 Sisters); pletely by the bombardment by the Allies, October, boarding school, Hagenau (20) ; industrial school, 1918, in the great drive to pu& the Germans from Herrlisheim (13); girls' orphanage, Hilsenheim (19); the country; the Belgian Government has since preparatory school for normal school, Issenheim rebuilt the school, King Albert himself having taken (11) ; day school, Mulhouse (39) ; boarding school, active interest in its re^-establishment. There are Rouffach (32); boarding and day school, Strass- (1921) 566 professed Sisters in Lorraine, 294 in burg (45) ; vacation and convalescent home, Soults* Alsace, 91 m Belgium. They have charge of board- bach (10); boys* orphanage, Willerhof (21); re- ing schools, industrial schools, primary and second- formatory for girls, Bavilliers near Belfort (16). In ary schools, and also nurse the sick. Upper Saone: reformatory for boys (34 Sisters)
The history of the American Province of the Sis- ana house of retreat (12 Sisters) at Frasne-le- ters of Divine Providence of St .-Jean-de-Bassel Chateau. In 1916 the Sisters opened a vacation since 1909 is one of expansion. In that year Mother and convalescent home at Marlenheim; in 1917 ten Maria Houlne, provincial, was appointed superior Sisters undertook the direction of the bureau of general of the entire congregation, with residence the departmental orphanage at Bischwiller; in 1919 at St.^ean^e-Bassel, Lorraine, and Mother Mary the convalescent home at Bennwihr was founded. Lucv Damidio, one of the three original members The industrial normal school opened at Rappolts- of the American foundation, succeeded to the office weiler in 1913 was transferred in 1920 to the large
