ORA&ITY 180 CHABIT7
Price Hill, Cincinnati, was ox)encd by the Sisters tory schoil for small boj-s, 5 orphanages, 6 hospitals,
in 1919. 1 home for the aged, 1 home for incurables, 1
Sisters of Charity of Lelvven worth. — A pioneer foundling asylum. 2 day nurseries, and 1 home for
band of Sisters, several of whom had been schooled working girls. The academies offer classical, scien-
at Nazareth, determining to venture forth into tific, and commercial courses, while each of 20 of
the imexplored West, in 1858 offered their services the parochial schools has, in addition to an ele-
to Bishop Miege of Leavenworth, who was glad to mentary grammar school course, a free commercial
have their assistance in his extensive Kansas vica- department. During the year 1920-21 there were
riate. The guiding spirit of the community was 1^95 students in the colleges and academies and
Sister Xavier Ross, whom they elected Superior. 42,963 in the parochial and high schools; 18,976
Her conversion and entrance into the Nazareth patients were cared for in the hospitals; 341 in-
Sisterhood had been bitterly opposed by her parents mates of homes for aged and incurables, 234 chil-
and their relentless hostility was her great sorrow, dren in foimdling asylums and nurseries, 597
She governed the order through twenty years of orphans, and 195 working giris were under the care
missionary ventures and financial difficulties. A of the Sisters.
little cottage in the frontier town served the first Sisters of Charity of thb Blessed Vibgin Mabt
Sister as a convent. This gave place to St. Mary's (cf. C. E., III-609a).— Since the establishment of
Mother-house and Academy, built at the cost of the mother-house at Dubuque, Iowa, in 1843 the
infinite pains. The beautiful chapel, just recently Sisters have answered calls to conduct schools in
completed, is an exact facsimile of the Church of eighteen diocese in twelve States of the United
San Alphonso at Home. States. In 1914 Pius X authorized the erection of
In 1869 at the insistent iirging of Fr. De Smet, four provinces in the institute, rendered necessaiy their staunch friend and wise adviser, the Sisters by its growth and development. In 1911 he had undertook to establish a colony in the Rocky appointed Cardinal Merry del Val their Cardinal Mountain Mission. They settled in Helena, Mon- Protector. The constitutions of the congregation tana, and there found a field peculiarly their own. are based upon the rule of St. Ignatius and pro- They accompanied the adventurous pioneers and vide for a central government imder a superior railroaders to teach their children, to care for their general, assisted in the administration of her office sick, or mother their orphans. Foimdation followed by four councillors. All ^hese officials, together foundation, until today these mms have forty houses with the secretary and treasurer general, are elected in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and the Dioceses of for a term of six years. The postulaintship lasts Cheyenne, Denver, Great Falls, Helena, Kansas six months, the novitiate two years. The mem- City, Leavenworth, and Lincoln. The^ direct 30 bers of the congregation are given every opportuparochial schools and 9 high schools and academies, nity to meet modern educational requirements in with an aggregate enrolment of 8,000 pupils;, 12 professional training and state certification. Con- hospitals caring for 15,415 patients, and 3 orphan- nected with the mother-house and novitiate are ages with 500 inmates. The Society numbers 462 schools for normal and college extension courses, professed Sisters, 9 novices, and 12 postidants. In all the institutions under their direction the
The Sisters are well trained for tneir important Sisters aim at the highest standards of discipline,
work of teaching, being under the , direction of religious training, and scholarship. A work to
trained supervisors and attending each year sum- which they attach great importance is that of
mer normal courses at the mother-house or the the parochial grade and high schools and they
universities. This annual reunion of the teachers have met with remarkable success. St. Mary's,,
promotes the commimity spirit as well as educa- the first Catholic central high school for girls in
tional efficiency, and they are firoiritually rehabili- Chicago, was begun in .1899 with 72 girls under
tated by the annual retreat. By the provisions the instruction of 5 Sisters. A new building has
of the papal Decree, approving the Constitutions been erected, added to. and furnished with all
of the community, the Sisters administer their own modern equipment, and in 1921 there were 30
affairs, subject directly to the control of the Con- teachers in the faculty and 800 girls were in at-
mgation of the Religious at Home. Cardinal tendance from 47 parislies. The Immaculata, a
Donato Sbarretti is the Cardinal Protector of the central hieh school, which promises to be for the
community. The time of probation for admission North Side of Chicago wnat St. Mary's is for
to the Sisterhood is six months postulancy and one the West Side, was opened by the Sisters in 1921
year of noviceship, and the vows are perpetual, with a registration of 210.
The Rule is, in the main, that of St. Vincent. By special rescript of the Holy See the foundress
Sisters of Charitt of St. Elizabeth (cf. C. £., of the congregation, Mother Mary Frances Clarke,
ni-608c), with mother-house at Convent Station, remained superior general until her death in 1887.
N. J., were founded by Mother Mary Xavier Under her 50 schools were opened. She was suc-
Mehegan, who died 24 June, 1915, after fifty-six ceeded in 1888 by Mother Maiy Gertrude Regan,
years as superior of the community. She was who had entered, the Sisters^ novitiate at Pmla-
ninety-one years of age, and had consecrated her- delphia in 1841, the community then numbering
self to God at the age of twenty-two as a member only 14 members. Mother Gertrude celebrated her
of the community of the Sisters of Charity in New diamond jubilee in 1916 and died in 1919. The
York. Mother Mary Cecilia Casey, the second and third superior general was Mother Mary Cecelia
present superior, succeeded the saintly foundress. Dougherty, who three times held the office. She
The community numbers 1,300 professed Sisters died before the expiration of her third term, in
and 90 novices and postulants, having 97 founda- 1919. It was through her formal petition that
tions, with 110 institutions under their care, the the Catholic University opened university courses
greater number of institutions being explained by to the teaching sisterhoods, and the Sisters^ Col-
the fact that 13 are expansions of foimdations long lege in Brookland, Washington, D. C, was inau^-
established. New foundations since 1908 include rated as an integral part of the Catholic University
1 hospital, 1 academy, 8 high schools, 10 parochial of America. The first students to matriculate
schools, and 1 home for working girls. The total were six Sisters of Charitv of the Blessed Vinin
number of institutions includes: 1 college, 7 acade- Mary from Dubuque. Alother Mary Lilly, wno
mies, 77 parochial schools, 8 high schools, 1 prepara- became superior general in 112, obtainea from
