Treasures from Archives

The local Terre Haute newspaper on Sept. 25, 1958, announces
the groundbreaking of the new novitiate building.

For the past 13 years, I have walked into Owens Hall almost every day of my life. I’ve often wondered about the women who called this building home during their postulant and novitiate days. I’ve also wondered about the women who made the decision to build this structure.

Mother Gertrude Clare Owens, general superior from 1954 to 1960, was dedicated to the formation of young women in religious life, and it was under her administration that Providence Novitiate, the former name of Owens Hall, was built. Sacrifices had to be made by all the sisters in order to build this more than $2 million facility. In his sermon during the blessing and dedication of the hall on April 19, 1960, in front of sisters and guests, the Very Rev. Joseph Brokhage, STD, said, “Your Mother [Mother Gertrude Clare] saw a further need, the need of a new Novitiate. Again she appealed to you, her daughters, to save here and skimp there to bear the heavy cost. Again, as loyal daughters, you all said: ‘Mother, we are behind you.’”

In addition to the sacrifices made by the Congregation, generous friends, schools and parishes donated funds for the building project. However, no official capital campaign was undertaken to build the new novitiate building.

Sacrifices were also made for the purchase and installation of a new organ in the hall’s St. Joseph Chapel located on the first floor. According to documents in Archives, sisters who were music teachers “gave extra lessons and taught on free days, during vacation time, etc., and realized over $7,000 in a period of three years. The talent of the music teachers in our own Community was utilized for the summer school in 1960 instead of bringing in outside educators and the money thus saved was added to the amount.”

The pipe organ in St. Joseph Chapel was blessed on Dec. 18, 1960, by the Rev. William Stineman.

During the April 19 blessing and dedication, the Rev. Brokhage touched upon a sad note about the completion of the novitiate. Mother Gertrude Clare was in poor health and did not realize that her dream of a new building had been achieved. The Rev. Brokhage said, “By design of God, your Mother has not been permitted to share your joy in this great day. Were she conscious, she would rejoice for two reasons: first, that she could make the additional sacrifice of not being in the limelight on this great day; secondly, she would rejoice that her beloved novices will now have suitable quarters in this beautiful new building.”

In 1968, Mother Mary Pius Regnier, general superior from 1966 to 1976, and her General Council renamed Providence Novitiate Owens Hall, in honor of Mother Gertrude Clare, who died in 1963. In the resolution for the new name, it was written, “Whereas, No other name could be more fittingly given to the building erected with so much confidence and trust in God than that of Mother Gertrude Clare.”

Now when I walk into Owens Hall I have a greater appreciation for all the women, especially Mother Gertrude Clare, who made it a reality.

This image of Owens Hall graces the cover of a 1960s brochure printed by the Congregation.

ISU to host SPs and the Civil War presentation

Military Hospital in Indianapolis as it looked during the Civil War

Since late August, the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University has hosted the exhibit, “Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African Americans in Civil War Medicine.” The exhibit is sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. The exhibit at ISU runs through Oct. 6 and is one of only two locations in Indiana where the exhibit will be on loan.

As part of the programs associated with the exhibit, Connie McCammon, a Sisters of Providence staff member, will present “Lest We Forget: The Civil War Service of the Sisters of Providence” Thursday, Sept. 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (EDT) in the Special Collections Area of the ISU library. The Sisters of Providence played a unique role during the Civil War, serving as sister-nurses for the duration of the war at Military Hospital in Indianapolis and two short stints at an emergency hospital in Vincennes, Ind.

Come learn about these women who cared for Union and Confederate soldiers during this national tragedy. You’ll also learn how the war personally touched not only the sisters, but students at the Academy, the predecessor of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Treasures from Archives

Our Archives has numerous pieces of correspondence from graduates of the Academy, the predecessor of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Craigie Gunn Mitchell is one such alumna who has a plethora of letters that have been saved in our Archives. Craigie, of Bedford, Ind., was born in 1854 and attended the Academy from 1868 to 1872. She served as president of the college alumnae board for many years. Just to give you a little historical perspective, Craigie was born before Saint Mother Theodore Guerin died (May 14, 1856) and she lived during the years of the Civil War (1861-1865). Now that we have that perspective, let’s turn our attention to the letter at right.

On Aug. 25, 1935, Craigie, writing from Somerset, England, penned a letter to Mary (Sister Marie Grace Molloy, a volunteer in Archives, and I believe this to be Mary McNutt, who was also an alumna). Craigie wrote:

“One month from today I will be somewhere on the Atlantic, homeward bound. I had my Italian passports before I left home, and thought, if at the time of my return I was free enough from rheumatic twinges, that I might go over to Rome for ten days and sail from Naples. But not now, with all this trouble brewing, and war talk of Europeans and British African interests to be protected against Mussolini’s arousing race and tribal menace. I was here in August 1914 — and think my little corner of Indiana more desirable than elsewhere, if Italy continues her preparations against Abyssinian.”

In a Sept. 20, 1938, letter (written in Bedford) to Mary, Craigie wrote:

“The news from Europe continues alarming. When you have but one grandson, and he is exactly the age to be called in the event of war, you can only try to imagine what it all means to me. John has been a 1st Lieutenant in the Yeomanry for two years. It is an organization between our militia and regular army, subject to call in case of war. He is a 1st Lieutenant — the higher ups being regular Army men & older. All of which is no consolation to me, for German guns do not respect youth nor age, nor anything else.”

Craigie Gunn Mitchell, who is pictured above on her 85th birthday in 1939, died in 1945.

HOPE arrives!

For centuries, people have been making pilgrimages to sacred places throughout the world. For many people that sacred place is Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, where a saint once walked. The latest issue of HOPE addresses the need to relocate the shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin from the Church of the Immaculate Conception to a permanent place beneath the existing Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

As Sister Ann Casper writes in her article, Why relocate the shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin?, “ … in its current location in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, it [the shrine] is not exactly tucked away in the left alcove of the church. The huge banner of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, which hung in St. Peter’s Square, demands one’s immediate attention and detracts from worship. The celebration of daily and Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy, rather than having pride of place in the church, is somewhat dwarfed by the presence of Mother Theodore’s banner and coffin — these take center stage rather than the Eucharist, probably not something our humble foundress would delight in!”

Inside this issue you’ll read about the power of this sacred place and why one 20-something loves “Mama T.” You’ll also learn just how many times Mother Theodore’s weary bones have been moved! And, of course, you can catch up on alumnae/i news, newsnotes, photos, upcoming events, plus a whole lot more!

If you would like to make a donation to the permanent shrine, visit our website. To view HOPE online, click here.

Treasures from Archives

Another foray into the inner sanctum of Archives has produced another gem. In the Properties/Buildings/Shrines area is a large Hollinger box with a plethora of information about the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. One of the folders within that box contains invoices and other communications regarding the building of this gorgeous chapel.

The invoice that particularly struck me was the one dated Aug. 29, 1923, from the Daprato Statuary Company’s Chicago studio. This was the bill for the 8,000-pound block of Carrara marble as well as for the design for the altar and platform upon which the monstrance resides. The total bill for this altar was $29,500. This invoice also caught my eye because the printing is stunningly beautiful!

The Congregation received permission for perpetual adoration of the Eucharist after Mother Mary Cleophas Foley, general superior from 1890 to 1926, was granted a private audience with Pope Pius X on Nov. 19, 1913. On June 10, 1914, the Right Rev. Francis Silas Marean Chatard, bishop of Indianapolis, formally opened Perpetual Exposition in the crypt of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. On June 7, 1920, the cornerstone of the chapel was laid. Inside the cornerstone is a box that contains a list of the Sisters of Providence who were living at that time, some medals, a relic of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, and a short history of the “Development of Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament at Saint Mary’s.”

Four years later, on May 19, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel was consecrated by the Most Rev. Joseph Chatrand, bishop of Indianapolis. The consecration included a procession as the Eucharist was transferred from the crypt of the church to the chapel.

Included in the Hollinger box is a file containing information about the donations that were received for the building of this magnificent chapel. A ledger lists the names of people who donated to this sacred structure. Each donation, from the smallest at 50 cents to the largest in the thousands of dollars, was received in deepest gratitude by the Congregation. Also inside this file is a typed page from Sister Ann Kathleen Brawley (RIP), former archivist of the Congregation. Sister Ann Kathleen wrote:

“ … most of the cost of the erection of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel was covered by the gifts and donations from the family and friends of the Sisters. … All of the jewels and most of the gold in the monstrance came from the families of the Sisters. According to correspondence there were many jewels left over and returned to us to be used in other sacred vessels. …”

To learn more about the Chapel of Divine Love as Bishop Chartrand called it during its consecration in 1924, visit our website.

An interesting side note about the Daprato Statuary Company is that it is still in business today with offices in Chicago, New York and Pietrasanta, Italy, just as they were in the 1920s! You can learn more about the company by visiting its website.

Sign up for our OLLI course on the Civil War

Discover how Sister Mary Agatha had a connection to Mary Todd Lincoln (pictured above) during our OLLI class Aug. 14 and 16. (Image credit: The Library of Congress)

The Sisters of Providence have a unique connection with the Civil War. Our sisters served as sister-nurses at Military Hospital in Indianapolis as well as at a hospital in Vincennes, Ind. You can learn more about this history by participating in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Indiana State University course, “Lest We Forget: The Civil War Service of the Sisters of Providence.” This class will be offered on the beautiful motherhouse grounds of the Congregation on Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 14 and 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. (EDT) in the Community Room of Providence Hall. The course will be presented by Congregation staff member Connie McCammon, who has worked in the Office of Congregational Advancement since 1999.

You do not have to be an OLLI member to attend this class. You may register online or call 812-237-8707 for more information. Please register by Monday, Aug. 13.

We look forward to seeing you on Aug. 14 and 16!

This Civil War diary belonged to the grandfather of a Sister of Providence. Come to our OLLI course and learn more about George E. Blaire and his experience as a prisoner of war. George was a captain of Company A, 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Treasures from Archives

Sister Cecile Morse ministered as a printer from 1938 to 1979.

The Sisters of Providence have a long history of printing and publishing. Take, for example, “Lest We Forget: The Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Civil War Service,” by the late Sister Mary Theodosia Mug. It was printed in 1931 by Providence Press of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Yes, indeed, having a print shop to help not only share information about the Congregation and its many schools, but also to evangelize has always been of great importance to the Congregation.

According to information gathered by Sister Mary Roger Madden, Congregation historian, there was a small printing office established in the old novitiate in 1898. Six years later, a new novitiate was built and the office was moved there to the first floor and a Gordon Press was added in 1905. By 1913, the printing office was moved to the second floor of the cannery building. (Note: the cannery building was razed in June.) Four years later, an improved Linotype was purchased.

What, exactly, did Providence Press print? Well, there were always exams for the schools, including the old Academy, the predecessor to today’s Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. There were prayers, death notices, place cards, menus and much larger jobs including Les Bois, the college’s annual; Fagots, the college newspaper; the Aurora, the college magazine; Alumnae News; and The Bugle Call, the missionary magazine of the Congregation.

Mr. W. H. Niccum was hired in 1931.

By the late 1920s and early 1930s Congregation leadership questioned the wisdom of having a printing office. The sisters began researching the possibility of contracting the work and also investigating more modern equipment. They also turned to St. Joseph and intercessory prayer. St. Joseph and the sisters’ research came through and soon money became available to begin purchasing new equipment. In 1931, Mr. W.H. Niccum was hired as a printer. By 1938, two sisters were working full time in the print shop, and Mr. Niccum employed four men to assist in the office. One of the sisters who was assigned to the print shop was Sister Cecile Morse, who died in 2006.

Sister Cecile had printer’s ink in her blood. Her father owned his own print shop and she and her siblings learned the ropes of printing at an early age. When Sister Cecile graduated from high school in 1926, she joined the International Typographical Union and worked in the printing industry until she joined the Congregation in 1935. In 1938, Sister Cecile was assigned to Providence Press, a position she maintained until 1979.

From 1979 to 1982, Sister Mary Lee Mettler took over Providence Press. New equipment was purchased allowing for offset printing. The shop was also moved to the first floor of the laundry building. In 1983, the leadership of the print shop was transferred to Sister David Ellen Van Dyke, who died in 2011. She ran the office until 1988. It was on May 1, 1988, that Providence Press ceased operations, and Providence Printery, as the office is now known, was opened June 7 on the first floor of Owens Hall. Today, the Printery is managed by the very capable Roberta King, a staff member of the Congregation since 1987. Roberta is also a Providence Associate.

In the stacks in Archives there is a plethora of information about Providence Press/Printery. Included in the files are invoices for several jobs. The following shows the price for some publications in 1931:

• The Bugle Call: 8,800 copies with 16 pages including cover — $345
• Aurora: 400 copies with 76 pages including cover — $184.50
• Alumnae News: 850 copies with 24 pages including cover — $153.25

Treasures from Archives

St. Sylvester Parish in Chicago has been around a long, long time. In fact, the parish was founded in 1884. The Sisters of Providence played an important role as educators in that parish, beginning in 1903.

The Rev. Michael O’Brien, third pastor of the parish, began his duties at the church in 1897. Two years later, he and the parish built their first school. Opening in 1900, the school was three stories tall and cost $25,000. The Sisters of Mercy initially had charge of the school, but the Sisters of Providence took over on Dec. 31, 1903.

In the files in Archives concerning St. Sylvester are several letters from the Rev. O’Brien to Mother Mary Cleophas Foley, general superior of the Congregation from 1890 to 1926. One such letter appears at right and concerns the proposition that Mother Mary Cleophas made to Father O’Brien concerning the SPs’ educational leadership of the parish school. The letter, dated Dec. 12, 1903, reads in part:

“Dear Sister, The proposition which you made to me last Thursday … that the teachers in my school receive 20 dollars per month and the music tuition go to the Community will be acceptable to me. I saw his Grace the Archbishop today and he approved of the step. …

“He also spoke very nicely of your Community and said he understood it did good work.

“I shall be ready for the sisters about the 30th of this month. I shall let you know just when they can come here. I think it would be well for two sisters to look the house over and if anything should be needed, they can get it at my expense.

“I believe in having sisters very comfortable. It encourages them in their work.”

St. Sylvester Parish, located at 2157 N. Humboldt Blvd., and its school are still going strong.

Arequipa, Peru, focus of new Heritage Museum exhibit

This piece of art, The Last Supper, is just one of the many artifacts and documents on display
in the new Heritage Museum exhibit in Providence Center.

In 1963, the Sisters of Providence responded to a request by Pope John XXIII to send religious to missions in Latin America. In March of that year, three Sisters of Providence left the Woods for Arequipa, Peru, where they ministered at the all-boys Colegio de San José.

A new exhibit in the Heritage Museum in Providence Center examines the Congregation’s service in Peru. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Recently, Sister Florence Norton, who ministered in Arequipa, sat down with Christina Blust, a staff member in the Office of Congregational Advancement and shared some of her memories about this exciting ministry for the winter 2012 issue of HOPE:

“One of these sister-missionaries was Sister Florence Norton (formerly Sister Thomas Ann). As a child, Sister Florence was taught in Sisters of Providence schools and grew up reading vibrant stories in the SP missionary publication ‘The Bugle Call.’ When, years later, Sister Florence herself landed to minister in a foreign land, she found herself surrounded by new animals (alpacas and vicuñas), a new climate (‘It was sunny every day!’), and people with big hearts, big hugs, and nothing but love for their Hermana (Sister),” wrote Christina in her article, “A beautiful time.”

The Heritage Museum is located in Providence Center and is open during the center's normal hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EDT), and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EDT).

Archives: keeper of the stories

Have you ever thought of Archives as being a ministry? Perhaps not, but according to Sister Marianne Mader, Archives researcher, it is. “[Archives] is a way of connecting with other people,” she notes in the summer 2012 issue of HOPE, now available online.

The Sisters of Providence are blessed with an awesome Archives. Truly, this department was created when Saint Mother Theodore Guerin put pen to paper and wrote her journals as well as thousands of letters to her sisters in France, sisters here in the United States and countless friends and donors.

This issue of HOPE is dedicated to the keeper of the stories — the many women who have dedicated their lives to preserving the history of the Sisters of Providence. In this issue you’ll learn about the ways in which Archives collaborates with various entities across the state of Indiana. You’ll also learn about the work Sister Maureen Abbott is doing in writing the fourth volume of the Congregation’s history. Additionally, you’ll learn a little more about the story behind the “CNN Presents” program on the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

As always, you’ll find the usual articles — her-story, photo albums, newsnotes, alumnae/i news, obituaries and upcoming events. Check it out now!

Treasures from Archives

I’ve been digging around Archives looking for Civil War material for a long time. One day, Sister Marie Grace Molloy, a wonderful volunteer, asked me if I had ever seen the Civil War diary of Sister Clarice Asbury’s (RIP) grandfather. No, I hadn’t seen it, so I put the diary on my list of things to scrutinize more judiciously when I had the time. Recently I had time to take a longer look at this historical treasure.

George E. Blaire (sometimes spelled Blair) was the maternal grandfather of Sister Clarice. Sister Clarice was born Elizabeth Asbury on June 6, 1898, in Bozeman, Mont. She entered the Congregation on Sept. 8, 1919, and died Nov. 15, 1993. In her file in Archives is this small, unassuming journal. Sister Clarice noted that this journal was “the Civil War diary of my grandfather.”

Blaire was the captain of Company A, 17th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Captain Blaire began his journal in June of 1863. He described marching in the rain and mud, sleeping in the woods and playing “foot ball.” He also described fighting in the Battle of Hoover’s Gap in Tennessee June 24-26, 1863. Amazingly, with no cell phones, TV, radio, blogs or Twitter, Captain Blaire wrote on July 3, 1863, about Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg! In case you need a refresher, July 3 was the last day of the terrible battle.

Captain Blaire wrote about his capture by the Rebels in Chattanooga, Tenn., in September 1863. He journaled how the prisoners were taken by rail car to Atlanta and then back up north to Richmond, Va., and the infamous Libby Prison. Eventually, Captain Blaire was imprisoned in Charleston, S.C. It was there that he and his fellow prisoners were freed in September of 1864.

And there in our Archives in a small envelope within the file of Sister Clarice Asbury is a wonderful piece of our nation’s history. A treasure indeed!

Treasures from Archives

One day while gathering some information for a blog on the death of Sister St. Francis Xavier Le Fer, I ran across some intriguing information about an artifact belonging to her. I found the information in the capacious first volume of the Congregation’s history written by Sister Mary Borromeo Brown. The information concerned a pair of slippers that belonged to Sister St. Francis Xavier. On page 766, one reads:

“Sister Saint Francis Xavier’s health, as we know, had been delicate for years. Though somewhat above medium height, she was very slight of build. A pair of bedroom slippers, probably sent from France and hardly worn, preserved in the museum, are almost incredibly small. This frail physical constitution all but prevented her ever seeing Indiana at the very outset of her religious life. We have noted that on the ocean during her voyage to America in the summer of 1841, she overheard the superior of the religious of the Sacred Heart who were traveling with her, Mother Sallion, speaking to the captain about the disposition to be made of her remains after she expired.”

When I read that these slippers were “preserved in the museum” I was pretty excited. I figured the museum that Sister Mary Borromeo referred to was in old Foley Hall. So I contacted Sister Mary Ryan, archivist, and she found the archival box containing these slippers in the inner sanctum of Archives!

Mother Sallion didn’t know the real constitution of Sister St. Francis Xavier for she made it across the ocean and served her Provident God in Indiana until her death on Jan. 31, 1856.

Sister St. Francis Xavier

Impressive history made, and in the making

Sisters of Providence are women who have made history, women who have lived history, women who are making history. As the annual observation of National Women in History month begins to move toward its conclusion, Sister Maureen Abbott remains dedicated to her unique opportunity to be a partner with and observer of the Congregation’s history. She is writing volume four of the annals.

“I could walk around the cemetery now and I would feel like I know these people. One of the things I am trying to do in the book is bring forward the daily lives of sisters. Their biographies are wonderful. These people are just fascinating,” she said of her sisters in community.

“There is fabulous talent. Many sisters are brilliant, ambitious, not in the sense of being in it for themselves, but they are willing to tackle projects. It’s overwhelmingly impressive,” she added.

Are you excited yet?

Her writing is expected to be finished by the end of 2012 and the book will be published after editing and procedural details are completed. The text will focus on the years 1926 to 1966.

She mentioned how one sister helped a student become a writer and historian. She mentioned sisters who worked with groups during the grips of racial strife in the 1960s. And she talked about significant changes that came within the Congregation after the Second Vatican Council. Sisters actually lived this history, and they are continuing to make new history.

Sister Maureen will bring these fascinating stories to life in print soon. What exciting stories can you share about your relationships with sisters you have known? No doubt, you have observed some of the Congregation’s history in the making. What impresses you?

Tracking the trail of facts and memories

When we last visited with you, we hinted that Sister Maureen Abbott may have taken on a Sherlock Holmes persona to sift through the mysteries in Archives in order to write volume four of the Congregation’s history.

Danger lurks for Sister Maureen as she continues to examine files and documents in her search for truth!

The time period for this project covers 1926 to 1966, which eases into changes brought by Second Vatican Council. Dramatic shifts in Catholic culture occurred, for sure. But there is more reason to be concerned as Sister Maureen continues her investigation. Many of the sisters currently in community actually LIVED some of this history.

 “A lot of this is recorded in people’s memories. Whatever you put out there, you had better be right. People have their memories, people in general, not just the Sisters of Providence. They have their memories of how the sisters were or how they changed. This is going to be real hard-core information (in the book) actually drawn from the Archives and comments from the times. Almost everyone who reads it (the transcript) says, ‘Oh, I remember that!’” Sister Maureen said.

As we continue to bring attention to Women in History Month, it seems to be an appropriate time to introduce Sister Maureen’s work by letting her share some of the process that has led her through this journey. She plans to conclude her research and writing by the end of the year. We’ll let you know when the book, volume four of the Congregation’s history, is available.

In the meantime, what do you remember about how the Sisters of Providence influenced you at one of their schools, or in one of their other ministries? What kind of relationship did you have with one of your teachers? Please share your thoughts and reflections.

Treasures from Archives

Rev. Emile J. Goossens

In one of my recent forays in the stacks of Archives, I stumbled upon a unique item. In an archival box marked chaplains I discovered a black leather wallet in the file of the late Father Emile J. Goossens. No, there wasn’t any money, but there was a wonderful pin — a little tarnished — marked Chaplain, St. Mary’s Fire Dept.

Father Goossens was named the Congregation’s chaplain in 1941. He was born May 11, 1903, in Hartford City, Ind., and was ordained on May 28, 1928, in St. Meinrad, Ind. Prior to coming to the Woods, Father Goossens served the Church in Indiana in Indianapolis, Boonville, Linton and Evansville.

Besides his duties as chaplain, Father Goossens was responsible for teaching the young novices at the Woods Church history, religion and ethics. He also was involved in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Village. Realizing the great need for a local fire department, he found like-minded men in the Village. These men formed the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Fire & Safety Association in the summer of 1955. This association then sponsored the volunteer fire department that was incorporated in 1956. Father Goossens was named the chaplain of the department and received a pin indicating his position.

Unfortunately, Father Goossens left this world way too early. On the morning of Sept. 21, 1959, he suffered a heart attack in the sacristy of the church. Mother Gertrude Clare Owens in her letter circular to sisters described his death in this way: “With his unvarying promptitude and fidelity, Father Goossens came over as usual at six o’clock to distribute Holy Communion to the sick before saying the Community Mass. When the clock struck six, he was at the altar and apparently tried to open the Tabernacle, but as he said afterwards, he was dizzy and could not see. The Sisters at the altar railing waiting to receive Holy Communion and those in the church who noted the prolonged delay, thought he was having difficulty opening the Tabernacle door, until with hesitant step he left the sanctuary and did not return. In the sacristy he suffered an acute coronary attack. The nurses hastened to give every attention while awaiting the ambulance. …”

Father Goossens died early in the morning of Sept. 22, 1959, at St. Anthony Hospital in Terre Haute, Ind. The celebrant for his funeral Mass was his brother, the Very Rev. Msgr. Victor L. Goossens., pastor at St. Mary’s Church, Indianapolis. Father Goossens is buried in the convent cemetery.

Volume four of Congregation's history heading into home stretch

Can't you just see Sister Maureen Abbott donning a deerstalker cap and doing her best imitation of Sherlock Holmes, pouring over reams of aged documents with a magnifying glass in hand?

That’s an oversimplification, of course. Sister Maureen has spent countless hours culling morsels of information for volume four of the Sisters of Providence history. Her work will fall in line behind the more than 1,800 pages of documented history already written in three volumes by Sisters Mary Borromeo Brown (RIP), Eugenia Logan (RIP) and Mary Roger Madden. This segment will cover the years 1926 to 1966.

The annual observance of Women in History Month seems like an appropriate opportunity to begin sharing Sister Maureen’s journey, even though the conclusion is several months away.

Sister Maureen accepted the challenge to write volume four while she has continued working in other ministries, most notably for the tribunal of the Archdiocese of Portland (Ore.) She has made periodic visits to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods since November, 2004, to gather information. She has exchanged phone calls and emails with the Archives staff to check and obtain detailed facts. She writes in her basement office in Portland.

The end is in sight. She intends to have her writing finished before the end of this year. “I’m hoping it will be finished by fall. I don’t know about the editing. On December 31, 2012, I’m out of here!” she said, chuckling.

“I have to say I have learned a lot. I am a good writer, but I had no experience in doing historical research. It was a real learning curve for me.”

The Sisters of Providence have definitely made their presence known as women in history (also the present for that matter) and as the annual observance continues, we’ll share a couple more postings later this month about Sister Maureen’s work. In the meantime, what are your memories about some of the Sisters of Providence you have known? Why not post some of your thoughts to share with others?

Treasures from Archives

Foley Hall conjures many memories for many people. For those of us who never had the privilege of seeing this magnificent edifice, old photographs help us to imagine what an awesome structure Foley must have been. Another way in which we can appreciate the grandness of this building is to peruse some old documents wonderfully preserved in our Archives.

The cornerstone of Foley Hall, then known as the Academy, was laid in 1860 with the three-story structure completed in 1868. Electric lights were first installed in 1890, and a fourth-story front section was completed in 1898.

By 1909, the Sisters of Providence sought a contract with the Otis Elevator Company out of Indianapolis for an Electric Push Button Passenger Elevator for the Academy. The car pictured above, number 3036, was the design that the company suggested. A specification sheet dated Oct. 28, 1909, stated that the elevator had to travel from the first to the fourth floor, an approximate distance of 44 feet. It had to travel at a speed of 150 feet per minute, and it had to be able to lift 2,000 pounds in addition to the weight of the car. The engine for the elevator was to be located in the basement. The price for this part of the elevator was $2,750.

The contract also included design number 3218 (pictured above) for the enclosure work. This was priced at $678.

This invoice from the office of D.A. Bohlen and Son, architects, shows that the entire bill for the project cost $3,428.

Archives to host Indiana Historical Society gathering

The Archives Department of the Sisters of Providence will be hosting an In Your Neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EST). In Your Neighborhood is offered by the Local History Services of the Indiana Historical Society. The guest presenter will be Cinda May, Wabash Valley Visions and Voices project coordinator. Also present will be members of the Local History Services staff. The public is invited to attend this gathering.

The meeting will take place in Owens Hall in the auditorium. Free parking is available. If you need directions to the Woods, please click here.

Attending In Your Neighborhood meetings is a great way to meet, share and connect with other historical organizations and county historians. In these casual gatherings, learn what others have done that has worked well or not so well in their local history organizations and find out about available resources.

Remembering Sister St. Francis Xavier

Sister St. Francis Xavier Le Fer

After the arrival of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and her companions to the Woods in October of 1840, the small Congregation was beset with many losses and trials. One of the most grievous and personal losses to Saint Mother Theodore was the death of Sister St. Francis Xavier, who died Jan. 31, 1856.

Irma Le Fer, as she was known before entering the Sisters of Providence in Ruillé, France, arrived at the Woods in November 1841. Sister St. Francis ministered as the mistress of novices and second assistant. A woman of frail health, she persevered and became a source of great strength and comfort to Mother Theodore.

Mother Theodore expressed her great love of Sister St. Francis in the Feb. 3, 1856, letter circular to the Congregation. It reads in part:

“You will share the deep sorrow in which we are plunged at Saint Mary’s when you read this letter, announcing the immense loss we have just sustained in the death of our dear Sister St. Francis Xavier, whom our Lord has called to Himself. She departed this life towards two o’clock in the afternoon of January thirty-first, after eight days of severe convulsions which from the beginning left us very little hope.

“You do not expect me, my dear daughters, to write a eulogy of her whom we have so many reasons to regret, of her whose absence leaves such a void in the Community. Her name alone suffices  to bring to mind all that is sweetest, purest, and most attractive in virtue. She was for those who knew her the ideal of religious perfection. Not only have we unanimously considered her the saint of our Congregation, but persons of the world, even those of a different faith, could not behold her angelic exterior without being led to the thought of God.” (“Mother Theodore Guerin: Journals and Letters,” pages 422-423)

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin left this world a few short months later on May 14, 1856.

Treasures from Archives

Back in the far recesses of Archives is a wonderful archival box filled with tantalizing details about the convent cemetery. One of the items that caught my attention was the bill for the wrought iron gate at the entrance of the cemetery. The invoice is dated Oct. 14, 1940, and is from the Marleau-Hercules Fence Co. of Toledo, Ohio. The cost for the gate is $800.

Another invoice tied with the cemetery is for the stonework for the entrance. Provided by the Lindley Ornamental Stone Company of Bloomington, Ind., and dated Oct. 19, 1940, the invoice totaled $900.

Also in this archival box are the blueprints for the gate as well as the stone gateposts. The prints are dated July 10 and July 12, 1940, respectively. On the gate blueprint is printed, “Gates to have latch no locks.” Both sets of blueprints were drawn by architects of D.A. Bohlen and Son of Indianapolis. This was the same company used for the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Look closely at the wrought iron invoice. In the sold to box is the name Mr. Bisch, which has been crossed out. The Bisch family has a long and wonderful history with the Congregation. Joseph N. Bisch served as the superintendent of grounds from 1893 until his death in 1939. He was encouraged to come to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods by his sisters, Sisters St. Bernardine and Mary Anthony Bisch. Joseph’s son Bernard took over upon his father’s death. Bernard remained superintendent until his death in 1958. This invoice was sent in care of Bernard.

What other connections are there between the Bisch family and the Congregation? Sister Marian Celeste Bisch (RIP), a daughter of Joseph N., also was a Sister of Providence! In other words, she and Bernard were sister and brother.

Bernard was succeeded by his son Joseph L., who served as superintendent from 1958 to 1988. Joseph’s son, Stephen, was employed to assist his father on Sept. 17, 1984! He left the employment of the Congregation in 1988.