Jewels from Jane, April 20

April 20, 1870 Sister Monica Corrigan and six other sisters began their journey to Arizona. She says in her diary:

“After bidding adieu to our good Sisters in Carondelet, we started on our long and perilous journey to Arizona. Our first two stations were St. Joseph’s and St. Bridget’s Asylums, in St. Louis, MO., where we were cordially greeted by our good Sisters. We then wished them goodbye and repaired to the Pacific Railroad Depot, took the car at 6:00 p.m. direct to Kansas City. Puff, puff went the locomotive, and we were off, really indeed, on our way to Arizona. As the Sisters frequently travel this portion of our journey I shall not describe it; but it is certainly true that none of them ever went over it with the sad hearts we experienced on that ever memorable night. We were going, but not to return in vacation, to make our retreat with our dear Sisters. Mother Julia [Littenecker] will not call on us when visiting her Province.

“It is quite probable we may never again meet here below; and it is only when this thought occurs to me, that I know how deeply I love them. Oh! The incomprehensible beauty of our holy faith! How consoling to know with an infallible certainty that we are accomplishing the will of God with an assured hope of being reunited in our heavenly country, to those beloved ones we have left here below, for the love of Jesus and the salvation of souls. With these, and similar reflections, we passed the first night. We were then in Kansas City.”