Jewels from Jane, Oct. 7

"Amazed at the work in Philadelphia, the Bishop of Toronto, Right Reverend Armand Charbonnel, asked for Sisters and obtained them. His Lordship, on his return from Rome in the autumn of 1851, visited Bishop Kenrick in Philadelphia. While there, he met Mother Delphine whose aunt, Reverend Mother Saint John [Fontbonne], was well known to the Charbonnel family. The Bishop, esteeming the young kinswoman as a valiant woman and capable of undertaking a work which he had in mind, begged the good Bishop Kenrick to allow her, with three other Sisters, to come to his aid in Toronto, where they arrived on October 7, 1851.

"In a letter addressed to Father Denavit, director of the Grand Seminary of Lyons, Bishop Charbonnel said, with reference to the Sisters of Saint Joseph:

'I could make use of one hundred of them at once, if I had them. The Sisters are called to do immense good here. They give everything but absolution.' Mother Delphine went from Toronto to establish a mission in Hamilton. Returning to Toronto to assist in caring for the victims of a typhus epidemic, she contracted the disease and died a victim of her devotion on February 7, 1856."

From Mother Saint John Fontbonne: A Biography translation adapted from the original French edition by a Sister of Saint Joseph Brentwood, New York

Jewels from Jane, Sept. 3

"Twelve novices made their vows in Carondelet during 1854, the largest number that had yet been professed in one year; but Mother Celestine still found the number too small to meet the growing needs of the Congregation, and appealed to the Mother House at Lyons for recruits. Lyons could not spare subjects for America at that time, but aid came from an unexpected quarter. In Savoy, in a Seminary of the diocese of Tarentaise, was Abbe Miege, brother of John B. Miege, Vicar Apostolic of Indian Territory. Abbe Miege was a friend of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Moutiers, and through him his brother in America entered into correspondence with these Sisters. The result of the correspondence and also of a consultation between Bishop Miege and Mother Celestine in the summer of 1854, was an arrangement made by him with the Superiors in Moutiers, who promised to send Sisters from that place to Carondelet, with a view to undertaking later the education of the Indian children in his vast territory. [The jurisdiction of Bishop Miege extended over Kansas and Nebraska, and included all the Indian tribes west to the Rocky Mountains. He was then residing at St. Mary's Kansas, in the neighborhood of the Potawatomi settlements.]



"Mother Therese Buisson was Superior of the pious community of Moutiers, which had become deeply interested in the foreign missions through the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith. The zeal of the Sisters was stimulated by the recent departure from Savoy of many priests and religious for the East Indies, among the latter, members of the neighboring communities of Annecy and Chambery. [The first Sisters of St. Joseph to go to the Indies left France in 1848. In the fall of 1853, another band of six left, accompanied by several Fathers of the Society of St. Francis de Sales.]



"Mother Therese had no difficulty in getting volunteers for America and from them she chose Sister Euphrasia Meiller, late Superior at St. Sigismond, Sister Saint John Facemaz, Sister Gonzaga Grand, and Sister Leonie Martin. The most fervent daughters of Moutiers, Abbe Bouchage calls this first missionary band of a community which he describes as composed of 'select souls whose names should be inscribed on the tablets of history for the edification of the faithful and as an example to the religious of the future.'



"Leaving Moutiers on September 3, 1854, accompanied by Mother Therese, the missionaries made brief visits to the communities of St. Sigismond and Chambery, and then proceeded by stage to Lyons. Here they were warmly received by Mother Sacred Heart Tezenas, successor to Mother Saint John Fontbonne. At Lyons, they parted with Mother Therese, and placing themselves, as did the missionaries of 1836, under the protection of our Lady of Fourvieres, proceeded to Paris, where they remained for a short time at a house of the Congregation in the Rue Monceau. They sailed from Havre on October 21, and by a strange coincidence, the name of the vessel was Heidelberg, the same as that on which the first Sisters came in 1836. [The first Sisters came on the Natchez.] On board was Right Reverend Augustus Mary Martin with four priests and several seminarians for his diocese of Natchitoches, Louisiana.

"The Sisters landed at New Orleans December 7, the same date on which another band, as yet strangers to them, arrived in Canandaigua. After a few days spent with the Tertiary Carmelites in New Orleans, they proceeded by steamer to St. Louis, which they reached December 21, and where they were welcomed with open arms by Sister Felicite [Boute] at St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum. On the following day, Mother Celestine, who had come in to meet them, conducted them to Carondelet. Brave and courageous souls, who had obeyed literally the Gospel precept to forsake home and country, whey entered at once into the active life of the community, to which at least three of them, were to render long and faithful service. [Sister Euphrasia Meiller died in March 1859. The Sisters of St. Joseph did not go to Bishop Meige's diocese. On the occasion of that prelate's visit to St. Louis during the Provincial Council of 1858, the Superior of a colony of Sisters of Charity from Nashville, looking for a home in another diocese, appealed to him on the advice of the Jesuit, Father De Smet; and with the permission of Archbishop Kenrick, was received with her community under his jurisdiction.] Though young in years, they were all women of unusual ability, thoroughly imbued with the principles of the religious life, and animated by the spirit of sacrifice that characterized the pioneers of 1836. In Sister Saint John, who was in her thirtieth year and had spent eleven years in the convent, Mother Celestine, herself a woman of deep piety, was quick to recognize the strong and enlightened faith that measured temporal things only in the light of eternity, and the remarkable spiritual insight that rendered her peculiarly fitted for the guidance of others. Sister Saint John was chosen a member of the Council at the Mother House, and in that capacity, rendered invaluable assistance to Mother Celestine."



From The Congregation of Saint Joseph of Carondelet by Sister Mary Lucida Savage.

Jewels from Jane, August 21

, August 21st, 1866

Sister St. John [Facemaz],

Madame,

We are now approaching the end of August, the period at which you encouraged me to expect furniture etc. to arrive here for our expected Academy [St. Teresa]. The building is all but completed. The plaistering is finished, carpenter will be through this week and the painters are at work. I thought it my duty to announce to you that the building will be finished on or before the first of September. I have also been expecting a prospectus from you for insertion in the local papers. Please write and send me instructions.

I have to announce to you that there is a great deal of sickness here this season--chiefly fevers. A party of Emigrants, passing this way to Southern Kanzas had several deaths in their camp outside the city limits. I visited three persons who had symptoms of cholera who all got well in a few [?]--but at the present writing I do not know of a single case of cholera in Kanzas City.

Memoranda--please return the draught of our new building--also a new acct with the girls for last year. I have somehow mislaid the acct first furnished.

There is no occasion to be uneasy about the title to the convent lot and appurtenances because the conveyance belongs to the Archbishop. You know there will be no difficulty with him. His Grace is not now at home but he can make the conveyance at any time. The understanding is that I advise the whole square be attached to the building. Please write immediately and inform me when the Sisters may be expected.

The Roses are well,--they long to see the Sisters.

Respectfully yours, etc.

Bernard Donnelly

Father Donnelly was commissioned by Archbishop Kenrick to build missions on the western border of the state.

Jewels from Jane, July 3

"In his pastoral letter of 1850 Archbishop Kenrick showed his deep appreciation of the excellent work [of the German St. Vincent Orphan Society:]

"'Besides the two asylums already in existence, we have deemed it advisable to approve the erection of a German Male and Female Asylum, as well to comply with the wishes of that portion of our flock who use the German language, as to diminish the burdens on the existing Asylums, and to obviate the necessity of making additions to them, which otherwise would soon be necessary. A large and suitable lot has been secured for this purpose, on very favorable terms, and at a price far below its actual value; and we earnestly recommend the undertaking to your charitable consideration.'

"...Five sisters of St. Joseph, from Carondelet, Angela [Hanner], Febronia [Boyer], Adelheid[e] [O'Brien], Stanislaus [Saul]and Ignatia [us] [Witmond] took charge of the new Orphan Home on July 3rd, 1851 [July 2, 1851]. Mother Angela served as Superior of the community.

"Archbishop Kenrick ordered that two collections be taken up annually for the German orphans in all the German Churches of the city. The first collection realized the sum of $369.05; from St. Joseph's Church $116.25; St. Mary's $87.50; Holy Trinity $74.00; Sts. Peter and Paul's, $64.80 and St. Vincent's $26.50.

"On July 25th, 1851, the first orphan girl, Anna Schwerdt, was received into the home; in the following week two boys, Andrew Schwartz and John Gehrig, were entered. Two months later the Home harbored 30 children...

"In its long career of seventy-five years the German St. Vincent Orphan Home experienced many sad vicissitudes, from fire, pestilence and other evils. The saddest was the recurrence in 1854 of the dreadful epidemic that in 1849, had led to the foundation of the Home, the cholera. Within the brief period of two weeks, one sister, Ignatia, and fourteen children fell victims to the awful scourge. On one sad day six little corpses lay in the house; and for fear of contagion, the sisters had to lay them away in the old disused cemetery within the enclosure, until proper burial could be held...

"On the 29th day of December 1888 the Daughters of the Blessed Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, or as they are now better known the Sisters of Christian Charity, succeeded the Sisters of St. Joseph in the administration of the German St. Vincent Orphan Home...Driven out of Germany by the so-called Kulturkampf the Sisters came to America in 1873 and took up their abode, first in New Orleans, and then at Wilkesbarre, PA, until several years ago, when the mother house was removed to Wilmette, Ill."

from History of the Archdiocese of St. Louis by Rev. John Rothensteiner c1928

Orphan girls who entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet from St. Vincent's Orphan Home:

Helena Dorothy St. Clair (Sister Apollonia)

Josephine Riehl (Sister Mary Bertha)

Marie Schlinkmann (Sister Mary Leocadia)

Augusta Ellermann (Sister Mary Calista)

Emilia Dierker (Sister Mary Clare)

Caroline Kunz (Sister Mary Simplicia)

Elizabeth Reis (Sister Mary Clotilda)

Theresa Stratmann (Sister Mary Dominica)

Odelia Hasenmueller (Sister Francis Nazaria)

Jewels from Jane, May 2

On May 2, 1860, after three days of retreat, sisters representing all the houses in the dioceses of St. Louis, Toronto (Canada), Wheeling, Natchez, Albany and Saint Paul met at Carondelet to form a Congregation. These were all the communities of St. Joseph that had been founded directly or indirectly from Carondelet. There were no delegates from Buffalo, Philadelphia or Brooklyn; the bishops of those dioceses wanted their sisters to remain autonomous. The sisters who attended the meeting approved the basic structure of a new congregation. Bishop Kenrick presented a plan that recommended the erection of three provinces, with centers in St. Louis, Canada, and the eastern part of the United States, with provisions for forming new provinces according to need. The plan included details about the governance of the provinces, the role of the Superior General, the organization of novitiates and elections of General and Provincial Superiors. During the meeting, the delegates from Toronto decided to accede to the desire of their bishop and remain under diocesan jurisdiction.

In the end, the plan was adapted to propose three provinces: St. Louis, St. Paul and Troy (New York). By accepting the plan, the sisters committed themselves to support the process of seeking ecclesial approval to form a new Congregation. As their first official act, the sisters elected Mother St. John Facemaz as Superior General and then commissioned her to represent them in negotiations with Rome.

From “Comunidad para el Mundo: The History of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the Vice Province of Peru”

Jewels from Jane, February 5

On February 5, 1845 the third mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph in America - St. Joseph school for Negro Girls - was started. Father Augustus Paris founded the school with full approval of Bishop Peter Kenrick, the new bishop of St. Louis. There, Sisters St. John Fournier, Antoinette Kincaid and St. Protais Deboille taught the basic course as well as French and embroidery. They eventually had a hundred students, without counting the children of slaves who came in the afternoons and on weekends for catechetical instruction. Sister St. John Fournier described the short history of the school saying:

"The first mission in St. Louis [was] a school for liberated Negroes. Obedience sent me there with two other sisters. We also prepared slaves for the reception of the sacraments, and this displeased the whites very much.

"After some time, they threatened to have us put out by force. The threats were repeated every day. Finally, one morning as I was leaving the church, several people called out to me and told me that they were coming that night to put us out of the house. I said nothing to the sisters, and was not afraid, so great confidence had I in the Blessed Virgin! I put some miraculous medals on the entrance gate and on the fences (we already had them on all doors and windows of the house). At eleven o'clock, the sisters woke with a start when they heard a loud noise. Out in the street was a crowd of people crying out and cursing. We recited together the Memorare and other prayers. Suddenly, the police patrol came and scattered those villains who were trying to break open the door. They returned three times that same night, but our good Mother protected us and they were not able to open the door from the outside nor to break it down....

"The day after our adventure, the Mayor of St. Louis advised Bishop Kenrick to close that school for a time and he did so."

Letter from Sister St. John Fournier