The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-16
CHE 9ailg Arsns,
Concluded from second page. J

1
grief in the death Of her father. DIR. Raw
ley, VINO, IN his devotion to the sick iinmi-
grants, at tnat time very numerous, fell |
victim to ship fever, His sudden death
made such an impression on her spirits |
ana such Inroads on her health that she |
was obliged to make tour in Europe In |
company with her husband, also an invalid |
Her mind had early been imbued with |
strong religious impressions, as well as
cultivated by careful study and extensive |
reading, During her stay in southern Eu- |
rope she had ample opportunities of visit !
ing the churches and converts, and study |
ing. Her husband, dying in December,
1892, was buried in Italy and she, now
lett the sole guardian OF her children, re-
turned to America The moment that it
was known that she had become a convert
every friend and relative, the companions
of her youth and the sharers of her blood.
shrank from her with positive loathing, as
if her touch was infectious All forsook
her except her children. But she was
woman of undaunted courage as well as of
implicit faith. She resolved to leave New
York and take up her residence in Balti-
more, then the only city in the country
where Catholics had either influence or So
cial standing Here, by the advice of the
Archbishop, she determined to devote her
self to teaching, and to carry out her idea
more fully,t to establish a community. Ac.
cordingly, in May, 1909, we find her, with
four companions, setting out for Emmitts-
burg to take possession of a log house and
commence her grand enterprise. On the
first of June these pioneers of the Sisters
of Charity of the United States arrived at
their destination, and on the day following
the Feast OF Corpus Christi. they appeared
in the little church of the college in their
= habits-"white muslin caps with crimpt
, borders, black Grape bands round the head
Vt and fastened under the chin. black dresses,
J. and short capes similar to those of the re
'. ligious of Italy
d At first the community was called the
1t Sisters Of st. Joseph but in 1910 it was
a agreed to assinnlate it to the Congregation
Il of Charity in Europe.
u THEIR GROWTH IN NEW YORK
D The growth of the new congregation was
d slow, but it gradually grew strong and Wig
er orous, and when it once began to throw
u out offshoots in every direction they took
l., root and fourished with wonderful vitality
In 1914 some Sisters were sent to Phila-
delphia to take charge of the new Catholic
orphan asylum and in 1877, Mother Sc
> ton, with Sisters Cecilia, doorway anC
Felicite Brady, came to New York at thu
- request of Bishop Connolly to superintent
similar institution established by the New
- York Catholic Benevolent Society. The,
selected small frame house in Prime
j, street, where now stands their noble asy
VI lum. How the houses of this ilustriou
community have multiplied during tn
last half century is truly astonishing.
Z Nearly one hundred asylums and hosp,
tails are now under their charge about til
TIL same number OF academies and selec
schools claim their care ; free schools an
,. pupils beyond computation enjoy their in
struction; and their conrentS and es
Ia adjustments dot the country in ever
- direction. In New York alone, wher
" the mother house of the province
. situated at Font Hill, Yonkers, Their
are attached to it 400 protesse
"a Sisters, 81 novices, and Is postulants, VIII
conduct y different establishments in Ne
York. Jersey City, Brooklyn, New Haver
Providence and Columbia In Newark
in the mother house of the diocese, lat Mac
isOn, \. D., there are 100 members an
in almost every section of the countr
q where Cathohcity is at all known, the sin
J pie black dress ana cape and the sma
white collar of the daughters Of St. Vincel
de Paul are familiar objects. This congr
CATION, though dating only from March .
1884, when Louise do Marillac, widow
Antoine LIE Gras. secretary to Marie &
II Medicis, the first mother of the Daughter
of Charity, consecrated her life to God, h:
now, it is said, more than twenty thousau
20 members throughod: the world, all, lii
= their sainted founder, Vincent, unremi
tingly employed in works Of divine cha
q lty.
So THE SISTERS OF MERCY.
~ Next in order OF usefulness, though n
s3 in age, come the Sisters of Mercy TIL
81 congregation is of Irish origin, having be,
81 founded in Dublin as late as 1897 by Cat
Sc arine McAuley, a native Of that count
81 Miss f.cAuley was born Sept. II, 1887,
q Catholic parents; but they dying when S
81 was young, her guardianship was assum
r. by Protestant family, who brought h
III up in their own faith but the girl cal
S developed a remarkable inclination
81 Catholicity, and, when Of mature age.
- united herself to the church of her tathe
9k At thirty-tour she found herself the p,
1sE SCISSOR of large fortune bequeathed to |
= by her adopted father, who had become
AZ Catholic on his death bed and this, W
- all her subsequent life she resolved to d.
IA icate to the service OF the Almighty.
M therefore built at her own expense, in
- most fashionable part of the city, M
~ nifcent convent, and associatiug with h
80 self several other ladies' commenced
49, work of instruction and the visitation
- the sick poor iu their homes and in
public hospitals. The Most Rev. DR.. NJ
ray, Archbishop of Dublin, gave her
the assistance in his power. and after c
sultlng with the Holy See, approved
l new foundation. In 1871 Pope Greg
a XVI confirmed the congregation, whic
II now SO strong in the United Kingdom t
81 it numbers 1873 converts, besides nuu
Gus charitable instltation. Unlike the
Is tiers of Charity, this congregation has
~ superior general each convent being il
y pendent and self governing.
= concluded on fourth page.