Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-02
ORITUA Y.

Mother Mary Angela ofSt. Francis
orphan Asylum, New Haven.
| From the Providence visitor.J
Died in New Haven, Conn, Feb s, the
| superioress of the st. Francis orphan asy-
lum, Mother Mary Angela Fitzgerald, prop
erly the third mother superior of the COM
munity of the Sisters of Mercy of st. Xavier's,
Providence, R. I.
By the death of this estimable lady not
only the Hartford community of the Sisters
of Mercy but the whole order has lost a most
efficient member.
1t has lost one who, to vast comprehen-
| siveness and extraordinary executive ability,
joined the refinement of the highly cultured
lady.
From the class room of the far-famed Ur
suline Order of Ireland (where Miss Fitz-
gerald had proved herself gifted pupil and
after whose foundress she chose the name of
Angela) to the cloister to devote those talents
to the masters service seemed but a natural
step for the noble hearted girl to take, and
the decision once made was never repented
of. The cross once taken up was never laid
down until she reached the goal; its burden
never grew too heavy for her generous nature.
The thought 1T is Gods work. encouraged
her to gently but firmly try to conquer every
obstacle that might offer to retard, if not
wholly to prevent the accomplishment of that
work. Thus was it that her time and abi1i-
ties belonged to all who were in need, and
many yet live who gratefully recall some
period of their life when, by her timely word
of encouragement, of advice or of warning,
she was to them guardian spirit.
The many fields, too, in which she labored,
whether in Providence as the successor of the
lamented Mother Francis Xavier Warde and
- u T. 49, r
the orphan asylum in South Providence, like
wise in Pawtueket, again in Hartford, Conn.,,
and finally in New Haven, all gave ample
opportunities for the exercise of those social
and religious virtues which made her SO re-
markable among her Jealous co-workers
Of her lifelong spirit of self-sacrifce her
last hours testified. The matin bell at five
death found her at her post ready for
another day of labor and of prayer. But
her God was about to crown her desires,
though she little dreamed when with the
other sisters she received our Lord that it
was as her yieticum he came to bid her 60
with him I'd receive her reoompense
Then, faint and weary as she felt herself
growing, none suspected the effort that she
had to make to visit the other parts of the
institution to see that all was in proper work
ing order, and she passed from classroom to
classroom smilingly encouraging "God's
dear little ones 10 renewed euOrls IN Lne1r
studies ere she laid down her burden at the
Sayiour's feet. Her task was accomplished.
Medical skill being Of no avail she recog-
nized the long desired summons and calmly,
lovingly acquiesced. The news of her death
brought mourning to many homes. Strong
men and noble women and tender children
wept her loss, for they felt that light had
gone out of their lives.
To see her as she lay in death, the beauti-
fully TRANSPORTED face eloquent with the
impress that the parting soul had left be-
hind, one thought alone could fill the mind
where was the victory, where the sting Of
death9" 49,
How lovely must such q life have been
since death Is SO robbed OF all its terrorist
Fer her it was triumph and passage to q
happy crowning.a She had gone to her cs1ss-
tial home with a silent Reckoning to her
friends to meet her there. sds "B."