St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-20
Impressive and Solemn Cepe-
monies at the Academy
Of st. Joseph.
Seven NOvitiateS Take Vows
to Enter Upon a Life Of
Holiness,
And Ten Take on Them the
Second Vows That Make
Them Nuns.
Friends and Relatives Mingle
Tears With Their Joy Over
the Event.

Yesterday afternoon, at the Academy
of st. Joseph, corner of Western and
Nelson avenues. seven young ladies re-
ceived the habit, and ten sisters the
cross Of the order of st. Joseph. at 3
o'clock there was pouring into the con-
vent stream of people who wore, not
on their Sunday clothes, but their
Sunday cast of countenance. The
crowd passed up stairs to the chapel
and filled the seats and aisles. There was
a peculiar atmosphere about the place,
that made woman hysterical, mot know
ng=whether to be merry and laugh, or
be solemn and cry, OF do both.
The altar was trimmed as for wedding,
but bowed heads and occasional sobS
were strongly suggestive of funeral:
Presently Bishop Ireland, followed
by Rev. Fathers RavouX, McGolrick.
Raleigh, Peters, O'Brien, Eagan and
several others, filled into the altar; at
the same time the choir of nuns sta
toned in the back of the chapel started
a triHmphal hymn, and through door
to the rear of the congregation came,
two by two, seven little girls dressed in
white and wearing garlands OF flowers.
Behind them came the brides Of the
Lord. They were seven young women
clad as for marriage with common,
ordinary man. They wore lOng-tralned
gowns of cream nuns yelling, trimmed
with MORE and lace. The
CONVENTIONAL BRIDAL VEIL
enveloped them and was fastened to
their heads with myrtle and white flow
erS. They wore cOrSage bouquets and
long kid gloves and white slippers, but
the rapt expression Of their faces was
not in keeping with the WorldlineSs OF
their attire. Their eyes were downcast,
the repOSe of their cOuntenanceS was
perfect. Their mouths seemed set to
say prayers and sing psalms forever
more. Slowly up the aisle they passed,
and between them, in marked contrast,
came the Somber-robed nuns who were
to take their final VOWS. Two years had
passed since they knelt at the altar in
festive array and petitiOned for their
black habits, and now, each carrying a
wax taper tied with white ribbon, they
were about to ask for the cross,
which makes them dead to the
world and their friends for life.
The procession passed into the front
seats, when the entire congregation
Joined in prayer. Then Bishop Ireland
addressed the applicants for self-sacri-
flee. The day was that dedicated to st.
Joseph, and the bishop proceeded to
draw a parallel between the life of the
patron saint of their order and that
which they had chosen to lead. While
he painted in glowing colors the reward
such life brings, he did not spare one
stroke in picturing its austerity. AS he
spoke frequent SobS from parents and
friends of the novices were heard. AT
the conclusion of the bishops remarks,
the seven brides knelt at the altar. The
bishop asked them what they had come
for and they replied in concert that they
wanted the nuns habit. He asked If
they were willing to take with it all the
rules imposed by the order, and, in con-
cert again, they answered that such was
their desire; henceforth the world was
nothing to them, and the will OF God
and of their convent was their Will.
Satisfied that they were in earnest, he
babe them go, remove the trappings of a
sinful world and assume the dress, SYM
bolical of their future lives. Preceded
by the seven little white-robed children,
the brides marched out. AS soon as
they had retired, the ten nuns, whose
candles had been lighted, knelt around
the altar and begged for the cross and
permission to escape their last chance
to return to the world. The bishop &C
cording the latter request, each III turn
SwOre to make
CHASTITY AND OBEDIENCE
the principles OF her existence, and, for
Saking lovers, parents and friends, to
take Jesus for her spouse, the lmmacu-
late Virgin Mary for her mother and the
FOR har fafhnr fHhn1o
two by two, they presented themselves
to the bishop, and, kneellng before him,
the coveted cross, ON a black ribbon,
was thrown around their necks. They
were formally accepted as members of
the order by representative sister, and
when they had taken their seats again
the seven virgins who had gone forth in
bridal array re-entered, wearing the
black habit of the order. Tears flowed
freely from their friends eyes as they
passed up the aisle and knelt around
the altar once more. "YOu are now dead
to the world, my children" said Bishop
Ireland to them; 'sare you satisfied?'
They declared themselves wholly salts
fed and as experiencing the most per-
feet Joy they had ever known Oh earth.
They were then given the names by
which they shall be known in religion,
and after sacrament and the singing of
a hymn the new-made nuns retired and
the ceremony was at an end. In the
parlors below the brides received the
congratulations of their friends. Just
one visible feature of their worldinesS
From beneath their black
skirts peeped white kid slippers, look
ing odd enough. No trace of other follies
remained. All were gone as completely
from their lives as from their bodies. If
you think they felt sorry about it you
were not there to see. The
funeral aspect had disappeared.
Now was the wedding feast. Sisters
old in the order welcomed the new
ones with kiss. Those who had taken
their final vows were embraced by their
associates, who begged to kiss their
crosses. ''Ain't it happiness, amt it
happiness, amt it happineSSp fervently
and half-enviously an old woman stood
repeating to herself. And probably it
is as near as mortals can come to happi-
ness, and a vast deal nearer than the
majority do come.
THEIR NEW NAMES.
OF the young ladies who received the
habit, Miss Annie ShOrtall will be
known in religion as Sister Mary Bere-
nice. Miss Mary Taylor as Sister Mary
Justina, Miss Mary Cannon as Sister
Mary Leonilda, Miss Mary Massey as
Sister Mary Loretto, Miss Rose Lalla as
Sister Mary Ludmilla. Miss Nellie
O'Rourke as Sister Mary Cicily, and
Miss Teresa Schlueter as Sister Mary
Gregoria. The nuns who took the cross
were Sisters Madeline, Mercedes, So
phia, Inez, Claudia, Grace, Aurelia,
Stella Joseph, Isidore, Michella and
Barbara.
Dime Museum.
An immense crowd awaited the OPEN
ing of the doors at the dime museum
yesterday. The attraction of Mrs. Gen.
Tom Thumb will, no doubt, fill the
house to it's capacity during the present
week. The husband of Mrs. Thumb,
the Count Magri and his brother. the