The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-24
PROTESTANT NUNS.
Lutheran and Episc opalian, Methodist and
Presbyterian Sisterhoods.

Lutheran and Episc opalian, Methodist and
Presbyterian Sisterhoods.
A Protestant sisterhood is nine
teenth century development such as
the refOrmers of three centuries ago
could never have thought possible.
Even a century ago no such idea would
have been tolerated. But to-day there
are in the ranks of Professionalism over
twelve thousand black-stoled. conse-
Grated nuns. The average American
has become familiarized with the Epis-
copalian sisterhoods, and generally re-
gard them as the logical outcome of
High Church Anglicanism. He is, how
ever, somewhat surprised to learn that
the first Protestant nuns were Ger
man, not English, and instead of being
reared in an atmosphere of Anglican
ism, were the credal descendants of
Luther and Zwingli, who looked upon
nuns garb as the livery of the devil.
1t is equally surprising to learn that
the movement has spread beyond the
liturgical Episcopalia.ns and Lutherans,
and that now the disciples of Calvin
and Wesley are bent upon establishing
similar orders.
In 1888 a young German pastor,
Theodore Fliedner, undertook the
work of reviving the medieval Order
of Deaconesses, of which Phebe of
Cenchrea was the prototype. and in
duced a young German girl, Gertrude
Reichard, to become the first modern
deaconess. A large house was opened
at Kaisersworth as the mother house
of the order, and, in spite of opposi-
ton from Romist and Protestant
alike, the movement expanded until
soon there were deaconess houses in
Strasburg, Dresden, Breslau, Stettin
and many another European cities.
Beyroot, Smyrna, Jerusalem and Con-
stantinople were provided with Ger
man deaconesses, and little colony
of seven was planted in Pittsburgh.
All this was due to the Jealous labor
of Pastor Fleidner. At the time of
his death. in 1864, there were over
LOGO deaconesses engaged in more
than 400 different fields of labor. The
past thirty-fve years has beheld still
greater increase, and now 1920 Luz
theran deaconesses are at work in
1900 different localities.
There are about forty German dea-
conesses prosecuting their labor of
love in this country, nearly all of
whom are in Philadelphia at the Mary
j. Drexel Home. A home is to be
opened in Omaha, Neb., and several
probationers are now undergoing a
course of instruction here preparatory
to conducting that work. The term of
probation varies from two to five years,
and at the end of that time the novice
dons the uniform of the order and is
consecrated deaconess.
The Episcopal sisterhoods. which
were started in England about 1848,
were direct limitations of the Lutheran
orders. yet differ from them in several
important particulars. The Anglican
who enters upon religious life must
take it up for all time. Her farewell
to the world is irrevocable, and she
may never marry. A Lutheran dea-
cOness, on the other hand, may leave
the home whenever she deems best.
A number of the German sisters have
given up their life of ministratiOn for
manageable causes, but rarely from
any other reason.
Another distinction is in the fact that
the Lutheran sisters are all members
of one order, while there are sixteen
orders of Episcopal nuns in this coun-
try. and many others in England that
have no branches here. The Sister,
hood of st. Mary aad All Saints, at
Baltimore, is composed entirely of
colOred women; and the Order of st.
Monica, at Fond du Lac, Wis, is re-
ligious sisterhood of widows The
sisters of the Episcopal Church are
never known as deaconesses, and their
work is largely of an ecclesiastical
nature. yet in their functions of nurs-
ing, visiting and teaching they nearly
resemble the adherents of the Lutheran
and Methodist churches.
The Methodist movement had it's in
ception in Chicago in the summer of
1881 Eight women were consecrated
as deaconesses, and in three months
they made 2,751 religious visits The
work gradually developed into a train
ing school for missionaries, and last
year nurses training school was
added. A home for Methodist dea.
conesses has recently been opened in
New York, and plans are on foot for
the establishment of a similar one in
this city.
The Presbyterians, too. have become
interested in the movement, and Cal
vanistic deaconesses will soon be at
work helping to rob the world of it's
pain and sin.-Philadelphia Record.
The Beni.lsrael of India.