Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-05-22
PROTESTANT NUNS.
ExkhsrnD and -Epfscopa1iAu, Methodist and
Presbyterian Sisterhoods.

EsSRasraD and Episcopalian, Methodist and
Presbyterian Sisterhoods.
IL Protestant sisterhood is a nine
esenth century development, such az
tina Eeformers of three centuries age
cuald never have thought possible.
kken q century ago no such idea would
have been tolerated. But to-day there
are I'M the ranks of Professionalism over
fwe1ve thousand black-stoled. conse-
cxxted nuns. The average American
n4s become familiarized with the Epis-
curalian ~sisterhoods, and generally re-
gzxd them as the logical outcome OF
Hfgh Church Anglicanism. He is, how
sRer. somewhat surprised to learn that
Ge first Protestant nuns we're Ger
mxn not English, and instead of being
reared in an atmosphere of Anglican
Ezn, were the credal descendants OF
Father and Zwingli, who looked upon
asuun's garb as the livery of the devil.
IL il equally surprising to learn that
the movement has spread beyond the
Etarrgical Episcopalians and Lutherans,
azd that now the disciples of Calvin
and Wesley are bent upon establishing
similar orders.
I'm 1888 a young German pastor,
Theodore Fliedner, undertook the
luurk of reviving the medieval Order
Of Deaconesses, of which Phebe of
Csnchrea was the prototype. and in
duced a young German girl, Gertrude
Rhichard, to become the first modern
dezconess. A large house was opened
at Kaisersworth as the mother house
OF the order, and, in spite of opposi-
tom from Romist and Protestant
alike, the movement expanded until
seem there were deaconess houses in
Skrisburg, Dresden, Breslau. Stettin
and many another European cities.
HaYroot, Smyrna, Jerusalem and Con-
sEzntinople provided with Ger.
mxu deaconesses, and a little colony
eEI eve was planted in Pittsburgh.
LII this was due to the Jealous labor
af Pastor Fleidner. At the time of
ka death. in 1864, there were over
K6U deaconesses engaged in more
than 400 different fields of labor. The
Ezt thirty-fve years has beheld a still
greater increase, and now 1900 Luz
fseran deaconesses are at work in
Ls509 different localities.
There are about forty German dea-
s1nesses 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
sopened in Omaha, Neh., and several
HEOhationers are nov undergoing a
saEzrse of instruction here preparatory
3n conducting that work. The term OF
prubation varies from two to five years,
and at the end of that time the novice
dems the uniform of the order and is
e~ensecrated a deaconess.
The Episcopal. sisterhoods. which
we're started in England about 184S,
vere direct limitations of the Lutheran
o15ers, yet differ from them in several
Important particulars. The Anglican
who enters upon a religious life must
fzke it up for all time. Her farewell
tr the world is irrevocable, and she
may never marry. A Lutheran dea,
eoness, on the other hand, may leave
the home whenever she deems best.
Anumber of the German sisters have
given up their life of ministration fol
Marriageable causes, but rarely from
any other reason.
Another distinction is in the fact that
the lutheran sisters are all members
ef 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 and All Saints, al
Baltimore, is composed entirely OF
eolored women; and the Order of st.
Monica, at Fond du Lac, Wis, is a re.
Hgious 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.
caption in Chicago in the summer O
1857 Eight women were c-onsecrate6
as deaconesses, and in three months
they made 2. 751 religious visits. The
work gradually developed into a train
ing school for missionaries, and las
year a nurses training school wa.
added A home for Methodist dea
eonesses has recently been opened il
New York, and plans are on foot fol
the establishment Of a similar one il
this city.
The Presbyterians, too, have becom.
Interested in the movement, and Cal
vznistic deaconesses will soon be a.
work helping to rob the world of it,
pain and 'in.-Philadelphia Record.