The Irish standard., 1890-02-15
GOING % JOIN The LEPERS.
The Daughter Of an Episcopal Clergy
man Becomes Catholic Nun and
Prepares for Martyrdom.

E!
Prepares for Martyrdom.
LITTLE SISTER ROSE GERTRUDE,
She is Now in BROOKLYN, New York
on Her Way to the Hawaiian
Leper Colony.
The Boston Republic publishes neat
and interesting interview with Sister
Rose Gertrude, now in Brooklyn. on
her way to the leper colony on the Pa
ci6c, which is here given:
[ have no doubt that some years hence
when Sister Rose Gertrude shall have
completed her mission among the
poor lepers of Molokai and will
have received her reward, some
Christian ~ missionary resident in the
Sandwich Islands, will write to the
United States that she was woman of
depraved habits and bad character.
This is what they said of the late Father
Damien, who gave up his life in the ser.
vice Of these poor creatures. The aver
age missionary who wears the livery of
the Methodist, Congregational or Pres
byterian church feels it to be part of
his duty to berate and belittle Catho-
lies employed in the work of evangeli-
zatlon. Should it get abroad that a
Catholic priest had really done a praise
worthy or heroic deed, and should So
ciety give him due credit for his act, the
force of Protestant denunciation of the
Roman Catholic church would be ma
terially broken. This is the secret of
the villainous attack on the memory of
the martyred Damien. And it is to the
mallgnity of these calumniators and
back -biters that the gentle Sister now
on her way to the ill-fated land is ex
posing herself and her name. But she
cares not for that. Her purpose is high
and holy; her resolution is firm and her
determination not only to minister to
the spiritual needs of the lepers, but to
alleviate their bodily ills, is fixed and
unalterable. Sister Rose Gertrude is
resting after her long and stormy voy
age across the Atlantic In the steam
ship Bothnia. She is staying with
friends in Brooklyn. She broke the seal
of silence which she has observed since
Ler arrival by talking for publication
last Saturday. The heroic little woman
looks more like the shv and bashful
''bud'' OF some country dwelling than a
candidate for martyrd0m in the far-of
land Of the lepers. She has large blue
gray eyes that bespeak tenderness and
sympathy with suffering. Her rosy
cheeks betoken health and correct
habits of life. Over the broad, high and
full forehead long dark locks cluster IN
abundance. These are combed back
straight and held in place with diff
Guilty OWING to their wealth and luxuri-
ance. The little lady's name was Miss
Amy G. Fowler before she became a
nun. Her father is Rev. Francis Will
liam Fowler, an Episcopal minister at
Comb Down, near Bath, England. She
has mother and two sisters living.
Her brother, John Fowler, is farmer
in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was
brought up as strict Episcopalian. and
this is how she accounts for her CONVEX
sion: ''Seven years ago, without any
sort of reasoning on nv part, and as if
by supernatural agency. began to have
doubts regarding the faith ! professed.
prayed to God constantly for light,
and studied for Six months the works Of
theologians for the truth. The result
was that joined the Catholic church.
No. nv parents did not make any great
objection to my change of faith" The
rlucky and pious little Sister, as have
already limited, has been averse TO OBJ
truding her own personality upon the
public, and it was not until she was
convinced thata concise statement of
her views and purposes would aid the
cause to which she has dedicated her
young life that she consented to be in
terviewed. Ever since I determined
on my mission, y she said, II have been
keenly sensitive to the criticism that /
felt it would excite. MY identity was
kept secret until two days before /
sailed, and after that 1 steadily refused!
to talk with the reporters Of the Eng
llsh newspapers. | have been so kindly
treated, though. by all who know of my
mission that have con sented, for the
sake Of the cause. in which i am labor
I ing, to Law aside my scruples. When
asked when she decided to cast her lot
with the Wretched lepers Of the Pacific.
she said e was one Sunday, seven
years ago, when | was visiting friends
at Brighton. u had Just a short time
before joined the Roman Catholic
church, and on this particular sunday
We we're attending the Church of st
John the Baptist. Father Johnston
was preaching, and In his sermon ne