The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-09
GAVE UP THEIR SISTERHOOD.
prTURy TO THE WORLD OF THE
FRANCISCAN ORDER OF ST. MARY.
u.,,t and Ven Laid Aside. the Chapel Dis
m.ntied, and the Convent Turned Into
Home for Friendiess women-Arch-
b,.hop Corrigan's Explanation.

habit which many OF them had worn for 81,
years, and resumed the ordinary dress o.
vomankind. Twelve In all. including the
Mother Superior. who organized the com
munity, made this change. and are now known
10 the world and to thclr ecclesiastical
superlors by the names that they had before
they became Sisters.
The young women who formed the com
munity wcre known MS the Franciscan Sisters
OF st. Mary 1t was nearly sixteen years age
when tho work was begun which resulted In
their organization. Miss Susan NJ. Osborne
who kept large intelligence ONCE in New
York at thut time. saw what great wori
could DO done for tho fricndless and faller
women Of the city. and she determined to de
vote her life to rescuing them.
Miss Osborne had been Protestant. but she
Joined tho Roman Catholic Church. and under
It's auspices began her. work. She gathered
about her several young women. who agreed
to share with her and under her guidance the
task that had been begun.
Miss Osborne opened and conducted for
some time small house OF refuge. For eight
years sho and her companions carried on the
work and in u quiet way did a great deal OF
good. Augustin DAILY and John D. Crimmins
became very much interested in tho under
taking. and contributed largely to its support.
About eight years ago the society came into
tho possession OF the large stone building at
14% West Fourteenth street, which has been
for years known as st. Mary's Home.
The order OF st. Francis in tho Catholic
Church includes many persons who are In secu.
lar life, and mover assume religious garb. Miss
Osborne and her co-workers decided to call
themselves the Franciscan Order OF st. Mary.
and under this name to continue their work.
as,l a pcofin frNTp
the Archbishop. but when. six years
ago. they unanimously expressed their
desire to become n religious commu-
nifty. Archbishop Corrigan granted their
request. He gave them special dispensation
which allowed them to become Sisters ut once,
without passing through tho usual experience
Of a novtiatc. which Is usually considered
necessary trimming for the religious life. The
young women believed that rs Sisters OF st.
Mary. wearing tho garb OF their sisterhood.
they could do their work better. Miss Osborne
was tho Mother Superior Of the community.
becoming known rs Mother Clare. Their
habit was slight variation Of the usual black
gown and a black hood edged with white and
a veil. A house at 1872 West Fifteenth street
became convent Of tho new community. and
in It the chapel was established. which the Sis.
tiers used for their devotions
The Sisters have been very successful in
their work since then. and recently they
opened one OF their homes at 70 Willow street,
IN Brooklyn. which was named tho Loretto
House. This was established for respectable
self-supporting young women as a. place
where they could procure board and q pleasant
home a, PRICES proportioned to their means.
but remained under the Jurisdiction of her
ssssEs Sisters adseS ana a boasSed
vnVr ma hovI Htao
.9feba.tity and obsdienSs their hair was G cut
ss1 s~ %ontRs koshss Clare and
ss$ ssss IL sss4FssI:
Sssss SI%s iSSsss ss %sss ss1
simple black dresses. From Friday until Sun n
hi 'es ems down On sund Sysaf %snF i
;sss aiss 5ssorne and ssysra Of s' sisto %s
years. The sight astounded tho attendants
wiz, =, hardly recoGnized the women beforethenl.
ay tod Them eh@ she
tLd nor associates were no longer to be ad-
dressed as sters but by the namcs that they
Miss Osborne explained that they would
Is the wHIk Iuihs The ssy f sSe dane he
M1 Tor; (. al IN ~ Ioass Astonishment
E,itie,9t1 sre,t began, Then t leaked out
that ths F:Mncscun, Order Of st Mary had
house Tor frien,lless women. The chapel BUTT
Messed si'rramest in its chaIie1 Was remoyei i
T. tic cnuirh Of st Francis Xavier. OH West
or thn tvn,rn S;s+ors ,vbo n Az, .ho o.l..
s sssSst s Mo Gn rsms xG
a mars ss ss1aS ff ST.
W., was formerly Protestant and Is the sister Of
tional minister Of this city. The other seven
sist RS. however. did not. wish to remain in |
srs%s DE- and I'D sy s JsSn faNs. they
!iu Ghurcl. Of the immsculate i conception.
' r at raksVNs sst fSsf Sms s wts
IN some other rider. sUY reporter saw one
{" Oft, them there on Wednesday night. pretty
"yehshcs. She blushed rs she admitted that |
S viii, Wa no longer Sister. and said that it
solved she was waiting. She said. until ar
.hngem.nts could DO made for her to 60 into |
some ne other .f convent.
H r md enter branch Of the Order Of st.
s,"ihs ~. .nnre; Some OF her companions, she
80" Moic s,'l!iR u DecOmO blSterS OF Mercy
nn,l others Sisters Of Charity. She asked the |
rnpo-ter to wait and see Sister Magdal0n, who |
WA, WAS out at her .deyotions then. hut would re-
turn ana explain tho reasons for tho step they
AZ ia. taken. Mrs. O'Keefe camo into tho
M SIn Gist then. and tho former Sister OF st.
standing with arms akimbo. Mrs. O'Keefe
tateclEarcd that she didn't have any sisters In
a a,t mousse and she wanted the reporter to step
NV, ING reporter explained that he was
WMsitlng for Sister Mngdalen to appear but
; a,r" okecfo only looked blank. In the hall
WY werc several trunks belonging to the
SS, nr cry, but Mrs OKeefo claimed them all as
Al st. Nays Home Miss Osborne herself
SStb aa down stairs to talk with the reporter.
fans irail little woman Of middle age whose
wv, wss SHOWS signs OF care. She said that she
I was nor ready yet to discuss the change that
10, au peen made. She said that It was sufficient
~. nn INC present TO say that the work would 20
y" ~, rs bsiore. and that all CARRYING IL on were
I Nsen Us devout Catholics as they had always
1T IL vas said by several persons that the Sis
N nad fallen under the dispIeasuro OF Arch
II ndno Gorrigan. under whose authority the
nv pSIy existed as a religious community. but
IH US WAS denied last night by the Archbishop
I MN III Tho Archbishop brought with him
sata me Parlor two communications which. he
s HnS nc had received from Miss Osborne. One
otfsr a i sbagIt fyRewritten document and the
.ro M Shuly athe Mother Superior" said the