The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-25
THE SISTERS OF MERCY.
The Mother surerior's silver Jubilee
Comes Off Today.

ercises today. The occasion is the silver
Jubilee, or twenty-ffth anniversary of
Sister Teresa's profession as religionist
Sister Teresa is a native of England, who
entered the convent at Manchester, N.
H.. before Maine became separate dio-
cese. She is lady of culture and refine
ment, and has done great deal IN the
cause of the church since she has been
in Portland. She is at present the Mother
Superior of the Sisters of Mercy in the
Diocese of Maine. The exercises today
will be participated in by the clergy and
nuns of the city, and also by Sisters from
other portions of the state. This fore
noon mass will be celebrated at the con-
vent on Free street, Rt. Rev. Bishop
Healey and the priests of the diocese Of
ficiating. In the afternoon the young
ladies of the convent academy will give
an entertainment in honor of the occa-
sion. tits also quite likely that some
token Of the esteem of her friends may
be presented to the Mother Superior.
The Sisters of Mercy, in their long
black robes with loose sleeves, and black
Grape bonnets, have long been familiar
figures in Portland. They are, indeed,
the most numerous sisterhood in Maine.
There are at Lewiston the nuns of Notre
Dame and at Waterville convent of the
Ursuline Sisters: but in other places
in Maine the. Sisters of Mercy are
established. There are about twenty
five sisters in Portland, and about
as many more in Deering. They main
tain at the Free street convent an acade-
my for the higher education of young
ladies; at which about fifty scholars are
in attendance. At Deering the Sisters
maintain an Old Ladies' Home and also
another academy for girls.
Although not one of the oldest orders
of the Catholic church, the Sisters of
Mercy, or Order of Our Lady of Mercy,
is very extensive in the United States.
| 1t was founded in Dublin by Miss Cath
arine McAuley in 1880. Pope Gregory
XVI. approved Of the order in 1885. The
| first American house was established at
| st. Johns, N. F., in 1912, and the first in
the United States in Pittsburg in 1913.
1t has now extended throughout the
country, possessing converts, schools,
asylums and hospitals.all over New Eng
land and the West. They are the princi-
pal order in Maine, as has already been
stated. They are subject to the bishop
in each diocese, and have no general SUI
perior. The bands of sisters in each do
cese have Mother Superior, elected by
the professed choir sisters and confirmed
by the bishop. In Maine Sister Teresa
occupies this position.
| Candidates for admission to the band
of Sisters undergo 'postulancy'' of six
months, at the end of which time they
assume the white veil and become novit-
iates. The; noyitiate takes two years.
! The vows, which are taken for life, bind
the members to poverty, chastity, ODE
dience and the service of the poor, sick
and ignorant.
The habi of the order is a black robe
with long loose sleeves, a white Golf and
white or black veil. In the streets a
bonnet of black Grape is worn instead of
the Golf and veil.
The Gray Friars.
The monks that arrived on the Circas-
sian from Europe Tuesday were Peter
Baptiste, minister proviscan of the Fran
ciscan French Province, and his secretary
FIR Andrew, 0. S. F., Order of St Fran
cis). Accompanying these were FIR.
Mary Barnard, O. S. F., and Br. Con-
saline. Fl. Peter Baptiste is the head of
the French Province which embraces
monasteries not only in the Old but the
New World With his secretary he will
visit monastr les in Canada, the United
State and Mexico. Father Baptiste and
suite called on Bishop Healey and were
warmly welcomed.
Rules For Lent.
Bishop Healey has issued an address
to the clergy and laity of this Catholic
diocese in which he says:
In consideration of the epidemic which
| has caused so mucn Sickness ana so
many deaths; which leaves the GONZALES
cent so feeble and SO liable to a fatal re-
laps, the Pope has been good enough to
authorize us to dispense for this diocese
from the fasting and abstinence of Lent
for this year. On Friday there will be
the usual abstinence from flesh meat
without the obligation of fasting, except
on Good Friday. Where the physician
prescribes flesh meat for the GONZALES
cent or the feeble, there need be no Sou
pie OF hesitation about eating flesh even
on Friday.
Wherefore we finish by publishing to
the clergy, the religious and the laity of
our diocese:
1st. The dispensation from the fasting and
abstinence of Lent, Fridays only excepted, when
| as remembrance of our Saviour's hunger and
| thirst in the passion, we are to abstain from
| flesh meat as usual. On Good Friday only we
| are to fast.
End The collection for the mission to the
heather throughout the world, and for Indians
and the colored people throughout our own
| country, is to be made in all the churches on
| the first Sunday of Lent. 1t will be announced
| on the previous Sunday.
| 3d THE contribution of one cent is expected