The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-21
THE SISTERS OF MERCY.
THE ORDER PLACED UNDER A NEW
GOVERNMENT.

The Sisterhood Transferred TO the Or
der Of Mercy and the Long Bonnet
and Cloaked Dress to Be Replaced
by q Garb With Hood Bonnet and
White Collar and Veil
In a few weeks the long bonnet and
cloaked dress of the Sisters of Mercy, which
Z have been familiar sight in Savannah for
many years, will disappear and in its place
will come a new garb with a large white
collar, hood-bonnet and veil. This change
will denota the amalgsmation Of the
Georgia sisterhood, which has been for over
half century an independent organization
with the great Order Of Mercy, which ex-
lists in every part of the Christian world.
| Mother Austin Of Mobile, Ala, superioress
OF that order for Alabama aud Florida, is
/ in Savannah arranging the transfer of the
! Georgia sisters to her order. The amalga-
nation is what gave rise 10 the false rumors
a few months ago that Georgia's Sisters OF
Mercy were to be abolished.
A QUESTION OF REORGANIZATION.
Many northern papers have been consid-
erablY exercised by the wild rumors ahoat
concerning the large aud edifyiug congre-
cation OF sisters ia Georgia, which Is now
| aggregated to the Order OF Mercy by COM
mand Of the holy see. Il was said that the
Georgia sisters had "no recognition from
Rome. " and, also, that "Rome would abo~
ish them" These are contradictory state
ments. If Rome gives no recognition
to religious body, then that
body does not exist at all, officially, 30 far
as Rome is concerned, and therefore cannot
be abolished by Rome. Neither would
Rome abolish any institution so useful to
church and state, as the Georgia sisterhood
has been for several generations. Rome
has simply caused to be aggregated to the
widespread Order Of Mercy the sanity and
accomplished ladies who formed the Geor-
gia institution.
THE ORDERS MEMBERSHIP.
These ladies have educated thousands who
are now ornaments to society throughout
the state; have zealously devoted them
selves to the works Of mercy; and have
given proofs of heroic devotion to the sick
and wounded in the epidemios that have
sometimes desolated Georgian CITIES and on
many battle field during the late war.
They are revered and beloved throughout
the state, and they will, we may safely
| argue, be as useful to humanity in the
| future as in the past. Affiliated by high
authority to venerable order whose name
and fame are in all the churches, the holy
and learned sisters of the Georgian diocese
| will, in the future as in the past, labor ZEAL
| ously and successfully to enlighten the
ignorant and ameliorate the sufRerings of
the sick and destitute in every district
blessed by their presence.
| SIXTY YEARS OLD.
| The Georgia Sis ters of Mercy are branch
OF the order formed by Bishop England in
| Charleston sixty years ago, and their con-
aection with the Order OF Mercy is by direc-
tion of the holy see to Bishop Becker last
| September,
Mother Austin Carroll, who is conduct
ing the transfer, is a lady known through
out the world for her piety, learning and
charity. She has travelled almost the en-
tire globe in the interest Of her order and has
established converts, colleges, schools and
asylums in numerous places. She founded
the Order of Mercy houses In New Orleans
and Mobile. Mother Austin is noted as a
linguist and is given much to literature,
having translated and written several relie.
ious volumes. She will be here for probably
two weeks