The Irish standard., 1895-02-16
HEzHAPPY CONVENT HOME.

HE7HAPPY CONVENT HOME.
Katherine Drexels Plans for the Conver.
sion of Two Races.
The following beautiful story Of Kath
crime Drexel's convent life AMI work
from the pen of S ira Trainer s NTH, re-
Gently app cared in the Catholic Standard
Of Philadelphia:
Having known her as Miss Drexel,
writes Miss Smith, my interest in her
work and her surroundings was naturally
| OF warmer character than that of the
casual reader of the notes OF her progress
from time to time published in our daily
papers. Although several years have
passed since our last meeting, Mother
Katherine received me cordially, and was
ready to tell me everything about her
work. She looks in perfect, blooming
health, with countenance Of quiet joy
fulness and perfect peace. Her manner
is exactly 81 it always was-modest and
gentle in the extreme. We converted
for some time, speaking at length of the
work before her.
Taking the final VOWS" she said,
"does not really mean what the words
express, for our VOWS are final from the
fest. Not one of us has ever dreamed of
anything else.''
'sYou must be very happy" I said
"You fesl that now you are indeed at
rest"
eyes," she said. "But it is like great
happiness we expect and look forward to
for long time I have to ask myself
sometimes it it can be really here, all is
so exactly as it has been from the first.
From what she told me and from what
I heard from Mother Mary James, I
gathered the folio wing facts and impress
sions:
There are about 100000 negroes in
tho United States alone, and untold num-
bers in Africa, and there are 100000 IT,
dams in the United States. No work for
our Lord was being done among them
in a really practical way, and Mother
Katherine felt continually drawn to it
until she finally decided upon founding
work OF some kind. The Order of the
Blessed Sacrament for the Indian and
Negro races is the result. It is, Of
course, a new order, and not in any way
an offspring or a modification of any
other order.
Mother Katharine went to the Sisters
of Mercy in Pittsburg for her novitiate,
and. in 1894, the cornerstone of st.
Eliz .beth's convent of the Blessed Sac
rament was laid in the now lovely spot 7
visited yesterday. While it was build
ing, Mother Katharine began her prac-
tical work as Sister in house near at
hand, and is now established in the
Mother House of the Order, where she
ook her final vows. She is the only one
who has taken them and is the Mother
Superior. But tine community already
numbers sixty-three, including those at
Santa Fe, where she has established her
first, and, as yet, her only mission. There
are % protested Sisters, wearing the
black vsil. IS novices and IL postulants.
She has protested Sisters with her.
When called for, the Order will go
forth in bands to establish missions, and
found converts wherever Indians or ns-
groes are found on the wide earth. Their
object is to bring the Indian and the
negro to the highest life possible to
them. It is a supernatural work, and
one full of interest and comfort to those
engaged in it. eve love them, too. We
cannot help it," said Mother Mary James,
with whom Mother Katharine left me
when called away upon business. And
she said 1t. too, in tones which carried
conviction with them. 'It Is an Apostle
late Of Prayer and work, constant, I'M
ending and hard work and earnest, un-
faltering prayer" Mother Mary James
is young and bright, a living witness that
no shadow falls upon her life from her
work, hard though 1t IS.
At St. Elizabeth's there are now about
165 negro charges both girls and boys.
There are 100 girls ranging from 2 years
old to 10, and there are IS boys from 2
years to II and II years. They are
housed in ''Holy Providence" large,
handsome and commodious building,
connected with the convent building by
a covered, arched passage way. They
are cared for in every way, have each day
half days regular schooling in classes,
and half days instruction in industrial
pursuits. At the Santa Fe mission, the
same order Of routine is carried out with
the Indians, who are sheltered there.
These are full-blooded Indians in every
case, 80 in number, and of different
tribes. There are more boys than girls,
and their ages range from 5 to 10 years,
The boys are taught carpentering, shoe
making, etc.
The convent is solidly. erandly, suit