The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-14
CHARITY SISTERS.
Catholic Sisterhood Formed in the
South in 1924.

Catholic Sisterhood Formed i'm the
South in 1924.
A sight which invariably attracts the
attention of strangers in New Orleans
is the colored sisters. One so seldom
hears of negroes processing the Roman
Catholic faith that when he meets a
colored nun for the first time he can
but gaze after her in open-mouthed
wonder. Accustomed as we are, more
over, to associate the black robes of the
nun with white pale faces, the effect
is little startling when a nearer view
of a sister of charity discloses the
meek, brown face of a mulatto. This
little band in New Orleans is known
as the Holy Family of Sisters. 1t was
founded as far back as 1924 by four
free colored women, who, educated and
wealthy, resolved to devote their time
and money to those of their race so
much less fortunate. The oldest of the
four became Mother Juliette who con-
tinued at the head OF the sisterhood
till her death, eight years ago.
The convent is what was once the
famous Orleans street ball room, and
many are the tales which are told OF
the dancing and revelry which for
years held sway within it's walls. The
building is an immense brown struc-
ture, fronting directly on the narrow
have shutters, always closed, and there
was such an air of quietude when /
visited the place that was quite start
led when the bell gave a loud clang,
clang as pulled it. felt had aroused
unwilling echoes-perhaps awakened
the ghosts of long ago, and was almost
tempted to run away when / heard
footsteps within coming toward the
door, But, instead OF meeting a frown
of disapproval, as 1 half expected, /
was admitted by O. dark-faced nun,
who appeared to consider it no unusual
occurrence that stranger desired per-
mission to enter.
The hall was dim and wide, with a
gray stone floor and white pillars at
the farther end. While | was inwardly
commenting upon it's severity and
scrupulous neatness, Sister Frances
came to show me about. She was rather
small mulatto, with a slender in
teresting face, black eyes demurely
ly folded Her uniform was of black
serge, with wide, white linen guimpe,
veil, and the inevitable black beads
and cross. We ascended the wide,
easy staircase, and on the first landing
/ was confronted with the words: Il
have chosen rather to be an abJect in
the house of my God than to dwell in
the tabernacle of sinners"
In the boarding department OF the
convent Sister Frances told me there
were nineteen students. These came
from Louisiana, Mexico, and even
South America. They are not only
given good ordinary education, some
of them graduating at eighteen, but
they also have the advantage of in
struction in music if it is desired. In
deed, i could hear the monotonous run
of the scales as | passed through the
halls, and wondered if the little colored
maids hated to practice as much as
we used to do when at school. / fancy
not, for occasionally / caught glimpses
of figures seated at the piano. and saw
on the little dusky faces expressions
which spoke neither of fatigue nor
discomfort. Connected with the con-
vent is a home for aged and infirm
colored men and women.
In this convent of the Holy Family
there are 1T present siXtyeight sisters,
twenty-six novices candidates. The
candidates remain for six months, and
if at the end of that period they still
wish to continue, they become novices.
The novitiate lasts two years, after
which the novice takes the black veil
Even then, however, the vows only be-
come permanent when they have been
renewed ten years in succession. One
must thoroughly understand the
character of the colored race TO fully
vows of remuneration. The colored
people as a class are always so light
hearted and laughter-loving, SO fond
of gayety and amusement, that such
rigid self-denial must necessarily re-
quire even greater strength of pur-
pose than that displayed by the white
sisters who devote their lives TO reli-
gion and charity. And yet in all these
years there has been only one who has
left the sisterhood after taking the
final vOws.-Boston Transcript.