The San Francisco call., 1896-01-15
Placed on Exhibition by the Sis.
ter Superior of the Girls
Directory.
WHY SHE SENT THEM AWAY.
Says the Garb the Sisters Wear Is a
Matter of Choice, but Not Author.
lied by the Church.

In q neat, clean and comfortably fur
nished room on the ground floor of the
Girls Directory at the corner of Central
and Beuna Vista avenues, near Buena
Vista Park, there were yesterday afternoon
eighteen little tots, all dressed in warm,
clean, comfortable clothing. They were q
bright, happy looking lot OF youngsters,
with fat chubby faces indicative of the
fact that they were not suffering for the
want of nourishment. They were seated
in little rockers and on big chairs, and
were singing baby songs when seen.
"These," said Sister Mary Margaret, the
sister superior of the institution, "are the
children that were in our branch home
two miles beyond San Leandro and of
whose condition Miss Prescott made COM
plant few days ago and whom Father
McSweeny of Oakland announced he would
take from us. These little ones, and they
range from year and half up to five or
six, need good pure fresh milk, and in order
to supply them with it we concluded to
get four-room cottage near San Leandro
and keep them there. Complaint was
made that the floors of the place are with
out carpets and that the walls are bare.
Well, did You ever see an orphan asylum
where the floors are carpeted or the walls
hung with fine pictures and ornaments?
complaint is also made that the little
ones sleep on sacks filled with straw. The
beds on which they sleep are made of
checked blue and white bingham, and it
is true that these ticks are not filled with
feathers, for it would not do to place chill
dren of that age on feathers. They have
good, comfortable, clean mattresses which
are placed in cribs. There are two dozen
OF these, so that each child has its own.
II had these children brought over here
to-day SO that they could be seen, and any
one can see that they are not maltreated
or starved.
'We-that is, the Sisters who are in
charge of this home for girls-are charged
with being frauds on the Catholic church
| want to say that we never have repre-
sented ourselves as being patronized by
the church. l have told that to Father
McSweeney and to every other priest and
every one who visits Us.
1--WE are Catholics and bring up the
children under our care in that faith. We
are an incorporated society, and receive
girls of every creed or nationality and care
for them. The majority of the children
left with US are those of very poor parents
who are unable to care for them. OF the
eighteen we have here two are foundlings,
two have but one parent each and the 9TH
ers have both parents. When we receive
children not of our faith we ask the par
ents to allow us to bring them up in our
faith. Then we keep them until they are
IA, or until they make their first commun-
ion.
Last Sunday eleven girls from here
made their first communion in st. Agnes
Church on Masonic avenue, right near our
home. After they have made their trst
communion we find places for them in re-
spectacle families and by that time the
parents take care of them. If at any time
parents can pay anything toward the sup
port OF their children they pay US small
sum. The eighteen little ones here are
supported by u.s. except one, for whose
care We are paid S. month.
LAS to the garb we wear, we do not
wear it by any sanction of the church, but
we can wear what we like. We call our
selves the Sisters of st. Francis and are
q body of women, eight in nun Der, who
devote our lives to caring for children who
cannot be cared for by parents. Some of
the women who have joined us have given
US money to be used in our work We
have number OF people who contribute
so much month to hel p US maintain the
home.
LAS to our branch home, why, we have
no objection to having it visited by any
member of the press, and we shall ask
some of the reporters to go there and see
for themselves.
This home was started in 1887, on
Christmas day, after l had consulted with
the late Father Buchard. He waited on
the Archbishop, who, through him, said
that he had no objection 10 my engaging
in this work. With Sister Mary Immac-
ulate as my assistant, small home was
opened on Grove street, and then we went
to Van Ness avenue, where we were
Obliged to pay $75 month rent. A sister
joined us and gave us $1,000 and with that
amount / went to look for a block OF land
near the park. / found just what l
wanted, but the price was $4,000. Then
l found this place was owned by a lady
who. was obliged to sell, and she let me
have it for $4,000. But as L had only $1,000,