The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-24
ANACONDA news.
DEATH OLA NOBLE WOMAN
Sister Mary Bridget Passes Peace
fully Away.
A LIFE OF SELF-SACRIFICE
For Thirty Years Her Splendid Energies
Have Been devoted to the Tighten
ing of the Burdens of Those in
Distress Her Work.

Not for a long time has the Standard
been called upon to announce an event
so sad as is the death of Sister Mary
Bridget, which occurred at st. AIMS
hospital at 9:25 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. The painful news of the death
of so good and noble a woman as was
Sister Mary Bridget will be received
with feelings of the deepest sorrow, for
never was there a oma more beloved
than she.
In all the history of women whose
lives were devoted to the alienation of
the sufferings of others and the denial
of self. M page tells of more heroism
than that of the holy woman who yes
terday passed away. For 30 years her
energies were directed DWARF the light
ening of the burdens of unfortunates
and The relief of those in distress. In
many states of the union everlasting
monuments are reared in testimony of
untiring efforts of Sister Mary Bridget.
Montana knew her well. In Deer Lodge,
Helena, Virginia City and other places
her name was synonymous with all that
is good, kind and virtuous. For many
years Sister Mary Bridget has been a
sufferer from physical ailments which
would ave crushed one of less indom-
initable energy than she. Spite ILL
ness, suffering and agoniZing pain, her
untiring work for humanity never halt
ed. Even to the last, when disease
struck her down, Sister Mary Bridget
VS. actively engaged in a work of such
character as only the strong might un-
dertake.
1t is truly a sad occurrence-the death
of such a woman, and it will be diff
cult to find one to fill her place, even
in all the thousands of the self-sacrifc-
ing women who constitute the ranks of
the sisters of charity. Two states,
Montana and Colorado, have especial
ly good cause to remember the glorious
work of Sister Mary Bridget, and in
these states thousands of eyes will fill
with tears of genuine grief when the
word is received that this noble wom-
an is no more.
The cause of Sister Mary Bridget's
death was a canoe of the left breast.
From this aff1iction she had long been
a sufferer, but up to Friday afternoon
she bravely withstood the disease and
refused to succumb. On Friday after
noon it became apparent to the sur
geons in attendnce that heroic measures
must be taken. An operation was de-
cided upon. and at 2:15 o'clock on Fri
day Drs. st. Jean and MacNevin per-
formed the operation. Sister Mary
Bridget rallied splendidly from the
treatment, and the surgeons and those
near her had every reason to congrat-
ulate themselves upon the success of
their efforts. Her condition after cav
ing the operating table was such as to
warrant the belief that recover were
a matter of but a short time. The fav-
orable symptoms continued until near
the hour of midnight, when it became
evident that the strong will could no
longer sustain the frail body, and the sis
ter began to fail. Gradually, in almost
imperceptible stages, the sick woman
san until 1925 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. when death came.
Sister Mary Bridget displayed the
most remarkable courage throughout
the trying hours that preceded and fol-
lowed the operation. When she was
placed pom the operating table her jovial
good nature refused to give way to the
gloom that surrounded her, and she
joked with the surgeons and attend
ants to the instant when the anaesthetic
overcame her.
Sister Mary Bridget was born at Bal
ly~nahinch, County Tipperary. Ireland,
July s, 1851. She was, therefore, AZ
years of age on the Sth day of the pres
ent Month Her name before entering
the order of the sisters of charity was
Bridget O'Rourke. She came to the
United States in 1869, at the age of IS
years, anu JOlncu ne oTutG II lit DIS
tiers of Charity of ~Leavenworth, Kan
sas, in the following year, 1870. Her first
mission was to Deer Lodge, Montana, to
which place she came in 1873. From
1873 to 1875 she remained at Deer Lodge,
though duty often called her to Helena.
In 1876 she removed to Virginia City,
Mont, where the first of her great work
began. In Virginia City she remained
until 1879, during which time, under the
supervision n direction, a magnificent
hospital was built. Her stay at Vir-
ginia City was brought to an end
through a troublesome tumor which ap-
peared upon her left breast. For treat
ment she returned to the mother home
at L~eavenworth. She recovered from
the operation, and in the same year,
1879, she was sent to Leadville, Colo,
where through her efforts a hospital was
built and the p%arochial schools greatly
improved. She remained as sister SUI
perior of st. Vincent's hospital at Lead
vile until 1891, when she came to Mon
tana. Her executive ability had by this
time attracted the attention of the
mother superior at Leavenworth, and
she was ordered to Montana for the
especial purpose of raising funds to
liquidate the debt existing on St. JOS
eph's orphanage at Helena. In this
work she was engaged when death
struck her down. She was most sue
cessful in all of her work, and a she
been spared a few years more St. JOS