The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-25
WILL BECOME A NUN.
Former Member Of Salvation Army
10 Take Black Veil.
Miss Swift Was Converted While Secre-
tary of National Auxiliary League.

New York, July 25.-Miss Susie r.
Swift, formerly brigadier in the Saliva
tion Army. whose conversion to the
Roman Catholic faith year and a half
ago caused a commotion in the army
at the time, is about to enter a convent.
Miss Swift is the daughter of a law
yer in Poughkeepsie. and was gradu-
ated from Vassar. She went to Nor
ristown, N. j., to teach higher mathe-
matics and English in a girls school
there, and then on account of illness
went abroad. In England she became
interested in the Salvation Army, and
became the editor of All the World, an
organ of the Salvation Army, and in
that capacity travelled on three con-
tinents and spoke i'm many countries.
She had charge of the work among the
waits of London and opened the News
boys Home, in Fleet street.
At the time of the split in the Saliva
ton Army here Miss Swift had charge
of the Auxiliary League in England.
She volunteered TO come to this coun-
try, an example of one American who
had been contented under the rule of
General Booth. and was ordered TO sail
Immediately as secretary to Miss Eva
Booth. Here she was retained as the
national auxiliary secretary.
League" said Miss Swift at the time of
her conversion, that / was naturally
forced to examine more closely the
grounds of my own faith coming, as
did. in contact with hundreds of in
quirers and with ministers of all de-
nominations. Before that had been so
busy at the work of the Salvation Army
that had little time for reflection. /
had always regarded the army as a
mission and not as a church or a de-
nomination..
"Of course / had long been familiar
with the main teachings of Roman
Catholicism, but when / came to ex-
anime ! grew satisfied that Christ did
establish a visible Church on earth,
and that the Church of Rome was that
visible Church. For that reason / en-
braced the Catholic faith"
Miss Swift found her new faith in the
Paulist Fathers Church, and she went
under the instruction of the Fathers
previous to her final submission. When
fully determined as to her course she
left this country to go to London to
notify personally General Booth. In
London her friends of years in Army
work begged her to fenounce her in
tention, but she remained firm in her
purpose.
On her return to New York Miss
Swift was employed by magazine pub
lished by the Pauists. She told her
friends that when she entered the Sal
walton Army she consecrated herself
wholly to God. and that she should not
be content until she had attained the
highest plane OF conservation within
her reach. She finally determined to
enter the mother house of the congre-
CATION of st. Catherine the Ricci. of the
Third Order of st. Dominic, in Albany.
Miss Swift will leave her present oc-
cupation with the end of this month
and will enter upon her new life in
August.
Miss Swift seemed anxious that her
friends should understand that her re-
tirement from the/world does not mean
desertion OF her adopted daughter.
Christobel. This child. now Is years
old, she adopted IL years ago. She has
arranged with Mrs. Rose Hawthorne
Lathrop to look after the welfare of the
child, now at school in New Jersey.