The Irish standard., 1898-06-11
A BENEFAcT0R TO HUMANITY.
Demise of a Holy and Noble Rellw-
ious, Mother Mary Joseph.

The "Oregonian" Of May 20, published
at Portland, Ore, contains the follow
ing interesting sketch of Mother Mary
Joseph who died in that city:
Mother Mary Joseph, aged 70 years,
Mother Superior of the Convent Of Mer-
cy, at Sixteenth and Couch streets.
passed quietly away at 10 minutes to Q
o'clock yesterday morning. Her end
was one of great peace The prayers
for departing soul had been said half
an hour previously, her hand held the
halt burnt-out candle, now relighted.
which had been blessed nearly 81 years
before, when she had received the habit
OF the Sisterhood of Mercy, the crucifix
sent her by Pope Plus TX, during her
work as nurse in the Crimean war. was
also with her during these last prayers.
SO calm was her passing away that the
friends watching over her could not saw
at what moment it occurred It is he
lleVed that she was conscious most of
the time, but so very weak that she had
spoken but little. Last December she
mad an attack of the grip, from which
she never entirely recovered, Since
Easter she has been lowering between
life and death and on Easter Monday
she received the last sacraments.
Mother M. Joseph, otherwise Alicia
Lynch, whose deeds of warm Kindness
have endeared her alike to Professionals
ana TO Catholics. was born in Cork, Ire
land. Fifty-four years of her life have
been spent in the convent During 16
OF these years she was one of the Sisters
OF Mercy in charge of the Industrial
school of 700 pupils, at Kinsale, Ireland,
In December, 1854, she was one of the
little band Of Is Irish sisters who an
sWered the cry for help that came from
the Crimea. Their work as nurses dur
ing this war has become part of his
tory. In 1859 she came to America as
assistant to the mother superior at the
Willoughby avenue school in BROOKLYN.
Here she remained IA years and helped
to build it up from a beginning with
two pupils in attendance to an !nstitu-
ton that earned $1,000 a month by it's
labor. The year 1873 found her in
Michigan, at Grand Rapids, where a
large hospital for lumbermen, planned
on simple but sound and practical bus
mess basis, came into existence through
her energy and executive ability. 1t is
now self-supporting and will accommo-
date 800 patients. From Michigan she
went to Minnesota, and became mother
superior of large parochial school, and
of an Indian school also. In time a
well stocked farm Of 240 acres, all under
cultivation, was attached to these. Two
years ago, when the sisters sold their
property in Minnesota, Mother Joseph
came to Portland and has been In charge
of the Mercy Home since her arrival. At
the time Of her death she was at work
on book giving an account in detail
OF the experiences of the Sisters of
Mercy during the Crmean war, book
in which Florence Nightingale is con-
spicuous figure. This, however, was
left unfinished.
Mother Joseph was woman Of strong
and genial character, systematic and
practical in business, yet with that
mother-wit and that generosity that
knows no bounds, which are so essen
TALLY Irish. With an interest in school
work that never failed, she combined an
administrative ability that has done
much for the upbuilding of the Catholic
church both in American and In ireland.