The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-06-17
After Many Years She Left the
Catholic Church.
A LADY OF UNQUEsTIONED ABILITY
Chief Cause Of Trouble was the
Spirit of Pride.

The picturesque religious figure who
was known throughout two continents
under the rhythmical title Of the "Nun
of Kenmare" was born in the city of
Dublin in 1880, just short time before
the agitation OF the tractarian movement
in Oxford university precipitated into
the Catholic church in England large
number OF prominent Anglican laymen
and theologians, foremost among whom
was that master of English undefled,
the young, eloquent minister of St.
Mary's parish who in later years became
known everywhere in loving reverence
as Cardinal Newman, says the Chicago
Chronicle.
Mary Francis Cusack, the real name
OF the nun of Kenmare, grew into girl
hood in the very heart OF the religious
! disturbance produced throughout the
british islands by the publications OF
the Tracts for the Times" in Oxford.
At that time the tendency of the age
was religious discussion and it was nat
ural that the young Irish girl OF 18
should be drawn into the vortex OF pop
ular expression. She relates the story
of her change Of belief from Anglican
tenets to Catholic principles in her pub
lshed autobiography.
"My change of opinion occurred at a
period when I was suffering from long
illness. At the time of my reception
into the Roman Catholic church 1 read
a great many religious books. AS I
could not bear to see visitors, this was
my only pleasure, and Keble's Christ
tian Year. together with Manning's and
Newman's sermons, became my con-
slant companions. Gradually through
this reading began to grasp the idea
OF visible church and to long for GER
tainty of belief.
CAT this time became acquainted
with Lord and Lady F., whose
friendship had great effect on my life.
DR.. Pusey was personal friend of the
family and he visited their house on the
different occasions when he came to
that part of England to meet his peni-
tents. I have rarely met with
man so intensely sympathetic and cap
able of entering into the feelings of
others and the little apparently unim-
portant circumstances which add SO
much pain to heavier sorrows"
By the advice OF DR.. Pusey Miss Gu
sack entered an Anglican sisterhood in
London. 1t was during this period of
her life that the horrors of the Crimean
war aroused the attention of the world
to the miseries endured by the suffering
armies. Immediately there was call
+, for nurses, but Miss Cusack, because of
her i'll health, was among the number
obliged to be left at home The gov
ernment of the sisterhood was changed
and the Irish girl at last determined to
leave the Anglican community and join
the Catholic church. She was received
in London in July, 1858, and was con-
frmed by Cardinal Wiseman, who urged
her to devote her life to Catholic litera-
ture, for the youthful convert had al
ready begun to use her pen with Sue
cess.
After some little time Miss Cusack
f. entered the Catholic Order of Poor
Clares at Newry, during which time she
continued her literary work. After
some months spent in the Franciscan
, convent at Newry the Poor Clare re-
ligieuse joined number OF sisters sent
to Kenmare at the request of Arch
deacon O'Sullivan, who wished to es-
tablish religious foundation in his par
ish at Kenmare, County Kerry. 1t was
at Killarney that Miss Cusack made her
first acquaintance with the squalid mis-
cry of the Irish tenantry and during her
residence in Kenmare she continued to
write industriously.
In the severe famine of 1879 that dev-
astated whole sections of barren Ire
land Sister Mary Frances Clare, as she
was known in the convent, distributed
large sums of money among the suffer-
ing districts which had been forwarded
to her from Australia, India and Amer
lea, as her nom de plume of the nun OF
Kenmare attached to numberless writ
! ings had made her personality widely
known. Her letters to papers on the
distress in Ireland served to acquaint
distant peoples with some idea of the
narrowing poverty and distress that pre-
vailed in the little kreen island during
the ravages of the fhmine So forcible