The Irish standard., 1900-07-07
Sister iAliee 0'sullivan Born in
County Tipperary.
raB MASSACRE Of Her COMPANIONS
Tribute to Her Memory from q
Scotch Presbyterian.

According to promise made, says the
Clonmel (Tipperary) Nationalist of June
2, we place now before our readers de-
tails we have collected relating to Bles-
sed Alice O'Sullivan, of Clonmel, one Of
the Sisters of Charity martyred in China
go years ago, and whom the church has
solemnly beatifed. This rare honor,
justly appreciated all over Christen-
dom, affords particular Joy and gratifi-
cation to the people of the premier
county, and especially in the martyr
saints birth-place-Clonmel.
Alice O'Sullivan was born at the West
Gate, Irishtown, Parish of St. Mary's
on Dec I, 1896, to which place her par
ents had removed from Newry. AS
she seemed likely to leave the world
Immediately after entering into it, she
was baptised few hours after birth.
Her biographer, Sister Dutrouilh,
who knew her intimately, writes: Her
mother died quite young, when she was
a baby. Her father was fervent Cath
olic. He intrusted the childhood Of
his little Alice to very pious and devot-
ed servant, but she had not the vigilance
or the tact of a mother. From over
affection she let the child do just as she
liked. She had several brothers who
loved her tenderly, and made her share
in all their sports and pleasures. She
learned to read very early. When she
grew older her father placed her in a
good convent for her education (the
Presentation Convent, Irishtown).
There she acquired solid love of piety,
and the good nuns who brought her up
recognized in their pupil candor and
simplicity which charmed them.
Her pious disposition seemed to indi-
cate that God did not wish her to re-
main in the world. She consulted her
brother, Lazarist, and as the result,
he advised her to join the Sisters of St.
Vincent de Paul. She entered the order
at the age of 20, and her first years were
spent in France, going thence to Drog-
heda. In '63 she was invited to go to
China, and though the sacrifice cost her
terribly, she obeyed the call nobly.
When in Shanghai she rendered the
community the greatest service in soft
ening the prejudices of the Protestant
European authorities, for whom they
worked the hospital, so much so that
those who had been hostile to the nuns
became their most jealous protectors.
However, Sister O'Sullivan's character
and habits were so opposed to all she
met with in China that she could not
avoid strong feeling of antipathy to-
ward the Chinese, and having explained
to the Father General her desire to
return to European civilization he au-
thorized her return to France, and she
started from Tien Tsin on her way
home.
At the convent there the community
had their hands full of hospital and
other work, and they asked her to stay
with them, but Sister O'Sullivan's heart
seemed to revolt at the thought of stay
ing in the country, and repulsed it with
indignation. But while praying by her
self subsequently in the new church of
Notre Dame des Victories she had a
vision of the Blessed Virgin, who she
said told her to "remain with these poor
people," She left the church changed
woman, and placed herself at the dis
posal Of the community, resolved to fol-
low the mandate of the Virgin, and give
her life to the poor benighted people Of
the place. A miracle of grace had been
worked in her soul, and she set to work
with renewed ardor with the Tien Tsin
nuns. She had presentiment of the
coming end, but she ignored the fact,
and while her virtue edited all round
her and Heaven was preparing her
crown, she was always fumbling herself
at the fact that her companions served
the Chinese with pleasure, while she had
to do constant violence to herself to
overcome her antipathy.
We have before us as we write valu-
able book of 413 pages, "The First Mar
tyrs of the Holy Childhood, by Priest
OF the Mission" translated from the
French by Lady Herbert (London: Art
and Book Company, A. D. 1ooo). 1t
tells how on June Fl, 1870, two priests
of the congregation of the Mission Of
St. Vincent de Paul. called the sIaxar-