Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-02-11
HUNS LEAVE OLD CONVENT.
oarmelite Convent in san Juan, Peg
to Rico, After Three
Centuries Occupancy.

For the first time in 25S years the feet
of the worldly tread the floors Of the IN
Gent Carmelite convent in San Juan,
and the nuns who were sheltered in the
old structure have gone forever from
the capital of Porto Rico, and the shad-
ow of the cathedral, says a recent San
Juan correspondence in the st. louis
Globe-Democrat. Fifteen of them were
transported by steamer and overland to
San German, where better quarters have
been provided for them. Some of the
nuns are very old and feeble and some
are young girls who have recently en-
tered the convent. Many of them en-
tered the convent when they were
young girls, and are now old women.
No one enters their apartments.
When one of their number dies the
nuns themselves bury their dead with
their own peculiar ceremonies. doing
all the work incident to the interment,
the cemetery being in the immediate
premises of the convent.
During the time of the bombardment
of the city by Admiral Sampson the
nuns were removed from the little con-
vent building for a few days, and were
taken care of in Rio Piedras, but with
this only exception, it is said, the nuns
of this convent have never left the Sc
clusion.
This is the only order of this kind on
the island, and these nuns occupy their
new quarters in San German possibly
never to again be disturbed in their per-
petual devotion to God for another
epoch of centuries.
1t was not intended that any one
should know of the movement of the
nuns, and that it should be done as Sc
cretly as possible after dark, but they
had no sooner left the building thsn it
became noised about town, causing
quite a stir, for every one knew of the
absolute seclusion of these pious wor-
Slippers and the character of their devo-
ton and sacrifice.
Special preparations were made on the
steamer S o that they could be as abb
GolutSlJ SCSluutu luCtS 10 luSy nave
been in the convent. They were in
charge Of two priests, the pastor of the
San German church and Father Canella,
of San Juan. The nuns made an appli-
cation to Bishop Blenk some time ago
to be transferred, as the building which
they occupied is falling down and needs
repairs very much.
The scene at the pier was one seldom
witnessed. When the carriages con-
tanning the nuns arrived a crowd fought
to see the yelled women. Many relatives
were there and some of the sisters wept
bitterly, while others said they were
perfectly happy. Sobs and cries, how
ever, predominated, and the gathering
was a weird one. The steamer sailed al
two o'clock in the morning. The nuns
of this order are, perhaps, the most
pious and sacrificing of any of the Cath.
olic church. They are welded to Goo
alone, and when they enter the con.
vent they leave all earthly things be-
hind them, never again to look upon the
face of a mortal but themselves. They
have some communication with the out
side world, but do not see those witt
whom they communicate. A higf
screen is arranged over which they car
converse with their friends upon GER
tain occasions, but the door between
them is never opened, so that they ma.
come in actual contact with even thei,
narpntS or closest relatives.
The only recorded escape from thu
Sistine convent in San Juan occurred
during Spanish times. Then a prett,
young senorita crawled out of a window
on the Christie street side to join friend
of her lover, a Spanish officer in Cuba
She fell to the sidewalk and broke he
leg, but was safely carried away, recov
cred, and later happily married her cav
alier. She is living in Spain.