Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-20
SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL.
A C~ommendable Institution Recently
Established in Lewistown.

Established in Lewistown.
An Argus reporter visited Father ].
NJ. Vermaat at the Catholic rectory
yesterday morning and while there
was shown through the new Sisters
home. which has recently been com.
pleted. There is considerable inter
est attached to the building OF the
home In Lewistown. 1t being the first
of its kind ever built In the United
States.
In 1884 there was established In
France, by Catholic sisters, an order
known as the Order of Jesus. The
mother house was located In Herman
la. province Of Brittany. France, hav.
ing been given by King Louis Phillip
and was later confremd by Napoleon
Ill. The object Of the order, briefly
stated, was the education of young la
dies, the instruction OF o children.
the care of the aged and infrm and
to nurse the sick. At first they wers
in the habit Of going to the houses
OF the invaded and there perform
their duties as nurse, but after awhile
they commenced to build hospitals
Of their W The order hourished
and became a powerful factor in the
charitable and educational works OF
France. About two years ago, how.
ever, the order met with a terrible
misfortune In the passage Of some ex.
IRENE laws by the French government.
Using as a pretext the charge that
the members of the order were exert.
ing a baneful influence on the edu.
cational and political system of that
country, the sisters were ordered to
r~enunciate their VOWS or to leave the
country. AT the time they had about
200 institutions and 1000 members in
France. They chose Punishment to
remuneration and were driven out OF
the country and their property confs-
Gated. They managed TO take with
them some money and II Is with this
pittaonce that they were compelled
to face unknown conditions In strange
countries. Some Of them went to
England, others to Germany and a few
to the United States. Six OF them
came to Montana last summer. Bish-
op Brondel knowing that Rev. Father
Vermaat was DESTROYS that some sis
tiers should come to Lewistown, sent
them to this city. They arrived here
aout the first of August and COM
menced at once to make plans for
building a home.
The party comprise Mother Super.
Tor Philomena and Sisters Zenaide,
Osmann, Zelite, Camille and Nicholas.
on the End OF November a contract
for a building ~ x 2S feet in the clear
was let and on the first of January
the building was ready to be
pied. II has not bet been painted
but is comfortably furnished and con.
tains sufficient room for all present
purposes. The time OF the sisters is
taken up and their work is constant
ly being added to. They have a mum.
Der Of students In language. embroid.
cry, etc. They also have some young
girls boarding with them and attend.
ing the high school, besides receiving
instruction at the home in music and
other accomplishments.
That the home and the work which
will be done there will be a beneht
TO Lewistown, no one doubts. The
sisters are liebral in their teachings
and no member OF another sect can
find fault with them from that stand.
point. They still adhere to the prin.
ciples underlying the origin or their
order and will devote themselves to
teaching the young and helping the
sick and infrm. They own an entire
! block and in time a beautiful, spac.
ious hospital will be built and will be
another powerful agency In further.
ing their good work.