The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-08-28
WRITTEN soE THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC

WRITTEN soE THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
/! an" lo.es OF the Religious Of the Sa-
! cred Heart are NOT blighted. one Of the
early educators " ST. Louis and the found
or Of t!cir order Ia America. Mother Du.
chesne. before long. will be placed upon
the altar IL The Catholic Church. a can
onizsl saint.
Incidentally The Regal City of the LOU
islana Purchase will he the frst in til"
nitcd States TO have o.c of it, former
residents receive this signal honor al the
hands "f tho Roman Pontiff.
Mother puchesne's !i:c work II bound cp
with the beginning and settlement Of this
city and forms IA part of It's early his
tory and Il chapter In the history Of this
country. II is d connecting link between
IN" period that saw the transfer Of the
Louisiana Territory and the present time,
la which We commemorate that purchase,
and show III a worlds exposition the
progress and achievements thereby made
possible.
i."r.s in IIG3 at Romans. France. OF
noted parents. Philippine Duchesne early
~ he eyimced a pred.lect!on for the re-
liG.pl;s state. Iicr father, an eminent
tugist. who held Il hign position IN the
French Parliament, opposed her dcterTni-
nation. To become q nun. and asserting 10
ELS A45!its STE gave bD convent HE ana
devoted her time to social functions with
a. r1u"h carrcstIess as Sl. had previous
~ given to her religious exercises.
But her desire to enter tne Religious
stat. was deeply rooted In her heart. Her
parents finally yielded 10 her desire 10 be-
come a religious nun. and ahe entered tne
Visitation Convent. the same where she
had beer educated.
When .hc French Revolution broke out
the nuns we're Obliged To disband. and !,
was not until ten years later that the
Goncordat between Napoleon and the
Vatican restored a semDlance of order.
Philippine Duchesne passed through the
fury of that period visiting the prisons
and ministerinG 10 the wants Of the IN
After the Revolution. which had des-
spoiled the religious Institutions In France,
Mother Ducheane. upon the advice OF a
Jesuit Father entered The order of the
madames of the Sacred Heart at Amieus.
FIRST SCHOOL IN 81. CHARLES.
Several years later the convent was
visited by Bishop Dubourg, who VAS sta
toned at st. Louis.
He petit.oned the Mother General of the
order to send some religious to his diocese
and after much persuasion Mother
the great West in a sailing vessel. After
Il voyage of several months. during
which they encountered frequent storms
and as frequently we're threatened with
shipwreck. they arrived in New orleans
and thence made their way up the Missis-
sippi to their destination, ST. Louis.
AitlN III lAtir lNUy Y StNtls tllr NUS
p.tality OF General Praits home. but a
few weeks later removed to st. Charles.
where the first school of the Madames OF
the Sacred Heart in America was opened.
their income, and. with a view of bet
tering their condition. they remOyed to
Florissant. whittier they Journeyed lead
ing two COWS by a rope and each nun
Carrying several chickens
At Fiorissant the Sisters also conducted
an Indian school The first school of the
II. . --a 81 Ettnh. t. r-I@s MO- 4I.-
St. Louis in 1895. The Sisters also estab-
lished an orphanage in q home given to
them by Mr.. Mulianphy. opposite the old
French Market. between La Sale and
In 1898, at the urgent request Of the
Jesuits. the Sisters again reopened their |
school in st. Charles. Among their first
pupils were Miss Pratt, a daughter Of the
General. and Miss Pe.agie Chouteau. Sew
erai years later, despite her seventy |
three years. Mother puchesne and three
established u school for the In
on Sugar Creek. Blu: the lie proved
too vigorous for one OF her advanced age
and after a year of prisation and hard
ships. she was forced TO return to s.;
where, in her little narrow cell
close to the chapel, she spent the remain
Ing ten years of her life.
This little room IS the same to-day as .
1t was then. The only furniture It con
tains is "a bed. n chair, an old trunk. a
" ell-worn desk and q large oil painting |
Of 81. Francis Regis. which had been
presented 10 tns venerable lSilSlUuS Dy /
Bishop Doubourg.
AUTHORITIES CONSIDERING CASE.
Her health gradually falling. Mother
finally on the morning Of No
vember is, 1852, received the last minis
of the church. and shortly after
Expired, surrounded by the community.
were reading the prayers for the
ying.
After th!rty-four years of toll in
her body was buried at st. !