Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-03

there are as many Protestants among
her patients at the Rosary Hill Home
as there are Catholics. And While the
institution is under the supervision Of
the church. ministers of all denom-
nations are not only permitted but ell
couraged to visit the place for the Dur
pose of administering spiritually to he
patients Of their own faith.
While still confined to the Cherry
street home. Mrs. Latlirop organic ID
her little staff of assistants as a lay
sistt rnood. But it gradually dawned
on her that it would be tc the advan-
tage OF the cause for which she WAS
striving if she PLACED !.erself in more
intimate connection with the Catholic
church. Then followed the incorpor-
alton of the little sisterhood into the
Dominican order. and Sister Rose. as
Mrs. Lathrop had till then been called.
became the Rev. Mother NJ. Alphonsa
LathrC7. o. 5. D.
las long as the life of the world has
any hold upon you. you cannot give all
that is within yOu," she said in eXplin:t-
ton of this step.
The Rosary Hill Home lies some six
miles north of White Plains. in the tract
OF land known most commonly as Sher-
man park. The station and the little
village used to be named Cnonville. But
after the establishment OF thu. home m
l!Ul the villagers voted to change the
name OF their place to Hawthorne. in hon
or OF the woman who had settled down
among them.
Mother Alphonsa said the other day
that she had been so fortunate as never
10 nave to refuse Il deserving case ad-
mission to the home. In all some 325 pa
hslan tod NIT hi,
up to this date. Their average life may
be estimated at three months from the
time of entrance. Some die almost as
soon as they arrive. There are two or
three who have spent three years in the
home and have hope of remaining alive
for some time TO come.
Cure Is out Of the question. you know"
said Mother Alphonsa. ''All we can do is
to relieve their sufferinga and to make
their last days as cheerful and happy as
is possible under the circumstances. If
could have my will they would he living
in marble palaces. Life has given them
so little OF happiness. But we have to
make our ne;Ins reach as far as possible.
and thus W" are compelled to be content
with the simplest comfort. Our average
number OF patients is thirty-five, and
about One-third of them are men. There
it seems. in comparison with the number
of patients. But the work required in
connection with the care of cancer is so
much greater than that needed for the
care of other diseases. So every one of
the sisters has her hands full all day
long"
One of the hopes of the mother superior
is that she may be able to increase the
sisterhood so as to enable her to send
members Of it out through the poor dis
tricts for the purpose of treating patients
in their own houses. Tn" principle Is to
admit to the Rosary Hill Home only those
who have nobody to care for them or who
are neglected by their families. There is
a lot of callousness and cruelty to be
found. But. although some patients are
eager to get n comfortable retreat at the
home, most OF them rebel against leaving
their own people and prefer to receive
whatever assistance may be needed from
visiting sisters. And Mother Alphonsa he
lieves in building up the moral strength
Of til. community by not encouraging in
i',nan indiffeI ence to relatives. Edwin
Ejorkman in New York Times.