The Irish standard., 1905-08-26
A NOBLE WOMAN
Tie F0undress of the Ordt r of
the Poor CLASSES
In America Passes Away at Lv-
ansville, Ind.


foundress of the Order of Poor Clares
in the United States, departed this life
on the 18th inst, fortified with the
sacraments of our Holy Mother
Church. She was born in the Castle
of st. Angelo, Rome, July 20, 1884, be-
ing the twelfth of sixteen children.
Her father, Count Domenico Bentivog-
lilo, held the rank of general in the
Papal army and did worthy service
both under Gregory XVI and Plus TX.
She entered religion on the feast Of
st. Francis, 1864. Thirty years ago,
in 1875 the right reverend mother
abbess, accompanied by her sister,
Mary Constance of Jesus, left the
monastery of San Observation-Disclosures
ma, Rome, to come to this country, in
compliance with the command of His
Holiness, Pope Plus TX, and the gen
eral of the order, the Most Rev. Father
Bernardine, made at the request of the
Right Rev. Francis Silas Chatard, ID.
D., bishop Of Indianapolis (the presi-
dent of the American College in
Rome), who has always been father
to the right reverend mother abbess in
her community.
Prior to this time several attempts
had been made to introduce the Or.
der of Poor Clares according to the
primitive observance of the First Rule
of st. Clare, into America, but they
had proved unsuccessful. The work
of firmly establishing the Order was
reserved, in the DEGREES of Divine
Providence, to two members of one
OF the Oldest and noblest families of
Italy. The two sisters, in virtue OF
holy obedience, set out from their be-
loved monastery August 10, 1875, Sis,
ter Mary Magdalen being appointed
mother abbess of the new foundation,
or Of any other foundation to be made,
by His Holiness, granting her all the
rights and privileges commonly en-
joyed by the superiors of the order,
expressly ordaining that in these new
foundations the First Rule of ST. Clare
was to be strictly alhercd to, espe-
cially in the things relating to the OBJ
servance of holy poverty.
They arrived in New York October
II, having had most calm and pleas
ant voyage. Here they encountered
many trials, which, though severe, did
not discourage them in their noble un,
dertaking but rather afforded means
of manifesting the true worth of their
characters. After a series of bitter
disappointments, they received an Of.
fer from his Grace, the archbishop of
New Orleans, to establish themselves
in that city. They gratefully accepted
the offer, and through the kindness of
Mrs. F. A. Drexel and Mother Bowler,
a religious of the Sacred Heart, were
enabled to reach their new home
March 13, 1877
Their stay in New Orleans was of
but short duration for on June 7 they
were surprised by a visit of the Very
Rev. Father Gregory Yanknecht. min
inster provincial of the German
province of the Sacred Heart at
st. Louis, Mo-, who told them to get
ready to leave New Orleans and go tc
Cleveland, Ohio. Without inquirine
into his motives they simply bowed
their heads and prepared for depar
ture, leaving August 6.
At Cleveland new trials awaited
fhem three months had barrel,
elapsed when Father Gregory, accom-
panied by Father Kilian, came to tel
them that a number of German Poo
Glare Colletines were on their way tt
Cleveland and would arrive the mex
day; that a fusion of the two com
munities was to be made and that the,
were to conform in every detail to tn
usages of the German Sisters; the
had received no previous intimation c
this matter; without knowing the req
son, they had been conducted to Clev'
land for the purpose of introducing tn
German Colletines for whom Fathe
Gregory had promised to provide
nome in the United States, but ha
failed to obtain the necessary permi
sion from several bishops to whom /
mad applied for leave to establish the
in their dioceses. When, however,
informed his lordship, the Right Re
Bishop Gilmore, that there were tv
Sisters belonging to the family
Bentivoglio, who wished to sett
there, his lordship having heard
them from the Right Rev. Bish
Chatard, at once said: 81 will c.
tainly receive them"
Upon the arrival of the Germ
community it was found to be imp'
sible to conform to their usages a
customs, the rules of the Colletin
differing in many essential points fro
the First Rule of st. Glare, which
ter the Sisters had been sent specia
to found. Besides this, there We
several rights which had been direc
conferred on them by the Apostle
See at Rome, which they could l
renounce until they were taken fr'
them by those who had granted the
They wrote to the Father General
Dopoo f,,11 rnatforc q