The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-05-17

years the Convent became the Mother
house of the Province of st. Paul with
Mother Mary of st. Bernard it's first
Provincial. Under it's Jurisdiction
there are at present seven houses of
the order located in Portland, Denver,
Helena, Seattle, Omaha, Dubuque and
Spokane.
Supernatural Character of the Work.
Even among Catholics the beneficent
purpose of the House of the Good
Shepherd is but imperfectly under
stood and, consequently, not apprecl-
ated at its real worth as potent
agency in social reform work Daily
experience proves that, outside linn
tied circle of friends of the Com
munity, little or nothing is known OF
it's true character After forty-five
years Of unceasing labor in uplifting
the fallen it should not be necessary
to dwell at length upon the sublime
heroism and truly Christian work of
the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. One
of the reasons why this most deserv-
better known is, no doubt, on
account of the supernatural character
Of it's work which shuns the public
gaze and seeks not the applause of
men. The Sisters are content to live
in obscurity, happy in the knowledge
that their efforts and sacrifices are
known to Him Who rewards a hun
d1sod Fol fhn erixy of -
water to disciple in His name. And
yet, no more meritorious work for
social welfare has been carried on in
st. Paul during the past half century
than that of the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd.
Mistaken Notions.
To the majority of people a men
tion of their work calls up visions of
prison house where female offenders
against the laws which govern social
propriety and decency are compelled
by the civil authorities to serve a
certain time. Others look upon it as
kind Of hospital where unfortunate
women, worn out by dissipation, go to
regain their shattered health and
strength and then return to their evil
ways. Others again believe that the
inmates are permitted to lead idle,
useless lives; while not a few think
that the wretched women consigned to
the care of the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd are unlawfully detained and
over-worked or made to labor without
remuneration. All these mistaken no.
tions of the aim and purpose of the
House of the Good Shepherd have
prevented the Sisters from receiving
that loyal support and generous CO
operation which would have made
their work even more effective than
it has been. Notwithstanding the diff
fculties which they have had to con-
tend with, they have made wonderful
progress, and IL the good they have ac-
complished in the way of rescuing
from lives of shame those who have
fallen by the wayside were more fully
known the public at large would hail
them as the noblest benefactors of
helpless womankind.
The Professed Sisters.
The Sisters of the Good Shepherd
lead a life of prayer and labor and
self-denial in community. The profess
ed Sisters, with the exception of the
outdoor Sisters, are clustered, that is
to say, they never leave the enclosure
of the convent except in cases of abb
solute necessity which occur only at
| fhn nCh sn4n 1d
dealings of the Community with the
outside world are attended to by the
outdoor Sisters acting under the direc-
tion of the Superioress. They dress
| in black while the clustered Sisters
dress in white. There is one abso-
lutely necessary qualification for mem
bership among the professed Sisters
and that is an untarnished reputation
in the applicant for admission and
freedom from any moral stain in her
immediate female relatives. The rea.
SON for mentioning this qualification is
that some people are under the i'm
preston that when penitent women
are thoroughly reformed they are
sometimes admitted into the Commun-
AIJ 06 PAO4CSSSu 64SbGEEs 3NO udLLGT
what qualifications Of birth, fortune or
education fallen woman may possess
she can never become a professed
Sister. Should she desire to devote
her life to religion, other provisions
are made for her.
Primary Purpose Of the Institute.
The House of the Good Shepherd is
primarily an institute for the reclamar
ton of women and girls who, follow
ing the allurement of the world, and
the inclinations Of weak moral
nature, go astray from the path of
virtue and at length find themselves
engulfed In the quagmire Of habitual
vice whence they are powerless to ex-
tricate themselves without the aid Of
a helping hand. This 10 extended by
the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
whose protective garb or purity and
charity safeguards them against the
danger OF being dragged down TO the
mire from which they would rescue
their perishfng proteges. TO this
work the Sisters OF the Good Shepherd
I'm st. Paul and elsewhere devote their
lives, their talents and energy, az well
as whatever fortune Providence may
have endowed them with.