The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-27
CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

ing. Then they were sent out as
teachers or as lay missionaries to
assist in the extension of church and
school work.
In 1857 Charles III issued orders for
the expulsion and deportation of the
Jesuits from all Spanish possessions.
They were replaced in Lower Cali
fornia by sixteen Franciscan fathers,
under the leadership of Father Sierra.
Blackmar, in speaking of the work of
the Church fathers in California, in
his book Spanish Colonization in the
Southwest" makes the statement,
History records no better work ever
accomplished in modern times for an
inferior race
Early French Mission Schools.
Bienville, governor and founder of
the city of New Orleans, realized that
one of the greatest needs of his colony
was to provide for the Christian teach
ing of the children. Therefore, one of
his first acts was to arrange for the
bringing over from France in 1922 of
two Capuchin friars to attend to the
church and to the school. One of these
two fathers opened school for boys.
Bienville next attempted to persuade
the Jesuits to open a school and col
lege for the education of the sons of
the well to do people. The Jesuits
established missionary station, but
they could not see their way clear to
support a college. However, through
their good Offices band of ten sisters,
trained teachers, from the Ursuline Or
der, the teaching sisterhood of France,
under the guidance of a Superior,
Mother Tranchepain, came to take
charge of the education of the girls of
the colony. These sisters have the
honor of being the first professional
elementary school teachers in the
United States. They sailed from
LOrient in the ship Gironde.
Their voyage was most eventful. The
ship was beset with storms and once
she struck a rock, and pirates several
times pursued her. The voyage con-
sumed five months, and they arrived
at the mouth of the Mississippi after
everybody had given them up for lost
Here the ship stuck fast in the mud.
For two weeks the Sisters sailed up
the river by day in rude dugouts and
by night slept in the forests. At last
they reached the city of New Orleans,
where their coming was hailed with a
delight commensurate with their suf-
ferings. They established convent
and school for girls, the first within
the present limits of the United States.
Later they established boarding
school, an academy, a hospital and
an orphan asylum. The Sisters began
with forty day scholars and twenty
four boarding pupils.
The methods employed by these
Ursuline Sisters were excellent. Some
notable features were Cd the employ
ment of pupil teachers, called "di-
zainieres." These were bright pupils
who had special charge of group of
ten other pupils and who assisted the
regular teacher in class instruction
and in the maintenance of discipline.
(2) Specialization. So far as lack Of
teachers permitted each teacher had
her own special subject and circulated
from room to room teaching that sub
ject only. (3) Industrial subjects.
Hand work, including sewing and en-
broidery and other accomplishments
of a skillful houseworker were given
special attention.
When Napoleon sold Louisiana to
the United States the Mother Superior
in 1904 wrote to President Jefferson
and received assurance from him of
his protection.
After the battle of New Orleans the
patriotic Ursulines turned their insti-
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