The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-15
Catholic Converts and.
Convent Inspection

to them."-(Jack Crawford, famous
American soldier and scout.)
The Catholic church is not the only
church which has Sisterhoods. There
are deaconesses of the Methodist
church, who devote their time to hos.
pital work and visiting homes. There
are also sisterhoods in the Protestant
Episcopal church. In fact, there is
quite revival of monastic life for
both male and female orders in that
church. The Lutheran church also
has an organization for deaconesses
who lead strictly religious life. We
learn that this organization, with
headquarters at Kaiserwerth, Ger.
many, claims 10000 members.
1t may be said there is nothing
strange or unique about the life of a
Sister. The Catholic Sisters take
VOWS, sometimes for one year, as is
common with Sisters of Charity:
sometimes for three years and then
again for life; but before they take
these VOWS, they have to serve some
time as novices, on trial, and they are
free at the end of this trial to give up
the religious life and return to their
homes. Bishop Schrembs, of Toledo,
says it is quite hard to get into a
nunnery, but very easy to get out"
Have you never seen these nuns
walking on the streets of your city?
They are perfectly free, they have no
detectives with them. There is no
one there that holds them in chains
or in bondage. Any one can accost
them on the street. They are as free,
If they SO desire, to go into your
house."
He defines a convent as follows:
"A convent is religious home for
young women who desire to lead a
holy and retired life; who wish to
consecrate their lives exclusively and
absolutely to the perfect service of
GOD, In manner and degree that are
utterly impossible out in the world,
and-in the case of active Sisterhoods
Ito the perfect and devoted service Of
humanity, as we'll, with view to the
alienation, in some way or another,
of the sufferings and the ills to which
mankind is heir. That is the meaning
of convent"
There are $4,000 women in the pris.
ons of the United States-pity them!
There are 100000 women held in the
shackles of the white slave traffic
rescue them! There are 100000 wo-
men underpaid and sick in the sweat
shops-help them! There are 10000
women leading idle lives in gilded
palaces of frivolity, giving monkey
dinners and fitting from one resort
of pleasure to another-teach them!
And there are $4,000 Catholic Sisters
teaching the young and helping the
poor-honor them! Don't worry about
the less worthy and the less useful
classes of women above instanced.
Hundreds of Protestant women have
received their education in convent
academies. They usually have good
opinion OF the Sisters. Dozens of nos
table women, converts from Protest
antism to the church, have become
Catholic Sisters. For instance, Cath
crime Drexel, of the great financial
j. family Of Philadelphia, reared in the
, home of millionaire father, who is
, now devoting herself as Catholic
, Sister in the work of educating ne
I groes and Indians. Rose Hawthorne
Lathrop, the only surviving daughter
: of the great American novelist, Ma
, thaniel Hawthorne, has been a Cath
, olic Sister for nearly twenty years.
devoting herself to the care of the
!. cancer-stricken, having established a
f special hospital for that purpose in
). New York City.
!; All Catholics have very high es-
1 TEEN for Catholic Sisterhoods. Would
!, they allow their daughters to enter
/ converts either as pupils or as nov
!. ices If they had the slightest suspi-
cion that aught but purity, virtue and
a goodness there resided? Look at the
2 character of those who defame con-
a vents and nuns, and then gauge the
h value Of their testimony as compared
n with that Of disinterested Protestants.