The Irish standard., 1915-10-23
Centenary of Irish Sisters of Charity

Sisters of Charity |
The work of the Sisters in visiting
the poor and needful in the slums is
too we'll known to be commented on
here. Yet only the Great Lover of
the poor, for love of whom the good
Sisters labor. knows how great and
good is the service they render.
Helping, advising, consoling, and en-.
couraging, from day to day they can
be seen going from door to door in the
poorest quarters of the city. Their
helpful presence bringing with it sus.
tenance to places where their discern
ment and inspiring confidence have
ascertained their help is needed. Their
goodness has performed such enor-
nous work that everyone loves to
give them help and their influence
in some Of the districts secures ref
ormation where the law had failed.
So the love of the people of Cork
had been growing with the years and
the elimination of the century's grand
record of goodness would have made
a festival Of the people Of the district
were 1t not the wish of the Sisters
that owing to the war and its priva-
tions the celebrations should be con-
fined to the Convent grounds. The
admirers Of the good work even then
were SO numerous that regulations
had to be enforced to prevent even
the semblance of favoritism. The con.
finement Of the pretty chapel-a place
of peace for 80 many of the neighbors
and friends as we'll as loving resort
for the good Sisters, and an inspiring
refuge Of hope for the refugees under
their charge-was much too pro.
nounced for the accommodation of
those wishing to attend the cere-
monies; the clergy alone were in con.
sequence admitted to the High Mass.
The grounds were profusely decor.
ated, no pains being spared to sym
bolize the joyful jubilee of which the
9Th of August saw the spiritual com.
memoration. The scene was delight.
full, and one seemed to need the re.
minder of the overlooking Cathedral
tower and time-marking Shandon
clock-under which Mary Aikenhead
joined her father in prayer in infant
days-to teach us that the day was
one which told of a century completed
In the service of God and His poor.
The weather smiled its best from
glorious skies whilst the beautiful
statue Of st. Vincent de Paul, father
of the poor and patron of the com.
munity, seemed a fitting finish to the
scene of Joy. The Convent interior
was also tastefully decorated.
The Convent chapel-one of the
prettiest we have ever seen in ordi.
nary times and built through the
energy of the present Mother Ana
statia Lyons-lool1ed positively ex-
quisite under the artistically arranged
floral decorations, the work of the Low.
ing hands of the Sisters and friends
In itself it reflected the grand sum.
init of the days happiness and the
wealth of color coupled with the rich
vestments of the officiating Bishop and
clergy, as we'll as the habits of the
religious orders and the white garb
of the nuns and the priests made q
Kaleidoscope of color that We'd with
any of the grand paintings of such
scenes even from the brushes of the
worlds greatest artists. Here, too,
were the Christian and Presentation
Brothers joining in a Joy which told
incidentally of the history which was
shared in by them of revival of a
faith and hope that begot the charity
materialized in their establishment at
a time when Ireland lay broken and
bleeding and the Catholic Church q
seeming wreck within its Gaelic
shores.