The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-25
By t. q. Kennedy.

this by inducing young women to
devote themselves to the service of
the poor under the direction of the
Ladies of Charity. And these young
girls taking the place of the noble
ladies and faithfully performing the
duties of the servants, formed the
nucleus of the Sisters of Charity
now spread all over the world and
retain the name of Sisters Servant.
The community sprang from the
practical need for such an organiza-
ton and the work grew gradually as
the needs of the times demanded.
The sisters helped the poor and the
sick in the homes but were called on
February LIST, 1640, at Anglers, to as
sumo the complete charge of a hos
pital in which they had hitherto act
ed as servants to charitable ladies,
These young girls petitioned to be
bound by vows and their request be-
ing granted they vow themselves an
nually renewing the VOWS every
year, to apply themselves "aIl that
year to the corporal and spiritual
service of the sick poor, their true
masters, with the help of God which
they ask through His Son Jesus cruel
fied;" and seeing in every soul the
image to which it is created, they
minister not only as servants of the
Ladies of Charity but at the same
time as servants of the Almighty
God-vowing poverty, chastity, obed-
fence and the service to the poor.
The Ladies of Charity themselves,
members Of the nobility, also Joined
taking these vows but all on an
equality as Sister-Servants.
Costume of Sisters.
The dress or habit worn by the
Sisters of Charity of st. Vincent de
Paul is quite striking to those meet
/ ing them for the first time. 1t is
/ the dress of peasants or women
servants of the neighborhood of
Paris at the time when need called
them into existence; of blush grey
color with white sleeves and long
grey apron.
The head-dress, which has sooth-
ing effect on the sick, is the white
linen cornette and was the head
dress Of the lie de France district.
The Queen of Poland formerly Lady
of Charity requested the Sister
Servants for her doninions. And
here for the first time the Sisters
appear on the field of battle. This
is a ministry often given by them
since and which has secured for them
The title of angels Of the Battle
field"
The first community In the United
States was started by Mother Eliza
beth Ann Seton in 1909 and six years
ago they celebrated the centennial of
their foundation at Emrnitsburg,
Maryland. Their general headquart-
ers today is 140 Rue du BAG, Paris
and their central headquarters is St
Joseph's. Academy, Emrnitsburg, Md
They have establishments in the
north, south, east and west. Forty
hospitals, fourteen orphan asyluns
five insane asylums, thirty three
SCHOOlSS OIIG dCduS1lyS duu 4CpC4
colonies in the United States.
They conduct the Providence Hos
pital and the City Hospital in Mo
bile, Ala, the Hotel-Dieu and tn,
Charity Hospital, New Orleans, La,
the st. Vincent Hospital, Birming
ham, Ala, and the st. Margaret
Hospital, Montgomery, Ala.
Lest you think them strangers t.
Pensacola, let a coincidence be re
lated which occurred at Emmitsburg
Nd, last summer when the plans o
the Pensacola Hospital were ap
proved. It was the 80th birthday o
James Cardinal Gibbons, when tn
Archdiocese of Baltimore of whic
En1mitsburg is part, celebrates an
nually his birthday-July 23rd. In
curing if any Of the Sisters ha
labored in Pensacola, we were intro
duced to an "Angel of the Battlefield,
an old lady who gloried more in tn
fact that she was born the same da
as the Cardinal and was older tina
he, than she did in the fact that sh
had ministered to the Confederate so
diers at Pensacola, Fla, Sister {
~ 4 Il