The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-17
A GIFTED SISTER
SISTER M. ANTONIO WAS THE
AUTHOR OF THE "REV. RICH
ARD w. ALEXANDER" STORIES
AND THE MERCEDES" POEMS
DIED JUNE 5.

Readers of the Catholic press in all
parts of the world will learn with deep
est sorrow of the sudden death, on
June 5, of Sister M. Antonio Gallagher,
of st. Xavier's Convent of the Sisters
of Mercy, at Beatty, in the Diocese of
Pittsburgh. Sister M. Antonio was
the Rev Ricllard w. Alexander
whose touching land powerful true
stories of conversions to Catholicity
have been features of Catholic week
lies and magazines throughout the
English-speaking world for the past
nine years.
Not until June, 1911, when His Emil
nence Cardinal Gibbons, acting for St.
Joseph's College, Emmitsburg, Md,
her alma mater, conferred upon Sis
ter M. Antonio the degree of l.. H. D.,
''in recognition of successful literary
work in the service of morals and
religion" was the humble Sister of
tains of Western Pennsylvania, re-
vealed much against her personal
inclination, as the Reverend Richard
w. Alexander" and as the Mercedes"
whose devotional verse has graced the
pages of every Catholic periodical in
this and other English-speaking coun-
tries.
Sister M. Antonio was native of
Philadelphia, a cousin of Mother M.
Katherine DreXel. In the world she
was Mary Cecilia Gallagher, the
elder of two daughters of Anthony
J. Gallagher, who was non-Catholic.
She was secretly baptized at the age
of seven years, studied in st. Mary's
select school until she was ten years
old, and then went to st. Joseph's,
Emmitsburg, where she remained un-
til its closing after the outbreak of
the Civil War Always called Cath
olic, she was one in truth when she
left the good Sisters of Charity, and
within a short time thereafter she
entered the Sisters of Mercy. Her
younger sister had also been studying
at st. Joseph's, and she, too, became
a Catholic, took the veil in the Order
of Mercy, and was for many years,
with Sister M. Antonio, member of
the community of st. Xavier's at
Beatty. She was Sister M Hilda, who
died two years ago. Their father
| followed them into the true fold.
| Sister M. Antonio spent number
of years among the poor of Pitts
burgh, engaged in academy work dur
| ing the day and teaching the mill boys
at night. She was treasurer, OF
bursar, of the Order in Pittsburgh fol
three years, and for more than twenty
years taught the higher classes at st
Xavier's Academy, Beatty Beside!
her class duties, she found time tt
edit a college paper, "St. Xavier!
Journal" to write and publish fiyt
books of poems and prose and more
than twenty school dramas.
The preface to her first book o
poems, wild Flowers" of which thert
have been four editions, was writer
by the late Archbishop Ryan. Man.
of her stories have been. Translates
into French, German and Italian
Twenty-eight of them have been pub
lished in a volume of 200 pages, en-
titled "A Missionary's Notebook, witt
illustrations by the author, of whicl
there have been five editions. A lik
number have appeared in a secon,
/ volume, entitled The Hand of Mercy.
Il AT the time of her death Sister NJ
/ Antonio was writing series of storie
! which were appearing in nearly
score of Catholic weekIies, the prt
ceeds Of which she planned to devot
| to the repairing of the little conven
! cemetery at Beatty, in which rest tn
remains Of her sister, Sister N. Hid
Gallagher.