The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-11-02
Sacred Heart Academy
Celebrates &c NJ s'1ial

n.y. - L. a(NhAAAAAeeAA1 - 80
in the presence 81 Right Rev. ]. w.
shaw. archbishop of New Orleans,
ten visiting bishops, and great num-
Der of clergymen from several sur
rounding parishes and states, opened
the celebrations OF the day.
His holiness, the pope, favored the
order on this occasion. with cable
gram. congratulating them upon their
successful good works during this
century of labor in the Lords Vine
yard"
A reception was then rendered the
reverend clergy and the alumnae by
the present students Of the academy,
followed by banquet.
Those of the former pupils who had
the pleasure Of being present on this
ever memorable day. wish to extend
their thanks to the Religious for the
elegant manner in which they were
entertained at their dear alma mater.
an the wilderness waters shall
break out a stream in the desert.
And an highway shall be there. and
a way, and it shall be called
The way OF Holiness"
Isaiah, CHIP. 85, v. and 8.
This was the text selected by the
Very Reverend Emile Mattern, s. J..
who delivered the sermon on the oc-
oasion Of the one hundredth anniver-
sary of the foundation Of the house at
Grand Coteau, by the religious Of the
Order Of the Sacred Heart Of Jesus,
which was just then being organized
into a community by the new Blessed
Magdalene Sophie Barat. Right Rev
erend Dubourg, the Archbishop of
what was then Louisiana, tract ex-
tending from the Great Lakes to the
Gulf, felt the need of missionaries to
assist him In the great task Of guild
ing souls.
On a visit to Europe. in quest OF
these he addressed himself to the
superior Of the Sacred Heart in
France, who hesitated to send her
daughters in this new field owing to
the small number under her direction.
However, Madame Duehesne, together
with Nine. Eugene Aude, we're sent
to st. Louis.
1t might be interesting here to give
a short sketch Of the foundation Of
the house at Coteau:
In 1851, Mrs. Charles Smith, made
an offer to Mother Duchesne of an
estate containing over one hundred
acres, a furnished house, and the
expenses Of the religious
who would be sent from Missouri to
open school for young girls at
Grand Coteau, Louisiana.
The task of organizing this new
convent Of the Sacred Heart was en-
rusted to Nine Eugene Aude', who
With Sister Mary Layton, left st. /
.ouis on August 5, 1921. The journey
vas made down the Mississippi -'ver
y boats, up the Bayou in flat boats
yer the plains on horseback, to the
ONE Of Mrs Charles Smith, which
7as reached on August %, 1921.
'hree weeks later the religious took
osesion Of the humble home donated |
Y their philantrophic benefactors.
Notwithstanding the generosity Of
Irs. Smith, Nine. Aude' and her
suffered many trials
hese were not unexpected, and were
sceived cheerfully but what could
loney do them? It could not pro-
1re for them the .conveniences so
asily gotten now. There were no
always, no automobiles, no tele-
raph, not even newspapers.
They were foreigners, unacelimat-
l. suddenly placed in this isolated
DOT, but 9there was way" and after
any struggling years-in 1928 Mime
ude' fully established the institu-
on for the instruction Of young girls,
specified by the generous Mrs.
NTH. There were then seventeen
achers in the "pensionnat.' Mother
uchesne was eventually replaced by
me. Xavier Murphy.
In 1888, the fathers Of the Society !
Jesus opened college at Grand
eau. They have been the devoted
and staunch friends Of the
ligious ever since.
A noviceship existed from the b.
ming, and among the long roll Of ,
,cations to the religious life, three !
ames stand out conspiciOusly. Mo- I
lers Mary Harley, Suzanne Bou-
eau, and Mary Moran, respectively
le pioneer religious Of the Sacred
cart OF Ney York New Zealand, and
exIc0. 54ia
Anotner event not to be overlooked
hich makes the convent a place for
lgrimage, was the miraculous cure
a postulant, Mary Wilson. who had
zen converted to the Catholic faith
I'd for this reason disowned by her
arents. Her feelings crushed. and
er health shattered by this grief.
Is rasnlrad 70 anter The order. .,f the