Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-10-17
HOSPITAL SISTERS
REPLY TO CHARGES
MADE BY EX- NUN

-NASNAND hN0PAeoA law AoOQVV q
statement, which follows:
ITO the Public:-The Sisters Of
Providence have been serving the
citizens Of Portland and the north
west for more than Az years. We
have always given the best that
devotedness, charity and science
could command. Our hospital is
one of two standardized institu-
tions in Portland. It was the first
in the state of Oregon to be stand
ardized in 1920. having not only
met the requirements of the Amer
ican College of Surgeons, but for
special excellence was placed in
class a.
"The Sisters follow the same
course of studies as the nurses Of
the training school, pass the same
examinations by the physicians Of
the staff and the Oregon state
board. Each department of the
hospital is in charge of Sister
graduate nurse. The hospital is
inspected yearly, not only by
surgeon from the American col.
lege, but also by representative
of the United States government.
These facts of themselves should
sufficiently refute the charge of
laxity, unsanitary conditions, in
efficiency that has been publicly
preferred against us.
"Our attitude toward non-Cath-
olics as being one of charity and
not hatred, should be evidenced by
the thousands Of charity pasunts
that we have nursed and sheltered
during our At years of service,
very large percentage of whom
were Protestants, Jews, non-Cath-
olics OF every kind. We have not
pleased every prospective or ac-
tual patient, but all acknowledge
that there are limits to even the
best efforts that human ingenuity
can expand.
Coming in contact with the
great streams of humanity as we
do, the personal purity and integ-
rity Of our Sisters must necessar-
| lily be safeguarded, not, however,
at the cost Of efficiency, as the
hundreds of physicians, the thou
sands of nurses, and our 100000
| former patients can testify. The
mortality among our Sisters is not
greater than among other classes,
except during epidemics like the
influenza, at which time six Sis
ters of the northwest province sue
cumbed. Our mortuary records at
Vancouver where all Sisters of this
province are inferred, show that of
about 500 members of our order,
there have been 2S deaths In addi-
tion to the above six during the
past six or seven years. Their
ages were as follows: 81, 55, 72,
As, II, 81. 55, 40, 46, 33, 81, 58,
70, So, 3S, 81, 53, 70, 70, 39, 5S,
So, 55, SO, 81, So, So. The num-
Der of years which these passed in
our Sisterhood is as follows: 40,
20, Az, %, 40, 40, 26, rs, II, IL,
S5, 3S. 81, IA, IA, II, "a, 81, 40,
81, 20, 36, 33, "a, 80, IS, 54, 81.
"Our loyalty to the government
has never before been questioned:
the present superior of the hos
pital, at this moment confesses her
ignorance as to what constitutes
the papal colors. Whe know only
one flag, that of the American re-
public.
"Our standards of personal NOR
ais are the same as all Catholics
and the highest type of Protest.
ants profess. We know that tho
clergy. like the laity and the Sis
ters, may have an occasional un-
worthy member. We ourselves
have sometimes had a renegade in
the Sisterhood. But to depict our
Sisters as the ignorant dupes or
a system" Or individuals Is the
height of injustice. While we are
subject to our church in all purely
spiritual matters, the business side
of our institutions is entirely In
our own hands. st. Vincents hos
pital is a corporation owned and
conducted by the Sisters, aided by
a board of governors chosen from
the visiting staff.
"No statement of this kind
would now be made If only the
ordinary methods of attack had
been used. We have been assailed
before but have been content to al :
low our open lives and work to
speak for themselves. In the pres
ent instance, however, the attack
has a quasi-official sanction. The
use of public buildings, the very
public schools themselves, which
as an integral part Of Americas
educational system we have ever
held as sacred, these have been
used to vilify us.
I'm view of this quasi-officiaI
sanction and the cooperation by
public authority in Portland. we
earnestly request that the honor
able mayor. or some other person
age Of authority in our city, APP
point a committee of representa-
tive non-Catholic ladies or men, or
both to make a public investiga-
tion OF our institution. The rules
OF our religious society the meth
DDS and conduct of our hospital
are always open to examization-
May we not, therefore, depend up-