The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-06-04
CATHOLIC SISTERS TO
QUIT ELIZABETH CITY
Lacking Sanction of Bishop Hafey Mother
Agnes and Her Co-Workers Abandon
Their Original Plan to Establish
Catholic Hospital Here

Tx lNollltNA
hood that has operated the
Elizabeth City Hospital since
Junc |. 1924 and whose lease OF
the hospital was for three years
ending MAY 5lSt, 1927 has
thrown up its lease. The Sis
tcrs plan to leave Elizabeth
CITY not later than the first OF
August. DR.. John Saliba. own
CT OF the hospital will take over
the active management with
the departure OF the Sisters
and promises to keep the hos
pital going whether or no.
First news that thc Sisters were
quitting Elizabeth City wa> given
to this newspaper to-day by Mother
VI. A.nc>. superintendent of the
hnSuiIal. There were tears in the
.rand little womun'S eyes when she
broke the news.
How the Roman Catholic Sisters
came from far Western state To
Protestant Elizabeth City To run
hospital that had failed under both
private and community manage
mcnt. and why they are suddenly
throwing up three year lease Is
Il story that a Protestant community
may never fully understand.
There are many orders of Cath
ollie Sisters. operating schools. hos
pitfalls and a>ylUm> of one kind and
another. II i< popular belief that
these Sisters are supported by the
Roman Catholic Church and that
when they need money for their
operations all they have To do Is To
make known their needs to the
great Roman hierarchy and the
money iS forthcoming. But 1t seems
that this is not the case.
Church Thrires on These Women
Ii appears that quite the reverse
is true and that the Sisters actual
ly support the church. instead OF be-
iug supported by the church. They
dedicate their lives To the service
of the church. Servin. their life time
without other pay than their simple
clothes. the frugal food they eat
aud a cot upon which tU sleep. They
found hospitals, schools, and aSyl-
INNS. often from small beginnings
creating great institutions by their
hard work and personal sacrifices
and 10y donations that come TO them
from admirers and bencGciaries OF
their work.
The Sisters of Humility of Mary.
who came To Elizabeth City seems
To bc very small and very poor
order of Sisters that had its begin
uin.S i'm the mining camps of the
far West in gold rush days anu
ceased to thrive when the gold rlSh
days were over. They have not
brought much money to the Mother
Church and because they are few III
Numbers and have no wealthy pat
rnpS they are not considered 80 de-
Sirablc in struggling diocese as
IA larger. wealthier and more infiu-
cmtial SiSterhoOd.
New Bishop Refuses to Sanction
Them
The Sisters of Humility of Mary
came 10 Elizabeth City ih May
1921 with the sanction and approfal
of Bishop Haid. who waS then head
of the catholics in North Carolina.
But Bishop Haid died in the late
summer of that same year Last
year Il new Bishop came to North
Carolina, Bishop Hafey, Il Baltl-
murran. 1t is an open secret that
the new Bishop looked with disfavor
upon the Sisters in Elizabeth City
from the very beginning of his mis-
sion i'm the summer of 1923. So early
a< last Fall he told the Sisters that
they should quit the diocese.
There were seven Sisters mere "l'u
Mother Agnes when the bishop gave
that order. Four of them have since
Irr;. rcfusin. to labor i'll Il diocese
(Cnntinrp6 m Dane TwO)