The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-06-12
of Charleston, Leavenworth,


Richmond.
Some fourteen years later IL second
community of Colorcd Nuns was
founded in New Orleans under Father
Eticnne ROusselOn and Bishop Blanc
They were placed under the protcc
tom of the Holy Family; and the IIo-
all the years of their existence. AT
present they nave nearly one hundred
and Scvcntyfivc members and have
houses the Archdiocese of New Or
leans an San Antoine, and the Do
ccses Of Galveston, Lafayette, Mobile
and i'll the British Honduras. BY Il
lStransc twist of fate the Mothcrhousc
Of the Sisters of the Holy Family is
the old Quadroon Ballroom virgins
are cNpiating through their prayers
and their devotion Of the needs of
their race the sins of other quadroOIl
ladies of another day
1t is well to remember that both of
these communities We're founded over
two decades before the Emancipation
Proclamation. Both also were cstab-
lishcd in the important Catholic cen
tiers of New Orleans and Baltimore.
Bottle are still flcurishiny. working
for the social moral, and religious up
lift of their people.
On January LIST, 1868, Abraham
LincCln'S threat to free Tie slaves
became free in fact But The Emanci
pation Proclamation rather than sol
wing IL question produced one. Lincoln
indeed was the libcratGr Of The slaves
but unfortunately an assaSin's bullet
killed not only him, but also what
ever plans he may have had for fit
ting them into economic and social
system. The Negro, for the most part
uncducatcd, became the political
pawn Of the Carpet Dagger and IL
burden to Il war-riddcn, impoverished
and rcscntful South. Whatever sym
Ipathy and even love there may have
existed in the Old South between mas
! ter and slave was almost completely
forgotten and oblitcratcd in the Re
construction Period between free
white man and free Negro. This
might have been expected from elias
of people who, since the sixteenth cen
tury, have been insisting one thc sup
crlativC qualities of the Nordic strain
but unfortunately Catholic in fluenc-
| cd by their surroundings exhibited
the same asSininity. Many Negroes,
removed from the good influences of
Il 'CahOic master or mistress and be
wildcrcd by their new freedom or,
buffcd by a former Catholic friend
fell away from the Church.
The Bishops of tic, United States
realized the problcni~fhat confronted
them. At the Second Plcnary Coun-
! Gil of Baltimore in the year 1866 the
following declartiOn was enacted :
'By the bowels Of the mercy of God,
we beg and implorc priests, rs far as
they can, TO consccratc their thoughts
their time, and themselves wholly
and entirely, if possible, TO the ser
vices Of the cOlorcd people," There
was 40 lack Of apostolic men only
to willing to answer such an appeal
For Sulplcians, in Baltomorc and 9th
or parts Of Maryland, had fosicrcd
the cause Of the Negro. We have al
ready seen how thc first community
of COlOrcd Nuns in the world wa,
founded in the very shadow Of 81
INllry'S Seminary. Ard TO The Jesuit
Fathers goes the credit Of foundiq1
thc first Church dedicated solely ~
the services Of the Negro, St. Francis
Xavier, i'm Baltimore. By the ycai
1871 there were six colorcd praishc,
in the United States At first sight
this number seems rather mcagrc
But if We consider that many priest,
were caring for the colorcd in parish
csnot wholly devoted TO The care OF
the colrcd people. and further tba
the majority Of this work had Of ne
CsSity To bcundcrtakcn i'm sections o
the south where the Catholic DoDull