The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-24

A. MARIE cAPPIcK

among tne e&CelieisS AS2uSa-.
tiSnaf institutions of Key West
tie Eonvent of Mary Immaculate
en3oys the distinction of. being
the pioneer -sinee its establish
ment dates back to 1868, when
five Sisters of the Holy Names
of Jesus and Mary left their
northern home in Montreal. Can
ada. TO labor in the distant south
land in behalf of Christian educa-
ton.
In 1859 twelve Sisters of the
Holy Names order, bound for the
far west, on a similar mission,
had visited Key West for a few
hours while their ship was in
port; and it was through this in
cident happening that, almost
a decade of years later, Bishop
Augustine Verot, bishop of Sa-
vannah, Ga, requested the Sisters
of the Holy Names to open a
school in Key West for the educa-
ton of girls, believing with the
illustrious Bishop. Spalding that
the members Of 4 Catholic Sis
terhood, with their spirit of self
sacrifice, their courage, their
eagerness TO follow in the way of
pedagogical progress, were best
fitted to cultivate in the hearts
Of Key Vests young women those
virtues which are a woman'S
chief glory, and, lacking which,
no degree of mental culture can
make her beneficent and de-
lightful. That it is the Sisters
chief aim to inculcate pure
mindedness, modesty, patience,
piety, reverence. gentleness, ami
ability and helpfulness is con-
ceded by friend and foe, for on
such a. foundation must we build
if we would raise woman's mind
TO the ethereal heights of intel
lectual truth, without risking the
loss of her heart, of goodness and
Of love.
The Sisters of the Holy Names
left New York on October II,
1868, and, after a very tempes-
iuous voyage, on the merchant
ship 'Sedwidge," bound for
Texas, reached Key West on Oc-
tober, "a. thankful to God for
their delivery from shipwreck,
for the vessel which had braved
the storm from New York to Key
West went down in the Gulf of
Mexico a few days later, with its
entire passengers, crew and
cargo.
Arriving In this city the Sis
-ters were kindly received by the
-hospitable people of the island.
and thus it was that the aid of
these quickly made friends friends
helped them to make habitable
the old barracks which had been
vacated by the federal soldiers af-
ter the Civil War. Old Key West
ers remember that goats abounded
on the island in those early years,
and SO the Sisters found a plenti-
full supply of domestic animals in
their new home. Within month,
however, the first school of Mary
Immaculate was opened and
twelve young women, like the
apostles of old. responded to the
call of those whose love for souls
had made them face cheerfully
the hardships of those early
years.
In the Spring of 1869, shortly
after the Sisters arrival, yellow
fever broke out and claimed
many victims, among them being
Reverend Father Mcdonald, the
pastor, who had contracted the
!. disease while ministering TO the
spiritual needs of his people.
Hearing of the death of Father
I Mcdonald, Reverend Father En-
ciso, S. j.. came from Havana, but
within six days after his arrival,
he, too. succumbed to the fearful
malady. and was replaced by two
more Jesuit Fathers from Ha-
vana, Fathers Nubiala and Avig-
non. the latter of whom died on
the 10th of August. 1869. During
this time of suffering the con-
: vent was closed and naturally the
Sisters had to depend for support
upon their limited means and up
on the neverfailing kindness of
friends, for in Key West religion
has never been a question when
the Sisters or their school stood
In need.
In the early history of the
convent we read that Major