St Joseph Academy - Sajoscript Yearbook (Columbus, OH)

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SANDALPHON The house at Dayton, Ohio, was established in 1849, when five Sisters arrived in the city to conduct Emmanuel Parochial School. The convent later developed into a large a.nd fiourishing academy. This same year, three Sisters were sent to Massachusetts to teach in one of the parish schools of Boston. In the East as well as in the West more and more foundations were called for, so that today we find convents of Notre Dame scattered upon and down the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as through the Ohio Valley. Even Guatemala and Central America from which the Sisters were later exiled, experienced for a while the benefits of their earnest endeavors in the educa.tion of young girls. Their success in the higher education of women is just as remarkable as that which attends their labors in the primary and elementary grades. Time and results have proved beyond a doubt that the Sisters of Notre Dame have main- tained the original efficiency of their educational system. In our own day, splendid institutions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America bear witness to the wisdom and foresight of the humble Julie and her illustrious co-laborer, Francoise Blin de Bourdon. The Sisters of Notre Dame in Columbus ELIZABETH HINTERSCHIED Graduate NTERESTING as is the history of the Sisters of Notre Dame, its charm for us centers in their labors in Columbus. Late in the summer of 1855, Sister Su- perior Louise, in answer to an oft-repeated demand, brought four of her Sisters to our city to inaugurate the work of their Blessed Foundress. Fair promises, good will, and a small unfurnishcd f r am e house, welcomed to th e Capital the pioneers of Cath- K olic Education in this part of Ohio. Their first residence was an old ivy-covered house on what is now known as Marion Street and here they began in extreme poverty their struggle for a foothold in our 111idst. For fifteen dollars, Sister Superior Louise purchased the old furniture found in the house. It consisted of two old tables, a kitchen stove, cooking utensils, and eight chairs. Four of these chairs remained in the humble little chapel, the others were used between the rcfectory and parlor as needed. Soon after their arrival in the city, a certain Mr. Collins presented the com- munity with a small, but beautiful altar. As soon as it was in place the Blessed Sacrament was brought to the convent to the intense satisfaction of the Sisters. With the money which accompanied the altar, necessary altar linens were purchased. If their poverty was extreme, their trust in God was boundless, as is shown by the following: One morning, Sister Mary Agnes, the portress, told her Superior that there was not another piece of firewood in the house. The latter, knowing that she had no money with which to buy some, sent the com- page twenty-one

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SANDALPHON journey, they immediately wrote an account of their voyage to their Reverend Mother at Namur, Belgium. The news of their safe arrival brought great joy and relief to the Sisters at the Mother-House, for they had heard that the Eliza Thornton , with all its passengers, had been lost. Since the means of travel were not numerous, and transportation neither so convenient nor so rapid as it is today, it took the Sisters eleven days to reach their destination-Cincinnati, Ohio. Ilere they were kindly received by Bishop Purcell, at whose request they had left their native land and crossed the sea. Ile placed them under the kind care of Sisters of Charity, with whom they remained until a suitable residence could be found for them. About the middle of November, Sister Louis de Gonzaguc rented a small house on Sycamore Street, but this location proved unsatisfactory. Not far from the little house in which the Sisters first resided, stood an elegant home, the Spencer Mansion, formerly owned by a Methodist minister. The property, located on Cano Street, known now as Sixth, besides being noted for its beautiful garden which con- tained many rarc plants and trees, was an historic spot, remarkable in the annals of Losantiville, which name was later changed to Cincinnati. The estate was purchased for the Sisters at a very reasonable figure from Mr. Jonah Lawrence, to whom it then belonged, and by Christmas the little community was comfortably settled in more spacious quarters. . In this place, now affectionately called the cradle of Notre Dame in America , the Sisters opened their school, January 6, 1841. To it came children from the most prominent families in the city, and within a few months their number reached sixty. While at first the Sisters were greatly handicapped because of their insufficient knowledge of the language-Sister Louise being the only one among them who could speak English fluently-this apparent obstacle to their success soon dwindled into insignificance. They were excellent teachers, besides being French ladies. In 1843, the community was overwhelmed with grief on hearing of the death of Mother Ignatius. She was succeeded by Sister Marie Terese, who immediately sent three more Nuns to America to assist those already laboring there. As the rapid growth and development of the work in Cincinnati necessitated more spacious quarters, the property adjoining the convent was secured by the community. The success of the Sixth Street establishment encouraged zealous pastors to ask for Sisters to labor among the children of their parishes. Hence it came about that the Sisters' activities extended to different parts of the city, where they taught in many parochial schools. In April, 1845, six more religious came from Europe to help satisfy a few of the many demands for Sisters which kept coming in from various parts of Ohio. Soon after their arrival in the city, Sister Louis de Gonzague was transferred to Toledo, Ohio, where a new house was founded under her supervision, and Sister Louise was made Superior of the Sixth Street community. Three years later Sister Louise was made Provincial Superior of all houses which might branch out from the first foundation in Cincinnati. About this time Father De Smet, S. J., was laboring among the Indians in the West. He felt the need of Sisters in their great work, and being a Belgian, he appealed to religious of his native land for the desired assistance. Eight zealous Sisters of Notre Dame went at his request to distant Oregon. Hard- ships untold and seeming failure awaited the valiant Missionaries in this far away country. However, in spite of difficulties and disappointments they con- tinued to labor earnestly in this sterile land until the Right Reverend Bishop Alemany of San Jose, summoned them to the larger and more fruitful fields of sunny California. page twenty

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SANDALPIION munity to the ehapel to thank the good God for that whieh Ile was about to send them. llardly had they tinished their prayer when a loud linoek was heard at. the front door. l'pon opening it, the Sister Fortress learned that a Mr. Leonard, not even knowing their distress, had sent them a load of the much- needed commodity. Again the tire burned brightly and the Sisters' eontidenee in Divine l'rovidenee inereased. ln the spring of 1857, the Sisters moved to Eighth Street, where they re- mained until 18551 when they transferred the eonvent to the north-east eorner ot' Oak and Young Streets. It was not until 1861 that the eommunity eame to its present home on liieh Street. From day to day, the Sisters labored on in the vineyard, instrueting the little ones ot' Saint l'atriel:, lloly t'rn'ss, and Saint, lllary Parishes in the knowledge of the good tlod. as well as organizing Sodalities for the mothers and older girls. U. -TWT--H - --- As yet there was no academy in the eity. An attempt to establish one in their tirst. years here had been unsueeessful. In the early seventies, however, the need for a private sehool made itself felt. as the eity had grown eonsiderably in population and wealth. Right Reverend Bishop Rosen-rans and the most prominent t'atholies ot' Columbus urged the opening of an academy. 'l'en of these eaeh pledged one thousand dollars to the support of the undertaking. In the following September, Saint Joseph Academy opened its doors to receive its tirst pupils. With unvarying suecess the work of education then begun eontinues to the present day, but not exclusively in the big red briek structure of H75. For many years the latter easily accommodated all its pupils, but the large enrollment of more rec-ent years necessitated the purchase of several houses adjoining the convent. A still greater inerease of pupils eommandeered for class purpose every available room in the eonvent itself. When the Reverend Mother visited us in 1923, of eourse we all wanted to perform for her, but in order to satisfy every one, from primary maid to dignified senior, to say nothing of our many boys. our distinguished visitor had to sit through four programs as there was not, a single room in the building large enough to aeeommodate even half our number at one time. page twenty-two