USA > Indiana > History of the Catholic church in Indiana, Volume I > Part 50
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JASPER, DUBOIS COUNTY.
Jasper College, at Jasper, Dubois county, was founded in 1889, was opened for the reception of students September 12, that year, and was incorporated in January, 1890, under the laws of the state, in conjunction with St. Meinrad's college, and empowered to
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confer the usual academic degrees. The institution is under the supervision of the Benedictine Fathers of St. Meinrad's abbey, but is open to all, irrespective of religious persuasion. The course of study comprises from three to five years, during which solid in- struction is given in commercial and scientific knowledge and thorough preparation for entrance to more advanced institutions of learning.
The college buildings are situated on the outskirts of Jasper, on a broad and prominent eminence, from which they command a fine view of the surrounding country for miles around, and this is one of the most healthy and beautiful sites in southern Indiana. The buildings are substantially built of brick and sandstone, with Bedford and Lake Superior sandstone trimmings. The kitchen, refectory and boiler-room are located in separate buildings espe- cially constructed for that purpose, at a distance of several yards from the main structure. This separation was made in order to avoid divers difficulties and hindrances, which, experience teaches, cannot be obviated without such precaution. All the halls, rooms and corriders in each building are well lighted and ventilated, heated by an excellent system of steam-heating, and furnished with water-pipes and appurtenances. The lavatory and bath-rooms, supplied with hot and cold water, have been fitted out with modern improvements. For cleanliness and convenience they are most perfect. The absence of stoves, the convenience of fire plugs and hose, the caution taken to have every wall and partition built of brick, all tend to make the structure safe against conflagrations. Every appliance has been carefully and tastefully selected with a view of giving the newly-built college the advantages of a beauti- ful, commodious and healthfully-arranged edifice.
The college possesses extensive and suitable play grounds for games of baseball, and many outdoor and indoor appliances so useful for the physical culture as well as the mental and moral advancement of the student.
The proximity of a river that affords splendid opportunities for river sports, such as boating, fishing and swimming in summer, and skating in winter, adds considerably to the desirableness of the site chosen for Jasper college.
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IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.
The faculty and officers of the institution are at present the following: Right Rev. Athanasius Schmitt, O. S. B., president; Rev. Bernard Heichelbech, O. S. B., rector, treasurer and pro- fessor; Rev. Martin Hoppenjans, O. S. B., secretary and professor; Rev. Robert Glassmeyer, O. S. B., professor; Rev. ÆEmilian Kurre, O. S. B., professor; Rev. Simon Barber, O. S. B., pro- fessor; Conrad Kremp, professor, and E. J. Kempf, M. D., physi- cian.
VIGO COUNTY.
St. Mary's Academic Institute, in Vigo county, now one of the foremost educational auxiliaries of the Catholic church in the state, was founded by the Sisters of Providence of Ruille-sur-Loir, France, of which order six heroic sisters, under the leadership of Mlle. Guerin, arrived on the site of the present edifice October 22, 1840, and here they found a small log cabin, already erected, inclosing one room, 14 x 12 feet, which served the purposes of chapel, dormi- tory, priest's room, and all other requirements of shelter and util- ity for the postulants, and this humble chapel was the germ of the magnificent structure now known as St. Mary's of the Woods.
Mother Theodore, as Mlle. Guerin was known to the church and the Sisters of Providence, was born in Brittainy, France, in 1798, early became imbued with the spirit of the Holy Ghost and in 1823 was admitted to the convent of Ruille-sur-Loir. She was a woman of no ordinary powers and soon rose to prominence in the sisterhood. On reaching Vigo county, Ind., she and her com- panions found shelter in the home of the good farmer Thrall, which home the good mother subsequently purchased, and Novem- ber 27, 1840, converted into a convent, having used, in the mean- time, the little log cabin as a chapel and the farmer's house as a dormitory.
The funds for the purchase of this farmhouse and for mak- ing the necessary improvements were furnished by Frances F. Ragor. Not far from this odd convent Bishop Brute had com- menced the erection of another building, which was destined to become the first academy proper of St. Mary's of the Woods. It was of brick, 46 x 25 feet, two stories high, and the corner-stone
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was blessed August 17, 1840, and the academy opened for the reception of pupils in the spring of 1841. The 7th day of Novem- ber, in the same year, brought to the academy, from France, as an assistant to Mother Theodore, the accomplished artist, Sister Frances Xavier, née Mlle. Irma le Fer de la Motte, and in her was found a valuable auxiliary in the initiation of the higher class of secular education.
The academy continued to prosper and the pupils so increased in number that Mother Theodore found it necessary to take steps for the enlargement of the school accommodations, and decided to go to France in search of aid. Therefore, accompanied by Sister M. Cecilia, a young American novice, she started May 1, 1843, for her native land as a postulant, secured the required assistance, and on her return erected St. Ann's chapel, but it was not until 1845 that the work of enlarging the academy proper was begun. Two wings, each two stories high, were added to the academy building and branch schools established in various parts of the state, and the same year the institute was legally incorporated. In 1852 work was begun on a new edifice. August 6, 1854, the Sisters moved into their new Providence, and here, on March 17, 1856, the sainted Theodore was called to her eternal rest.
In the summer of 1856 Sister Mary Cecilia, first assistant of the academy, was elected to succeed Mother Theodore. The fame of the institution, under her wise administration, continued to spread, and although apartment after apartment in the new Prov- idence was appropriated to the use of the augmenting pupils, the accommodations became so overcrowded that the want of a new academy made itself too obvious. Accordingly, on August 15, 1 860, the corner-stone of the present edifice was laid by Right Rev. Bishop de St. Palais, assisted by Rev. Bede O'Connor, the Very Rev. John B. Corbe, Rev. Father Vanhulst and Revs. Beck- wick, Hortsmann and Chassé. Work was proceeded with through- out the wild period of the Civil war, and at its close the present group of noble buildings marked the present site of St. Mary's of the Woods, with its academic institute. The community of the Sisters of Providence numbers 637, the Sisters number 133, the novices sixty-one and the postulants thirteen, and the pupils
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attendant at the academy number 170. This institution is to-day numbered among the best schools in the United States, and is a monument indestructible to the patience and perseverance of the humble Sisters who brought it into existence.
Herewith is appended a tabulated statement, derived from au- thentic sources, such as the diocesan report of parochial schools of the school board of Fort Wayne for 1893-98, reports from various pastors and officials in the diocese of Indianapolis, and gleanings from papers furnished by private individuals, the whole being com- piled in such a manner as to show at a glance the number of pupils attending each parochial school in the state, as far as it has been possible, at the close of 1898, to get at the statistics. Although incomplete, it will yet convey a general idea of the progress made in the education of Catholic children without cost to the state.
DIOCESE OF VINCENNES.
Schools. No. of Pupils.
Vincennes - St. Francis Xavier
for boys. 120
for girls. 91 St. John the Baptist .. 236
Aurora-Immaculate Conception. 267
Batesville-St. Louis 240
Bluffton-St. Joseph's 33
Bradford- St. Michael's. 80
Brazil-Annunciation of the B. V. M. 240
Brookville-St. Michael's. 200
Cannelton-St. Michael's (Ger-
man) . 139
Cedar Grove-Holy Guardian An- gels 107
Celestine-St. Celestine's. 147
Columbus-St. Bartholomew's 107
Connersville-St. Gabriel's. 187
Dover-St. John the Baptist. 116
Enochsburg-St. John the Evan- gelist's. . 65
Evansville-Assumption. 240
Holy Trinity. 506
St. Mary's (German) 400
Schools. No. of Pupils.
St. Boniface's. 267
St. Anthony's. 433
Ferdinand-St. Ferdinand's 266
Floyd Knobs-St. Mary's of the
Assumption. 130
Frenchtown-St. Bernard's. 55
Fulda-St. Boniface's 133
Greencastle --- St. Paul's 107
Greensburg-St. Mary's 80
Hamburg-St. Ann's. 110
Haubstadt-SS. Peter and Paul's. 130 Huntingburg -- Visitation of the B.
V. M. 133
Indianapolis - SS. Peter and
Paul's
100
Assumption. 253
St. Bridget's. 266
St. Ann's (colored) 60
Holy Cross.
266
St. John's 573
St. Joseph's 306
St. Mary's (German) 350
St. Patrick's.
387
Sacred Heart of Jesus.
666
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Schools. No. of Pupils.
St. Anthony's 150
Ireland -St. Mary's 30
Jasper-St. Joseph's. 350
Jeffersonville-St. Augustine's ..
275
Lanesville-St. Mary's
110
Lawrenceburg-St. Lawrence's. 240
180
Loogootee- St. John's
Madison-St. Michael's ..
180
St. Mary's (German).
180
Mariah Hill-Help of Christians, 160
Millhousen-Immaculate Concep- tion 200
Montgomery-St. Peter's.
152
Morris-St. Anthony's.
180
Mount Vernon-St. Matthew's
133
Napoleon-St. Maurice's. .
47
New Albany-Holy Trinity
400
Annunciation ..
429
New Alsace-St. Paul's ..
146
North Madison-St. Patrick's. 40
North Vernon-Nativity B. V. M .. 107
Obertville-St. Bernard's. .
28
Oldenburg-Holy Family. 286
Poseyville-St. Francis Xavier's .. 30
Prescott- St. Vincent's.
67
Richmond-St. Mary's
233
St. Andrew's (German) 400
Rockport-St. Bernard's ..
53
Rushville - Immaculate Concep-
tion 173
Siberia-St. Martin's.
53
St. Ann's (Jennings county).
87
St. Anthony's (Dubois county ) ...
166
Schools. No. of Pupils.
St. Denis' (Decatur county) 33
St. Henry (Dubois county) 113
St. James (Gibson county) 120
St. John's (Warrick county). 53
St. Joseph's (Clark county). 93
St. Joseph's (Dearborn county) ... 200 St. Joseph's (Vanderburg county). 87
St. Mary of the Rocks (Franklin
county) . 103
Mission of Oak Forest. . 53
St. Mary of the Woods (Vigo county) 67
St. Maurice (Decatur county). 99
St. Meinrad (Spencer county) ... 147 St. Nicholas (Ripley county) 40 St. Peter's (Franklin county). 160
St. Wendel (Posey county) 240
Schnellville-Sacred Heart
115
Seymour-St. Ambrose's.
114
Shelbyville-St. Joseph's.
133
Starlight-St. John's
87
Tell City-St. Paul's.
136
Terre Haute-St. Joseph's (girls attend academy) boys 173
St. Benedict's (German)
238
St. Ann's (German).
107
St. Patrick's .. 186
Troy-St. Pius.
87
Washington-St. Simons.
92
Immaculate Conception (Ger-
man) ..
181
Yorkville-St. Martin's.
110
DIOCESE OF FORT WAYNE.
Schools. No. of Pupils.
Fort Wayne-Immaculate Con-
ception 782
Mother of God.
521
St. Patrick's
440
St. Paul's.
210
St Peter's
355
Alexandria-St. Mary's.
157
Anderson-St. Mary's 266
Arcola-St. Patrick's
66
Attica-St. Francis'
53
Schools. No. of Pupils.
Avilla -- St. Augustine's.
133
Cedar Lake-St. Martin's.
56
Chesterton-St. Patrick's.
83
Columbia City-St. Joseph's.
80
Crawfordsville-St. Bernard's. 121
Crown Point-St. Mary's
130
Decatur-St. Joseph's.
333
Delphi-St. Joseph's.
117
Dunnington-St. Mary's
147
Dyer-St. Joseph's.
80
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IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.
Schools. No. of Pupils.
Earl Park-St. Anthony's. 87
Ege-Immaculate Conception 45
Elkhart -- St. Vincent's. 177
Elwood -- St. Joseph's. 223
Fowler -- Sacred Heart 65
Garrett City-St. Joseph's 177
Goshen-St. John's. 50
Hammond -- St. Joseph's .. 363
St. Casimir's. 77
All Saints'. 155
Hanover Center -- St. Martin's. 52
Hesse Cassel-St. Joseph's. 75
Huntington -- SS. Peter and Paul's 188 St. Mary's. 130
Kentland -- St. Joseph's 41
Klaasville-St. Anthony's. 35
Kokomo-St. Patrick's 128
LaFayette-St. Mary's 297
St. Boniface's. 270
St. Ann's. 142
St. Lawrence's. 101
La Gro-St. Patrick's. 32
Laporte-St. Rose's. 40
St. Joseph's. . 72
Logansport-St. Vincent de Paul's 300
St. Joseph's 288
St. Bridget's 157
Lottaville-SS. Peter and Paul's. 59
Schools. No. of Pupils.
Michigan City -- St. Mary's. 530
St. Stanislas' 150
Mishawaka-St. Joseph's. 268
Monroeville-St. Rose's 50
Monterey-St. Ann's 76
Muncie -- St. Lawrence's. 303
New Corydon-Holy Trinity 124
New Haven-St. John the Baptist 128 Otis- Sacred Heart. 72
Peru-St. Charles Borromeo. 250
Plymouth -- St. Michael's. 116
St. John's (Lake county). 140
St. Mary's Home (Jay-county) 133
Missions in Adams county 53
St. Vincent's (Allen county). 80
Schererville-St. Michael's 53
Sheldon-St. Aloysius' 71
South Bend-St. Patrick's. 400
St. Hedwig's 1017
St. Joseph's 322
St. Mary's. 246
Terre Couppée -- St. Stanislas'. 50
Tipton -- St. John's. 168
Union City -- St. Mary's 123
Valparaiso-St. Paul's. 179
Wanatah -- Most Precious Blood. . 53
Whiting-Sacred Heart.
193
Winamac-St. Peter's.
93
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A HISTORY OF CATHOLICITY
CHAPTER XVI.
MONASTERIES, CONVENTS, AND OTHER CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS HOUSES IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.
F OLLOWING will be found brief, though comprehensive, sketches of the various religious houses in the state of Indiana.
EVANSVILLE, VANDERBURG COUNTY.
The Monastery of the Poor Clares at Evansville. - On Tues- day, October 4, 1898, the Poor Clares of the Monastery of St. Clare, Evansville, celebrated for the first time since their founda- tion in this city the festival of their seraphic patriarch, St. Francis of Assisi. At 10 A. M. there was a solemn high mass, the celebrant being the Very Rev. Marianus Fiege, superior of the Franciscan Capuchin Fathers at Franklin, Ind., assisted by Rev. L. M. Burkhardt, of the church of St. Boniface, and Rev. Father Schaub, of St. Mary's, as deacon and sub-deacon, respectively. Father Marianus also delivered a brief discourse on the great St. Francis, pointing out his wonderful and singular conformity with Jesus Christ crucified, which characteristic has also ever been the chief feature of the lives of his spiritual children, the members of the three great orders established by him, and has always been an object lesson to people in the world, since none can be saved unless he be made " conformable to the image of the Son of God." ,
The monastery of St. Clare at Evansville is a recent founda- tion, and the third of its kind in the United States. The history of the Poor Clares in this country is not without its special interest, though we can touch on it but briefly.
On August 12, 1875, in obedience to his Holiness, Pope Pius IX, and to the most reverend father-general of the Franciscan Fathers of the Observance, two sisters-sisters in the world as (582)
IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.
well as in the cloister-Maria Maddalena and Maria Costanza, both members of the distinguished noble family of Bentivoglio, in Rome, set out from the ancient monastery of San Lorenzo in Panispenra, Rome, to come to the United States. Before leaving they were received in special audience by the Holy Father, who, with his blessing, bade them go to a land where many were but little interested in spiritual matters, in order to show by a silent teaching that true happiness was not to be found in the possession of temporal and material things. They were introduced to his Holiness by Dr. Chatard, the present bishop of Indianapolis, who was then the rector of the American college in Rome, and who had always been deeply interested in the foundation of the Order of Poor Clares in his own native country. The sisters landed in New York on October 12, 1875, and their first permanent establishment was in the city of Omaha, Neb. Foundations of religious com- munities have always been attended with heavy trials and crosses, and the daughters of St. Clare were not to be an exception. But their difficulties came to a happy termination when, on July 14, 1882, they had the happiness of seeing the first monastery of their order canonically erected in the United States.
The new community prospered under the blessing of God so that, in 1885, a colony from the mother house in Omaha went to establish a new monastery in New Orleans, and in July, 1897, Mother Mary Maddalena Bentivoglio came to Evansville for the purpose of establishing another foundation. She was accompanied by ten sisters from Omaha, who volunteered to share with her in the hardships inseparable from an undertaking of this kind. The new monastery has already been placed on a canonical footing; the strict monastic enclosure has been regularly established, and all the privileges of the Franciscan order, in particular that of the great indulgence of Portiuncula, have been attached to it.
The life of the Poor Clares is, however, unfortunately not rightly understood by the vast majority of men, and hence their order is not as much appreciated as it deserves to be. To trample upon the riches and pleasures of this world; to leave the world entirely, and shut one's self up within the four walls of the cloister; to give ones self to a life of great austerity, to long hours of watch-
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ing and prayer, day after day, until death, and thus to throw, so to speak, one's life away-this the world cannot understand; but the world can understand and know how to value the lives of the Little Sisters of the Poor, or of the Sisters of Charity, and the other religious of the same nature, whose lives are spent among the poor, the sick, the ignorant. Here the good that is being done is seen by all the world; but with regard to the Poor Clares, nothing is seen; and hence the majority of men conclude that nothing is done. But if their lives are rightly studied, it must be concluded that the good they are doing is as much above the good done by many others as the soul is above the body.
Visit one of their monasteries. The plain, unpretentious building is in itself calculated to impress you. There it stands in its rigid simplicity and utter poverty, as a silent protest to worldly grandure and luxury. Then enter; what an atmosphere of restful- ness, of peaceful calm and happiness pervades the whole building. You feel yourself lifted above the world and feel ever so much nearer to God. And you leave with something like a feeling of jealousy and envy, as though you would like to change places with these recluses. Poverty and simplicity reign supreme. Their garments are of coarse material. Shoes and stockings are a luxury which they despise. Their bed is of hard straw. Their bill of fare is extremely simple. They never touch flesh meat. One full meal a day suffices. They observe perpetual silence, interrupted only once a day for a short time as a little recreation, at other times only through necessity or charity. There are other peniten- tial exercises now and then. Then there are long hours of prayer, mental and vocal, before the blessed Sacrament. And the rest of the time is usefully spent in manual labor, the work of the house, a little gardening and needlework. No one is idle. No moment is lost. Many go there born and reared in the lap of luxury, and yet they enjoy excellent health. Many join who are of a weak and delicate constitution, and they grow perfectly well and strong. Nearly all of them live to a ripe old age.
These religious are noble and heroic souls, who give the world magnificent lessons of true wisdom and courage; their lives are as
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free of unselfishness and as full of genuine charity as they are noble and heroic.
St. Francis of Assisi performed a complete work by the estab- lishment of his three orders. By his first and second orders he provided for those who, like himself, wished to retire from the world and consecrate themselves entirely to God. By his third order he provided for all Christians in the world who were anxious to save their souls. The brethren of the first order are like the soldiers who are actively engaged on the battle field, fighting against sin and vice in every shape and form, and leading men on both by word and example to enroll themselves under the standard Jesus Christ and to follow His divine example. While the breth- ren are thus exposed on the battle field, they know that they are assisted in the work of saving souls by their sisters in the retire- ment of the cloister, kneeling around their heavenly Spouse, be- seeching him in earnest prayer, by their tears and supplications, by their sinless and mortified lives, to spare the souls redeemed by His precious blood. And it will never be known until the last day what an amount of good the world owes to their fervent petitions.
There is a beautiful scene recorded in the life of St. Clare, the holy foundress of the order, which was a sort of figure of what the influence of the lives of her spiritual daughters would effect. When in the year 1239 the Saracens who were attached to the army of Frederick II attacked the city of Assisi and were already about to break into Clare's convent, she being sick, caused herself to be carried to the door, holding in her hands the sacred vessel contain- ing the holy Eucharist, and then prayed aloud, " O Lord, deliver not unto beasts the souls of them that praise Thee, but preserve Thy handmaids whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood," whereupon a voice was heard which said, " I will always preserve you." And thus Clare saved both her own daughters as well as the city of Assisi, for the Saracens, being blinded by an unseen power, fled in dismay in every direction.
Thus are the spiritual daughters of St. Clare employed at the present day in checking and warding off the dire attacks of the spiritual enemies of men's souls, and thus do they in a special
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A HISTORY OF CATHOLICITY
manner defend that city which gives them shelter and protect that country where they abide.
FERDINAND, DUBOIS COUNTY.
The Convent of the Immaculate Conception at Ferdinand, Dubois county .- The Sisters of Providence had charge of the schools at Ferdinand until 1867, when the Benedictine Sisters replaced them. The chapel of the latter was blessed by Father Bede, July 11, 1870; January 21, 1871, their convent was blessed. The Sisters had arrived at Ferdinand, August 20, 1867, and had taken up their abode in the house previously occupied by the other Sisters. Sister Benedicta was appointed superior until the com- munity should be sufficiently numerous to hold a regular election. The little dwelling of the Sisters consisted of but three rooms. In the fall of 1867, however, an addition of two rooms, with a chapel, was made, in which holy mass was celebrated, December 8, for the first time. Several postulants soon petitioned for admittance.
The constitution for the government of the community was drawn up by Right Rev. Martin Marty, and an order of the day was written out. Rev. Father Chrysostome was the spiritual director and founder of the community. At the first election, held June 1, 1872, according to the new constitution, Venerable Sister Benedicta was chosen prioress. She was re-elected July 7, 1875. Since 1878 Mother Agatha has successfully conducted the affairs of the community. In 1872 the Sisters were able to buy sixty- four acres of land adjoining the convent grounds. A neat frame house was then erected and placed under the charge of two Sis- ters. The community has prospered and has so increased that the superiors have been enabled to establish branch houses at the fol- lowing places: St. Meinrad, Ind., 1876; Rockport, Ind., 1877; Standing Rock, Dak., 1878; St. Scholastica and St. Benedict,. Ark., 1878; Fulda, Ind., 1878; St. Anthony, Ind., 1879; St. Henry, 1881, and many others. The total number received in the con- vent since it was founded, in 1867, to 1883, was sixty. Of these five have been called to receive their reward; twenty-two are out as missionaries, and the remaining thirty-three are employed at home.
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CONVENT OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. FERDINAND, IND.
IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.
In 1883 work was begun on a new building, and in 1887 this was completed at a cost of over $80,000. This stands on a slight eminence overlooking the town, and occupies a ground space 186 x 160 feet, is rectangular in form, and the outer walls inclose a chapel situated in the center of the grounds proper. The com- munity now comprises ninety-one Sisters, who have charge of fif- teen public and twenty-one parochial schools throughout the dio- cese of Vincennes, and an academy for young ladies in direct con- nection with the convent, and it is in contemplation to erect still another academy at West Indianapolis. The present superioress of the mother-house at Ferdinand is Venerable Mother M. Scho- lastica, O. S. B. The cost of the convent and its furnishings has reached at least $100,000.
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