Jewels from Jane - December 27

DECEMBER 27

December 27th, 1836-1844

Our First Sisters in Carondelet -- 1836-1844

Sister Delphine Fontbonne and Felicite [Boute] who had remained at the Hospital [Sisters of Charity Hospital in St. Louis] after Mother Febronia [Fontbonne] went to Cahokia, were sent by the Rgt. Rev. Bishop Rosati to commence a foundation at Carondelet where he intended to establish an Asylum for deaf mutes. The Hon. B. [Bryan] Mullanphy, then judge of the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, had donated for that purpose the lot on which was the log house occupied by the Orphan boys during the erection of the Orphan Asylum on Walnut St. (St. Louis). That building being completed, the Sisters of Charity with the Orphan boys took possession of it and the house at Carondelet being vacated, the Bishop (probably to secure Judge Mullanphy's influence with the U.S. Government for a grant towards the future Asylum for deaf Mutes) sent our Sisters to Carondelet immediately after the Orphans' removal to St. Louis - September 12th, 1836.

It was arranged that Sister St. Protais (Deboille) should join Sisters Delphine and Felicite in this new foundation. Chills and fever - a disease very prevalent in Cahokia - and they were obliged to commence without her, the Bishop gave them hopes, however, that they would soon be joined in their undertaking by Sisters from Lyons, whom Father Cholleton informed him by letter were under training for the object in view.

Sr. P's [St. Protais] illness was the cause of her removal to Carondelet. Sisters Delphine Fontbonne and Felicite commenced their foundation at Carondelet September 19th, 1836. One of the Sisters of Charity from the Hospital kindly escorted them to their new home. Carondelet at that time consisted of a few scattered log houses. A few years previous to the Sisters' arrival the Congregation was visited from St. Louis. Mass was celebrated in a temporary church of log constructure; for miles around no more respectable form of architecture met the eye of the tourist on the Mississippi river as he viewed the surrounding of Vide Poche - the name by which Carondelet was then designated on account of the poor aspect of the place and the poorer appearance of its towing denizens - the Creoles eked out livelihood by hewing wood and conveying it to St. Louis for sale. On the land thus cleared they built themselves log cabins and for several years neither their energies nor their ambition pushed them no [sic] higher than to support their families with the produce of their little garden farm.

About the year 1834 or 35 Reverend Father Saulnier took up his residence at Carondelet in a log cabin adjoining the one in which the holy Mysteries were celebrated and was making efforts towards the erection of a church, which was finished in Dec. 1836. Father Saulnier kindly welcomed the Sisters and gave them possession of their convent, which scarcely promised them shelter from the approaching winter's wind. It consisted of a log cabin about fifteen feet square; to this had been added for the accommodation of the Orphan boys a frame shed with a loft which served as a Dormitory for the Orphans and to which the ascent was by a ladder placed on the outside; the lower apartment of this shed was used as School room, play room and refectory. The Sisters occupied the log house which, consisting only of two rooms each served as used for the time being either as Oratory, Dormitory, Kitchen, Refectory or Parlor. It contained no other furniture when our Sisters took possession of it, than two empty bed steads of very ancient fashion, the timber of which was more burdensome than its weight would indicate. On leaving St. Louis the Sisters provided themselves (Saint Teresa-like) with two empty ticks; some coverlets and a skillet to make their omelet. As to the eggs to make the omelet, they committed the supply of provisions to the care of Divine Providence, nor were they less relying on this source when two days after their arrival Father Saulnier, having supplied them with some demp straw to fill their bed ticks, two chairs and their meals during the first two days, he informed them on the morning of the third day with his accustomed Sang froid [coolness, cold-heartedness] "that he was poor and he thought they could provide for themselves." Father Saulnier, however, watched over their interests with paternal care, but in thus throwing them, as it were, on their own resources he doubtless wished to test the cheerfulness with which they met the privations which greeted them in their new mission. Moreover, he was aware from his own experience of the creole character, that unless they asked it, the people would not offer them anything and he wished the Sisters to visit them and make known their wants, which to their comprehension meant to beg their daily bread, from which they at first revolted, but experience soon taught them that it was the American Missionary's Providence. The force of circumstances rendered it so and they reflected that they had already made greater sacrifices in carrying out the noble end of their vocation than that which was their lot to share with the eleemosynary institutions of the country. They were therefore not to be deterred by inconveniences, comparatively light, in their estimation, and Father Saulnier saw by their cheerful countenance on this and other occasions that the only disappointment they felt was not to have an opportunity of making known the good God to the Indians, whom they expected to evangelize on their arrival in America.

The Creoles, not much more enlightened in the faith than their savage predecessors, were slow in availing themselves of the Sisters' invitation to send their children to school. Few or any among them had a taste for literary pursuits and less for the practice of their religious duties. Their indifference and torpor, in regard to the latter, gave ample scope to the zeal of the Sisters as well as to the various Missionary Fathers who gave frequent Missions among them from time to time.

With what success these efforts have been crowned a single fact is sufficiently eloquent: during the thirty-five years that our Community is now established in their midst, only two natives of Carondelet have evidenced a vocation to the religious life and among the many who have been educated in the Sisters' School, there are few Mothers whose daughters are not attending the Public School, or contracting an alliance with Protestants.

The first benefactress whom the Sisters found among the inhabitants in Carondelet was Mrs. Rondi, a poor but pious widow whose cabin lay contiguous to theirs. This good lady had a daughter about ten years old, who was the only pupil in the School which Mother Delphine had announced would be opened for the benefit of the children both male and female. Mrs. Rondi shared with them the produce of her little garden and often sent them milk. With the exception of their pupil and her kind Mother, they spent their first Winter in Carondelet almost dead to the inhabitants and buried as it were, in a vast solitude by the woodlands which surrounded their log cabin. Compared with France they found in America an unfruitful land, which united all the inconveniences of extreme cold and excessive heat, a land which produced for them none of those numerous little comforts to which they were accustomed and which we now enjoy. They had a great esteem for poverty which inspired them to be strict economists with the little they had. Many a time did they lay by a part of what Providence sent them for their dinner, (though only sufficient for one meal) to serve for their next repast.

"I shall never again" said one of our first Sisters, "experience the sweet consolation I felt the first Christmas I spent in Carondelet." What these consolations were may be easily judged from the fact that they cooked their Christmas dinner after returning from church where they had no doubt enjoyed the "consolations" coveted in after years. About mid-Winter they were joined by one of the Sisters from Cahokia but, as the Community there was often visited by sickness, she was frequently obliged to return, thus Sister St. Protais and Sister Philomene [Vilaine] alternately relieved each other in their respective duties at Cahokia and Carondelet. Sister Philomene, who was an ardent lover of holy poverty, was disedified once on hearing Mother Delphine make the analogy between their little cabin and the "Holy House of Nazareth," likening their number to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and their poverty as resembling that of the Holy Family.

Although a novice, Sister Philomene took the liberty to tell her superioress that "They (the Community) were not yet as poor as the Holy Family," nor did she feel complimented to personate the Infant Jesus, an honor assigned her as being the youngest, Mother Felicite was to personate St. Joseph, but her humility to represent the head of the Holy Family could not be over ruled by her tender devotion to our Holy Patron and she consented to represent St. Joseph if Mother Delphine would command, as superioress and superior. In this manner did the little Community spend their Winter recreation. They could seldom exchange visits with the Community at Cahokia on account of the inclemency of the season. They received an occasional visit from Father Fontbonne, who took up his residence at the Cathedral in St. Louis. The Bishop also would frequently walk from St. Louis at that time and long after there was neither omnibus nor Railroad between here and St. Louis. Bishop Rosati apologising one day to the Sisters for not having been to see them for some months, said it was because of "the road being so bad during the Winter season and that he was too poor to keep a horse." Then taking a bundle from under his cloak, he presented it to Mother Delphine and said "I was thinking that you have to go to Mass every morning in that cold church and I got cloaks made for each of you, let me see if they will fit." The cloaks proved to be very comfortable. They were of broad cloth made after the style of that which was then worn by the Sisters of Charity, the ample hood of which our Sisters used in place of a bonnet, and wore them thus during the Winter, they seldom went out except to church. Father Saulnier was not likely to disappoint them of the opportunity of assisting at his "daily Mass." It is related of him that from the day of his ordination until that of his death he never missed offering the Holy Sacrifice daily. Father Saulnier was upwards of forty years a priest. (Other records show he was ordained in 1822.) He was very kind to the Sisters and shared with them the little he had; aware of their repugnance to make their wants known he would sometimes surprise them by a present of a loaf of bread saying, "I am afraid you have nothing to eat. I brought you some bread." He sent them a present of milchs (sic) milk (?) cow, which he himself supplied with fodder during the winter.

To know what the word poverty meant, it could not be better illustrated than to see the house, which they scarcely found habitable during the winter, having been frequently obliged to shake off the snow from their pillows in the morning, notwithstanding their precaution to stop up all the chinks around their bed before retiring to rest at night, the snow used to drift in on their face.

One morning Sister Philomene, who usually enjoyed excellent health, awoke with a terrible pain in her head and her face very much swollen from enysipelas (sic) being informed that it was caused by a cold, she could not comprehend how cold could produce so much heat in her poor little head. However, if they were inclined to find fault with their accommodations, they had but to look toward the parish church to be reminded that they were comparatively better sheltered than the Tabernacle wherein reposed under His Sacramental Veil, the Holy of Holies, and raising their hearts in love to him, they were encouraged to imitate his Nazarene poverty. During the ensuing Spring they had the consolation to see a new stone church dedicated under the title Our Lady of Mount Carmel [now Sts. Mary and Joseph Church]. The first Mass in the stone church was celebrated at Christmas 1836. [She probably means 1837] The mason work of which was so badly executed that the walls lasted only three years. It was rebuilt with brick in 1840. This is the same building in which the Christian Brothers teach the parochial school at present. [1875]

Six months had elapsed since their arrival in Carondelet and our Sisters found the prospect of a day School so unpromising that Father Fontbonne was obliged to sell some of the vestments he brought from France to procure the necessaries of life for Mother M. Delphine - his sister - to whom he was tenderly attached. Sunday after Sunday Father Saulnier reminded his parishioners that now the Sisters being among them they had no excuse not to have their children instructed and prepared for their first Communion.

A few attended on Sunday afternoon for that purpose but they were too busy on the other days of the week to go to school. After fruitless efforts to organize a school, Mother Delphine began to think of seeking some other means of a livelihood for the little community in the log cabin and made application to some ladies in St. Louis for sewing. She was an accomplished scholar and very expert at all sorts of needlework but her humility guided her better genius in procuring a subsistance for herself and Sisters. When all other measures failed she did not disdain the making of shot bags, an employment furnished by Mr. Paddleford proprietor of a shot tower - situated on the bank of the river about a mile South of the arsenal. The sum realized from this occupation though small, was sufficient, with their economy, to support the little community for some months. In the month of May, 1837, Mother M. Delphine received a letter from Lyons informing her that two Sisters - Sisters Celestine [Pommerel] and St. John [Fournier] - were on their way to America and were destined for Carondelet. Gladdened as Mother Delphine and her companions were at this intelligence, their joy at first was not unmingled with regret. Our Sisters thought they will be disappointed, not so much by our poverty as by the manner of life it subjects us to. They looked long and anxiously, however, for the arrival of the Missionaries and made whatever preparation they could for their accommodation. The summer of 1837 passed and as yet the Sisters expected from Lyons had not arrived. Bishop Rosati wrote to the Mother House [Lyon, France] concerning their non-arrival but the answer to his and Mother Delphine's letters came only to confirm their surmises that the Sisters were shipwrecked, or worse still had abandoned their vocation.

The good Bishop disappointed in his plan for establishing a Deaf Mute Institute in his dioceses had lost all hopes of the arrival of the Sisters expected to direct it and was forming other plans to enable the little Community at Carondelet to open a day school. While yet occupied with these thoughts Dr. [Bishop] Rosati was surprised one morning by a visit from two ladies who announced themselves "Sisters of St. Joseph from Lyons" Seeing them attired as seculars the Bishop was slow to recognize them as religious and closely scrutinized them with questions, and though they presented their letter of obedience from Father Cholleton, he did not seem satisfied until, at his request, they communicated with each other by the signs used in the teaching of deaf mutes. He also requested them to explain the signs they had just made, which provoked a smile from Sister Celestine, as Sister St. John had made the sign that she was very hungry and longed for some of the brown bread that she despised so much in France. On hearing the interpretation of Sister St. John's signs the good Bishop smiled too and going to a cupboard in the room where they were, he brought them on a plate a large piece of rye bread, telling them that, "it was French bread." Sister St. John ate of it, both to verify her words and to satisfy her hunger, Sister Celestine took some to please her companion.

The Bishop then sent to the Sisters of Charity at the Orphan Asylum, at that time adjoining the Cathedral on Walnut Street, where they remained until after dinner, when they were conveyed to Carondelet by a colored woman in the service of Dr. Rhody, a resident of Carondelet. Doctor Rhody was one of those who fled from Jamaica at the time of the insurrection; he had no family. His faithful attendant, Margaret, the companion of his flight and his remnant of life, was well known to the Sisters of Charity, whom she frequently accommodated with a seat in her vehicle, performing the office of driver herself. Black Margaret, as she was called, spoke excellent French and entertained our two weary Missionaries on the road with an account of the state of religion and the religious in the vicinity of St. Louis. So well informed had they been by the time they approached the log cabin convent, that they were less surprised at meeting the little community (who were sitting on the porch at their evening recreation) than Mother Delphine and companions were to see them, whom they had prayed for as dead.

The rest of the evening was spent in mutual exchange of news from France the incidents of the tedious voyage, which occupied six months, and left our weary travellers too fatigued to make many inquiries about the State of affairs in their new home.

Our Sisters were at this period (Sept. 4th, 1837) established one year in Carondelet and buoyed up by hope they struggled against the difficulties attendant on their lovely situation, extreme poverty, and the unpromising state of their School.

The increase in the Community necessitated more room than the little cabin afforded and as Sister Celestine (afterwards Mother Celestine) brought some money, it was decided to expend it on building additional accommodations.

The carpenter having taken the matter in hand unroofed the portion to which a story was to be raised, an improvement supposed to be sufficient for the time being. Before this work was completed the weather changed and the rain poured in, rendering their poor habitation more unaccommodating than before. This state of affairs continued during five or six weeks, the process of roofing being interrupted by the rainy season which, however, was the cause of as much mirth as inconvenience to the Sisters, who were disposed to accept all things in the spirit of cheerfulness. When the rain became very heavy they held their umbrellas over them, this enlivened the recreation and some pleasant reminiscences are related of holding the umbrella with one hand and taking dinner with the other.

During the month of October of this year (1837) Miss Ann Eliza Dillon joined the Community. She was the youngest daughter of a wealthy Merchant in St. Louis and had been educated at the convent of the Sacred Heart. Her mother was dead and her father very much opposed to her joining our Sisters on account of the extreme poverty of the little community at Carondelet, but that poverty was the motive of Miss Dillon's choice, as she desired to assist the establishment of the Institute by her dowry which was upwards of $2000. Her father refused his consent and she followed the advice of her confessor, Father Jameson, S.J. hoping that her father would relent in his decision or at least would pay her dowry. Miss Dillon was 18 years old when she entered, her health delicate, but her piety and fervor prompted her to undertake great things for the glory of God. She received the Habit and the name Sister Mary Frances Joseph from Bishop Rosati on the 3rd Jan. 1838.

Sister Philomene, nee Vilaine, made her profession on the same day. This was the first ceremony of the kind which took place in Carondelet. The Bishop was assisted by the Rev. Father E.[Edmund] Saulnier and P. Chandy, the latter was one of the Lazarist Fathers who accompanied the Bishop. It was a small beginning and formed a lonely contrast for our Sisters accustomed as they were to the ceremonies of Reception and Profession at the Mother House at Lyons, where, frequently not less than one hundred Novices took their vows and generally a larger number received the Habit, one consolation on this occasion as they followed this first flower of the New Noviciate (sic) to the altar to consecrate her to God under the patronage of the Holy Family. Mr. Dillon did not attend the ceremony of his daughter's reception of the Habit, but his wife (for he had married a second time) and daughters were present and bore to him the assurance of Ann Eliza's joy and happiness in being clothed in the "Habit of the poor Sisters of St. Joseph." Nevertheless, he disinherited her and absolutely refused to pay one cent for her dowry.

Sister M.F. Joseph taught the Sisters to speak English and taught also an English class in the school. She spoke French fluently which gave her the advantage of teaching the English language with more facility. She had incipient consumption, but her singular energy of character, her piety, her rare ability in conveying instructions, her cheerful and affable demeanor, as well as her solid virtue, gave our first Sisters eager anticipations and bright hopes of her future usefulness to the Institute and she was admitted to her profession, which she survived only two years. She died of consumption in 1842 making a will in favor of the Community which her father never acknowledged, his first visit to her after she left home was made to her corpse, over which he wept and deplored his harshness towards his Angelic daughter.

He ordered a magnificent coffin instead of the plain one which the poverty she had embraced allotted her. He also erected a tombstone. These concessions the Sisters allowed through respect to his grief.

After Miss Dillon's reception of the Habit, the Community in Carondelet numbered four professed Sisters and two Novices. Sister St. John [Fournier] & M. Joseph while that in Cahokia, although established six months before it and under happier auspices, still retained their original number; viz. Mother Febronia Fontbonne, Sister Febronia Chapelon and Sister St. Protais, the latter was not yet professed. The school at Cahokias was well attended and the people there liberally contributed towards the support of the Sisters. The Community in Carondelet experienced the contrary. Their principal means of support was the little sums realized by the making of shot bags and other needle work done for some ladies in St. Louis, among whom is mentioned Mrs. Mullanphy and her daughter, Mrs. Delaney. The latter placed her little daughter, six years of age, in the Sisters' care. She was a delicate child and ordered by physicians to be sent to the country for air. During her stay with the Sisters she became attached to Sister Celestine and her Mother returned for her several times before the little one could be induced to accompany her home. Mrs. Delaney's brother, Judge Mullanphy, was one of the first benefactors of the Community, he gave them the title deed of a lot on which to build a house. His Mother, Mrs. Mullanphy, visited them frequently and on one occasion left them a large donation in money and advised them to commence to build, and that they should have a good school. An advice they were rather slow to act on, as the cash on hand was not sufficient to meet the expense of the proposed building, and their principle was that their liabilities should keep pace with their resources. The school during the first two years gave very slight encouragement to hope for pecuniary aid from it. The average attendance seldom exceeded twenty children. It was during this second 1838 winter of their Mission in America that an opportunity was afforded them for making their "annual retreat." Bishop Loras on his way to his new diocese of Dubuque, accompanied by Rev. F. Cretin, afterwards first Bishop of St. Paul, having been detained in St. Louis until the opening of navigation in the upper Mississippi was invited by Bishop Rosati to preach to the Congregation in Carondelet.

Their mission continued three weeks during which the Bishop and his companion boarded and lodged in the convent, Father Saulnier's log cabin being too small to accommodate them, the Sisters retired to the shed formerly occupied by the orphan boys, happy to sacrifice the poor convenience of their log cabin for the common good and to serve the missionaries. Bishop Loras and Father Cretin were from Lyons, and besides the spiritual advantages of a retreat, our Sisters had the gratification to see and converse with their countrymen for the first time since they left France. Sister Philomene whose duty it was to prepare the meals for the missionaries and wait on them, was not a little embarrassed how to improvise a table and service for a Monseigneur out of her poor kitchen pantry and poorer plate; but Bishop Loras put her quite at her ease for he, himself, taught her how to make his bouillon without meat. "We lived very frugally in those days," said Sister Philomene, when questioned as to what kind of dinners did she give Bishop Loras and Bishop Cretin. "We had soup for breakfast, soup for dinner, and soup for supper."

During the Mission the Sisters were kept busily employed in the institution of several (grown) men and women who were sent them by the Missionaries to prepare them for the Sacraments.

After the Mission the school was better attended. A class for boys was opened in a log cabin at a distance from their own to which two Sisters went to teach every day.

The class for girls was on their own premises.

Bishop Rosati visited the Sisters frequently and always took his dinner when he came. He watched with paternal interest over them and with prophetic words encouraged them to patience and perseverance in the work which Providence had assigned them - the establishment of their Institution in America. However, the work which the Bishop seemed to desire earnestly to see accomplished was the establishment of an Asylum for deaf mutes; he always spoke of it in his visits and of the prospects he had of obtaining an endowment, or grant, from government for the purpose.

Judge Mullanphy lent his influence for procuring the consent of the city Council for the establishment of a Deaf Mute Asylum and some money was obtained from government towards this object, but the work itself was slow in its beginnings and its organization never attained that efficiency which the Bishop had hoped for and, after having been in operation for some years, was finally superseded by the State Institution for Deaf Mutes at Fulton.

During the Christmas Holidays of this year (1838) the Bishop brought a little present to each Sister. On this occasion it was that he received the vows of Sister St. John Fournier (Dec. 27, 1838), who received the Habit in Lyons and accompanied Sister Celestine to America. The two years of her Noviciate (sic) being finished Sister St. John was admitted to profession. Mother Delphine's term of office drawing to a close in 1839, she petitioned the Bishop to release her from it. Her resignation was accepted and the Bishop placed the government of the Community in Carondelet in the hands of Sister Celestine, until he would communicate with Rev. Mother in Lyons [Mother St. John Fontbonne].

The End

From the handwritten manuscript of Sister Adelaide O'Brien who wrote a history of the Congregation in 1875. The manuscript is 68 pages long. This section is taken from pages 39-68.

Sister Adelaide O'Brien was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland in 1825. She entered at Carondelet on May 1, 1847. She professed her vows on October 15, 1849 and died September 22, 1895 at Nazareth. She is buried in Nazareth Cemetery, grave D-38. Her parents were John and Mary O'Brien.