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SIXTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
JULY 25, 1936
Auditorium Latest
Evidence of Growth
at St* Genevieve*s
(Continued From Asheville Page)
of people who wished to talk and
read French. In the summertime,
too, the house was open to boarders
—indeed until 1913 some of the moth
ers of the girls and other women
lived in the big building during the
winter as “parlor boarders”. There
were but ten boarding pupils when
the move to Victoria was made.
The friend of many, the guiding
spirit of the school, Reverend Moth
er Deplanck died in 1915, and was
buried on January C, the seventh
anniversary of the opening of her
school. Reverend Mother Lorin has
carried on her work ever since ex
cept for the three years she spent
at the Mother House in Toumai, Bel
gium.
Two departments of the school ex
isted from the very first. The third,
the college, had its beginning in a
postgraduate course started early.
The college proper separated from
the academy in 1912; in 1913 six girls
received diplomas for a three-year
course. The French college depart
ment, the Lycee, which gives a pro
fessor’s diploma, started in 1915. The
following year the first regular B. A.
diplomas were awarded. The senior
college was later discontinued in fa
vor of the junior college. As to quar
ters, the college had a history of
wanderings before it finally came to
rest a permanent home. From the
fourth floor of the main house to
the Ravenel residence on Victoria
to a small house on the comer of
the property, the college moved fi
nally to enter its own building March
7, 1921.
This has been the greatest addi
tion of all. The main house has
thrown out several wings, new tennis
courts have sprung up here and
there, and five acres have been ad
ded to the grounds.
This comprises Saint Genevieve’s
today. The school numbers over 330
students, 36 nuns, and seven lay
teachers. The Rev. Herbert Harkins
is cKaplain. The college was put on
the A list of the state in November.
1917; it was put on the accredtied
list of the Association of Southern
Schools and Colleges in 1913, and
made a member in 1921. During the
years the pupils have come from 43
states, England, Cuba and Central
America, and have gone out to take
higher degrees at universities and to
be heads of modern language de
partments. Twenty-eight years—and
now in the lower grades are many
of the school’s “grandchildren".
Notable Career oi Foundress
of St. Genevieve’s College
(Continued From Asheville Page)
putate it. Not being able to occupy
herself with work of any kind, she
spent much time reading. Books of
a pious nature, particularly interest
ed her during her convalescence.
Aided by divine grace, she now un
derstood the insignificance of all that
is not done for God in the light of
eternity. Once having seen the light,
she made her election and determined
to enter the religious life.
tact. The Empress Eugenie and her
Lady of Honor paid frequent visits
to the Convent where they enjoyed
conversing with Mother Delplanck.
Bailie Furniture
Company
The Quality Store
Complete House
Furnishings
7P8-710-712 Broadway
Augusta, Ga.
In 1879, Suzanne Deplanck arrived
at the Novitiate of Christian Educa
tion at Argentan, determined with the
help of God to consecrate her life to
His service. After two years of fer
vent religious life, she pronounced
the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and
Obedience in the Congregation of
Christian Education. The young re
ligious immediately began her apos-
tolate by teaching one of the advanc
ed classes in the boarding school at
the Mother House. She was kind, but
firm in the classroom, where she was
loved by all her students, who recog
nized in her an excellent teacher, a
wise counsellor, and a loving friend.
Before Sister Deplanck completed
her second year of teaching, she was
taken seriously ill and this hard sac
rifice was cheerfully accepted by her
whose one desire was to do the Will
of God. Her condition became criti-
al. In hopes of amelioration, the
Superior sent her to one of the houses
in the country near Remalard, where
she received the loving care of the
devoted Sisters. Her condition instead
of improving became worse. The doc
tors finally declared that humanly
speaking there was no hope. Her fam
ily was notified of her illness and
came to the bedside in great haste
expecting the worst.
The Sisters, however, placing their
hope in divine, rather than human
assistance, started a fervent novena
to the Sacred Heart asking for the
speedy recovery of the beloved pa
tient. He, who said: “Ask and you
shall receive”, seeing the faith and
confidence of His chosen ones was not
slow in granting their request. On
the ninth day of the novena, immedi
ately after the Mass, which was cele
brated in honor of the Sacred Heart
for the recovery of the apparently
dying religious, she suddenly felt bet
ter, and asked for food. From this
time on, to the surprise of doctors and
friends she gained strength. A few
weeks after this extraordinary cure,
Sister Deplanck resumed her duties
in the classroom.
In 1889, Reverend Mother General
Duval, with her Council, decided to
found a Convent in England. A beau
tiful piece of property situated in
Farnborough in close proximity to the
Summer Home of the Empress Eu
genie was purchased for this purpose.
Reverend Mother Duval, with her un
usual prescience and her ardent de
sire to spread the Kingdom of Christ,
organized a new House, with Mother
Deplanck in charge. The task of the
new Superior was far from easy. She
had to struggle against bigotry in all
its forms, but her delicate tact, in
finite kindness, and broadmindedness,
enabled her to surmount the many
obstacles and overcome all difficul
ties. Mother Deplanck conauered all
hearts and won the confidence of
those with whom she came in con
GEORGIA RAILROAD
TEXAS CENTEHMRL-DALLAS, TEXAS
JUNE 6—NOV. 29, 1936
Visit the Great Texas Centennial Exposition at Dallas
—dazzling, educational and inspiring in all aspects.
Low round-trip fares in effect to Dallas, Fort Worth,
Houston, Galveston, San Antonio and Austin. Stop
overs allowed at all stations. Your itinerary should
include New Orleans, the “Paris of America”.
Inquire of ticket agents for fares and schedules, or
direct to the undersigned.
J. A. HIGGINS, General Passenger Agent
4 Hunter Street, S. E. Atlanta, Ga.
SPECIAL EXCURSION FARES
ACCOUNT
Texas CenSennial Exposition—Dallas, Tex.
JUNE 6—NOVEMBER 29, 1936
Special excursion tickets are on sale to Dallas, Fort Worth and
Austin. There will be fares for tickets good in sleeping and parlor
cars upon payment of Pullman charges, limit 30 days and December
15, 1936, and there will also be fares for tickets good in coaches,
limit 30 days, also limit December 15, 1936. The coach fares will, of
course, be lower than the other fares. Stop-overs are allowed and di
verse routes permitted.
Attend the greatest exposition yet staged in the Southwest.
Texas celebrates one hundred years of independence. There will
be shown the tremendous commercial, cultural and artistic growth
of our largest state during the past century.
Ask Ticket Agent for total fares, schedules and service.
CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILWAY
In the course of her labors to firm
ly establish Hillside Convent, Moth
er Deplanck was again taken serious
ly ill, and during many long months,
from May to October, the Sisters fear
ed for the life of their beloved Moth
er.
Being the month of October, they
were inspired to make a most fervent
novena to St. Theresa of Avila, at the
close of which (on the morning of the
I5th of October), the patient was sud
denly restored to health, and she was
again able to resume her apostolic
functions. For the second time, God
had miraculously cured his devoted
servant.
During the eighteen years that Rev
erend Mother Deplanck was Superior
of Hillside Convent, her boarding and
day schools flourished; magnificent
buildings were erected. Just as every
thing was at its height, nuns and pu
pils were called upon to make a great
sacrifice, for Mother Deplanck had
offered herself for the American
foundations of the Congregation of
Christian Education. Reverend Moth
er General accepted the offer, for she,
like others, knew that no one else
was more capable of the task.
With her characteristic courage and
generosity, Mother Deplanck gave
herself wholeheartedly to the new en
terprise. Divine Providence led her
and her pioneer band of five religious
to North Carolina. On January 6,
1907, they opened with an enrollment
of twenty-two pupils a day school on
Starnes Avenue in Asheville.
Soon, the little building proved in
adequate for the increasing number
of pupils, and Mother Deplanck had
to find a larger house. At the time,
it was difficult to find a brick build
ing suitable for a school. Mother De
planck, placing her trust in St. Jo
seph, made a tour of the city. After
many days of searching, she saw one
that appealed to her. “My dear St.
Joseph,” she said, “that is the house
I want.” Then full of confidence she
advanced and rang the belL A gen
tleman received her disagreeably, and
in answer to her request, replied: “My
house is neither for sale, nor for rent.”
Mother Deplanck ignoring the sullen
gentleman’s manner, said, in her usual
courteous way: “Thank you, I am so
sorry to have disturbed you.”
Mother Deplanck was not in the
least discouraged, for she knew that
St. Joseph was all powerful in hand
ling business affairs. Three days lat
er, March 19, our former sullen gen
tleman called on Mother Deplanck
and graciously greeted her saying:
“I’ve changed my mind, you may
have my house.”
After a few years it became neces
sary to look for larger quarters, and,
in 1911, Mother Deplanck purchased
Victoria Inn, giving it the name of
ST. GENEVIEVE- OF - THE - PINES.
Under this title it became a large and
prosperous boarding school and has
ever upheld the high ideals and char
acteristic spirit of its devoted foun
dress.
Mother Deplanck labored in Ashe
ville. The number of pupils kept on
increasing and even adult French
classes,- comprising representatives of
every denomination, were formed,
bringing souls in contact with Moth
er Deplanck. Gradually the walls of
bigotry were crumbling. The saintly
Father Price, when speaking of her,
said: “Since Mother Deplanck has
been working in North Carolina, prej
udices against Catholics have been
broken down. If her coming to Ashe
ville had accomplished only that, she
would have rendered great service to
the Church.”
In 1913 the health of Mother De
planck began visibly to decline un
der the strain of her active and far-
reaching endeavors. The terrible war
in 1914 gave a fatal blow to her al
ready impaired health, and she failed
rapidly. In the course of her severe
malady, it was thougnt wise to take
the patient to St. Agnes’ Hospital in
Baltimore. However, an operation
produced no results. The two listers
who accompanied her saw that the
end was very near. It was consoling
to the dying Superior to have near
her the Rev. L; Besnard and the Rev.
A. Urique, Sulpician Fathers of St.
Mary’s Seminary, who had both been
instrumental in bringing the Sisters
of Christian Education to the United
States.
Near ten o’clock on the night of
January 2, 1915, it was evident that
the supreme instant was near. Dur
ing the prayers for the agonizing, the
face of Mother Deplanck, transfigur
ed by an expression of peace and pro
found surprise, seemed fixed on
something invisible. This vision last
ed about three minutes and then the
for her eternal home.
Those who knew her will never for
get her wonderful charm, forgetful
ness of self, inspiring faith; her mag
netic influence reached many hearts.
No wonder is it that she is still cher
ished and revered. For as Bishop
Gunn said of her: “Great women
like Mother Deplanck never die. As
long as there is a child taught in St.
Genevieve’s, she lives! she lived long
enough to do a great work, and^ to
start a life-long agency for good.”
FATHER J. CLARENCE BURNS,
Maryknoll missioner in China, lured
by a false sick call February 5 and
kidnapped by bandits, is still held
captive.
GREALISH, POTEET & WALKER
Funeral Directors
AUGUSTA
519 GREENE ST.—PHONE 2311.
MBKMa
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CAMP ST. MARY’S
OKATEE
Recreational Camp for Children
Located on the Ochetee River in Lower Beaufort
* County, S. C.. .
July 12th to August 23rd.
Under the Patronage of the
Most Rev. Emmet M. Walsh, D. D.,
Bishop of Charleston
Endorsed by
The Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D.,
Bishop of Savannah.
For Information or Literature, Write
REV. A. F. KAMLER, Director
Camp St. Mary’s—R. F. D. 1
Ridgeland, S. C.