Newspaper Page Text
Published by the
Catholic Lay
men’s Association
of Georgia.
Ikfitt
“To Bring About
a Friendlier
Feeling Among
Neighbors irre
spective of Creed”
VOL. XVII. No. 7
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, JULY 25, 1936
ISSUED MONTHLY—J2.00 A YEAR
St. Genevieve’s Auditorium Nearing Completion
MOTHER DEPLANCK
FOUNDER OF COLLEGE
OF SAINT GENEVIEVE
Beloved Religious Famed
Educator in France, Eng
land and United States
Mother Suzanne Deplanck, a truly
apostolic soul, destined by God to do
a great work, not only in her own
dear France, but over the Channel in
England, and then later across the
Great Atlantic to America, had an
unusually laborous life, the effects of
which are still bearing remarkable
fruit.
Suzanne Deplanck, born in Lille,
France, May 21, 1857, was the daugh
ter of Alexander Deplanck and Eu
genie Calvine. Suzanne’s earliest
childhood was spent among beautiful
surroundings in an atmosphere of re
ligion. At a very tender age she was
deprived by her father by sudden
death. Madame Deplanck realizing
her children’s loss tried to be both
mother and father to them. She con
secrated herself entirely to the de
velopment and education of her chil
dren.
At the age of ten, Suzanne was sent
to a boarding school in Loos-les-Lille,
conducted by the Sisters of Christian
Education. Being of an intelligent and
diligent nature, she made rapid prog
ress in her studies. Her vivacity,
charm and rare frankness gained her
the hearts of both teachers and
Schoolmates.
Suzanne was pious and very early
in her school life she felt an attrac
tion for mortification. Her ardent
imagination and generosity made her
dream of later leading the austere life
of a religious. She confided her
dream to an intimate companion, who
immediately begged to share in the
plan, and so the two made a compact
to become missionary Sisters. Suz
anne and Antoinette straightway be
gan to exercise themselves in the aus
terities of the ‘saints.” As a first sac
rifice they took the resolution to de
prive themselves of dessert. What was
their surprise at dinner when the Sis
ter presiding at the table insisted that
the dessert be eaten. Antoinette im
mediately complied with the Sister’s
wishes. But Suzanne thinking it
would be cowardly, refused to break
her resolution. It was only after she
had had a long explanation with her
dear mother that she consented to re
linquish this mortification. Thus in
her early life she learned the lesson
that obedience is better than sacri
fice.
God sent a tremendous sorrow to
Suzanne at the age of twelve. He
Called her mother home to her eter
nal reward. This was a great trial
for one so young, as our future lit
tle missionary was left to face the
difficulties of this life without father
or mother. Madame Rogez, her old
est sister, assumed the responsibility
of mother for Suzanne, her brothers
and sisters.
Suzanne continued her studies at
Loos-les-Lille and successfully pass
ed the public examinations and re
ceived her degree. She then bade
adieu to her dear school and went to
Lille to live with Madame Rogez. Here
she took her place in the social world
and enjoyed its varied activities.
From time to time, however, she felt
the emptiness and uselessness of these
brilliant functions; however, she
Would not dwell long on such
thoughts. God had not as yet shown
her His designs for her future; so she
continued to enjoy society life in
Lille, giving herself, as was her na
ture, to her friends. Here, as at school,
her charming personality made her a
general favorite.
One evening when going out with
her sister, Suzanne realized as she
was entering the carriage that she
had left her fan upstairs, so quickly
she ran to her room in search of it.
In her excitement she did not notice
that in reaching for the fan, her long
kid glove came in contact with the
lighted gas. In less time than it takes
to tell, the glove on her right arm
Caught fire and was all ablaze. Hap
pily she had the presence of mind to
bury her arm in the covers of the
bed and thereby stifle the flames.
The arm, however, was so badly
burned and caused the patient so
much pain that she was confined to
her bed for many months. So badly
burnt was it that for a while doctors
feared that they would have to am-
l
I (Continued on Page Sixteen)
The long desired auditorium of St. Gewevieve’s-of-the -Pines is now rearing its walls among the other buildings
of the campus. Willis Irvin of Augusta, Ga., has planned the beautiful building in tapestry brick with stone trim
ming. Dion A. Roberts of Asheville is the contractor, and the building is advancing rapidly under his able direc
tion. It will cost approximately $30,000 when finished. The new structure will be one and a half stories high,
will have a gallery, a seating capacity of 600, and facili lies for an outdoor gymnasium. It is anticipated that it
will be finished for the reopening of the college in the fal 1.
College Building at St. Genevieve's
School Starting With 22
Pupils Now Has Three
Hundred and Thirty
Twenty-eight years ago last De
cember there appeared daily in the
Asheville newspapers an advertise
ment which read: “Hillside Con
vent. A school for young ladies under
the direction of the Sisters of Chris
tian Education. Members of any
denominations are admitted to the
school. Pupils are received at any
time during the year but not for a
shorter period than a month.” It
added that it was to open cm Janu
ary 6 at 48 Starnes Avenue, under
the directorship of the Rev. Mother
Today
Deplanck.
ay as visible record of
28 years growth and achievement, the
great buildings set on a 20-acre tract
that comprise Saint Genevieve of
the Pines house a school which is
being supplemented by a modern au
ditorium and gymnasium.
The College at St. Genevieve’s was the most recent addition to the buildings there; It is one of the most at
tractive buildings of its kind in this entire section of t he South.
Three Splendid Departments
at St. Genevieve’s College
Grammar School and Acade my Conducted There as Well
as the Junior College Section
St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines com
prises three main scholastic depart
ments: The College, the Academy,
and the Grammar School, all of
which form a complete system of
education.
Q-
JUNIOR COLLEGE
The Junior College is fully accred
ited by the State Department of Ed
ucation of North Carolina under
whose laws it is incorporated.
Under the direction of Reverend
Mother Deplanck, college classes
were formed in 1909, the year follow
ing the opening of the first school
in Asheville. In 1912 the College
was fully organized as an institution
and formally recognized.
The College building is located on
an extensive cammis. The structure
was erected in 1922, and is a hand
some fireproof building in tapestry
brick. The plans were drawn by Mr.
R. S. Smith, the famous' architect,
who came to Asheville from England
at the request of the late George
Vanderbilt to erect his magnificent
mansion, Biltmore House. The
ground floor contains the reJtation
rooms, the assembly and recreation
halls, the students’ library, a recep
tion room, and the offices of the
Dean and the Registrar. The upper
stories are occupied by the students’
apartments. The well-e quipped
chemical, physics and biological lab
oratories are in the Science Build
ing—Villa Notre Dame-
The Junior Collegiate department
consists of the Standard Classical
Course, the Standard Literary
Course, the Lycee, or French School
and the Secretarial Course. The
Classical and Literary courses in
clude those standard subjects studied
the first and second years of college
works. Graduates of the Junior Col
lege. who have continued their col
lege courses have made outstanding
records in the colleges and universi
ties they have attended, among them
are Duke University, North Caro
lina State College for Women, Uni
versity of North Carolina, Mundelein
College and other noteworthy insti
tutions of higher learning.
The Lycee, or French School, com
prises a two years’ course leading to
a Professor’s Diploma for French
This division of the college system is
affiliated with the “Alliance Fran-
caise,” and a Bronze or Silver Medal
offered by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs in Paris is awarded to stud
ents who win honors.
The Secretarial Course is a special
one or two years’ course, which in
cludes shorthand, typewriting, book
keeping and secretarial training.
Awards are given each year for
speed in shorthand and typewriting.
Students finishing this course have
obtained outstanding positions of re
sponsibility in the business world.
Miss Katharine Zimmerman, a
sophomore in the Junior College won
first place in a North Carolina state
wide Latin translation contest con
ducted in November, 1935. The con
test was held in conjunction with
similar events throughout the coun
try in connection with the observ
ance of the 2,000th anniversary of
the birth of Horace; the translation
was his eleventh ode, Book II. Miss
Zimmerman received an award from
the state officials of the contest and
this honor marks a noteworthy
scholastic achievement. *
Each year the Junior College
graduates who obtain the highest
honors receive scholarships from
leading colleges and universities.
This year Miss Rosemary Dolan and
Miss Marguerite Wehry won a
scholarship to Mundelein College,
Chicago, Ill| The college student
may participate in the activities of
several clubs, each of which is di
rected by a member of the faculty.
The leading societies are: the Hill
side Literary Society, the Dramatic
Club, the Jeanne d'Arc Club, the St.
Cecilia Club, and various athletic
clubs.
The growth of Saint Genevieve's
has gone hand in hand with the
growth of Asheville from town to
city. Asheville was not large in the
autumn of 1907 when Mother Dep
lanck and five other nuns arrived
after travelling the great distance
from England and France to the
mountains of Western North Caro
lina. “It was so cold. We stood on
the square and some lady came up
to us and helped us to find our way,
said one of the French nuns who
was a member of that pioneer band,
recalling that early day. Mother
Deplanck was indeed a pioneer and
many in Asheville still remember her
as __a remarkable personality who
counted among the important and
well-loved people of the community.
She had left the motherhouse to
found a school in England, and when
that was established she turned her
face to America and came to found
the first of several convents of her
order in this country.
It was in the middle of winter but
women of Asheville—which was by
no means overrun with schools—be
came interested. Mrs. O. C. Hamil
ton, for one, drove arourd in her
carriage interviewing such as she
thought might like to enter their
children in the new school. The re
sult was that 48 Starnes Avenue
opened with 22 pupils. There was
one boarder ,and the boarder had a
dog. Nobody knew just where to
keep the dog but he was made wel
come.
The new school was called “Hill
side” after the school in England —
probably the only homelike thing to
those far-travelers about the new
venture.
The first commencement was held
the following June. Of course there
were no very definite courses work
ed out during that first year. Sub
jects were suited to the needs of the
pupils who ranged in individual re
quirements over a large number of
grades ,but the stress for all was laid,
as has always been the policy of the
school, on French. This first com
mencement took place at 74 North
Main, where the school had moved
toward the end of March. Work was
not over, however, for the nuns
taught summer school all summer.
When the regular woTk recommenc
ed in September there were seventy
students enrolled, which necessitated
the adding of a neighboring house,
“The Colonial”, for the younger
children.
The final move was made in Janu
ary of the year 1911 to what had
been an inn on Victoria Road. There
were no more moves, but many addi
tions was the history of the school
from then on. Here the convent
adopted the name of Saint Gene
vieve, the patron saint of the city of
Paris; and in recognition of the
trees which beautify the grounds of
the new home “of the Pines” was
added.
More nuns were coming over from
the mother house all the time. Among
those who came in 1912 was Mother
M. L. Lorin, who was to succeed
Mother De*Planck as superior. The
nuns look back on the years at that
time as particularly peaceful, and
the people of Asheville perhaps re
member some of their pleasantest
connections with Saint Genevieve’s
at that time, because, with the school
firmly established and yet with a
certain amount of leisure which they
have not today in a larger school,
the nuns were able to take classes
(Continued on Page Sixteen)
New Auditorium at St. Genevieve’s
MARKS LATEST STEP
IN THE COLLEGE’S 28
YEARS OF PROGRESS