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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC ■ LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
MAY,28, 4933
First Ursulines Came to Diocese in 1834
FIRST NUNS INVITED
BY BISHOP ENGLAND
OVER CENTURY AGO
Work Has Arisen Tri
nmphant Over Ravages of
War, Fire and Earthquake
In May, 1834, the Rt. Rev. John
Engl id, first Bishop of Charleston,
brought over from Blackrock Con
vent, County Cork. Ireland, a colony
of Ursuline Nuns of the congregation
of Paris, and established them in
Charleston.
They were Mother Charles Moloney,
first Superioress, Mother Borgia Mc
Carthy. second Superioress, Mother
Antonio Hughes, Mother Joseph
Woulfe, who came over as a postu
lant and was the first novice received
and professed in the Diocese of
Charleston. Later, theTSishop brought
over Sister M. de Sales Coleman and
Sister M. Ursula Dignam, postulants.
Two years afterwards, Miss Nort Eng
land. niece of Bishop England, en
tered the convent, receiving.the name,
Sister M. Augustine. In their thirteen
years' stay in South Carolina they
wrought much for Catholic educa
tion.
Ursuline Convent, Columbia \Catholic Marriage Ideals
Explained to Conference
at N. Carolina University
In 1847, Bishop Reynolds having
succeeded Bishop England, then dead,
circumstances compelled the Ursulines
to withdraw from the diocese.
After his installation as Bishop of
Charleston, Dr. Lynch" visited the
Convent at St. Martin’s, Boone Coun
ty, Ohio, soliciting the return of the
South Carolina nuns. Meanwhile,
Miss Ellen Lynch, a sister of Bishop
Lynch, having entered the Order and
been professed as Sister Mary Bap
tists, was a member of the Brown
County Community. Mother Baptists
Lynch, Mother Ursula Dignam, and
Mother Augustine England, with Sis
ter Agnes Coffey, Sister Martha
Lamb, and Sister Loretto Morin, were
chosen to form the new colony; Moth
er Boptista Lynch being appointed
Superioress, Columbia was selected as
the home of this second foundation,
and the nuns arrived in Columbia
September 1, 1858.
while, however, they were with the
Sisters in the churchyard.
The morning of February 18, 1865.
dawned upon the group of nuns and
children—cold, hungry, and home
less. They were given temporary
refuge in the Methodist college, aft
er which General Sherman gave
them the choice of any home in Co
lumbia. They chose General Pres
ton’s mansion.
Mother Etienne Vassas was placed
in charge of this house, where she
cared for the invalid sisters; while
the Mother Superior with the pupils
and their teachers remained at the
college (now Colonial Hotel) till the
surrender of General Lee and the
return of families to their homes.
In May, 1865, General Preston and
his family returned. Mo the.- Etienne
and her charges left the mansion and
rejoined their companions in the
Methodist College.
The Academy was opened Septem
ber 15, 1858, and before the close of
the second semester it became evi
dent that a larger building must be
procured before the opening of a new
scholastic year.
The American hotel, at the inter
section of Main (then Richland and
Blanding streets was offered at pub
lic sale and a friend purchased it for
Bishop Lynch. The nuns bought it
from the Bishop, paying 31,600 in cash'
and a balance of $3,000 in install-
mests, clearing the debt in a very
short time.
The passage of the Act of Secession
extended the sphere of the Ursulines.
Parents withdrew their children from
Northern convents, and placed them
in the Columbia convent. Other pu
pils came there for safety from the
floating, demoralizing society induced
by war.
On Februray 17, 1865, General Sher
man's army entered Columbia. About
noon, a Federal cavalry officer rode
up to the convent and asked to see
the Mother Superior, to whom he in
troduced himself as Major Fitz Gib
bons. a Catholic, and offered any ser
vice he as an individual could ren
der. The Reverend Mother declined,
thanking him for the offer. He said,
“Columbia is a doomed city; at least,
that is tile talk of the army; and 1
do not know if a house will be left
standing.”
Such an announcement startled the
Superioress; yet she and her com
panion answered that such threats
could not apply to the convent since
General Sherman had given a patron
of the institution the assurance that
her daughter, a pupil, was in a place
of safety.
“Of course,” replied Major Fit2
Gibbons, "I do not say the convent
will be* burned; such a thing would
happen only by accident—but we all
know what accidents are.”
Major Fitz Gibbons returned later
and placed a guard of seven federal
soldiers to protect the convent.
Scarcely had the nuns given sup
per to the seven guardsmen when the
alarm of fire was given. From, the
windows the nuns saw the city to
ward the south blazing. Father Mc
Neil called to remove the Blessed
Sacrament.
Parents came running for their
children, yet knew not where to take
them for safety. The danger became
so imminent and the crowds of sol
diers so great that pupils and the
younger sisters were given bundles
of clothing, and were marshaled into
Una as for a promenade. At the signal
given by Mother Superior, they
marched quietly out, Father O'Con
nell accompanied them to the Cath
olic Church. About midnight, by the
light of the fast approaching flames,
the destruction of the convent began.
Heavy flakes of fire were falling
over the premises. As the Sisters
stood bewildered, not. knowing their
own city, a gentleman on horseback
called, "Follow me, Sisters, I will
lead you to safety”. As they follow
ed, sparks fell so fast on and about
them that holes were burned in
there veils and cloaks. In a short
In the latter part of August, they
were notified they must leave the
college-by September 1. They had no
place to look for shelter. Day after
day, they vainly sought a residence
for themselves and the thirty pu
pils still with them. A little later
they found means of" sending the pu
pils to their homes; and acting on ad
vice of Dr. Lynch and other good
friends, they went to “Valle Crucis, ,r
a country seat belonging to Bishop
Lynch, who was then in Rome, and
situated about three miles from the
city.
Later the nuns bought “Valle Cru
ris;” and there under difficulties
and privations that would adorn the
annals of missions in pagan lands,
the nuns continued their work of
education with the heroism of true
missionaries for 22 years.
The Bishop returned from Rome in
December, and at once did all he
could for the Ursualines. In January,
1866, Rev. Father W. O. Merriw'ether
was appointed chaplain, and took up
his residence in a cottage on the
grounds some distance from the
covent. For twenty years, this ad
mirable priest filled zealously the
posts of chaplai and temporal man-
afer for the convent, conducting
with executive ability the afafirs of
the larger farm of “Valle Crucis”,
while giving every spirtual aid to
the nuns and their pupils.
The death of Bishop Lynch in Feb
ruary, 1882, filled every heart at
“Valle Crucis” with sorrow. The
transfer of Rt. Rev. H. P. Northrop
from the Vicariate of North Carolina
to the See of .Charleston revived the
hope and courage of the nuns.
In January, 1886, Father Merri-
wether left Valle Cruris finally to
carry out his long cherished design
of entering the Jesuit noviate.
On the night of August 31. 1886,
Valle Cruris was violently shaken
by the memorable earthquake of that
year, but no one was hurst; nor did
the buildings bear any serious in
jury.
After the earthquake they return
ed to the City. They purchased the
Preston mansion. Here they held
their school three years. This place
proving unsuited to their needs, the
nuns sold it to the Presbyterians and
purchased lots adjoining the Catholic
Church property on Assembly Street.
In February, 1890, they moved into
the convent newly built on these lots;
and there they still carry, on their
work.
The Ursuline Academy is now an
accredited high school for girls, both
day and boarding pupils.
The Ursulines alco conduct St.
Peter’s elementary and high school
for girls and boys.
St. Peter’s School of Nazareth was
opened in September, 1872, in a small
house on West Taylor Street. St. Pe
ter’s elementary and high school now
occupies a handsome building on the
lot between St. Peter’s Church and
the Urusline Academy, having open
ed there in October, 1919.
The recent affiliation with the Ur-
sulines of Louisville, Ky., has greatly
enlarged the scope of educational ac
tivities of the time-honored Ursuline
Convent and Academy of Columbia.
The Louisville Community numbers
approximately 500 members. All
school work from college to kinder
garten comes under their domain,
and branch houses are established in
various states.
“THE RED MILL” IS
NOTABLE SUCCESS
Savannah C. Y. P. C. Again
Scores With Skilled
Presentation
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — “The Red
Mill”, the Victor Herbert operetta
presented by the Cathedral Young
People’s Club at the Municipal Au-
ditorum, proved to be one of the
finest amateur entertainments in the
history of such events here. “The
Red Mill” even surpassed last year’s
magnificent presentation of “Pina
fore”. Joseph Mendal was general
director, Charles Donnelly directed
the musical score and Miss Helen
Marie Kenny the dancing. The Sa
vannah Philharmonic Orchestra fur
nished the music. The Rev. Joseph
W. Kavanagh is moderator of the
club, one of the most flourishing in
the Southeast.
Rev. Edgar Schmiedler, 0.
S. B., of N. C. W. C. Social
Action Bureau, Speaker
CHAPEL HILL, N. C—Addressing
the fourth annual conference on mar
riage and the family, held here under
the sponsorship of the University of
North Carolina, "he Catholic program
was outlined by the Rev. Dr. Edgar
Schmiedeler, O. S. B.. director of the
Family Life Section of the Bureau of
Social Action of the N. C. W. C., and
a member of the faculty of the School
of Social Sciences of the Catholic
University of America. His subject
was “The Catholic Program for the
Conservation of Marriage and the
Family’.”
Dr. Schmiedeler followed in broad
outline the Encyclical of His Holiness
Pope Pius XI on Christian Marriage.
Quoting extensively from the Encycli
cal, he described marriage as a “di
vine and not a human institution”.
“In the eyes of the Church,’t- he
Said, “marriage is God-made and not
man-made- It has by nature certain
essential qualities that must not be
tampered with. It is subject to di
vine laws and not to human laws. It
is withdrawn from the sway of hu
man whims or fancy; from the rule
of caprice and passion. The state can
not touch these essentials of matri
mony. The Church dare not attempt
to change them. The individual and
the family must accept them and
abide by them. Marriage is a Natural
Law contract, it is a divine institu
tion and not merely a changeable,
civil and profane pact.”
Temporary marriages, experiment
al marriages, companionate marriages
were condemned by Dr. Schmiedeler
who referred to the Pope's Encyclical
as describing these unions as offer
ing “all the indulgence of matrimony
and its rights without, however, the
indissoluble bond and without off
spring unless later these parties alter
their cohabitation to a matrimony in
the full sense of the word.” Describ
ing offspring as holding first place
among the blessings of marriage, Dr.
Schmiedeler stressed the obligation of
parents to train tLeir children proper-
“On the basis of my own pastoral
Catholic Pupils Show
Ability as Spellers
William Daniel Winner in
Atlanta Parochial-Private
School Section
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATANTA, Ga.—William Wright
Daniel of the eighth grade of Marist
school was the winner in the parochial-
private school section in The Consti
tution Spelling Bee here, a part of a
national movement William Penn
White was third in this section, and
Miss Eileen Anthony, representing
Sacred Heart School, received hon
orable mention. Cadet Daniel will
participate in the state finals.
R. W. HATCHER
Making Encouraging Pro
gress From Autdmobile
Injuries
(Special to The Bulletin)
MILLEDGEVILLE. Ga. — R. W.
Hatcher, seriously injured in an au
tomobile accident several weeks ago
when an automobile in which he
was riding with a friend was struck
by a ear which swerved from the
path of traffic, is improving encour
agingly and growing stronger daily,
but he is still confined to the hospi
tal.
experience as a priest, I have no
fear whatever for the family life of
a married couple in whose lives re
ligion is really a vital thing, in whose
home Christ reigns supreme, in whose
household there is a subjection to and
reverence for God and His laws. At
the sametime it is no whit less my
Conviction that, where mankind as
such neglects the supernatural, where
it tries to get along merely with the
natural, there it will sink, perhaps
slowly but nevertheless certainly, to
ever lower and lower levels.”
Our Congratulations and
Best Wishes
SOUTHEIN ENGINEERING
COMPANY
Manufacturers and Jobbers
Structural Steel, Reinforcing Bars and
Ornamental Iron
Phones: Dial 7727, 7728, 7729
Offices and Plant—little Pittsburg
P. a BOX 1087
CHARLOTTE, NL C.