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Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:55 31:55 31:51 05:58 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 79 - 1 Sr.Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell. It is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at Seton Hill College. The date is December First, Nineteen Eighty-Seven. SMCM: Good evening Sr. Jude Thaddeus. I'm happy to be with you this evening to have you share some of your personal history. SJTO: I was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on December Sixteenth, Nineteen Fifteen. I was Baptized in St. Peter' s Church in McKeesport on January Ninth, Nineteen Sixteen. The priest who Baptized me was Father Danny Shields. My sponsors were my Aunt and Uncle, my mother' s brother and sister, John Conroy and Irene Conroy. My mother's name was Margaret Conroy O' Donnell. She died June Twentieth, Nineteen Twenty-Nine at the age of thirty-six. My father, Leo Francis O' Donnell, died November Fifteenth, Nineteen Sixty-Nine. My mother was born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and my father was born in McKeesport. There were seven children in my family. My name was Abigail Margaret, My sisters...Mary Agnes, now deceased, Peggy, deceased, Leocadia Catherine, deceased, my brother Leo is still living, and I have a twin brother and sister, Joe and Joanne, and they are both still living. They were almost six years old when I entered the Community fifty-four years ago, so that makes them sixty as of November eleventh. My Grandparents were Abagail McElroy O'Donnell. She died in Nineteen Thirty-Four. She was born in Ireland. My Grandfather, Michael O' Donnell was also born in Ireland. I don't remember the exact age that he was when he died. I think that I was nine or ten years old when he passed away. My mother's father was Michael Conroy. He died when my mother was a very young girl. He was born in Ireland. He was killed by a streetcar. My mother's mother was born in this country, but she was of German descent. Her name was Mary Ann Bear. She died in October of Nineteen Thirty-Six. It was the first family funeral that I attended after entering the Community. I attended (couldn't make out the name of the grade school) in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Clairton High School. I went to Seton Hill College. At that time, it was required that we have a year's residence and study Bible. Father Reeves directed the program. It was far too many credits for a degree. I went into Duquesne University to complete my B.A. degree. However, when I got to Duquesne, I realized that it was going to take me too long to obtain a degree in Spanish there. We decided that I would finish in Education with an English Minor. SMCM: Sister, had you always liked the Languages? SJTO: Not particularly. My main interest has been Music, although I enjoyed French. SMCM: How did you get into Spanish? SJTO: Well, I was studying French in the College. One morning I went to a class in the Summer. Sister Martina Abbot was teaching the class at that time. She was waiting at the door and informed me that Mother M. Eveline Fisher, the Mother Superior asked her for the name or names of the Sisters who were doing well in French. She mentioned my name and another Sister's. The other Sister was meek and mild. Mother Eveline wanted someone to learn Spanish in order to teach it at the high school level. So, I became the victim. That's how I got into teaching the Languages. I went to Mother Eveline's office, and I thought that perhaps I was going to be sent on for further study in French. The thing that had me excited was that Sister Joseph Mary, who is no longer in the Community and Sister Paulina Glenn had just returned from France the previous May. So, I thought, well maybe I'm going to do something like that. However, she said: "I understand that you do well in French, Sister." SJTO: I said: "Yes, Mother, with all the pride of a young Novice." She said: "Well, dear, I want you to stop French and go into Spanish." My answer was: "But I don't know a word of Spanish." Then she said: "Then you'll have nothing to unlearn." That was the beginning of my career in Spanish. SMCM: Sister, how did you come about entering the Community of the Sisters of Charity? SJTO: Well, I really don't know. I knew that I didn't want-to become a Sister of Mercy because my Grandmother's sister had been the Mother Superior in the Sisters of Mercy. I was very much attracted to the Sisters of St. Joseph, because I loved their habit and their headdress. My Grandmother Conroy lived in Duquesne and I used to see them at Holy Name, the Parish Church. They were always so nice and friendly. So, I made up my mind that I would become a Sister of St. Joseph, even though I didn't have any other contact with them. SMCM: Were you still in high school at this time? SJTO: Perhaps it was my last year in high school. Then I went to see our wonderful Pastor, Father Joseph Lonergan, with this decision. He looked at me and said: "No, you want to be a Sister of Charity." I had never heard of the Sisters of Charity. However, Father said he would arrange for me to meet the Sisters of Charity. Sister Marie Stephen and Sister Pancratius Jablonski's sister was Father Lonergan's housekeeper, so he had her arrange for me to meet the Sisters of Charity. They decided that we would go to St. James in the West End to see Sister Pancratius. They were having a Play that afternoon in the high school. A very pretty lady, I thought, dressed ready to be part of the Play, answered the door. It happened to be Sister Sara Marie O' Hara. I thought that Sister was dressed to be part of the Play, and that she was one of the high school students. Noone said anything. I had never seen a Sister of Charity, and I was surprised when I saw these little bonnets with the bows under the chin. We went into the parlor, and then the thing for me to do was to meet the Mother Superior. It happened to be Mother M. Ignatia Flinn. Mother Ignatia came down, and she was dressed the same way. I thought now, there's something funny here, but I didn't say anything. It seems strange that an older woman is dressed in this manner. Sister Pancratius came dashing into the room, and it really dawned on me that these were Sisters of Charity. I thought: "This is not for me! I like the habit of the Sisters of St. Joseph." From there, we went to Roselia Foundling after the Play was over to visit with Sister Marie Stephen Jablonski. I met some of the other Sisters there also. I came back to see Father Lonergan, and told him that they were very nice ladies, but that it wasn't for me. He said he still felt that I should be a Sister of Charity. He wanted me to visit Seton Hill. Father went to Seton Hill too, but he drove his own car, because he didn't travel with the ladies. My uncle drove the car I rode in. Anyway, I don't know whether it was me or the Sisters, but something happened. This is probably where I am meant to be. Maybe I fell in love more with the place than I did the Sisters. Then I was introduced to Sister Theodosia Murtha, who was the Mistress of Novices. We talked for a while. I hadn't made any commitment, but you could possibly call it petitioning. Something terrible really did happen to me. They decided to take me to the Oratory to see a Sister who was laid out there. It was Sister Gaffney. The place was dark. There were no flowers, and everyone was chanting the rosary in a monotone. I think I was frightened to death, and was glad to get out of there! That was my first introduction to Seton Hill. In late June, I was talking to Sister Theodosia, who said how nice it would be ifl entered a day early September seventh instead of the eighth. There were only three of us, out of the twenty-two in the group who got this message. They were Ruth Dailey, Sister William Ann, Stella Weaver, Sister Miriam Weaver, and Abagail O' Donnell, Sister Jude Thaddeus. When the Novices heard that there was an Abigail entering, they couldn't wait to see what kind of a creature that would be! They still tease me about it to this day. The rest of my group said that I was carrying a stepladder when they arrived, and that I was bossing everyone around. That's about all I can remember about the entrance. SMCM: Sister, who all entered with you? SJTO: Sister Mary Aidan Geary was our senior, Sister Paul Gabriel Wilhere, Sister Sara Louise Reilly, Sister Agnes Joseph Hines, Sister Mary Donald Cusick, and Sister Rose Elizabeth Breen. I don't have it written down, but there were twenty-two of us I'll say entered on the same day, although three ofus came early. Out of the twenty-two, only four people left the Community. Sister Mary Alphonse. Sister Rose Bernadette, and Sister Mary Raymond all left as white caps. Then Sister Audrey, who was from Clarksdale, and a graduate of Seton Hill, left the Community several years later. We've had no deaths in our group. We are still eighteen. SMCM: Sister, what about your Novitiate days? Can you recall anything from them? SJTO: That would fill two books and five tapes, I think. Well, I can tell you, one of my first impressions was our first choir practice. Saturday evening, we were all sent down to choir practice. I didn't realize that we didn't have a choice, so I went down the first time to try it out. I had been very well trained in Gregorian Chant by Father Lonergan, and Professor Ottman, and Bishop Carroll at St. Pius Church where Father Lonergan was the Pastor. I used to sit holding the large Liber, the official chant book of the church when I was about five years old. They tell me that at that age I was holding it upside down. All the adult members of the choir nearly killed themselves laughing. We didn't know the names of the notes, but I could sing and conduct Chant. Thank goodness, Sister Ann Regina Sweeney was very humble. She was teaching the Dies Irae. She admitted to me and the Mistress of Novices that she was just starting this work herself. We started the Dies Irae, and it was not done the way I thought it should be done. We went up to the Novitiate, and of course I knew that Sister Theodosia was ready for me. We sat down, and she said: "Well, Miss O'Donnell, how did you like choir practice?" I said: "Well, if you call that choir practice, excuse me, but I'm not going back." You know how naive I was! I didn't know anything about Sisters. We didn't have any Catholic schools. I didn't really also understand the Mistress of Novices, and why she was hanging around the young people all the time. Fortunately though, Sr. Theodosia didn't say anything to me that night. She did explain it to me later. Sr. Theodosia went to Sr. Ann Regina and she said: "I have this postulant up there, and I just don't know how to handle this." She told Sr. Ann Regina exactly what happened. Sr. Ann Regina said: "Well, I'm sure you'll correct her in your own inimitable way when the time comes, but don't do anything to thwart her, because we'll be able to use her talent in the Community." A few years later, I believe in Nineteen Thirty-Five, when Bishop Guifoyle was coming to the Altoona Diocese, word came that we were to send someone who was well versed in Chant. I was selected to be that person, but I hadn't any formal training. It was decided that I would go to Pius Tenth School of Music in New York for Chant. Sr. Theodosia, knowing me, felt it was better for me not to have all this attention. She really opposed it strenuously. However, after her talking to me many times, numerous threats and warnings, it was finally decided that I would go to Pius Tenth. They could then tell this new Bishop that this Sister had been trained at Pius Tenth in Gregorian Chant. It was a very profitable Summer, enjoyed the experience. I didn't have to learn the technical names of the different notes and things like that. I was having fun, because I really knew the hard part. SMCM: Do you have any other stories to share SJTO: I tell this story to my students in Spanish up here at Seton Hill. I have to use the nominative case after the verb to be. Sr. Theodosia was always telling us that if we're not able to perform a duty, we must have someone else do it. That was a sign of a good Sister of Charity. No matter what came up, you were to take care of your duties. Sister Agnes Joseph and I did not go out on mission. I was kept home to study Latin, and Sister Agnes Joseph Hines and I believe Sister Alice Patricia Harvey were kept to obtain some college credits. Well, Sister Mary Fabian Rodgers was sent out to substitute at Sacred Heart in Pittsburgh. Before she left, she asked me to be sure to take care of her laundry, because in those days the clothes had to be categorized in separate bins. She also asked Sister Agnes Joseph. It just happened that some kind Novices brought my clothes with Sr. Agnes Joseph's clothes and put them on the bed. Neither one ofus thought about Sr. Mary Fabian's laundry. I came sailing into the Novitiate, which is now the Third Administration Community Room and Sister Theodosia was at her desk. It was characteristic of her to throw her cape over her shoulder when you were going to be repremanded, advised, etc. She said: "Just look at that." (Couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but it sounded like Sr. Mary Fabian's laundry was all piled up at Sr. Theodosia's place in the Novitiate). Right away, I knew what was wrong, but before I could say anything, she said: ''Now, there's that Sister Fabian off to Sacred Heart. She didn't have very much time before she was sent on mission, but she took care of her duties." I said to her: "Oh, Sister, don't blame Sr. Mary Fabian. She asked Sr. Agnes Joseph and I to take care of it." Sister looked at me rather sternly and said: "She asked me." I was too stupid to know that she was correcting my grammar. So I said: "Glory be to God! Did she ask you too?" Even she had to laugh at that. That's the kind of thing that I did. Here is another story. This is the last one. I had charge of the fifth floor bathroom in fifth administration. At that time, there was a very fine, green, linoleum floor up there. The Sisters' clothes room was also up there opposite the bathroom. There was a large cupboard out in the hall where we kept supplies. We used to go down to the tunnel to get scouring powder. We filled a large can with the scouring powder, and we had smaller cans with holes punched in the top, and you put them on top of the larger cans ( I think that's what she is saying). However, if you spilled some, and you used a wet cloth to pick up the scouring powder, you had a large, white spot in the hall. We used to have to ask for permission to wax, and it wasn't too freely given for the fifth floor at that particular place because the Sisters were coming up and down there often going to the clothes room. Also, Sister Ignatius Loyola, who was quite elderly, had charge of the clothes room. I was upset about having to ask for permission all the time to wax this floor. One day, I went to clean the bathroom, and I saw this little white cap Novice down on the floor filling her little can out ofmy large can. She turned around and I said: "Well, you're the one who comes up and takes my scouring powder. You take it because you don't want to go to the tunnel to get some. You spill it on the floor, and then you don't seem to realize that when you wipe it up with a wet cloth, you leave a large white spot, and I have to go through Purgatory to get permission to wax it." She was very frightened. Well, I thought, she is impressed and probably won't do this again. All of sudden I heard over my shoulder: "Sister Alphonse, go to your charge, dear. Sister Jude Thaddeus, come with me." Of course it was Sister Theodosia, and so I had another long sess10n. SMCM: Before we leave the Novitiate, did any funny things happen? What did you do for recreation? SJTO: The older Sisters Community Room was directly under the Novitiate. Some of the older Sisters invited Sister Theodosia to recreate with them because she was spending all her life with the Novices. Anyhow, we decided that we were going to have recreation. It was like a simplicity night. We made sure that we were being noisier than we would have been with Sister Theodosia there. I can' t remember for sure, but I think it was Sister Agnes Teresa McLane who decided that she was going to teach us Little Peter Rabbit. SMCM: During your Novitiate time, do you remember the names of any older Sisters who were here? SJTO: Sister Aloysius Blakely, I believe was here, and Sister M. Claire Blakely. I can remember that they were two Sisters who were here for some time. At that time, they were part of the Infirmary, and I was serving trays on third admin. I remember little Sister M. Irene Taylor. She died when we were Novices. I remember being so disappointed because we had been taking turns sitting up with her at night and during the day. I knew that she was very low. I decided that I would spend the rest of the night with her because I had charge of serving her tray and feeding her. She was my Sister. Nevertheless, some Sister said to me: "Why don't you go, take your clothes off, get your bath, and you can come back." I went and took my bath in that little room which is right next to what is now the Community Room. I no sooner got in the tub when a Sister came and told me to take my time because Sister Irene had just died. She would have been the frrst person that I had seen die. Side Two of Tape I for Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell SMCM: Sister can you tell me about your experience when you received the habit? SJTO: We didn't have much of a ceremony in those days. The night before, we went to the Oratory. I believe that is was an Order priest there, possibly giving a retreat. The habits were all folded and placed on a table there. The priest picked up the habit, read the name (Baptismal name), and said what the Sister would be known as in Religious Life. I didn't know what to expect, because when we entered, you were to make three suggestions for the name you would like to be known as in the Community. I had a difficult time with my father at the time I wanted to enter. My mother was dead, and my father did not want me to enter the convent. In fact, I never went home or had relationships with my father until he became ill in nineteen sixty-one and wanted to see me. I never visited home except at the time of my sister's death. Noone except my grandmother, and some aunts, uncles, and cousins, came to visit me because my father did not want me to enter the convent. His remark was: "I was always welcome to come home, but he would never come to see me." So, I prayed to Saint Jude that there wouldn't be any trouble, because I was not twenty-one (couldn't get what else she said here). I promised St. Jude that if everything went alright, I would ask for his name. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama was a Novice at the time. She said: "What name are you going to ask for?" I said: "Sister Jude Thaddeus, and I'll be in your family." She said: "Oh, there's no point in your asking for that, because I asked for that name, and it was thought to be entirely too masculine and so it wouldn't be given to me." I said: "I don't care. I'm going to ask for it. That's it!" We were always interviewed by the Mother Superior, who at that time was Mother Eveline Fisher. She asked me what name I would like to be known as in the Community, and I said Sr. Jude Thaddeus. Mother Eveline said: "Dear, that's a very hard name." I said: "I don't care. I promised St. Jude I would ask for it. If you don't want to give it to me, that's alright." She said: "Now, your name is O'Donnell, and you're Irish, what would you think about Sister Mary Sheila?" I just looked at her and said: "Would I remind you of a Sheila?" She just smiled. I said: "Let's just let it go. I'11 take whatever you give me." When we went back upstairs, Sr. Theodosia asked us about our interviews. She asked me what name I asked for and I told her what happened. She said to me: "You might be surprised if you get Cunegundus." I was very much surprised. Somehow, Sister Mary Thaddeus learned that I was going to get the name...Sr. Jude Thaddeus. She had a lovely medal of St. Jude, which she prized very much. She had the St. Jude medal pinned on the habit when I got it. The next morning we went to the Chapel where everything was done as usual. In the afternoon your family came. We had what were called visiting hours. SMCM: Who was your sponsor, Sister? SJTO: Sr. Pancratius Jablonski was my sponsor. As indicated earlier, Father Lonergan put me in contact with her. SMCM: Sister, did you go out on mission after you made first vows? SJTO: Yes, first of all I went down to St. Benedict's to teach some choir music. I was there for one school year and possibly part of a second year. Sister M. Juliana Trexler was the Principal. At that time, we had a little dining room on the ground floor of the school. Mr. Bear, who was the driver for the Sisters of Charity, used to bring a large basket down every day with our lunch in it. SMCM: Did you teach just Music? Also, do you remember the names of the other Sisters who were there at that time? SJTO: No, Sister Mary Richard Clark had to leave due to sickness in the family. I believe she went to Altoona. She had third grade at St. Benedict's, so I had to help there. I was sent primarily to teach the choir music. Some of the Sisters who were there are the following: Sister Mary Eymard Fleming, who taught the first grade, Sister Anna David Gibson (no longer in the Community), taught second grade, Sister Teresa Clare Kernan and Sister Paulina Glenn taught eighth grade. SMCM: What happened after St. Benedict's? SJTO: Next, I went to Cathedral in Altoona to teach Gregorian Chant per Bishop Guilfoyle's request to the Community. I was there for four years. During my four years there, Bishop Guilfoyle missed just four choir practices. We had choir practice every day at eleven o'clock. Some of the Sisters were not too happy that they had to dismiss the choir boys every day for this practice. They knew that the Bishop would be there and we had to just accept it. When I first went to Altoona, Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub was the Sister Servant. Then, my last year there, Sister Agnes Josephine Brice was Sister Servant. SMCM: Did you have a large number of Sisters in Altoona when you were there? SJTO: Oh, yes. We had twenty some Sisters. I think we had two of every grade. Sister Alberta Sweeney had charge of the Altar boys there. The Sisters who taught in the high school traveled back and forth each day. I can remember Sisters Miriam Joseph Murphy, Sara Louise Reilly, and Mary Eudes Clougherty were there in the high school. I can't remember who the fourth person was. It seems to me that after being in Altoona, I went to Resurrection in Brookline for a year. Sister Maria James Cain was the Sister Servant. I taught Music in the school and also had charge of the choir. Father Quinn was the Pastor, and Father Carey, Sr. Mary Agnes Carey's brother was the Assistant. Then the next Summer I was called in by the Mother Superior and told that Father Lonergan had been made Pastor at St. Anselm's in Swissvale, so she was sending me there to teach Gregorian Chant for him. I said: "Oh, Mother, you don't know Father Lonergan. He would never want me." She said: "Father Lonergan was here yesterday and he requested that you be sent there." I still didn't really want to go there. I thought: "Oh my, the Pastor's pet, which may be thought by some." It all worked out. There's a funny little story about what transpired at the meeting in Greensburg between Father Lonergan and Mother Claudia Glenn. The first time that Father Lonergan came over to the convent to see me at St. Anselm's he told me. He said: "What did Mother Claudia tell you about it?" I said: "Nothing, only that you had asked for me." He said: "Yeah, that's right." I went in and Mother Claudia very graciously greeted me. She congratulated me on being appointed Pastor at one of our parishes, where the Sisters of Charity taught. She also said that I had done so much for the Community. So, I picked her up on that. I said: "Yes, when I was Pastor at Sutersville, I encouraged Sisters Marie Stephen and Pancratius Jablonski to enter your Community. Some years later, I encouraged Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell to enter your Community. So, in a sense, I've been a benefactor to the Sisters of Charity. Now I'm here today to ask you for a loan." Mother Claudia looked at him and said: "Well Father, just a minute." She picked up the phone and asked if Sister Anne Elizabeth Regan would please come in. I think that was the name. She was the Treasurer at the time. Of course, Father was getting a big kick out of this. He didn't know. He thought Sr. Anne Elizabeth might have had something to do with where the Sisters were missioned. Sr. Anne Elizabeth came into Mother.' s o ffice. Mother introduced them, and said: ''Now Father came to request a loan. This is rather unusual, but don't you think we could do something for Father?" Father said: "I just laughed out loud and said: "Hey, what kind of a loan do you think I want?" Then he said that he told her that he just wanted to borrow you for a while to teach Gregorian Chant because I taught you and knew that you would teach it correctly. Then I went to St. James in Wilkinsburg during the year of nineteen forty-four through nineteen forty-five, I think. I was there for just one year because Monsignor Walsh, the Pastor wanted someone to start a Choir there. At this time, I had completed my work in Spanish, and was sent to Johnstown Catholic High School. I taught Spanish in Johnstown Catholic High, which is now Bishop McCourt I was there for ten years. SMCM: Would you say that all of your experiences in Spanish were being especially valued and appreciated by you? SJTO: Oh, yes. I got to the place where I really loved Spanish, although in the beginning I was upset as previously mentioned because I was taken out of French and put into Spanish. SMCM: Sister, where did you live when you taught at Johnstown Catholic High? SJTO: We opened Visitation Convent in Johnstown. They wanted Catechetical work done there. We lived there. When I first went there, Sister (I can't understand the name of the Sister that she is giving here). Anyhow, this Sister was the Sister Servant and taught in the High School. Sister M. Eugenia Hileman taught History, Sister Paulina Glenn taught French, and I taught Spanish. We lived in the new house on Liberty Avenue (I think that's what she said). We taught CCD on Wednesdays evenings after school and on Saturdays. Once again, I had charge of the Choir. SMCM: Sister would you backtrack and tell us where you got your education in Spanish? SJTO: First of all, I had some credits from Seton Hill. When we discovered that my work was not complete, I went to Duquesne University. After that, I went to Seton Hill and Sister Serafina Mazza tutored me in Spanish. The College gave me credits for this until I had the equivalent of a major in Spanish. Sister Serafina had studied at Columbia University in New York, and she wanted me to get my Master's Degree there. I went to Columbia University for two Summers and then I was supposed to stay there for a year to do seminar work on campus. I was living at Johnson Hall and Mother Claudia heard that there had been considerable trouble during the year at Johnson Hall. So she decided that I shouldn't stay in Johnson Hall at Columbia University for a year by myself. She told me that I was to discontinue my work at Columbia University, and that I could continue my work the next Summer at any University of my choice. She strongly recommended Notre Dame because she had studied there. I went to Notre Dame, I believe the Summers of Nineteen Fifty-Two and Nineteen Fifty-Three. I received my Master's Degree from Notre Dame in August of Nineteen Fifty-Four. I also went to Middlebury in Connecticut to study some conversational Spanish. The Community educated me well in Spanish. SJTO: After I left Johnstown, I went to St. Luke's High School in Carnegie for two years. I taught Spanish and the Glee Club. Sister Mary Henry Hanse was the Principal at that time. Then I went to St. James in West End for five years. After that, I went back to St. Luke's. This time, Sister Mary Agnes Schildk:amp was the Principal. Sr. Mary Agnes went West, so Sister Mary Bernard O'Brien was then the Principal. In the meantime, while I was still at St. Luke's, the Mother Superior called and said that I was to come to Seton Hill to teach Spanish in the College, because Sister Mary Agnes Carey had volunteered to go to Korea. Then it was decided at the local level, at St. Luke's, by Father Kernan, who was the Pastor, and Sr. Mary Bernard that I should finish out the school year because St. James, West End was closing, and they were going to invite students from St. James to complete their education at St. Luke's. They felt that since I had taught at West End, that it would be an incentive. This was presented to Mother Claudia, who was Mother Superior at the time, and she gave permission for me to stay at St. Luke's and complete the school year. The school closed in nineteen sixty-two. I did then go to Seton Hill. SMCM: Sister, can you tell me anything about your experience teaching at Seton Hill? SJTO: Well, since Sister Thomas Aquinas (Sr. Mary Agnes Carey), hadn't been here for two years, the Spanish department itself was not functioning as a department. They did hire someone to teach Spanish at the elementary level, and the intermediate level, which would take care of the College requirement. We really didn't have any Spanish majors. When I came however, there were a couple of students who had planned to become Spanish majors, and had taken the intermediate courses. Anyhow, I began working with theses two or three students and eventually the Spanish department did flourish. It was a slow beginning. One of the first things I had to do was to strongly pursue getting a Language Lab as we didn't have one as such. Mark Hoffman, the electrician at Seton Hill had set up what was a very primitive Language Lab in what had been an Oratory on Third Maura. It made it possible to communicate from one tape to another, but certainly did not meet College requirements. So, I went to see Monsignor Ryan. He was very receptive to the idea. He said to me: "You're the one who is going to have to fight for the space." I then had a meeting with Mother Claudia about it, who said she would think about it. At that time, Sister Ann Michaele Reilly was the Treasurer, and I talked to her regarding it. She was very open to the idea, and we talked about what I might use for space. Monsignor Ryan offered money from a small Grant....about Seven Hundred Dollars. At least we had something to start with. He also indicated that we would need furniture.....chairs, etc. He said: "I have a friend in the furniture business. I'll make sure that the furniture is donated." We started in what was a very narrow passageway. The people who published the "Setonian" used to use this space for storage. Then we were give what had been the "History" classroom. We always referred to it as Sister Stanislaus's classroom. This room was large enough for thirty booths for students. They also converted a bathroom and a kitchenette on third Maura into Language Lab space. Tape II Side 1 SMCM: This is a continuation of the interview which is being conducted as part of the Oral History program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell. The interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. It is taking place at Seton Hill. The date is December First, Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Seven. SMCM: Sister, you were telling us about putting in the Spanish Language Lab. SJTO: Well, it's really for all the languages. At that time, we had four modem languages in the College. We had Spanish, French, German and Russian. We no longer have the Russian and the German on campus. Any student who wishes to take Russian or German takes the courses at St. Vincent's. We had Gray (sounded like) Communications come from Pittsburgh and install the Lab. There were thirty booths, which gave the possibility of recording, listening, The communicating between the console and the instructor. They were reel to reel tapes. Years later, I would say in nineteen eighty-three, we decided we had to modernize the Lab. Gray Communications was going out of the Language Lab business, and we were having considerable difficulty having costly repair work done. We applied for a Grant, which we did receive. We installed a modem Language Lab, a computerized console with thirty student booths. One big advantage is that we now have cassettes. Now, the student can record the tape and take it home to practice there. They can't do comparative work at home because in the Lab we set up the recording on two tracks. The Lab we now have was installed by "The Education Media Incorporated" in Oklahoma City in Oklahoma. We're fortunate to have on the faculty, B.J. Burma, a gentleman who is able to make any minor repairs which are needed. SMCM: What about the percentage of students today who are studying Spanish? Has it increased or decreased? SJTO: We had a period when it increased greatly. Then, it fell off as far as majors is conceme but we discovered that it was due to the job market. Spanish or French is an asset for going into any occupation that someone is pursuing. However, they sometimes have to take a second major. For example, we have several who are in business, and they will take either a French or Spanish rmnor. SMCM: Sister, what else can you tell me about the College since you've been here? How many years has it been now? SJTO: Well, this August, I will have been here for twenty-five years. I came to the College in August of Nineteen Hundred Sixty-Two. SMCM: And, are you head of the department? SJTO: No, I was Chair of the department, I believe, for nineteen or twenty years. We are really supposed to rotate every four years, but it didn't work out that way. The other teacher working with me felt that she didn't want that responsibility while she was working for her Master's Degree. She also had responsibilities to her family. Finally, the Dean decided that she would have to take it on because of the policy we had. So, she was the Chair person for four years. Then, she went on for her PIID, so I became the Chairman until she received her PIID. This year, I went on part time. I'm teaching two full courses, helping to supervise the Language Lab, and tutoring three students. SMCM: Now Sister, in your work with teaching Spanish, have you had any occasion of having any experience with the Spanish people? SJTO: My first experience, oddly enough, was when I was studying at Notre Dame. We worked with the Legion of Mary. Father Borestrau (if that's how it's spelled), one of the professors at Notre Dame, took on that responsibility. He used to ask the Sisters who were in the Spanish department if they would volunteer their services. For the three Summers that I was at Notre Dame, I worked with the Migrating Farmers. I worked at a place called "Gunsbob" (again if the Spelling is correct, and it sounds like that is what Sister said). It was an orchard where peaches are grown. The migrants came to that area to work. They lived in wooden shacks with no windows. A square piece of wood was cut of the building and a screen was put over the opening. They had petroleum hot plates for their meals which I suppose they placed over the heat of the stove. If it rained, we had to go into their houses to teach Catechism, which we taught in the morning as well as in the afternoon, and again on Saturdays. Then on Saturday afternoon, we would go out to take the census and visit with the people. While I was at "Gunsbob", there were five families who stayed throughout the year. They all worked on the farm. I know there was one family who also had a store. Very often the children you had one particular Summer did not return the following Summer. There was a Polish church which permitted Father Borestrau to come from Notre Dame and say Mass for the people occasionally. Once in a while other people , would come to this Mass, but it was mostly the migrant farmers. We celebrated receiving your First Holy Communion every Summer, and Confirmation every other Summer. You never saw children so well dressed for anything in your life. I was the only Sister of Charity there. One Summer, there were two Sisters of St. Joseph from Baden, a Franciscan Sister from Iowa, who was a native Spanish speaking person and was there one year, and there were two Dominicans. I believe there were seven of us. We usually tried to keep it at about seven or eight. SMCM: Did you all go to the same place? SJTO: No, the Franciscan Sister and I went to "Gunsbob", and then there were two other farms. The first farm that I went to, I tried, but couldn't stay there because different farms specialize in different things. The first Saturday I went, I was very sick because they had a mint and onion farm. The odor from the ground was beyond my endurance. Then Father gave me a choice of going to a peach or potato farm, either of which was acceptable, so to the peach farm I went. I did this for three Summers. One other thing, on Wednesday evenings, when we were preparing them for their First Communion or Confirmation, The Legion of Mary would transport them to the Grotto at Notre Dame, so that they didn't have to stand in the back of the truck. The Legion of Mary also provided a box lunch for them. I have a cute story that occurred when I was teaching those in the First Communion class. I also taught singing, so for First Communion, taught a Spanish hymn to Mary. Well, they would sing the first verse with gusto, but no matter what I did or said, there was no way they would sing the second verse. Finally, one Wednesday evening when we were practicing there was a woman beside me who also sang the first verse with gusto, but didn't sing the second. I proceeded to tell her ofmy dilemma, and she said: "That's not the second verse." I said: "Well, I'm reading it from the bilingual catechism we were given." She said in Spanish: "Permit me." She started what was the second verse, and you could have heard it three blocks away. They sang what they knew as the second verse, and they were not going to sing what I thought was the second verse. The Mexican women were very kind and receptive. The Mexican men are somewhat anti­ clerical. They didn't bother too much. One day, Father Borestrau said to me: "They will listen to a Sister, but not a priest." When Father wanted the men to receive a message, he would ask the children to bring their Father, and then I would convey the message. SJTO: I think it was in Nineteen Sixty-Nine, that the College gave me the opportunity of going to Spain. I wasn't going there to study, but wanted to travel, to try to get some conversation and learn some first hand information about their customs, their language, and their country in general as I was teaching Spanish. I left Greensburg at the end of May, and returned at the end of August. I covered all of Spain, with the exception of the northwestern comer. While in Spain, I was traveling in a car to a Bookstore to purchase some books to mail back to Greensburg, as I was told it would be less expensive and also possible to find these books. As we were going to the Bookstore along the Main Avenues (portion of this I couldn't get because Sister was speaking too fast), we had an accident. The traffic light was green on both sides. I have never seen this happen. There was a Sister in the car telling me about a statue of the Medici Family (think that's what she said). Luckily, the men coming the other direction were going very slowly, or we would have been killed. Our car was a Fiat. My head went through the windshield. I had a large and small cut on the forehead, and a cut on my nose. All I could see was this blood gushing. The traffic cops in Spain stand on a little pedestal, and they wear white gloves. The traffic cops, of course, came down. The men in the other car were babbling on and on. I kept saying in Spanish that I wanted some help. Finally, they put me in an ambulance and took me to a cop station (she used a term for it, but couldn't understand). It was the equivalent to a First Aid Station. They take all your vitals, bandage you, stop the bleeding, and then ship you off to a hospital. They took me to a Catholic hospital. We had to cross the scene of the accident in order to get there. In the emergency room, they were babbling back in forth in Spanish. I was able to determine what they were saying. The gist of it was that they weren't going to keep this Nun at this hospital, because there's too much problem with the Insurance in getting paid. So, then they took me across town to the Anglo/American Hospital. It was a very small hospital. The doctors for the Air Force are the ones who took care of the patients there. Because ofmy being a Nun, they didn't know what to do with me. There was one room with a vacancy. There was a young woman in this room who had had an abortion, and I suppose that they were hesitant about putting me in with her. I did get put in the room with her. Julie was her name, and we became friends. She had this Spanish boyfriend. It was just unfortunate that she had this trouble. Then they wanted to know if there was someone that they should contact about my being in the hospital. I said no, that I would take responsibility for 13 ffl'lfemmate that sh@ had this tretiale. 'f.hen-they-wanted..toJcnaw..if-theF@-Was-s9ffieet1e-that they should contact.aha eing in the hospital. I saia n&,-that-l-w.o.uld.tak poftSibilrty for whatever. They agreed that I was not in any immediate danger due to my injuries. Tape II Side II SMCM: Sister there's just one more thing I would like to ask you. Do you have any comments about the changes in the Community? SJTO: To be very truthful, they really haven't bothered me. In the beginning, I decided that I would go with the modified habit, and I really didn't expect that both sides of the issue would get along as well as they did. I've been at Seton Hill the whole time, and I haven't suffered in any way due to the changes. I found out that I just live, and let live. I believe that I'm the first one to compliment a Sister who wears a new contemporary dress. SMCM: Did you have any problem with changing to saying the Office? SJTO: No, absolutely none. I feel the same about any other changes which may occur in the Church. I think that we just have to go along with it. SMCM: Sister, is there anything else that you would like to tell me? SJTO: No, I can't think of another thing, and I've rambled a lot, more than I expected to. SMCM: I really appreciated your time today. I know that you are tired after a day of teaching. This tape will be kept in the Archives of the Community at Caritas Christi, where it will be part our heritage as Sisters of Charity. Sr. Marie Arthur: I completed the transcription of the oral history for Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell on Wednesday, July Seventeenth, Two Thousand Thirteen (2,013). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Subject The topic of the resource Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 2006. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on December 1, 1987. Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell - born Abigail Irene O'Donnell on December 16, 1915 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1933. She received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1947 and a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Notre Dame in 1955. Sister Jude Thaddeus taught in the Pittsburgh-area schools during the fifties and sixties, notably at St. James Elementary School in West End from 1953-1959 and at St. Luke High School from 1959-1962. She then began teaching Spanish at Seton Hill College from 1962-1984, serving as an assistant professor of Spanish. Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell died on January 16, 2006. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/12/01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-79 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/17938dd03367b0ed11eab5fc2cd59fc8.mp3 7e301cfdd60884440c51a90e3036daee https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/6efd881db0396805d15b0e38a5fe6b99.mp3 1c92a9f75c3aeb581508c0561a0cc971 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sisters Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Subject The topic of the resource Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1937 until 1999. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on November 3, 1987. Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea was born on August 28, 1917 in Duquesne, Pa. Daughter of William O’Dea and Julia Walsh, Mary Margaret O’Dea entered the community on September 8, 1937 as Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea. Sister Margaret Rose worked jobs as a cashier and a clerk for a year and a half before entering the community. She served most of her ministry as a teacher and tutor at primary schools throughout the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Altoona-Johnstown, and Phoenix, and the Archdiocese of Washington. The schools she worked at include Resurrection, Brookline; St. John and Holy Cross, South Side; SS. Simon & Jude, Blairsville; Our Lady of Grace, Johnstown; St. Stephen; Holy Innocents, Sheraden; St. James, Apollo; St. John, Scottdale, Az.; St. John, South Side; St. Teresa, Munhall; St. Catherine; St. John the Baptist, Pittsburgh; St. Kieran; Sacred Heart, Pittsburgh; St. Jane de Chantal, Bethesda, Md.; and St. James, Wilkinsburg. She also volunteered at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality from 1983 to 1989, after which she retired. Sister Margaret Rose earned her B.Ed. in Education from Duquesne University in 1956. As a teacher, she enjoyed having her children perform in plays. Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea passed away on January 25, 1999 at the age of 81. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/11/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-90 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/f7ce6509be7acc1165f3138bf2dec30e.mp3 c3e3fcdd5a837cccd67c599075537958 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/47cad0ada4ba57551b3dc46ac92e1b1a.mp3 685ae13c9c20a7a86c429ef938686648 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Jean Ann Wilburn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:01 08:30 Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz 96kHz Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Eustace Mullen, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1912 until 1983. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on May 12, 1982. Sister Mary Eustace Mullen - born Mary Catherine Mullen on October 23, 1894 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1912. Sister Mary Eustace received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1936. She served as a teacher at St. Joseph School in Sharpsburg, St. James Elementary School in Wilkinsburg, and at the House of Mary in Pittsburgh's Hill District for brief periods of time in the forties and fifties. She also served as a Sister Servant at Holy Cross School in Youngwood from 1945-1950. In the mid-fifties, she travelled west to Arizona where she taught at SS. Peter & Paul School in Tucson from 1953-1956 and at St. Mary-Basha Elementary School in Chandler from 1956-1957. Back east, she taught at St. Regis School in Trafford from 1957-1962 and was in residence at St. John the Evangelist in Pittsburgh from 1962-1970. Sister Mary Eustace died on May 30, 1983. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982/05/12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-4 Holy Cross School House of Mary SS. Peter & Paul School St. James Elementary School St. John the Evangelist School St. Joseph School St. Mary-Basha Elementary School St. Regis School Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Ethelreda Merz Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 18:37 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 50-1 Sr. M. Ethelreda Merz This is a part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Sister Ethelreda Merz died on January twenty-ninth, nineteen eighty-five. In her memory, Sister Mary Guido McMillan will share her thoughts on Sister Ethelreda. This interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at St. Anselm's Convent. The date is October thirteenth, nineteen eighty-seven. Sr.Mary Guido McMillan... Sister Ethelreda was born in nineteen hundred nine, I think, in Pittsburgh. Her earlier years were lived in Homewood on Brace Street. Her father and mother had an older girl named Helen. Two years later they had Sister Ethelreda, who was known as Mildred. The family called her Midge. She was a dear little girl, but I did not know her in those days, because her mother died, and her aunt raised them for a while. Then her father remarried a woman, whose name was Eichenlaub. She had one daughter...Madge. They moved from Brace Street in Homewood to Hutchison Avenue in Edgewood. Sister Ethelreda went to Divine Providence Academy and so did I, where we met in high school. Sister Margaret Frances Coogan, Sister Mary Bernard O' Brien, and Sister Ethelreda Merz were all freshmen, while I was a sophomore. Sister Ethelreda and I became very close friends. The fact that we lived in the same neighborhood, she on Hutchison Avenue, and we lived on Saunders and Lancaster Avenue in Regent Square, we often traveled home together. Then, when Sister decided that she wanted to enter, she came to me and told me of her intention. I remember well the night when she was up at our house. It was in the summer time and we were having watermelon. My father came in and he teased her. He said: "Well Mildred, by the time you enter, there won' t be any names left, so what do you want me to call you, Sister Soapsuds or Sister Applesauce?" Well, we all giggled at that. From then until my dad died, he always called her Sister Soapsuds. We came to Seton Hill in November. She petitioned and Mother told her that she could enter on December eighth. At that time, I was stationed at Holy Innocents in Sheraden. I brought Mildred up to Seton Hill where she signed the papers to enter. I entered on May third, nineteen twenty-five, and Sister Ethelreda entered on December eighth, nineteen twenty-six. If my memory serves me correctly, Sr. Ethelreda was assigned to Holy Cross as her first mission. Then I think she went to Sacred Heart for a year. When Saint Peter and Paul opened in Tucson, Arizona, Sister Ethelreda was one of the pioneers. She loved the West. She hoped to go further West, even to California. Even as a child, she and her sister, Helen used to talk about California from reading their geography. Helen married a man from out in California. He owned a wonderful grape arbor there. Sister went quite often from Tucson in the summer to visit them. They had one son, whom I think is dead now. Then Sister Ethelreda' s sister Helen died several years after Sister had been in Tucson. In the meantime, her father and mother had moved to California to be close to Helen. Her Sister, Madge, remained in Pittsburgh where she married a man by the name of MacAleer. He was Doctor MacAleer' s brother. He too is deceased now. Sister Ethelreda, at this time, was sent back to Pittsburgh for a couple of years. Her neck was giving her a great deal of trouble. She had an operation at St. Francis hospital, but it was not too successful, because her neck continually turned, and she had to hold her head even to eat. Sister was a very private person. She never complained. After this, Sister Ethelreda went back to California when her father became very ill. The father died there in California, as did the mother about a year later. Then Sister Ethelreda stayed on in California at St. Pancratius. She took care of the patio, answered doorbells and telephones, etc., as she had been out of school for ten years. When she became ill, Mother requested that she come home to the East. Sister Ethelreda then came to Assumption Hall where she was for twenty three or twenty-four months. She was a beautiful character. She loved pink and also loved butterflies. Sister Ethelreda was a very prayerful woman, and everyone loved here. Sister died very suddenly one evening. She was listening to her television, which she always turned off about nine-thirty PM. The night nurse heard the noise of the television about eleven-thirty and went in to check on Sister. She turned the TV off. Then, going out, she patted Sister ' s forehead to find that it was cold. She turned the light on and there was Sister Ethelreda with a beautiful smile on her face sleeping the sleep of death. I'm sure Sister is happy in heaven with God, her'fe latives; and the Blessed Mother whom she dearly loved. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of Sr. Mary Guido McMillan's memoirs of Sr. Ethelreda Merz on Saturday, January fifth, two thousand thirteen...2013. Sr. Marie Corona Miller: This is a part of the oral history of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Sister Ethelreda Merza on January twenty-ninth, nineteen eighty five. In her memory, Sister Adxam Bronchain will share her thoughts on Sister Ethelreda. This interview is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at St. Columkille in Imperial. The date is: February third, nineteen eighty-eight. SAB: I didn't know Sister Ethelreda until I went to St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California. I went there to teach the eighth grade. I was there from nineteen seventy-one until nineteen seventy-six. In those five years is when I really got to know Sister Ethelreda. At that time, Sister Ethelreda·was just doing part time work in the school office...mostly taking care of the milk program for the lunch children. There, they don't have a cafeteria. The children bring a bag lunch. They eat out on the patio, so her job was to order the milk, take care of the tickets for the milk, and all that was entailed. She also did odd jobs in the office for Sister Mary Giles Brandt, who was Principal while I was there, and she also became a very good friend of Mrs. McGaffm, who was the school secretary at that time. Mrs. McGaffin's daughter had several children. I know that Sister Ethelreda was very much interested in them and in fact I still think they kept in contact after Sister Ethelreda left. I was the Sister Servant at St. Pancratius. Sister Ethelreda had a nephew who died in La Hoya, California. It was after that, and because of the situation that I got to know Sister Ethelreda very closely. I guess in the beginning I was too caught up with being the Sister Servant and school work.....being the eighth grade teacher. When you get all caught up in those things, you don't always think about the people living with you, which is not a good way to be. She struck me very forcefully by her quiet way. You had to really know her to realize that she was suffering. She never complained. Her attitude, her manner was always one of a quiet joy. After I got to know her, I learned of her great love of nature. She took care of the beautiful patio we had at St. Pancratius. It was walled in. There was a lemon tree. She had the Bird of Paradise flowers there. They were native to the area. She had other flowers there too. Amoµg them were the Jphnny Jump Ups, which are something like a Violet or a Pansy. When they first came up in the Springtime, she would surprise me by having one of those in my bedroom because she knew that I shared her love for flowers. She also had a few plants on the Patio table. Again, they were of the exotic kind. That was the way she kept herself busy besides working in the school. She also liked to read. Every night I would go into her bedroom and massage her neck. Her neck caused her a lot of pain. She could not look ahead. She had to hold her head in order to be able to do this. She loved "Snoopy" from "Peanuts", so we had a little "Snoopy" dog. That brought her a lot of joy. Any time I sent her a card, I always tried to find one with something related to "Snoopy" on it, especially after I returned to the East and didn't live with her anymore. Another thing, to show our deep relationship, when I was leaving California in nineteen seventy-six, she went to the airport to see me off. I know that must have been a great price that she paid, because it was hard for her to travel. I was very touched at her doing this. She also gave me a card, which wasn' t to be opened until I boarded the plane. I still have that card. She was a great inspiration to me just because of her quiet, gentle, manner, her joy and her patience in suffering. I will always remember her. When she died, I was not able to go to the funeral. The weather did not permit it. At that time, there were hazardous driving warnings being given, but Sister Sebastian Jellison, in her kindness, knew I was a good friend of Sister Ethelreda, and she gave me her statue of Mary, some flowers, and her little crib set, which I still have. When I came back East, I went to Blairsville, and often went to Assumption Hall to visit Sister Ethelreda. SMCM: Sister, how do you feel that Sister Ethelreda adjusted to coming to Assumption Hall after spending many years in the West? SAB: I would say she did very well. She had been in the West for many years. Knowing Sister Ethelreda, she would make the best of it no matter how difficult it might be. That was true to her nature. That's the kind of person that she was. SMCM: You could pick this up when you visited her at Assumption Hall? SAB: Yes, because she was still her cheerful self. She wasn't bemoaning the fact, and she just seemed to be the way that I knew her in California, as far as her attitude, her personality...try to make the best of it. SMCM; Thank you Sister Mary Adrian. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of Sr. Mary Adrian' s memoirs of Sr. Ethelreda Merz on Wednesday, January ninth, two thousand thirteen...2013. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Ethelreda Merz Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Ethelreda Merz Description An account of the resource An oral history conducted in honor of Sister M. Ethelreda Merz, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1985. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on October 13, 1987 and February 3, 1988.Sister Ethelreda Merz was born on January 14, 1908 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of John F. Merz and Mary Ellen O’Connor, Mildred Merz entered the community on December 8, 1926 as Sister M. Ethelreda Merz. Sister Ethelreda did office work for two years before entering the community. She taught in elementary schools and performed catechetical work in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Ca., and the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Pa. and Tucson, Az. Among the schools she taught at were SS. Peter and Paul, Tucson from 1943 to 1955, St. Pancratius, Ca. from 1955 to 1963 and again from 1967 to 1982, and at Sacred Heart, Pittsburgh from 1964 to 1967. Sister Ethelreda had a certification for teaching elementary education at a diocesan level from the city of Pittsburgh. Sister Ethelreda Merz passed away on January 29, 1985 at the age of 77. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/10/13 1988/02/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-50 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/fe47664ac1c7177665923b280173d1ab.mp3 2172c45c5034a1ec8ba0fa1fe8d87c9d https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/3ec741bc98e21f6479aa2525b5aaa22e.mp3 5c923c1a30c7af66ecade9151a68b267 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Guido McMillan Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:02 27:59 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-23 SMCM: This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Mary Guido McMillan and the interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. The interview is being conducted at St. Anselm's convent. The date is January 14, 1987. It will be kept in the community archives at Caritas Christi in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. SMCM: Good morning, Sister Mary Guido. I'm very happy to be with you today to have you tell us about your history. Would you like to do that? SMGMc: Yes, I would be happy to do that. I was born April 23, 1907 in Belleview, Pennsylvania. My sister Betty was also born in Belleview. Shortly after my sister's birth, we moved to Richmond, Virginia where my brother, Billy, was born. A year and a halflater, my mother died at the age of twenty-nine. I was six, my sister five, and my little brother one and a half years old. In the meantime, my mother's aunt took care ofus. Several years later, my father married Margaret Bettet (that's what it sounded like. I listened several times). She was a catholic. Therefore, we became catholic. My sister and I were baptized on March 23, 1917. Prior to that, we went to the Southern Baptist Church in Richmond. My mother is buried there in the cemetery connected with the church. At the beginning of the First World War, when my father married my stepmother, we had to move to Philadelphia because my father was exporting lumber to England. We had to be near the Chesapeake Bay. We started school, I believe I was in third grade at a school where the Sisters of St. Joseph taught. My stepmother caught the flu. My father didn't have anyone to care for us, so he asked the sisters for suggestions as to where he might send us. This happened to be the sisters boarding home in Marian, Pennsylvania. We were there for a year. After my stepmother recovered, we moved to be with my .Grandmother McMillan in Pittsburgh. My grandmother was furious that we had become catholic. She wouldn't permit us to go to church, even though St. Lawrence's Church was right on Broad Street, where she lived in Garfield. Meantime, my father being a devout catholic, arranged for me and my sister to go to Ursuline Academy. My brother, Billy, went to DePaul Institute, not as a pupil, but as a child to be taken care of. The Ursuline Academy didn't keep summer boarders. My stepmother was unable to take care of us. The sisters in Ursuline Academy advised my father to send us to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Ebensburg, PA for the summer. We stayed in Ebensburg for the following school year. My stepmother had a nervous breakdown, but she recovered enough for us to come home. We moved to College Avenue in the east end of Pittsburgh. We lived on the first floor. I came home to help her. My sister and brother came home also. My sister and I went to Sacred Heart School. We were both in the same grade. Sister M. Zita Ryan was our teacher. It was seventh grade. My brother went to Sacred Heart also. The following year, my dad moved to Wilkinsburg because he had started a new lumber business on Trenton Avenue. We went to St. James School in Wilkinsburg. In the meantime, my father had a large house built in Regent Square on Lancaster Avenue. From here, we went to Divine Providence High School on Larimer Avenue in East Liberty. I didn't complete High School. At the end of my second year, I entered the Sisters of Charity. I didn't really know the Sisters of Charity very well because my stepmother gave everyone the impression that she was marvelous. You've heard the term "Street Angel, but a House devil." Well, the term surely described her. She gave us the gift of faith, but she was really mean and cruel to us. I don' t want to go into this as it makes me very upset. So, I'll tell you how I became interested in becoming a Sister of Charity. When I was a little girl in Richmond, Virginia, grandpa came one time and took me to a movie. All I can remember about it was there were two Sisters of Charity from France. They were going along the street when they heard what sounded like a baby' s cry. They lifted the nearby garbage can lid, picked the baby up and took it to their Orphanage. I was so entranced that I said to grandpa: "Who are those ladies, and what are they doing with that baby?" Grandpa said: "SH!" I'll tell you when we leave the movie. So, he told me that they were Sisters of Charity and that they do a lot of good. He said that in China, baby girls are thrown away and sometimes these sisters are able to find the babies and take care of them. I told my grandpa that I knew what I was going to be when I grew up...a Sister of Charity. When we were in high school, the Sisters of Divine Providence were talking about vocations. I didn' t say anything then, but I managed to ride out to Greensburg to see the Motherhouse. I told the Mother Superior, who was Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers that I would be interested in any literature that she could send me. A week or so later, I received a letter from Mother Rose Genevieve telling me that Mother Mary Francis McCullough would be happy to meet with me at Pittsburgh Hospital or at Seton Hill. So my stepmother took me to Seton Hill on March 17th to meet with Mother Mary Francis McCullough As we stepped inside the building, a peace and calm came over me. I knew this was where I wanted to be. SMCM: What year was that Sister Mary Guido? SMGMcM: That was March 19, 1925 because Mother Rose Genevieve had Sister Marie Augustine Witt show me around. I was thrilled with the beauty of the place. When we came back to Mother Rose Genevieve's office, I knelt down and signed the papers which said I would be coming to Seton Hill to become a Sister of Charity. In those days, you could enter at any time, so Mother Rose Genevieve told me that a girl was coming on May 3, 1925, and I could come with her. I was surprised to hear that her name was Ruth O' Brien, who had also attended Divine Providence High School. She was a year younger than me. I have never regretted the decision I made to become a Sister of Charity from that day through today. When Mother Mary Francis put the postulant cap on my head she asked me who my sponsor was. I said, what do you mean, and she replied, who encouraged you to come to the community? I told her that my only contact with the Sisters of Charity was when Sister Zita Ryan taught me in the seventh grade at Sacred Heart, and when Sister Jane M. Joyce taught me at St. James in Wilkinsburg. Well then said Mother Mary Francis, I'll be your sponsor. Sister Marie Augustine was there, and she also said she would be my sponsor. So, that's the way it was. I had two sponsors. SMCM: Sister, who was Ruth O' Brien? SMGMcM: She was Sister Mary Bernard. The other sisters who were in my group were: Sister Ethelreda Merz and Sister Margaret Frances Coogan. I hadn't finished high school, so I did this by attending the Normal School and attending other classes at Seton Hill. SMGMcM: The frrst charge I got was the coffee. Sister Mary Bernard was also on this charge. Then I was given Sister Marion Stephen who was in the Sister's Infirmary to take care of. She was a precious, beautiful character. She had what was then called rheumatic rheumatism, which today would be called arthritis. When I got Sister, she was in a wheel chair. She was able to use her hands to crochet and make rosary beads. She could also sew by using her knee to operate the sewing machine. Sister Mary Bernard would come at night and help me put sister to bed. I took care of Sister Marion during my entire canonical year. In November of 1926; I was sent out on mission to Holy Innocent's School in Sheraden to do substitute teaching for Sister Margaret Clare Collins. When I returned to Seton Hill in the summers, I again took care of Sister Marion Stephen. When I first went to Holy Innocents, it was to be for just two weeks, but this didn't happen. Sister Amata Brennan asked mother why I was being left in school as I was promised I would go into nurses training with Sister Mercedes McMahon and Sister M.. Nathaniel McNamara at the old Pittsburgh hospital. Mother said:" We need good teachers as much as we need good nurses." Therefore, I never did get to be in nurse's training. Instead, my sister, Betty McMillan, went into training in the very class I would have been in. She went on after graduation to New York and became a pediatrician nurse. She met her husband in New York. I didn't see too much of my sister. In the meantime, my stepmother had another nervous breakdown. In those days if there was any mental illness in your family, you couldn't be admitted to vows. Since she of course was not related in any way, this didn't hold true in my case. My family was concerned about this as they knew how very happy I was. My father informed me that my stepmother had left him. Unfortunately, dad had signed over everything to her...the insurance, the house, the car, everything to her. He was afraid because of the war situation, the economy, and the fact that he was in business for himself, that ifhe didn't sign everything over to her, he would lose everything. It was sad, because dad had to start out from scratch. God was good to him. He was an excellent salesman, so it didn't take him long to build up a rather large list of customers. My brother, Billy, went to the University of Pittsburgh. He did graduate. However, his eyes were so bad that he was unable to do anything for a year My sister invited him to New York where he met and married his wife, Sophie Sappharo. He also found work in New York, as he was not able to find work in Pittsburgh. In the meantime, I was the only one in Pittsburgh to visit and be of any help to my dad. I didn't see him very often. I stayed at Holy Innocents in Sheraden for five years teaching second grade under the guidance of Sister M. Josepha Lee, who was a wonderful primary teacher. When she was sent elsewhere, I was put in her first grade. Sister Josepha was the one who told me that rabbits are a symbol of the Universal Church because they can be found anywhere in the world. She told me many other little things like this which were very helpful to many of my students. I was very happy in Sheraden. Sister Mary Giles Brandt, who was the principal and sister servant would send Sister Regina Mary Murphy and me out after school at times to visit the sick. We used to say the rosary on the way home. In 1931, I was transferred to Sharpsburg for three years. I taught first grade there also. In 1934, I was sent to St. Irenaeus in Oakmont. I was there at the time of the flood in 1936. That's where I met my dear friend, Sister Mary Alfred Sharp. I would go home with Sister Mary Alfred to visit her parents, both of whom were very ill. Her mother was a semi-invalid. From St. Irenaeus, I think I went to Sacred Heart for several years. Then I went to St. Kieran's for a short time, but then I went back to Sacred Heart. I taught in the primary grades all of these years, mostly in first grade, which I loved. Every summer I went back to Seton Hill to work in the Infirmary. I took care of Sister Marion Stephen for seventeen years. In the meantime, Sister Mary Bernard O' Brien would be assigned to help me care for Sister Marion. However, Sister Mary Bernard was afraid to touch Sister Marion because of her large (Sr. Mary Bernard's) size. So she took care of things in Sister' s room such as the large fish bowl Sister had in her room. She also had a radio and was simply amazed that you could hear voices from that "box." One time sister had never been in a car. Her sister died, and she requested to go in to Pittsburgh to pay her respects. We rode all the way to Pittsburgh in an ambulance. I knelt beside Sister Marion, even though she was tied in to prevent any mishap. Her sister was laid out in Bellevue, and she was very happy to have gotten in. Sister Marion contracted her illness after teaching for just nine years. The Community sent her to some facility (Sr. Mary Guido couldn' t remember the name) to get some help, but Sister ' s condition just kept getting progressively worse until she was confined to a wheel chair. SMCM: Sister Mary Guido, when did you make your first vows? SMGMcM: I made first vows on August 15, 1927. Sister Mary Bernard (Ruth O' Brien) also professed her vows on August 15, 1927. We were in chapel the evening before, and it was announced that Ruth O' Brien would be known as Sister Mary Bernard, and Virginia McMillan would be known as Sister Mary Guido McMillan. I took the name Guido because my father who was a convert had made a retreat at St. Paul's Monastery which was given by Father Guido, Passionist. My father was forever impressed by this retreat, and he and Father Guido became close friends. My father was very pleased that I had been given the name, Guido. Three years later, on August 15, 1930, Sister Mary Bernard and I pronounced our fmal vows. My novitiate days were happy ones. I didn't get to spend as much time with the sisters because of my duties in the infirmary, especially caring for Sister Marion Stephen. I taught from 1926 up until 1975. I only missed three days during the entire time. Then, in 1975, my silver jubilee year, I went on half day teaching at St. Anselm's in Swissvale. I helped the little children who needed help in Phonics and Reading. In 1980, I retired from teaching and visited the sick and shut-ins. The hardest thing for the elderly is being lonely...having no one to talk to. Sometimes, they don't hear another voice from one end of the week to the other. Sister Pancratius Jablonski was marvelous in doing this work. She began this work after she retired from her work with the choir boys and teaching Singing in the classrooms for many years in St. Anselm' s grade school. Sister Pancratius had done this ministry with the elderly for ten years before I joined in working with her. We would go out visiting together many times. Sometimes, we separated and went via foot to visit some shut-ins. When I had to physically cut back on some ofthis visiting, I would call some elderly people on the phone. If the weather was decent, I went out to visit at the hospitals and nursing homes. At times, I went to see Sister Beatrice McQuade' s mother who was at a nursing home residence in Homestead. Mrs. McQuade was very happy and contented there. From there, the driver would take me down the street to see a little hunchback. In the same area, it was possible for me to visit a person with multiplesclerosis. SMCM: Sister, do you remember anything else about some of our senior sisters in your experiences as a young sister? SMGMcM: Well, when I was in the infirmary, I would have to pass trays. One time, Sister Mary Cecelia Schwab had a tracheotomy tube which she coughed up and lost. I had to get down on my hands and knees to find it, which I did. Then it had to be sterilized and reinserted. It was only a few years later that sister transferred to an enclosed Order. Sister Generosa was my superior at Sheraden for one year. She also became an enclosed Dominican in Texas. I keep in touch with sister several times a year. She became known as Sister Mary Michael. She was age ninety-three and a half at our last correspondence and asked me to pray for her as she knew she was coming to the end of her life here on earth. Our deceased Sister Marie Monica Blickenstorfer was also a good friend of Sister Generosa and corresponded with her over the years. I also took care of Sister Ambrose Walsh in the Infirmary. She was a heavy set sister and I recall that when she had to go to the hospital, she wouldn't permit anyone but me to go with her in the ambulance. I would serve trays, and when I was finished Sister Grace Barr would ask me to fill in where help was needed. Sister Ambrose became a good friend. SMCM: Now, was Sister Grace Barr the Infirmarian? SMGMcM: Yes. There was a Sister M. Julia Byrne in the infirmary who was always saying: "Pray for me, pray for me, I'm afraid to die." One day I said to her: "Sister Julia, why are you afraid to die? You've been a sister for sixty five years, have taught and done many good things during your lifetime?" She said maybe I haven't done enough for God and I said if you haven't done enough, what about us who are just starting out? I understand that she did have a very peaceful death. There was another old sister...Sister Mary Inez Cronin. After Sister Marion died, I used to take care of Sister Mary Inez and the other infirm sisters by cutting their toe nails, finger nails, hair etc. I did this in the evenings. They were the days when we had night silence. I felt that I had to distract the sisters somehow, especially when doing their feet, so, of course I would talk to them. One evening, Mother Maria Benedict Monahan approached me and said that she understood I was breaking night silence. I told her that if she meant my talking to the old sisters, that I had checked this out with my confessor, because I was concerned about this, and he told me that I was doing a good thing by talking to the sisters, relieving them of any nervousness or anxiety related to my tending to the aforementioned needs. You can see that throughout my life, I've always taken care of the old and the young. I will continue to do this as long as God gives me the health. SMcM: Sister, I understand that your sister paid for a tour to Lourdes to celebrate your Silver Jubilee. Would you like to tell us about that? SMGMcM: Very briefly, I will. My sister in Florida saw an article in their paper stating that Cardinal Spellman was conducting a thirty-six day Mediterranean cruise to Spain, Greece, and other places of interest. This was in 1957. My sister, Betty, wrote to me inviting me to go on the tour with her. She had a heart condition and didn't want to travel this far by herself, but wanted to go to Lourdes which was one of the places scheduled on the tour. I was still living at Holy Innocents in Sheraden at the time. I showed the letter to Sister Vincent de Paul Baker who was our senior sister. I told Sister that this was probably an impossibility. Her reply was:''Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and said that Mother Claudia Glenn was coming in two weeks and I should present the situation to her. Well, Mother Claudia said that if I could get a teacher to take my place during the time of the tour that I had her permission. I was missioned in August to Resurrection school in Brookline, so it was here that I needed to get the teacher. When I told Sister Caroline Joseph Wilson, who was the principal at Resurrection, about the tour, she told me that she had a very good primary teacher who could cover for me while I was on the tour. I got all of the seat work duplicated and wrote lesson plans from September the eighth, the day of departure up until October thirteenth, the day of my return. There were twenty-seven school days during that time. When I came back, I found the children to be well instructed, in fact maybe even better taught than ifl was there. I bought each little child a medal from Lourdes and a holy card from Fatima. In my class was a little boy, named James Whalen, who later became Father Jim Whalen. He became a priest for the diocese of Pittsburgh. He invited me to his ordination. I went to his ordination at St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh, but was unable to attend his first Mass, so I told Sister Mary Louise Molchan to inform him of this, and tell him that I would see him sometime in the near future. Little did I realize that I would see him soon afterward at St. Anselm's, which was his first assignment, going in to say the noon Mass, which I was going to attend. We both got a good laugh about this. He was stationed at St. Anselm's for five years and then was sent to St. Lawrence O'Toole's parish in Garfield. Now he is in charge of the retreats at Gilmary Center. I'm sure that he will be instrumental in bringing many vocations to the church. Going back to my trip with Betty. We were only on our way out of New York Harbor a day when I met Cardinal Spellman who asked why I was the only sister on the trip.I said: "Because it's school time, Cardinal. I was very fortunate that my sister, Betty, paid my way and also paid for a substitute teacher for me for the twenty-seven days (school days) a substitute teacher was needed in my place. When we reached Lourdes, there were twenty-eight tour buses there to take care of us. The entire ship was given over to the tour. There were thirty-six stairwells blocked and altars set up making it possible for thirty-six priests to celebrate Mass. There were seven hundred thirty six people on the pilgrimage. All of the books were removed from the library so that a chapel would be available. The stations were erected as was a crucifix. You were free in the morning to pray..say the rosary, make your adoration, etc. Then in the afternoon at four o'clock, we had Benediction. It.was beautiful. My sister and I always went to the eight AM Mass in the theater, because it was Bishop McConnell who said the Mass. Bishop Cook, who was secretary to Cardinal Spellman gave the homilies which wer-e excellent, especially the ones on the Blessed Mother. I told him that he should compile a record of these homilies, especially the ones on Mary because they were so beautiful. When we got to Lourdes, we stayed one night. There was a candle light procession. I didn't go into the baths, nor did my sister. She wasn't well enough. We did get a supply of Lourde's water which we brought back to the states and gave to different people. From Lourdes we went to Fatima. Every night we got back on the ship which would go from one point to another. Every evening we returned to the ship for dinner. The seating for the evening meal was rotated so that everyone had an opportunity to sit at the Cardinal's table. We had our picture taken with the Cardinal. At Fatima, there were no finished streets as I'm sure there are now. We were able to walk along these streets in Fatima because the weather was nice. We sang hymns as we walked up to the beautiful basilica in Fatima. From Fatima, we went through the strait of Gibraltar. We went to Greece to the top of the mountain where St. Paul preached. I had my picture taken there. We saw other points of interest in Greece, for example Pompey. Next we went to Spain. At St. James Church in Spain, they have a very heavy relic of St. James. ( I tried to get what sister was saying about this relic, but couldn't). It was suspended somehow and swayed back and forth over the people, blessing them. I believe she said that the practice had been terminated as it took six men to take care of this procedure. No matter what country we entered, we didn't need our passports as the Cardinal's name was sufficient identification. When we entered France, two men got on the ship and checked our passports, but that was the only place. On our return to the states, we got word that Pope Pius XII was very ill. We knew that he was ill all summer because we could not have a private audience with him. He was suffering from choking spells. He came out on the balcony above a courtyard where we assembled. His message to us was: "Know your angels, pray to your angels because they are the ones who will some day take your soul to God." This was the theme of his homily as it was the month of October when we especially honor the angels. This was Friday. Sunday evening, we received word that the Pope was dying. He had in fact had a stroke. We kept perpetual adoration on the ship. The Cardinal got word on Friday that the Pope had died. The ship turned around and went to the Azores where the Cardinal was met by some Americans who flew him to Rome. The day after the Cardinal left ship, we got into a terrible hurricane. We didn't realize that it was as bad as we were later told. We thought it was just a bad storm. Actually, we were told that there was fear of the ship breaking in two. We did, however, arrive safely in New York. Then it was that Father Gray (I think this is whom she said) gave me the Pope' s Zuchetta because Cardinal Spellman had told me that he would give it to me when we got to New York. He did this because there were many women who would have liked getting it. He gave me the last one which the Pope had worn, because he said the Pope took it off his head, handed it to the Cardinal and said: "God bless Sister." When we returned to the states, I sent the Pope's cap to all the schools in Pittsburgh for the children to see. I kept the zuchetta myself for about a year after it had been shown to the children in the various schools. Then I thought to myself how foolish of me to keep it personally...that it belonged in our Archives in Greensburg, so I sent it there. I feel in my heart that some day Pope Pius XII will be canonized. My sister did not receive a physical cure, but spiritually she felt very peaceful and happy because of the tour. Betty worked as a nurse in the hospital in New York for a few more years, but she contracted whooping cough and the doctor advised her to move to Florida. Her husband took a six month leave from his work and went with Betty. He liked it so well that he stayed there. My sister was never able to have children, but she and her husband adopted a boy when they moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she and her husband lived happily for thirty­ five years. Betty died from a stroke in 1969. Then my brother felt that he should take over where Betty left off. He took me and my friend, Rosie, on a lovely Carribean cruise for ten days. This was for my Golden Jubilee. It was sad to see the difference between how the rich lived on one side of the island as opposed to how the poor lived on the other side. The little children were constantly begging for money. We were cautioned not to give them any, but I gave them some anyhow as I felt they needed it. The last trip that I had with my brother, was with Rosie to Ireland. The only way my brother would go is if someone went with him. So I feel that in my lifetime I have been blessed getting to see many things that other sisters have not seen. I am very grateful to the Lord for all His blessings over the years. SMCM: Thank you, Sister Mary Guido, for sharing so many things about your life. This tape will be kept in the Archives at Caritas Christi in Greensburg. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: This oral history for Sister Mary Guido McMillan was transcribed from cassette tapes by me. It was completed on March 29. 2011. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Guido McMillan Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Guido McMillan Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Guido McMillan, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1995. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on January 14, 1987. Sister Mary Guido McMillan was born on April 23, 1907 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of William McMillan and Jessie Castner, Virginia Helen McMillan entered the community on May 3, 1925 as Sister Mary Guido McMillan. Sister Mary Guido served as a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools throughout western Pennsylvania for 52 years. She served her entire teaching career in schools within the Diocese of Pittsburgh, except for one six-year term as principal of Sacred Heart, Greensburg. Among the schools she served were Holy Innocents, Sheraden; St. Joseph, Sharpsburg; St. Anselm, Swissvale; St. Irenaeus, Oakmont, St. Keiran, Lawrenceville; Sacred Heart, Greensburg; Sacred Heart, East End, Pittsburgh; Resurrection, Brookline; St. Philip, Crafton; and St. James, Wilkinsburg. After she retired from teaching, she helped care for the elderly. Sister Mary Guido earned her B.Ed. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University in 1946. Sister Mary Guido McMillan passed away on November 9, 1995 at the age of 88. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/01/14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-37 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/f89ca69d10c9582569e49d7342010f31.mp3 99d68c76393a3a97447ed9a4f43fd8ed https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/744acef3c0a7d586172cbb6621699fa3.mp3 6cd01f978aadf5545bf2c810675d8910 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Robert McManama Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:59 31:58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Robert McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Robert McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Robert McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on October 31, 1987.Sister Mary Robert McManama was born on December 24, 1908 in Gadsden, Alabama. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Clara Rose McManama entered the community on March 25, 1933 as Sister Mary Robert McManama. Sister Mary Robert ministered as a high school teacher of math and English and as a librarian at schools in the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Phoenix. Among the schools she taught at were Cathedral High School, Altoona; St. Luke High School, Carnegie; Elizabeth Seton High School, Pittsburgh; Sacred Heart High School, Shadyside, Pittsburgh; Holy Innocents High School, Sheraden; anSt. Mary, Chandler, Az.; St. Anselm High School, Swissvale; Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead; Mon Valley Catholic High School, Monongahela, and Seton-LaSalle High School, Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh. Upon her retirement, she worked as a librarian at Assumption Hall. Sister Mary Robert earned her A.B. in English with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1948 and earned her M.Ed. in Library Science from Duquesne University in 1960. Sister Mary Robert McManama passed away on April 27, 1994 at the age of 79. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/10/31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-74 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/ac5cce1a37759f0e55b4ebdf34739930.mp3 2884fdc4ce65fce102826fa2ee1592c2 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/1c21309e94521db5c940b98664a90d07.mp3 3469575bddafdc71fd49d96edb0ebcc0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Jean Ann Wilburn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:35 24:53 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1930 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on March 14, 1987. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama was born on June 16, 1905. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Lucy G. McManama entered the community on March 25, 1930 as Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama. Sister Mary Thaddeus initially joined the faculty of Seton Hill College as a math teacher in 1941, and continued teaching at the college until her retirement in 1986. From 1965 to 1970 she also served as the director of the campus Public Information and in 1970 she became the college archivist, which she continued until 1980. Sister Mary Thaddeus earned her B.A. in Math and Social Studies from Seton Hill College in 1937 and earned her M.S. in Math from the University of Pittsburgh in 1946. She also pursued summer graduate work in Math from Columbia University from 1943 to 1945, and in Statistics from the University of Chicago from 1947 to 1948. She was a member of the American College Public Relations Association and was renowned within her field for her dedication to service. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama passed away on June 18, 1997 at the age of 92. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/03/14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-57 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Clara Marie McManama Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:53 31:54 31:52 31:52 31:56 31:55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Clara Marie McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Clara Marie McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Clara Marie McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1931 until 1991. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 30, May 1, May 7, and September 19, 1987,. Sister Clara Marie McManama was born on March 27, 1908. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Elizabeth Martha McManama entered the community on December 8, 1931 as Sister Clara Marie McManama. Sister Clara Marie worked as a parish bookkeeper for 6 years before entering the community. She spent her ministry as a nurse at Pittsburgh Hospital. She served a variety of roles here, including as Supervisor of the Medical-Surgical Wards, as Clinical Instructor of Medical-Surgical Nursing, as Assistant Director of Nursing Service, and as Supervisor and as Co-ordinator of Out-Patient Services, as well as teaching Medical-Surgical Nursing at the Hospital’s School of Nursing for two years. She also served as an instructor for the Practical Nurse School at Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital. Sister Clara Marie earned her R.N. in Basic Nursing at Pittsburgh Hospital in 1941, her B.S. in Nursing Education from Duquesne University in 1945, and her M.S. in Med-surgical Nursing from Catholic University in 1963. Sister Clara Marie McManama passed away on December 24, 1991 at the age of 83. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/04/30 1987/05/01 1987/05/07 1987/09/19 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Suzanne McIntyre Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:00 31:00 31:01 31:00 31:00 31:02 31:04 31:02 31:00 31:00 31:01 31:00 31:02 31:00 31:02 31:08 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-20 SBMG: This is an interview being conducted for the archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. It is being conducted in the parlor at Sacred Heart Convent on September 9, 1986. The interviewer is Sister Brigid Marie Grantley, and the interviewee is Sister Suzanne McIntyre. v Now Sister Suzanne, I ' ve known you for quite a while, and I've heard you tell a lot of interesting stories so I'm hopeful that we will capture some of your enthusiasm for life on this tape. I would like you to feel free to say whatever you would like to say . The most interesting place to start would be with your birth, early years in grade school, your years at Sacred Heart High School, and your entrance into the Community. SSMc: You told me you were going to do this, I read several books during the Summer about Irish history, particularly about the famines because I wanted to know about the dates. I discovered that my father and his family had been born around those important dates 1845- 1852. My mother on the other hand was younger, and so I think her family was not as disturbed with the famines. My father Patrick Francis McIntyre was born in Ulster in 1856. 1856 was one of the big dates. 1850 was the end of one of the worst famines. One thing that interested me was that since my family never spoke about any great poverty, it was because in Ulster there were some mines, etc., which provided work for the Irish. My father was the oldest of seven children as I am the seventh child in my family. So when my father was very young, his parents took him to Liverpool. In Liverpool no Irish were ever allowed to die. If they died in Ireland, it was alright, because it would be thought that it was because the Irish were careless. So my father received a very good education in Liverpool. His English was lovely, no sign of a brogue, and he didn' t swallow the ends of words as many of the Liverpoolans did. He went to school until he was sixteen. His older brother and his four sisters had meantime come over one by one to America. From what I know, my father buried his father and mother in Liverpool. My father came at age sixteen to New York to meet his brother. Uncle Tommy as I knew him thought he was going to play a trick on my father. He handed my father a bag and said" Patty, these are some American apples." My father bit into one which was delicious! It was a tomato, and we always had fresh tomatoes in our house. My father would tell this story, but he never talked about Liverpool. He spoke a little about the Irish. He held as a great treasure his naturalization papers. We have them yet, Mary and I. He was naturalized in what was then called "The Ohio Settlement." which included Wheeling and Western Pennsylvania. My father was twenty three at the time as he had to wait five years before naturalization could begin. If you asked him for his date of birth, the date he would give was January 9t \ the date of his naturalization. My father would never permit any harsh words or titles which you hear addressed to the Jewish, the Irish, the Negro, etc. My father never raised his voice or used his hands, but when he put down his paper, he would say "That' s enough!" We knew it was serious, and that was it. So I grew up in a very fine environment. We weren't rich. My father worked as a puddler. His brother was a superintendent of a salt box mill in Etna, but my father and mother got married and had children so soon, that he had to go to work in the mill as a puddler, which was one of the highest paid jobs, but nonetheless a very hard one. My sister Mary grieves to this day because he had to work so hard. She didn't understand when we were growing up what a puddler did. My father died one month before I entered...January 5, 1925. He slipped on the ice coming home from visiting with his aunt. On a Saturday, Irene and I were in Pittsburgh buying things for my entrance. My father wouldn't accept an invitation to dinner at his aunt's, because Mary had stayed home to get dinner, and he said when someone did this, you went home to eat it. My brother Jim didn't follow him. He thought his aunt's dinner would be better than Mary' s. My father tripped on a step, fell back and hit his head. I remember only one thing about those forty­ eight hours when my father was in the hospital. I had never seen anyone very sick. My mother died when I was very young. No one in our house had illnesses. I got whooping cough some years later when I was stationed at Sacred Heart, when I was fifty-five years old. My mother took care of her sister' s children when they had black diphtheria and died, but she did not bring it home to us. So when I saw my father in the hospital with his head all wrapped up and unconscious talking out of his unconsciousness, I just couldn't take it. I ran down the end of the hall and stood for some time with my face against the comer. Then I was ashamed of myself for being such a fraidy cat. So that night when Mary and I were allowed to stay, I went back up and went into my father ' s room, although they didn' t want this as my father had pneumonia. All the windows were open . In those days they did this so that others would not get it. I was so sad because he hadn't said anything sensible, hadn't said any prayers. But while I was standing there...suddenly out of the delirium came "Our Father Who Art In Heaven." That made everything fine. My father was a good man, but we felt badly that he had to die so suddenly. However, he died with everyone around him children, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, etc. SBMG: I was wondering. You said that your mother died when you were very young and I wondered who took care of the family, and how you managed. SSMcl: My mother who had married my father at age seventeen had seven children. I was the seventh. She was considered to be a delicate child and this is an interesting story. My mother and her family lived in Swansea , Wales. She was born in Swansea , Wales, but the family came from Cork, Ireland, probably during one of the bad years in Ireland. They had a lovely home, lovely grounds, beautiful horses, and where my mother' s mother had buried five young children. Therefore, when her husband suggested that they follow the oldest son and daughter over to America, she said definitely no. She had three young daughters living , one of which was my aunt Nellie, who lived to be ninety-three, but couldn' t be baptized as a baby because she was so sick, and my mother who had rheumatic fever, so her heart was bad. She said it was time to visit her relatives in Cork. She took the two youngest, leaving my mother who was age eight with the housekeeper and her father whom she loved very well in the home in Swansea, Wales. I don't know how he did it, but my grandfather literally kidnapped my mother and brought her over to America to his sister and my grandmother' s brother who happened to be in Pittsburgh Nevertheless, he brought eight year old, Maggie, who was not very strong over across the seas. I didn' t know my grandparents. I have a notion that my grandmother was a little stiff. My mother was the third of the seven children born to her parents. My mother then was not strong. She also had a problem with her eyes. By the time she was eleven years old, she was completely losing her sight. My grandmother of course took her to the best of physicians who told her they could not do anything, but perhaps there was a new operation they might try. My grandmother asked the doctors if they could assure her of anything and when they said "no", she said...well, we won't operate then. Getting back to my mother. She had married at the age of seventeen and had seven children. They all lived and were strong. She had the same German mid-wife for the delivery of all the children. I was little, but was healthy. Sister Teresa Vincent, not a sister at the time ran around telling everyone that Mrs. McIntyre had a baby with long black hair down to her shoulders, and she looked like an Indian. Across the street from the house where I was born lived the Mahoney sisters, on another comer lived the Reilly sisters and on the other comer lived a family whose daughters also became Sisters of Charity. We lived there for just a few years because when my mother died, my sister Irene couldn't stay there any longer. It was too hard. Now you asked me who took care ofus. When I was born, Irene was sixteen. She was the second girl. Nellie followed her mother's footsteps and married young, the first time. However, her husband died and they had no children. So she moved home too. Irene, at age sixteen was a wonderful, wonderful girl. Irene and Nellie knew everything that my mother knew. They knew how to bake, how to cook, what was this, what was that, etc. To this day, I hardly ever have a conversation with Mary who was eleven when my mother died,that she doesn't say "mom or pop". They're always coming into the conversation. When my mother died, my father was left with seven children... ranging from age twenty-one down to age three and a half. My mother, I don't ever remember, because she never had her picture taken. I never felt that I had lost a mother, because we had so many mothers taking care ofus. Our house was always filled with people. Our cousins, uncles etc. could always stay with us as we always found another place to put a bed. SBMG: You went to St. John the Baptist Elementary School. Is that correct? SSMcl: St. John the Baptist was way ahead of its time. As Sister Electa Boyle would tell you in her book, the buildings were the finest in the city of Pittsburgh. When the pastor had them built, he arranged for them to be connected, so that you could go from one to the other without going outside. This was of course a great advantage. I was baptized at St. John the Baptist in 1906. All but my two oldest sisters were baptized there. My father and my mother were buried there. Everybody else lived there until they were married. Then they moved away. Now, what was school like? It was delightful. I was seven when I went to school. My m other didn't believe in sending a child at age six, and neither did Irene when I came along. My first grade teacher was a Miss Purcell.· She wa·s about five years older than Irene, and she handled the first grade beautifully. Both Father McKeever at St. John's and Monsignor Kane at Sacred Heart were always ahead in having at least one secular teacher in their grade school...fine sisters teaching, but we did have this one lay teacher...Miss Purcell. Miss Purcell got me ready for my First Holy Communion, and I was well ready for it. We were invited up around the altar. People today talk about going up around the altar, but we did it in 1913. We went up to the altar. I led the way as I was the smallest. I don't know who taught me to read and write, but I did learn. I do know that my father taught my sister, Mary, how to read and write. In those days you learned how to read before you went to school. So, to keep me quiet, Miss Purcell sat me up in the front desk on some books and gave me the eighth grade geography and the adult Bible History to read. So I early in my life became interested in History and Geography and rm very grateful. I liked it all the time. I couldn't be bothered learning how to read and I didn't pay much attention to Mathematics. I guess I learned something, but I didn't pay much attention. St. John the Baptist in those days ,the first grade, was a big upper room, which later became High School classrooms. It had one wall, which Father left not plastered. It had a curtain which could be shoved back and we could go into the other part of the room where we had our play time. You didn't have to worry about the weather at all. Sister Miriam Gaffney, who was our principal, just loved to have little plays. She had a little platform up in front of the school. She would come around and she would pick this one from this room and that one from that room. She had the plays all ready. You went down to the principal's office and got your part. You memorized your lines and we entertained. We entertained the Civil War Veterans, the Spanish War Veterans, the Little Sisters of the Poor when they came around, etc. We were always entertaining. We had good, solid classes too. We never spoke of grades at St. John's until you hit the fifth grade on the second floor. So all the other rooms were: room 1, room 2, room 3, room 4, room 5, and room 6. So you know, you could have two third grades. No one was ever told that they didn't make it. You moved from room to room, not from grade to grade. I happened to get through all those grades myself, but one time I found myself wondering " How come I had Sister Ernestine Palmer in the third or fourth grade, and then I had Sister Mechtildes Grasberger, whom I loved, and then I had Sister Gonzaga Driscoll?" Now I think we were pushed around the second semester so that I was pushed on a grade ahead. Then in the fifth grade I had Sister Baptista McGivern She was a marvel in History, so we had lots of History. She was very smart. When we talked a little bit when she left the room, we always admitted that we had talked. She would say "Well dear, you'll have to stay in after school and write ten, fifteen, twenty, and sometimes it was more five syllable words from our text" Have you ever tried to find twenty five syllable words from a fifth grade text book? Another punishment was having to memorize the week's Spelling words backwards. We learned our vocabulary alright. I skipped the sixth grade and always felt that I didn't know anything about Arithmetic from that time on until I got to High School. Algebra was alright, Geometry okay, Advanced Algebra was alright, but I'm just beginning to remember how to add now. I never like anyone asking me about my multiplication tables. SBMG: I believe you have some recollections about the Sisters at St. John the Baptist and about your Music lessons there. SSMcI: Yes, my dear sister, Irene, had sacrificed and bought a new piano so that I could practice. That's one thing my sister had not thought through. I loved to play the piano, but you had to practice to be good, and I did not like to practice. Sister Agnes Cecilia Dougherty was the Music teacher. She was very smart, very wise, and colorful, always laughing. So I had a lot of sweet little pieces. Sister Athanasius Hillgrove came along a few years later and said I really was wasting my sister's money. She suggested that my sister discontinue my Music lessons. Meantime, though, Sister Agnes Cecilia used to gather us together and have us sit on the floor. We sat on the parlor floor about once a week on lovely carpets. The sisters were all very generous about having us do this. During these sessions, we really had Music appreciation. I learned to know all about the musicians and to appreciate some of their music even though I could never sit down and practice it enough so that I could play it. I have a taste for good Music because of these sessions. Also, I remember Sister Agnes Cecilia and Father McKeever. When we came out of school every afternoon, we were all very happy because Father played the drum and Sister Agnes Cecilia played the piano. So we marched out of school to wonderful Music..drum and piano, and Sister tapping her heels, and she and Father both waving good night to us. I remember my principal, Sister Miriam Gaffney, Sister Mary Cecilia Brown , Sister Ernestine Palmer, Sister Baptista McGivem , who taught us such wonderful History, Sister Redempta Regan who taught us in the eighth grade, and Sister Mechtildes Grasberger. Sister Mechtildes taught me in the fifth grade, and broke my heart. One day she was doing something, reading something, and I always loved to listen. I loved her. Someone made a noise, and she thought it was I. I think she forgot, and for just a minute, she slapped me. I wouldn't talk to her for three days. So, she finally made enough reparation by putting a very beautiful picture in front of me on the desk telling me that it was all a big mistake. I forgave her, but I was just hurt because I would never do anything to hurt Sister Mechtildes. We went to the convent chapel at St. John's too. What I remember is that my sister, Catherine, was very popular and she had boy friends who brought her many lovely things like bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy, etc. Catherine didn't seem to care much, especially about the flowers which usually got put in our kitchen after she took one upstairs for herself. So, I thought it was awful to just have the flowers on a kitchen shelf, so I would take them to the convent and was even allowed to go upstairs to the privacy of the chapel on the second floor and put the flowers down on a bench there. Then we would say a little prayer. St. Patrick's Day was a big day at St. John's. If it fell on a Friday, we were given the day off and permission to eat meat. Getting to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day involved much preparation. Every room had to work hard to see who could bring in the most money for the St. Patrick's Day bazaar. It was lots of fun! We were always having parties. The girls had the parties mostly. You had a party in your family, and of course, your family provided lemonade and cakes. The family permitted you to have the parlor or what-ever room they could. Everyone coming to the party had to pay. They paid at the front door. None of the money went to the family having the party. Everything they paid, you could take with you the next day. I also remember that before I left grade school, I was teaching the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine to little children up on the hill. We went up and knocked on the doors. I won't mention any nationalities, but there was a very fine group of Catholics there. The men felt that there were more interesting things for them to do on a Saturday morning. The women were very glad however that a smart little girl, I mean smart because she didn't mind men or knocking on the doors insisting that the children come to CCD. I brought the children down the hill to St. John's where I taught them for one hour and then took them over for the eleven o'clock Mass. In the meantime, for those ofus who have to have something to eat before Mass, I hadn't had anything to eat. It was long, and I'm glad the fasting regulations have changed, but nonetheless, it was a good experience. I learned to teach Christian Doctrine early. St. John's had Euchre parties every Friday evening. These parties were most enjoyable and popular, because some benefactors like the Eichenlaub's contributed very nice things as prizes. One time, my brother won a lovely brass bedstead. SBMG: Then when you finished at St. John the Baptist, Sister Suzanne, I believe you came right over to Sacred Heart High School. Would you like to tell us something about the location of the High School then and about the priests, some of your teachers , some of the things you learned, etc.? SSMcI: Sacred Heart high school and grade school were both located on Center Avenue at that time. The Church was on Center Avenue. My recollection of the Church before going to Sacred Heart High School was when my uncle died. He was a very tall, well built handsome man from Limerick. All I could think as we walked up the church steps was that they will drop the casket as the many steps were also icy. Nevertheless, I came to Sacred Heart as a high school girl in 1920; We had rooms in the grade school up on the second and third floor. We had wonderful teachers. Sister Borgia Casey was our principal. She was also principal of the grade school. She worked hard. She met us every day when we came late, and the only comment was: "Well if you got the car before, you wouldn't be late." Now you can take ten demerits. We would tell Sister Rose Vincent McNulty that we got these demerits, and she was always lovely, but after a few times, she would say: "Sit down with your old demerits." Sister Claudia Glenn hadn't come yet. I didn't have her in my freshman year. I had Sister Beatrice Gority for Latin. Sister Beatrice's classes were wonderful! She made you love the Latin language. I don't know that I was tortured about grammar, but suppose I learned it well enough. We did learn to love the Latin language and also the history behind what we were studying in Latin. I had Sister Beatrice for Latin for four years. She also taught us Music. She had a beautiful voice, so we also learned to sing some songs in Latin. I signed up for Commercial-Academic. I thought I would earn some money, but haven't earned ten cents. When you signed up for Commercial, you took Book-Keeping in your Freshman and Sophomore year. It was very good. I liked it, but missed out on Ancient History. I couldn't take Ancient History. So when it was time to take Spanish the next year, I took Spanish from Sister Evelyn Fisher. I took it for two years. At Sacred Heart, you could have Latin four years, two years of Spanish or German, and then in your senior year, if you had a period, you could take a year of your next language, which I intended to do. I didn't take German to start with because I felt it would be too difficult, but after two years of Spanish and three years of Latin, I thought I would try a little German. In the meantime, Father Coakley had come. He was well versed in French. He had been in the first world war, so dear Sister Gregory's German had to go by the board. I got my first lesson in Forensics from Father Coakley. He came to our class practically every day. We were his first graduating class, so he gave us a lot of his time. During the Summer of my Junior year he had a new high school built... you know Sears Roebuck stuff out now where the new church was supposed to be where the Sears Roebuck is now..out on Sheraden Avenue and Highland. Oh, that was wonderful! You could go into your own room by your own door, and go out without going into the hall. As Seniors, we had ten minute privileges. We got out ten minutes before the others did. We had all the room in the world, but we were allowed to go off the premises to the Ritten House for lunch. The only time I enjoyed lunch during the four years was when I went to the Ritten House for a sandwich. So during my senior year I spent money going to the Ritten House for lunch. Father Coakley had said that we could have French. He was going to bring a young girl from Carnegie-Mellon to teach the French class. I felt that this was terrible because we were blaming a language for what had happened in World War I. I expressed myself very vociferously. I didn't get too far with Father Coakley who said the young woman was coming regardless of the objection. Sister Gregory Farrell said again that if we could get ten girls for German, I'll give you a course in German. We couldn't get ten girls. Some girls wanted to take French from the young woman from Carnegie-Mellon because they felt that German was too hard. I would not take French, and couldn't get German. Well, Mother Evaline Fisher settled that. She said if you can get others interested, I'll give you Third Year Spanish. So we were ahead of most schools in the city. We had three years of Spanish at Sacred Heart. Now public schools, like Langley High School in Sheraden had a magnificent four year course in Spanish, French, and German. I made up my Geometry which I had missed during my Sophomore year by taking Book-Keeping. I went to Schenley High School. . It was delightful. I had a man teacher. This was also pleasing to me. However, I took Geometry with Charles Helbling, one of my classmates. He was one of the brightest boys in the class. After about two days I said, "Charles, how long did you spend on your Geometry last evening?" He said, "Seven hours." I said," Well then I'm quitting today.". I'm not going to spend seven hours a day in the Summer on Geometry even if it is required; .I did quit. I had a good time taking Ancient History. It was delightful. I got Geometry in the novitiate after I entered. SBMG: We'll just stop for today and pick up this tape when we meet again. SBMG: This is a continuation of the oral history on Sister Suzanne McIntyre by Sr. Brigid Marie Grantley at Sacred Heart Convent. The date is September 10, 1986. Now Sr..Suzanne, on the frrst tape you told us about your childhood, your experiences at St. John the Baptist and at Sacred Heart High School. So I guess my question to you now would be: Whatever made you think about becoming a Sister of Charity and how did that come to you, and what steps did you take? SSMCI: Actually, thoughts of becoming a Sister percolated heavily in my mind during my Junior year, but when they did so, I tried very hard to dismiss them as I had no intention of being a Sister. In my eighth grade, I loved all the Sisters. One day Sister Redempta Regan standing in line passed all the lovely girls and said to me "And you're going to become a sister, aren't you dear?" I answered very emphatically: "Not on your life, get up at five thirty in the morning, never go home, never dance or sing?" Oh no, Sister. I'm going to be an actress. In spite of it all, my whole background was tied up with the sisters. A deep seeded love for religion was ingrained in me. I was religiously inclined, yet I loved the movies. I went to a movie almost every day, and sometimes more than once a day. I loved to dance and sing, although at times the feeling came to me that I ought to do more with my life. A voice deep down seem to say that perhaps I wouldn't be saved unless I became a Sister. I liked boys. I had a special boy friend from grade school through high school. In walking home together from a date one evening, he was the frrst one I told about possibly becoming a Sister. He said, "That's great!" Maybe I should become a priest. He did go to St. Vincent's for a short time, but left and became a very successful lawyer. He was a good father to a large family. I'm sure that family wouldn't object to my giving his name.John D. McGrady. However, somewhere in my senior year, the Bishop ordered that every school had to have prayers every day for vocations. I recall that Mother Claudia Glenn put the name and address of every religious order on the blackboard. She told us things about everyone, but never wrote Sisters of Charity. I suppose she felt that since we had Sisters of Charity and observed them, there wasn't any point in listing it on the board. She wrote the names of all the monasteries and the kind of priests who were there. We did have one priest vocation from our class...Father John McKenna who was from Hazelwood. He became a wonderful diocesan priest. He died before we had our twenty-fifth class reunion. Well, getting back to me. We prayed a very beautiful prayer every day and we thought about it . My sister Nellie, who lived in Aliquippa at the time had no children. She coaxed me to come down and spend some time with her. Nellie just loved children. So I went and spent a week with Nellie. Every morning I went to Mass with her. After Mass, she would leave to make a fine breakfast for me....anything to keep me there. I stayed in the church every morning. I was fighting a vocation. Finally, I came home, went out to see Mother Claudia, and said to her: "I keep thinking I should be a Sister of Charity." She said, "Well, I've been waiting for you to tell me." Never once in four years had she or anyone else said anything to me. Then she was all for getting me ready for September eighth. When I went home and told my Sister, Irene, who never lets you down she smiled happily. Her good work of giving up half of her life was turning out decently. Mary, my other sister on the other hand said"You become a sister? What are you going to do with your right foot when you feel like stamping it?" My sister Irene said there is no way I can have you ready for September. You'll need too many things. So, I have a suggestion. You have a scholarship for Seton Hill. We weren't going to send you there as it would cost something beyond our means. I'll make a compact with you. You go to Seton Hill for a semester. We'll be able to afford taking care of things. That way you can see what it's like to get up at six o'clock or whenever . Be with the sisters and see if you would like it. Then if you don't wish to be a Sister, you can come home after the first semester and go to Robert Morris College, which we can afford. So I went to Seton Hill as a freshman in 1924 with a class of twenty-eight. I was delayed for three weeks in getting to Seton Hill as I had a severe case of Gingivitis. This presented some problems regarding classes which I wanted to take. Sister Eucharia O'Hagan was Registrar and informed me that I couldn't take Latin or Spanish as classes had been in session for three weeks. Schweitzer(Sr. Maria Francesca Umauer), who taught German did not like late beginners due to the complexity of the German language. I reluctantly ended up taking French. This was the only "D" I've ever received. I went home at Christmas time. On January fifth I went into town, met Irene, and spent the day buying things for entering the convent. In the meantime, arrangements had been made for me to enter on February second, which would be after the first semester of college work. Two days after my father's funeral we had an extra visit. Sister Florence Marie Scott and Sister Francesca Brownlee came in from Greensburg. I really didn't understand the reason for the visit...thought perhaps that they did this for every student. When my sister Irene took the sisters to the parlor, they said we think we have to say one thing. Lillian doesn't seem to be showing any signs of coming back to school. Sister Francesca said, "You know if she doesn't return to school, we can't give her credit for her first semester work." No matter where she wants to go to school, and I'm sure she will, she'll have to repeat the first semester's work. I did go back to Seton Hill. Sister Stanislaus McVay was our Dean of Women, and she was an angel. Sister Amata Brennan was our nurse. She also was an angel. Everyone was so very good to me, and Margaret Garrick , my companion in the room next to me helped me to get through those days. I don't recall that I did much studying. I did get my grades. Somewhere during the last week, Sister Florence Marie Scott said to me:"Lillian, have you altogether given up being a sister?" I suddenly said, "Oh yes, I may as well." Actually, I went home on Friday and came back to Seton Hill to enter on Sunday.. SBMG: So you entered. What was it like to be a postulant in 1924? SSMC: My sister Irene and my aunt Lilly, my god-mother took me up to Seton Hill on the train. Most of the family stayed at home. My date of entrance was February 2, 1924. I enjoyed every minute of my novitiate. Sister Mary Dorcas Smith entered with me. She was a Sophomore. I was a Freshman. We entered on Monday, February second. We came on Sunday, but in those days you came the day before entrance. On Tuesday word came, per Mother Rose Genevieve Rogers that Dorcas Smith and Lillian McIntyre were to sign up for full schedule of college classes. My first month in the Novitiate, despite my sadness over my father's and nephew's death quickly evaporated. I was really very happy. I didn't long grieve over my father's and nephew's death. I grieved over Sister Mary Dorcas's death longer than for anything in my life. We were very busy with school work and novitiate duties, so there was no time to get homesick. Very early even in my postulancy I served in the dining room and I felt that this was kind of clever, being able to do this without dropping things down people's backs. Also, it was discovered that my voice was a very strong one, so I was asked to read. I had an interesting experience with this. We were up in the gallery. My first attempt was at prayers. In the old prayer manual, in one of the litanies there was the phrase: "From the sins of the damned, preserve us oh Lord." Actually, It was: "From the sins of Adam, preserve us oh Lord." The A in Adam was left out. On the way out of prayers, Sister Electa Boyle corrected me. She always sat up in the gallery off to the side. She told me that I wasn't very intelligent that I didn't know that the A was missing from Adam. As I was reading that, from down below in the chapel, dear Sister Ferdinand Love had a lovely voice. She kept perfect time in praying. In fact, Mother Mary Francis McCullough, when she corrected me, said that Sister Ferdinand was the only one in the chapel praying correctly, and I would do well to follow her example. That's just one of the things that I remember from early times. During our novitiate, we also had Mother Mary Francis, our Novice Mistress for classes. We had Father Sullivan teaching us religion classes. We worked up in the infirmary and were impressed with people like Sister M. Christina Riley, who was so terribly crippled. SBMG: At the end of our last session, Sister Suzanne, you were beginning to talk about some of the sisters you met while you were still in the novitiate. You had mentioned Sister Christina. Now you may want to tell about some of the other sisters you met in your early days. SSMCI: I remember that I was so impressed with sisters in their last illnesses. I suppose that my father's death and my nephew's death made me feel that I could be around the dying. I was never good with the sick if they had a great pain or showed signs of fever or had a cut and were bleeding. I would have to quickly get someone else to tend to them. I'm no good with the actual sick, but when they reach the point where they are finding their way towards God, I don't have any difficulty with being able to stay with them. I'm glad of the fact that even in the novitiate and my days as a professed sister I have been with several sisters much of the time when they were having their last days on earth. One sister I especially remember was our dear and loving Sister Carita Duffy. I say this just to remind us all no matter how much we think we are doing, at the end, sometimes God does ask us for a special thing. He seemed to ask Sister Carita during those last three days to find it very hard to give up this life or to come out of whatever was disturbing her. I remember kneeling at the foot of her bed as often as I could get there and praying. There was always an older sister at the top of the bed who would say: "Say the Apostles Creed." I recall how peaceful and calm sister would become and a nice smile would come over her face. We said this prayer many times and as a result I have become very devoted to this prayer. I also remember Sister Callista M. Hughes who was smaller than I. She was a little senile at the time , childish actually. She was just as sweet as she could be, but when left to herself she was always on the way home to her mother because she wasn't allowed to be out so late in the afternoon. She knew where the door was to let her out, and so she would slip out very quickly. Anyone ofus who saw her of course took her to the infirmarian. The power of obedience was shown to me one night. I had done the reading in the novitiate. I was by myself. Suddenly I looked and there was little Sister Callista. She had found her way up to the third floor. I didn't know what I was going to do as she probably would have become very upset ifl touched her. I did begin to talk to her, and of course got the same story that she had to go home to her mother because she couldn't be on forty-sixth street after four o'clock. When I was about to despair, Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers came around the comer. She had not yet gone . down to dinner. It was so wonderful! She just smiled sweetly and said: Now Sister Callista, what are you doing up here? Sister Callista said: "I don't know, Mother." Well now dear, said Mother Rose Genevieve, we'll go down to your room. It's time for dinner. Not a word. Her mind was perfectly clear for that minute. She knew Mother Rose Genevieve and that she was the superior, so she went down to her room. I went to my room being very impressed that this dear, sweet sister was keeping her vow of obedience after all these years in the Community. SBMG: Thank you very much Sister Suzanne. Now is there anything else you would like to share with us, especially from your novitiate? SSMC: Yes, I have some very pleasant things that I recall. Back in the novitiate, we got much practice in Gregorian Chant. Our singing was fine. There was an elderly priest who came from Europe. He was well versed in Gregorian Chant. He came from Pine Gregorian School in Europe. The Gregorian was not the most important thing that I recall. He stayed for a month or two and took us for classes. He was such a delightful, elderly priest. He walked every day underneath the porch on the novitiate side of the building. Mother Mary Francis also wanted us to take a walk each day. The half hour or so before dinner seemed to be the best time, and this is when Father took his walk. He used to tell us many interesting stories. The one I remember most was about St. Teresa, the Little Flower. Father was a personal friend of the Little Flower's family. When the Little Flower was just a small girl he visited and told us that she sat on his knee. He made the story very human. He said: "Oh, she sat on my knee." She wasn't so well trained. If she didn't get what she wanted.s he complained. Her Biography tells us that her father did spoil her. Father wanted us to know that we too could become saints. I liked to walk back and forth with Father because he wasn't much taller than I. One day we asked him to tell us more about the Little Flower. He looked at me and said: " Oh she wasn't so much bigger than you. " I hadn't had too much devotion to the Little Flower. She was canonized in I believe 1925, so she wasn't any older than I was then. So I thought...What did she ever do to become a saint? I hadn't read very much yet along those lines. I went out on mission, my first to St.Philip's in Crafton. I decided one Sunday afternoon to go over to the school which was close to the convent. The school door sometimes gave you trouble. When I had finished doing what I wanted to do in the classroom I left. I locked the door, turned the key to take it out and it would not come out. I hated to admit that I had gone to the school by myself and hadn't learned to use a key properly. So I said: "Well Little Flower, in this hour, show your power. If you get this key out for me, I'll tell everybody about you from now on." The key came out, and from that time on at least at the beginning of the year, I took time out to tell whatever class I had about the Little Flower. I also say her prayer which Mother Claudia Glenn gave me when I entered. I haven't become any great fan...I like Teresa of Avila better, but I remember that little incident from the novitiate of a priest who knew her personally and said that anyone who really tries can be a saint. SBMG; Well, that was very interesting, Sister. Do you remember any other experiences that you had with other sisters who were novices with you? . SSMI: Oh, I could go on for hours, but I'm going to tell you two things. Sister Dominica O'Connor, Sister Joanna Gleason and I were close :friends through the novitiate and also through our years as professed sisters. One day we were down on the first floor and we were experimenting, I guess. One of us said: "I don't know why we walk up five flights of stairs when there's an elevator here." The elevator was one which brought things up and down to the tearoom. Sister Joanna said:" We don't know how to use that." I said: "Well, there seems to be nothing to it. Anytime I've seen it, all you do is push the door open and the elevator stops and you go out." Sister Dominica, being sweet didn't disagree with me. Sr. Joanna hesitated, but we got in the elevator. Sister Joanna went in first since she was the senior, so she was closer to the back. I was close to the door since I knew all about this elevator. As we went up, we pushed the elevator and it did start. I don't know what we pushed. I've forgotten now. We went to the first floor and the second floor, but when I tried pushing something it didn't work. We got a little :frightened, at least I did. Anyhow, I said: "Oh you're just supposed to push it." So I did and we walked out. It was the third floor and Sr. Dominica and I got out, but Sister Joanna was still in the elevator and I pushed the door which closed. The elevator kept going up and all we could think was that it was broken and when it reached the top, it would fall clear down to the ground and Sister Joanna would·be killed. I was leaning over into the elevator shaft waiting for it to come down and Sister Dominica pulled me in. She held on to me very tightly and said:"There' s no use in two of us being killed." We would have been killed if she had not pulled me in. The elevator didn't come down and then we wondered...Where is Sister Joanna? We saw nothing. We thought she was dead. We went up another flight of steps and eventually we heard her laugh....a smutted laugh. She was so overcome with laughter that she couldn't speak, and we were so frightened that we were crying, -at least I was. Then we got mad because she hadn't told us. It had stopped on the sixth floor. There was something right about what I had said. It did automatically stop if you left it alone. Sister Joanna got out of the elevator when it stopped. She was finding her way down when she heard our cries and sobs and she began to laugh about all of that. Well, that was one incident. The other is a very beautiful one. It includes one of my favorite :friends...Father Reeves. When I went to Seton Hill, Father Reeves was a young priest. That was the class of 1928 to which I belonged although I didn't stay with it. However, I'm always included in reunions etc. Sister Joanna knew Father Reeves. She had gone through school to the Sisters of Mercy until she went to Seton Hill. In the process of determining her vocation, she talked to Father Reeves, and so he considered her to be his postulant. We were both taking a Bible class with other novices at the time. All novices sat toward the back of the Visual Education Room, which is where Father taught the class. The College students sat further up in the room. Sometimes the college girls were not too quiet during class, and I imagine occasionally that the novices weren't either. Father was usually pretty patient, but this particular day he expressed himself rather strongly to the girls and then to our chagrin he said: "And you novices had better behave yourselves or you will be out of the class. I'll report you." Well, we felt we had been disgraced. When class was over Sister Joanna and I felt that Father had really been out of place. He had no business talking to us that way. We were Sisters. He should show some respect. So we talked this over and decided we would go down and tell him about it. We walked down to his office which was in the Psychology Lab. He greeted us by saying very cheerfully .....hello! We were very severe in our response. We proceeded to tell him how out of _ place he had been. He was shocked that we would have the nerve to question him about this. He was very hurt, especially at Blanche, which was Sister Joanna's name before she entered. He didn't know me well enough at the time as when I was in College before entering, all I ever had to say was: "Good morning, Father." Well, we left him rather chagrined. He told us to go rather angrily. As we went upstairs we began to talk about it and decided that maybe we were out of line and should go back and apologize. The next day, we ate humble pie and went back to apologize. When we knocked on the door, Father smiled and told us to come in. We began to apologize and say how sorry we were. Father said: "Oh, that's alright." We must have said: "Well Father, we hope you will forgive us. We feel that we have committed a sin, and we'd like you to forgive us." I have never forgotten what he said. Forgive you? My dears, I forgave you shortly after you left here. Otherwise, how could I say the Our Father at my Mass this morning? He said: ''Now you've been forgiven for many hours. Now go and forget about it." I've always remembered this, although I've not always practiced it. By the next day we were good friends again. After that, when I was home in the next year, Father was very much at ease with me. Father was a marvelous teacher, but he was also a very holy man. Some people said the sisters spoiled him. Maybe they had. He didn't have a strong physical make-up. I remember Father on Sundays going out on the missions to teach CCD. I went with Father Reeves and some of the others to teach CCD classes. He taught in some distance outside of Greensburg in an Italian setting. Father Ree¥es, if you remember him was always spic and span. He was immaculately dressed....a handsome man at all times. I remember one Sunday in particular where classes were taught in what was the only room, the Hall, which had been used by the group the previous evening. It smelled very much of good wine, but nonetheless wine from the previous night. The Hall wasn't especially clean, but I marveled that through all that Father didn't show any signs of being annoyed. He patiently waited for the women to set up for Mass, at which he gave a beautiful homily in Italian and English. He was so much at home with those people up in the coal mining region of Greensburg. Those were some of the side things about Father Reeves that everyone didn't see. I had wonderful experiences also with Sister Helen Cecilia Dwyer in going out to teach CCD. The area we went to was far away. I have forgotten the name of the area now, but we left at seven o'clock in the morning. We packed our lunch the night before. We went via taxi cab immediately after Mass on Sunday morning. . Sister and I taught in a one­ room public school. It had a pot belly stove in it. The boys would put the coal in that was needed. We taught the children from when we got there, which was about nine o'clock until ten thirty. Then we would pile the children into a truck or some vehicle supplied by families to the church for Mass, which was at eleven o' clock. You understand that i.f they were going to Communion, they were still fasting. If Sister and I were going to Communion we would still be fasting also, but usually this was not the case. After Mass, we took the children back to the school house where then they were taken home. Sister Helen Cecilia and I stayed at the school house to eat our lunch. I learned to like black olives through this experience. Sister Helen Cecilia liked them, so she always packed some in our lunches. We ate our lunch around the stove. Then at one o' clock, the taxi or cars would come back packed to the gills with other CCD teachers, who like myself were going to teach other CCD classes in the afternoon. They picked Sister and me up. I was the first one dropped off then at the nearest place where I was going to teach. It was not the same place where I had taught in the morning, you understand. I have . forgotten the name of the place. The others were dropped off along the road at other places. It was in the various homes in outdoor wash house facilities that I taught. They were lovely Italian people, very clean and hospitable. A young girl from Greensburg was dropped off with me, but she did not like to go into the homes. One day after I had started to teach, they informed me that one of the grandmothers was sick. Would I go to see her? I said: "Of course." They took me to their home. The daughters were there and treated me like bad news , but they didn't dare say anything because Papa and Mama were there. I went inside, where a darling mother, a beautiful woman with lovely black hair and a beautiful voice was in bed. You could see that she was suffering. Her husband was there. He spoke very little English and his hands were very rough. I visited Grandma for a few Sundays. Being very young, I didn't ask many questions. She didn' t seem to be able to say what her problem was. She.blamed the doctors, who she said burned her back. Then one day when her husband wasn't in the room, she showed me her back. It was a hard thing for my young eyes to look at. She was indeed dying from Cancer. Her husband whispered to me that his hands were rough due to working in the mines, so that he couldn't rub her back without hurting her, and so she was scolding him. It was sad, and so I said I would do it if it was alright with her. She was happy about that. My hands of course were soft, not having done hard labor. She did get some kind of relief and peace from my doing this. I was really glad for this, so I did this every Sunday. When I came home, Mother Mary Francis was always concerned about me as I didn' t look well. I didn't dare tell her about this because I was afraid she wouldn't permit me to do this any. more due to my young age. So I would say: "I don' t do well in automobiles, Mother, and let it go at that." In reality, I did feel sick because I would imagine that the odor of Grandma's illness was inmy habit. So, I couldn' t wait to take it off and wash it. Because of this, I always wore my old habit on Sundays while doing this. In spite of this, it was a wonderful experience because after this she was resigned to her illness. Every Sunday, even though I said no, underneath the pillow, she would put a one dollar bill in my hand for me to say a prayer. She never asked for anything else. I'd take it and put it in the poor box or have a candle lit. That was an early experience, but I had many others in my CCD work. SBMG: Now Sister, did that experience happen while you were in the novitiate or at a later time? SSMcl: That was when I was in the novitiate. It was during my last year in the novitiate when I was brought home after teaching for three years at St. Philip's in Crafton. I was very fortunate, because during those three years, Sister Mary Edna Trexler and I were instructed to go to Pitt. I had a full year of college in addition before entrance to the Community. The Sisters of Mercy were not permitted to go to Pitt nor other religious communities except perhaps some older members. Sister Maria Francesca Urnauer ( Swester) and Sister M. Cyril Aaron kept us straight. Sister Cyril had a wonderful experience at Pitt dealing with bigotry. She was in class with a young man who was a one book professor. Sister Cyril was a well read woman, and between herself and Sister Stanislaus McVay, they kept her well supplied in the history of the course she was taking, so that anything the young man said that could be debated , that is, anything which was wrong, she had an answer for. The professor must have had a very bad year, but sister never left the class. However, due to that, per Sister Stanislaus, I was told that I was . not to sign up for any history classes at Pitt. Instead of that, I signed up for a wonderful course with a Mrs. Carmalt. She had been a teacher in the Public Elementary Schools. The class was made up of principals, teachers, administrators, and educators of all kinds. She took as much interest in me and Sister Mary Edna as though we had been very important administrators too, even though we were the youngest in the class. One day when I believe she felt that these principals, administrators, etc. were thinking that we were out of place, shouldn't ask questions, etc. that perhaps we shouldn't be in the class, she stopped and said something I will never forget. She said: "My dear students, I want you to remember that if no teacher ever existed, the human mind would learn. The human mind learns. You do not learn for them. They learn on their own, so don't feel so terribly important. Without you , the human child will learn. Without me, you will learn." I also took a class at that time in American Poetry. Sister Mary Edna also took the class. We had a young man who sat on top of the desk with his legs crossed, and we spouted poetry by the yards. I wasn't really impressed with his teaching. I don't think he particularly liked catholic sisters. We managed the course very nicely. SBMG: Now Sister Suzanne, at that time it was a five year novitiate. Would you tell me what kind of habit the novices wore and then tell me what you did each of those years and that will bring you up to your last year. SSMCI: Yes, I received a lovely brown habit on July third, 1925. The day of course couldn't have been hotter. I had two petticoats on, two pair of sleeves, the cape and apron, and two caps(one inner cap). By that time, I had twenty guests for the afternoon. I couldn't wait until they went home. I wasn't homesick, so I was very anxious for them to go home so that I could get something off. My second habit was an older brown habit. I had to make that one from someone else's good one. It was a little bigger. I could do a little sewing, so Sister Agnes Francina Kearney, God love her, put me to work sewing my own clothes. So we had brown habits.. Now while I was in the novitiate, it was decided that having the brown habits was not a good idea as the colors were changing. The bolts of material were not the same color. The Community decided that by the next December the eighth, whoever entered the next September when they got their habit, it would be a black one. That was the famous twenty group, all of them stayed, no one left. So they were very proud of themselves. They entered and got a black habit. I still had a brown habit, but when they were going to have the black habit on December the eighth, the word came that every novice would wear a black habit that day. So, whether I needed it or not, I got a black habit. I wore the brown habit during the week, and the black habit on Sundays. I had a long and happy novitiate. I could go on for a long time telling many things, but I won't. In the fifth year of my novitiate, I had been out on mission at St. Philip's in Crafton for three years. Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers decided in June of 1929 that the next year she was going to see that anyone who was practically ready would get that degree...that they would walk up the aisle in Sullivan Hall like any girl and receive their degree from the Bishop. We were very proud, you know, and have always been, that our work at Seton Hill is one hundred percent par excelleClancynce! You make it or else. Mother thought that it would be good from that time on for the sisters to receive their degree in this manner so that it could be seen that we did in fact receive a degree just as the students did. So in September of 1929 I was kept home . for college courses . Sister Rose Angela Cunningham, Sister Maria Serafina Mazza, Sister Hildebert Mudler, Sister Raphael Dimond, and a couple of older sisters who still had college courses to complete were also kept home. Of those who had to stay home, I had the least number of credits because I was the youngest or if I wasn't the youngest, I had not been in school. Sister Rose Angela had been at Seton Hill a little bit longer. She had been kept home longer. The first Semester of September of 1929, I did a full college course schedule. That was sixteen credits. The second semester I had seventeen credits of course work. How I ever got through, I don't know. I also taught a couple of classes in the Academy a few days a week. I taught CCD every Sunday. This was the year I taught all day long in nearby mining towns as afore mentioned. I served Mother Rose Genevieve's table three times a day, washed dishes...silverware and glasses in the college dining room after each meal, but you know I enjoyed all of it. We lived through it. I did get lots of permissions to study late at night. Fortunately for me, there was a Franciscan from one of the mid-western states getting her degree. She was getting her degree the easy way at the insistence of her father. She was taking Spanish that year, as was I from Senora, whose idea of an easy Spanish lesson was her reading you a two page newspaper in Spanish, and then she expected you to be ready to discuss this paper in Spanish the next day. Senora and I got along rather well, but I admit it was very difficult for me to keep up with the assignments. However, I did end up with a "B" in the course, so so be it. Apart from the heavy course work, and other duties mentioned above, I also had many happy ex­ periences with the sisters and with acquaintances made with the college girls. Did I walk up the aisle to receive my degree from the Bishop? Sad to say....no. At the last minute the day of Com­ mencement, the older sisters who were to graduate got cold feet. They said they were too old to do this with all of the young graduates, so shortly before the Graduation Ceremony was to begin, those ofus who were graduating were instructed to go to Mother Rose Genevieve's office and it was there that we received our degrees from the Bishop who would have been Bishop Hugh Boyle. I was a bit peeved about the situation as I had been obliged to be fitted for a habit which in fact did not fit me. As it turned out, I didn't have to wear that habit. We sat up in the balcony during the ceremony, so I wore one of my other habits. Since we didn't walk up the aisle to receive our diplomas, I didn't think too much of it, so I tossed it on my novitiate shelf and went downstairs to serve dinner. During night prayers, before Graduation, Mother Rose slipped into my pew and said: "Dear, Can you be ready to go with Sister M. Celesta Deignan at seven o' clock tomorrow morning? You can substitute for Sister Kathleen Kennedy in eighth grade at Holy Cross in Sharpsburg." Now I've had the experience since then that I could say I have taught every class from Pre-School, through High School, College, Advanced Education , and languages from ten different countries. While I've had marvelous experiences, how well I've taught, I don't know. I'll never forget my fear of going to teach Arithmetic at the end of a school year with no preparation. The next day on my way in to teach, Sister Celesta said: "Dear, do you wear glasses?" I said: "Oh, I only wear them when I have to." She said: " Well dear, from now on you wear them all the time when you are teaching that class. Besides, they make you look a little bit older." If you knew Sister Kathleen Kennedy, you knew that her students were well taught. By the way, it was Sister Kathleen's golden jubilee year and the Community was sending her to Ireland, her place of birth. Everyone was very happy for Sister Kathleen. She was a darling! I didn' t really do badly in Arithmetic in grade school. I had a bad experience in the seventh grade. I skipped the sixth grade. Sister Carlotta Murray turned the pages with her class when they moved from sixth to seventh grade, so she never reviewed. I just had John McGrady to cheat for me. lfl hadn' t had him, I don't know what I would have done, although I passed all the examinations. I didn't mind teaching fifth and sixth grade Math when I taught at St. Philip' s in Crafton. However, having to teach Math in the eighth grade was a different story, as you had to know the whole thing, especially as it was the end of the year. One big thing which was to my advantage was that Sister Kathleen, kept from year to year, bundled up neatly all the standardized diocesan tests which were given. I took a packet of these home every evening, worked out all of the problems, and then it was these problems I used every day. They were a real life saver! It was actually a very happy time. I was there with two or three younger sisters and with two or three older sisters. Sister Ernestine Palmer, who had taught me at St. John' s was there as a teacher. Sister Anne Frances Tighe was there. I got to go with her when she went to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters who were up on Troy Hill. They were enclosed. I saw the Magdalenes, and heard all about that Order. That was the end of 1930, and when I came back to Seton Hill, I was supposed to have been professed. Mother Rose Genevieve said: "My dear, if you don't soon go down to the professed sisters area, they'll think you' re not coming." So, with that being said, she escorted me to where the professed sisters resided. That was the end of my novitiate days. SBMG: So, in other words, the vows that you made, you made at Christmas time, so that on May third, you were automatically a professed sister. There was no other ceremony. I see. I guess I always thought that it was at Christmas time, that you became professed sisters. SSMCI: You were professed according to the five years that you had the habit. You made a three months postulancy. I entered on February second, and received the habit on May third, the Feast of the Holy Cross, which it no longer is. I would be professed then on May 3, 1930. SBMG: What was your first mission as a professed sister? Where did you go then? SSMCI: This is one of those things that you will also laugh at. I'm not trying to make these things up. They actually happened. When I came back from teaching at Holy Cross, Sharpsburg, I was told I would teach Senior High School English to a large group of Sisters. There must have been at least twenty-five in the class. Perhaps five or six of those were novices. All of the others were professed Sisters. Some of these were sisters who had taught me years before in St. John's Grade School. At that particular time in 1930, the Sisters of Charity had decided that everything had to be fixed up according to Harrisburg, PA. So wonderful sisters, young and old were put through sometimes a couple of high school classes for the second time. This was very hard on the sisters. If there was any doubt that a particular class would receive the proper credits, the class was repeated over sometimes for the third time. I would often look at those dear old sisters who had taught me and would just wonder.....why! I took my senior notes from Mother Claudia's English class and centered my teaching around these notes. Nothing could be better! I took the novices aside separately as they were my friends, many of whom were with me in grade school, but took the Commercial Course at Saint Augustine's, and therefore didn1t have Senior High School English. They had to take this English Course from little old me. However, I said to them: ''Now if you're going to take this course, you're going to take it from me. You're novices, and you're young. So, everything I teach you, and everything you're supposed to do, I'll expect it from you." There are going to be two sets of colored sheets in this class. Don't ask any questions. You just do your kind. I'11 help you if I can. I would look down at times and see an older sister's head down on her chest. I felt very bad about that. After about two days, I went to Sister Aloysius Blakely, who was in charge of summer school. I knew Sister from being around Seton Hill. She was a wonderful person. I told Sister Aloysius that she probably would want to change teachers of that class. She said: "Oh, I would, would I. What makes you think I should?" I said: "Well, I just want you to know that I don't intend to give Sisters, who know more than I'll ever know in my entire life, a test that would possibly give them a low grade. So, if that's cheating, so be it." I realize Sister Aloysius that we just recently had a lecture telling us that we had to teach our sisters using the same guidelines as those used to teach the girls in the college. Sister Aloysius stood very tall. She rifled through a few papers and then said to me: "I don't know why you're bothering me in the middle of the afternoon. Go and teach your classes the way you're supposed to teach classes and teachers don't bother telling other teachers what they are doing." That was my permission to do what I pleased with that class. We had a happy time. I tried to help those sisters. Some few of them, all are deceased now, used to tell me years later that they enjoyed that class, that I had been sympathetic. That was the summer of 1930. Then you asked me where I first went on mission after profession. At the end of that summer, I was sent to St. John's in Scottdale. Sister Angelica Little, who was a-wonderful English teacher, was changed, so I was sent in her place. Sister Marietta Flynn, a very fine Spanish teacher and Sister Mary Paul Coleman, an excellent History teacher were changed, and so I was sent in their place. I believe these sisters did other things besides teaching. However, I was sent to do the teaching work of these three very fine teachers. SBMG: It is now September 17. 1986 Sister Suzanne, your first mission after you were professed was at St. John the Baptist High School in Scottdale. Would you like to tell me something about that? SSMCI: I think I mentioned something about taking three peoples' places. I don't want anyone to misunderstand me. It just so happened that those sisters were needed in some high school in Pittsburgh. Incidentally, Sacred Heart was going to start a special program which would require an expert, so Sister Angelica Little, went to Sacred Heart. I don't know at this time where Sister Marietta Flynn went. However, I was missioned to Scottdale after receiving my BA. At that time, as I told you, we were working very hard on sisters' requirements. So I set an example for other sisters by continuing my education. We were probably one of the best Apprenticed Teachers Groups in the country, thanks to Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers, Sister Aloysius Blakely, Sister Jane Elizabeth Smith, Sister Mary Cyril Aaron, and Sister M. Eucharia O'Hagan. Sister Mary Reginald Farrell also contributed by being a faithful secretary and keeper of the files. I was sent to teach English, Spanish, some History, and my home room Religion. There were other side jobs that the sisters had, such as directing singing. Now, Sister Angelica had and still has a beautiful singing voice and is very knowledgeable regarding the piano. You can imagine my taking the singing over, but that's what was so. Sister Harriet Omlor was accompanist, but she had a chronic sinus condition and did not sing.....ever ! She simply said: "Oh yes, Sister Angelica always taught the singing. I just played the piano." I didn't know exactly what I would do. I could never teach singing from notes. Well, we decided to go through all of the songs, and picked out the ones I knew by heart. These were the songs which we used for the remainder of the year, and it turned out pretty well. Sister M. Joanna Gleason came the following year. She played the piano, so she could do things better. I have to say that I did enjoy the singing classes, and the children liked to sing. Sister Angelica also had the school paper, which was a new thing added to my duties. I worked along with that as best I could. Sister Marietta Flynn, who taught Spanish, also taught the girls' basketball team. Fortunately, as had been done by Sister Angelica, Sister Marietta had also trained the students well, so that the girls took over the coaching, and I did the supervising. I decided that one of the best, healthiest, things to do in a physical education program was to take long walks out to the cemetery and around the parish grounds. I don't know who took care of the boys. I had nothing to do with teaching them physical education, thank God. Another of Sister Angelica's jobs which became mine was the library. Again, it was a beautiful library. It was set up with the help of the sisters at Seton Hill and help from the parish. Father Lambing had the high school built on top of the grade school with provisions for a very fine library. The high school lasted until 1933. Father Lambing was deceased at this time, but I don't think that he would have let it close, ifhe was living. To sum up then: I had English, Spanish, American History, my home room Religion, the Library, Music, and class plays. I'm not being a martyr. I managed that year with a lot of fun. We had a number of good sisters there. We even inaugurated during that year, with the help of Sister Rita Catherine Cole, Mother Seton Clubs on the order that Mother Claudia had when I was in high school. At that time, our main business was to do the works of Charity....visiting the sick, caring for people, etc. I felt that the children at St. John's in Scottdale did a wonderful job. During that first year, there was a young couple who had a really sad disappointment. The young man had lost both of his legs at work due to an accident. They had a two year old child. He was at home for a long time and was very depressed. His wife took care of him. The boys and girls from St. John the Baptist helped that family out. They went to the home two or three times a week. always on Saturdays to relieve the young mother so that she could go out to shop, to visit her own home, etc. The boys kept the young man entertained in his own bedroom by getting him interested in other things. The girls took care of the baby and the boys and girls cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. That was one incident. There were others besides that. Understand that I was working with some remarkable students, who later entered the Community: Like, Mary Watson, later to become Mother Richard Ann, Sister M. Germaine Helwig, Sister Frances Louise Honeychuck, and my own postulant, Sister Agnes Joseph Hines. I was thinking the other day that we have had at least twenty vocations to the community from Scottdale. It would seem to me, that having a high school in a parish is a plus. I can't leave St. John the Baptist without talking about Father Lambing. He was a very spiritual man and a wonderful Religion teacher. His instructions were intellectual, theological, nothing none sensible about it. He had a marvelous memory. He'd send a boy over for a book he wanted, direct him to the shelf, and the page on which was the answer to the question he had in mind....no need to get the book. He loved St. John the Baptist High School. Whatever any other high school had, St. John's would also have. So, when debates were put in the high schools by Father Coakley, we thought that they were too far away for us to take part in them. We didn't count on Father Lambing. We couldn't give him that excuse at all. Therefore, we did participate in the debates in Pittsburgh. That's when I learned not to sleep very well in the early part of the night. I sat in front of stoves long into the night at Scottdale. We did well in these debates. We even defeated Sacred Heart, which was a terrible thing. We. never should have done it. We also went to other areas which were having debates, such as: Uniontown, Connellsville, St. Justin's, etc. Toward the end of the second year, Father Lambing was seriously ill. In fact, he was a dying man. I asked the Curate ( don't remember his name at this time) ifhe could persuade Father Lambing to cease being on the debate teams. Father Lambing said: "Oh no, my sickness has nothing to do with the children in the high school. They're not to be made suffer in any way. Even should I die, just go on with the regular schedule. These debates were a very fine beginning for the catholic forensic league which was inaugurated in the dioceses some years later with the help of Sister Rosalee O'Hara. I don't know of anything else that I should say about St. John's except that we had a lovely convent, wonderful sisters, great grade and high school. The old church was quite small, but packed to the hilt for all services. I was there for two years. By March of 1933, I had to go into Pittsburgh hospital due to severe back problems. That was the end of my days at St. John the Baptist. The high school closed at the end of the 1933 school year. After the death of Father Lambing, Father Grainey, the new pastor, didn't feel that he could financially continue to keep the high school open. I was hospitalized for three months with the back trouble so that when it came time for the new school year to start, I was sent to the DePaul Institute for the Deaf simply because there was no room for me at Seton Hill. We didn't have Assumption Hall yet at that time. It was a wonderful experience for me. It gave me that extra something that I always brag about......teaching from first grade on, also teaching the deaf. I was given charge of a dear little; five year old girl for a short time, who had decided early on that she didn't care about eating. Therefore, she would just sit at the table with her little lips closed and wouldn't eat. Well, this couldn't continue to go on. In those days the children stayed at De Paul over night. She was from a little town. I was there with not much to do except to entertain the boys on Saturday afternoons by writing the ball scores on the board and keep them happy while they tried to get some news as to how the games were progressing. Well after a while Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney and Sister M. Bernadette Hayes told me that I could be a great help to them. They asked if I would sit with Lelona ( the five year old girl previously mentioned) while she ate her lunch. Today, when it's lunch time, you just sit there too. We're going to tell Lelona that she will have to sit at the table until she eats. Here I was with nothing else to do. The sisters thought that this would be the end of the eating problem with Lelona. I hate to tell you, but by two-thirty going on three PM, I was completely exhausted. I tried in every way I knew to make an impression on Lelona as to why she needed to eat. first by being sweet and then by being severe. I never got anything but a black look from Lelona. The sisters laughed. They said: "Well, there's one person you can't do anything with." However, while I was there, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Emmanuel Manning often talked about the fact that Sister Emmanuel was never able to get any class work towards her Master's Degree as she had to teach, and the classes were always offered in the morning. I happened to say: "Too bad I can't do anything. I just feel terrible." Sister Teresa Vincent who knew me very well said: "And why can't you?" I said: "Well, I can't teach the deaf." She said: "Oh yes you can!" lfyou can teach, there's nothing about teaching the deaf here that you wouldn't do with anyone else. We don't use sign language here, so what do you think we do? They're used to reading your lips, provided that you stand with your face to the window. They can see the light on your face. Make sure you don't mouth anything. Just talk naturally. Well, I really thought that was strange, but if she was willing to have me, I would do it. I had a semester of teaching three wonderful people a young man who got his PHD from Carnegie Mellon and from a university way out in the west, working in scientific, electronic things, another young man who wasn't interested in getting a PHD, but rather in having a business of his own, which he indeed has out in Lawrenceville, and Anna May, who had really just lost her hearing as a child. So, her speech wasn't completely gone. She just wanted to be a very fine woman...get married and have a family. That's exactly what she did. I taught these three students all morning. It was an enjoyable experience for me and it helped Sister Emmanuel Manning to get her classes that she needed. Sister M. Bernadette Hayes was a real mother to me. Sister Marie Antonio McLinden let me get away with murder when we had recreation. You know she used to be a little severe. When we had recreation, I used to go up, put on the music, and get Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney to dance with me. Other sisters joined in the dancing...Sister Mary McClory and Sister Rosaline Walsh were wonderful dancers. Sister Marie Antonio would just sit, rocking during recreation watching us. This came to an end when a call came from Sister M. Emily Miller in Tucson, Arizona stating that we would have to take the junior high or she would have to come home....couldn't stand it any longer. The priests had been running it in between their priestly duties. That was hard on teaching, discipline, on everything at the other end of the hall. Sister Emily said that we (the community)-had to take care of the entire school. The priests would be welcome to visit, teach, etc. anytime. So, on February 14, 1934, I arrived via train, after being sick from Chicago out to Tucson, where I spent nine and a half of the happiest years in my life. I was not included in the list of six names of the sisters who opened the school in 1933. These sisters taught grades one through six. Between September and October things got to be too much. There was a seventh and eighth grade at the other end of the hall, but these were not under Sister Emily. Rather, they were taught by Father Patterson, who was a very good Benedictine, and Father Gattis, the priest who had invited the Community there to teach. They were both good men, but as mentioned, their priestly duties took precedence over the teaching. The children were very undisciplined. If they felt like sliding down the stair-way railing, they did so. They paid no attention to any correction made by another teacher. I came in time for dinner on February 14, 1934, and was teaching by one o'clock PM the next day. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, Could you tell me a little bit more about how your going to Tucson came about and then go on to tell about some of the things that occurred during your time in the West? SSMCI: I may be repeating, but at that particular time in Tucson they needed someone to help Sister Emily Miller out in the junior high. My time at De Paul, even though I helped out, was really a time of recuperation. I was just twenty-seven years old, a little young for retirement, so when the call came from Sister Emily in Tucson, it was decided that perhaps the sun in Arizona would be good for me. Having consulted with m-y sisters before they said anything to me, and finding that Irene thought it would be good for my health, and also after consultation with Mother Claudia Glenn, who was my sponsor, ( she was Sister Claudia at the time), they then informed me that I was going to Tucson, Arizona. I felt a little sad leaving De Paul, but I knew that without further education, it wouldn't be possible for me to continue work with the deaf. Most sisters traveled alone when they went West, but they sent Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub with me, probably due to my frail health. Sister Hildegarde and I went out via regular coach. Sister Francis Joseph Malloy and Sister M. Romano Donovan fixed us a very nice lunch. My brother, John, who had lived in Chicago for several years was very happy to meet us and take us to dinner. He became very disturbed with me because I wouldn't eat a full meal. I settled for a sandwich. Sister Hildegarde did enjoy the steak dinner, as did John and his companion. We then took a train for the remainder of the trip to Arizona. As mentioned earlier, I was ill. spent much time in the rest room. We arrived about five o'clock PM on Valentine's Day. It was a beautiful evening, The sun was shining brightly. The sisters in the house extended a very cordial welcome to me. They were: Sister M. Emily Miller, Sister Cecelia Vincent McCartney, Sister M. Ermanilda Knepley, Sister Francis Mary Coleman, Sister Mary Estelle Hensler, Sister Mary Inez Clark, Sister Rose Catherine Ward, and Sister James Marie Malone. These sisters had been here since September, and I was to be added to the group. The next morning, Sister Emily suggested that we go up to see the rooms and be introduced to the children. About eleven o'clock AM, Sister Emily said: "Sister Suzanne, do you think you could handle the seventh and eighth grades together this afternoon?" Whatever it is in me, I don't very often say "No" in the community, so I said:"Surely Sister, I'll try." Sister Emily was grateful because it gave her an opportunity to take Sister Hildegarde around to see some of the sights in Arizona. I didn't know what I was going to teach. We pushed all of the desks into the eighth grade classroom. I happened to spy someone's desk which needed to be straightened up, so we cleaned desks according to a system my system, which demanded that every book did this and every paper did that etc. So we were all kept very busy. They were all very well behaved and seemed to be happy enough. One little girl looked a little sad, but she didn't say anything. I noticed that her desk was very untidy and I was nasty enough to say: "Well, I hope your drawers at home don't look like that." I suppose I learned this from my experience with Lelona at De Paul. I was a very brash, young sister and of course over the years learned when or not when to say anything. Anyhow, that was the end ofmy first day. The next day I was in what was my regular classroom, the seventh grade, for about an hour and a half when Father Patterson came to the door and said:"Sister, there' s a lady downstairs who would like to speak to you." Well, I had just begun to learn names and had things settled and thought it wouldn't be good to leave and besides I had been well trained at St. Philip's in Crafton. Neither Sister M. Beatrice Gority nor Father Kelty would have approved of that, and you always held Father Kelty above your principal. So, I said:"Father, I just came to Tucson and don't know anyone. Take all that business to Sister M. Emily Miller. She's the principal." He said: "Oh go on now!" Well, to make a long story short, I finally said:"If you stay in this classroom and promise not to leave it, I'll go downstairs." I went downstairs and stood very severe at the door and looked at a very lovely woman who also looked at me a little strange. Finally, I said:"I don't know you and you don't know me, so what could your business be on the first day?" She said:"Well, my little girl feels that she will have to leave this school." I said:"Does your little girl always tell you what she's going to do?" Well Sister, she feels that you don't like her. I said:"I think she's a little conceited. How could I dislike her when I don't even know her?" I'm too busy to talk about that now. If you want to talk to the principal, alright, but I have to go back whether your young daughter wants to stay in the school or not. Then she smiled and said:"Oh Sister, we w on' t talk about it today. I'll talk to Madeleine." It turns out that Madeleine had described the very tall, jovial sister (Sister Hildegarde) who looked like she would be hard on children. I hadn't made any impression at all. So Madeleine and I became the best of friends. She was a lovely girl. Mrs. Johnston ( her mother ) has always been my best friend. Sister Brigid Marie, would you like to see Mrs. Johnston's picture? SBMG: Surely. Was she the little girl whom you told that her desk was untidy? SSMCI: Madeleine was the little girl, and she turned out to be a perfect lady and a wonderful sweet girl. I have her marriage picture, and ifl can find it, I'll show it to you also. Mrs. Johnston' s picture is when she came to Pittsburgh to visit me and gave me a birthday party at The Gateway Towers. SBMG: When did she come and have the birthday party for you? Do you remember the year that would have been? SSMCI: Mrs. Johnston came to New York first to bring her daughter-in-law in hopes that she would cheer up and benefit from the trip. Mrs. Johnston's only son had been married to this woman, but was killed in World War II during one of his parachuting expeditions. I knew the son also who had written a letter to me saying that he was going to take me on a trip to Rome. I was teaching at Seton Hill at the time, so that was in the 1960's. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, could you tell me something about the convent that the sisters lived in? I know that it was a regular house. Tell me about your life there, not having air-conditioning and . things that went with being a pioneer. SSMCI: We were pioneers, but we were so happy that we didn't find too much fault with the lack of things. It was a family unit, in fact a small one. It had two bedrooms, a bath, a living room, a dining room right close to the living room. When a sister had a phone call at meal time, one would have to get up to let the other one out. Next to the dining room was a not too small kitchen. It had a refrigerator that would accommodate perhaps two people, but not for a house full of eight or nine nuns who wanted ice-water. We never thought of it. We walked up to the school cafeteria to get ice. Sister Rose Catherine Ward was there the first year and she would get the ice. After that, we had Sister Mary Terence Clancy. She went up to the school regularly. One day, Father Davis, later Archbishop Davis was there. He asked Sister Mary Terence why she had come up to the school and Sister told him that she needed to get ice for the sisters because we were without it. The next day, Steinfelt's big truck drove up to the convent and presented us with a good sized refrigerator which Sister Emily didn' t know anything about. She was very much upset, and we couldn ' t understand why she was upset. She was a wonderful Sister Servant and Principal. She kept all of her worries to herself. She told us very emphatically that we were to ask for nothing. It wasn't until sometime later that we found out that Father Davis was not a good administrator regarding money matters. Getting money was not a priority with him. He was later replaced by Archbishop Green. We had a very fine music program at that time. Sister Mary Inez Clark took care of it. I really don't have any official information, but I feel that the money brought in by Sister Mary Inez took care of our expenses. When we returned to Seton Hill for the summer, we were expecting to go back to a new convent. Father Patterson was not able to dispose of the old convent. People objected to the fact that the people he had intended to sell it to were going to use the facility for a Rest Home. So, for a while, we were to live in the old house. However, during the Summer, Father Patterson began to have construction of an addition which · provided four bedrooms in the front of the house and garages in the rear·of the house. The older sisters came out to Arizona via automobile, which was donated by Sister Mary Inez' parents. Sister Mary Inez was the driver. This was the first car which the Community had. Those of us who went out by train, went out the day before. We stopped off in Chicago where my brother lives. We stayed at the Mercy's Business Women' s House overnight. We were very giddy the next morning. We weren't sure we were in a catholic church. The priest's Latin was okay, but.he had black vestments on, a woman was saying the Stations of the Cross, and an unrecognizable hymn was being sung from the gallery. Remember, this was in 1935, long before Vatican Il. At that time, Pittsburgh Diocese was remarkable. We had Father Rossini who was in charge of the music in the diocese. If you didn' t walk the chalk line, regarding the liturgy, the name of your parish was listed in the Pittsburgh Catholic. Father Coakley was put off the air because he didn' t agree with all of Father Rossini's directives. Because of our education and instruction regarding the Liturgy, we were- overcome that morning in Chicago. To backtrack a bit, my brother met us the day we arrived in Chicago. He took us to dinner and then afterwards to the Mercy' s Business Women's House overnight. My brother took us for a ride around Chicago after dinner. We. almost lost Sister Mary Terence Clancy. She and I were sitting in the front seat of the car. As we went around a comer, the car door flew open! I held on to her apron and my brother did everything he could to help. We did rescue her. After breakfast the next morning, we took the train to Tucson. When we got to the convent, the four bedrooms were completed, but there was much to be done by way of cleaning up. We were very much afraid that Sister Emily wouldn't like this and would have expected Father Patterson to call and perhaps have us wait for a month before coming. So, we got to work and didn't complain as we didn' t want to be sent back East. We didn' t want to lose this mission. During the time it took the sisters who were coming via car, we managed to get things cleaned up with the help of my nice boys from the Junior High. We also decided that since we had such wonderful help that we would fix the Chapel up. So when Sister Emily arrived, she could see that we had painted the altar white and had freshened up the Chapel. After that it was on with the teaching. I taught Junior High which consisted of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. That meant we taught Latin, Spanish, Literature as well as Grammar, as was taught in the Public Schools. SBMG: It is September 30, 1986. This is a continuation of the oral history for Sister Suzanne McIntyre. Sister Suzanne, I hope that you will be able to tell us more about your experiences in Tucson during those nine and a half years. SSMcl: I remember, I believe it was in 1937, that we participated in the National Spanish­ American Contest. We had two winners: Joseph Walsh won the first national prize, and John Swarlick won the first state prize. History was very important to the people in Tucson. I was presented with a bouquet of flowers ( as teacher ) for the occasion. Apart from the regular teaching, we had a lot of plays. While we were waiting for the car driven by Sister Mary Inez with Sister Emily and others to arrive, after we had completed cleaning and freshening up, we took a tour downtown, kindness of Father Patterson. We wanted some things for the chapel, which we did get...candle sticks and a Ciborium. We also discovered a beautiful Spanish seminary for boys ...St. Patrick' s. One of the big things we discovered was a large auditorium, not in very good condition, but nonetheless there. It had a full sized stage with stairs on either side. So, we convinced Father Patterson to obtain permission for us to hold plays there. It didn't take much coaxing. The Bishop gave full approval as did Monsignor (couldn't make out his name, only that he was French), who was the pastor. We got our cleaning crew together and scrubbed everything. Some of the parents also helped. So we had a wonderful full school play...down to the first grade. I taught the "Minuet" to the first grade. I've forgotten all the details of it, but everyone said it was great! Besides using that auditorium for plays, we introduced a lot of people to that hall, one of whom was a professor from "The University of Arizona." His name I believe was Fitzgerald. He had graduated from " Gregorian University" in Rome. He had considered being a priest, but health problems prevented his doing this. He was out in Arizona due to his health. He married a woman, who kept him stepping. He wanted to teach teachers who did not yet have their degree. In those days, you could teach if you had taken a two year course. Nevertheless, he willing taught these teachers at four thirty PM daily. Not too many people would do this. So, I and some of the other sisters attended Mr. Fitzgerald' s classes. I already had my degree, but always enjoyed taking courses. We had marvelous classes in Poetry...American and English, mostly English. He never needed a book. He had everything memorized. Our classes in Shakespeare were outstanding. Mr. Fitzgerald also turned out to be quite an actor. Some time after I had left Tucson, he developed a very fine Tucson dramatic club. It' s quite a large center in town. I know it' s gone now, as it wasn't there when I visited Tucson in May. She doesn't say which May. Just to say that we had two happy years of using this auditorium for many school plays. While in Tucson, we were good friends with the High School personnel, and had a number of plays in the auditorium there. When Bishop Green came, he objected to the plays encompassing the entire school during the holy seasons. He wanted "The Upper Room", and only the ninth grade. Bishop Green and I became very fine friends, despite our differences in opinions. I spoke to Sister Emily, and she said"Don' t argue. Just have the play, and if it's a failure, Father will learn. If it's good, you'll be happy." It turned out to be a beautiful play. That's the last of the plays that I remember. We had clubs at St. Peter and Paul. First of all, I introduced the Mother Seton club. I was always proud to say that I was a student at Sacred Heart in Mother Claudia Glenn's class when she began the Mother Seton club. They were just seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, but were very proud to be in the club. We had ribbons with insignias on. So we had Mother Seton girls. In a few years, we had the boys complaining that the girls got everything. So, said I: "Would you like to be Knights of Seton?" Absolutely was the boys reply. Well, a mother of two of the boys asked me ifl would like something for the boys, and of course my reply was in the affirmative. She had real gold with blue insert pins made with the letters K OF S on them... Nothing like them. The girls were sort of woebegone about it. We needed a library, so we turned the room which had been the resting room for the sisters into a library. The Knights of Seton were a tremendous help in getting this room together. The girls helped too, but it was the boys who did the heavy work required. Sister Melania Grace, our librarian at Seton Hill sent me all the information needed to have the library be a proper one. We did have a good library, but we had no librarian in it all day long. I was teaching school all day. So was Sister Emily and everyone else. The Mother Seton Club (Girls) and the Knights of Seton (Boys) were a big help. The Knights of Seton were the most helpful. They kept Court once a week for those who got into any trouble. Other than assisting in the library, the boys and the girls did the usual things that were part of being in a Mother Seton Club home and hospital visiting, etc. I should mention here, that we were the first school to win "The Golden Eagle" award for Girl Scouts. SSMcl: Sister Brigid Marie, may I read you a letter written to me by a woman whom we taught in Arizona expressing her gratitude and thankfulness to the Sisters of Charity? SBMG: Certainly. That would be wonderful! To the Sisters of Charity at St. Peter and Paul School in the 1930'2: Throughout my life, I often think of how lucky I was to have been taught by you. You really gave us a great education in every way. Like Hallmark, you cared enough about us to give us your very best. I especially remember Sister Mary Felix Clarey who taught me in the fourth grade. I think she was my favorite because she was genuinely happy to see you every day of the year. I also remember Sister Estelle Hensler teaching us about the great artists on little cards. It was then that I decided that Raphael was my favorite painter. The day it snowed, when we got out early to play those were Sister Emily's orders, practicing and singing every year in the Lenten and Easter procession, every May bringing flowers for the Blessed Mother Statue, singing "Oh Mary, We Crown Thee With Blossoms Today", having our May crowning out on the front lawn ( a prized area). These are all such wonderful things to remember. How we all loved to have read Chesterton Brown's stories to us on rainy days! Sister Suzanne would tell us how far ahead of the public schools we were. When I had to transfer to a public school I found out how true that was. I made straight A' s the first year without even trying. I also recall how Sister Mary Inez Clark taught us some things about Music. But most of all, you taught us about God. I live a very simple life. I've been smart enough to know that loving God and trying to serve Him, trusting everything to Him is all that matters. He has never let me down. I learned this trust, this sureness of God from you, and I could never thank you enough for that. I don' t know how anyone makes it through this life without God. Every time I meet someone who is unsure of Him, I think to myself: "There but for the grace of God through the Sisters of Charity, go I." Thank You Very Much, Norma Kennyport I would like to mention the time and effort that Sister James Marie Malone spent working with the boys on their sports. Sister James Marie was a martyr to the cause, but was the apple of the boys' eyes. Day after day, hour after hour she was out in the sun. Then at night, she spent hours getting her clothes clean. I used to wonder how she did it, though she said she enjoyed it. She explained how this love for ball sports came about. When she was very young, her mother died. Her Father used to take care of his little girls her and her sister Rosella by taking them on Saturdays and Sundays to the ball games. She could tell you every single, solitary thing that happened in a game. When Father Patterson discovered her love for sports, he gave her the sports magazine w eekly. Our habits were not quite suitable for the Arizona climate. When we went back to Pennsylvania for the summer, Sister Mary Gerald Conley, who was in charge of the clothes room for the Community, had found soft, washable, black fabric and it was agreed that we would do away with the back pleats to allow for a little more comfort. We wore these habits during the week while teaching, but of course on Saturdays, Sundays, and other special days, we wore our regular habits. Every Wednesday we went to the Childrens' Hospital. From that day until now, I can never see a banana without thinking of little Bobby. There were two sections. One was where the children were crippled in some way. The other is where the children had some form of Tuberculosis. There was some concern about going to this part. However, I have never been afraid of anything, so I took the Tuberculosis section. Bobby was my favorite little patient. He was always lying on what I would describe as an ironing board, with a hole in the top for his little head to look down in. He had to lie on his stomach constantly. After observing his tray for a period of three weeks or so, I noticed that he always got a half of a banana. There was a lovely, older nurse who worked there, and when I asked her about this, she explained that Bobby had a difficult time eating meat. So, eating the banana every day helped to take care of the need in his body. This elderly nurse was a war nurse. I discovered this after receiving a letter from her in which she said how much she enjoyed my visit to the hospital every Wednesday. She sent me a magnificent Hummel from Germany. Some years later I was told that Margaret (nurse' s name) was seriously ill in the Bethesda Hospital. I traveled with Sister Agnes Joseph Hines to Bethesda. Sister was visiting with her sister, and I visited with Margaret at the Bethesda Hospital. I remember Margaret saying that she was very pleased with Mother Seton, but that she wasn' t going to ask for any special favor. I think she knew her condition, and would just be happy with a very peaceful death. She looked at me very deliberately and said: "If you want me to pray to Mother Seton for a cure, I will do so earnestly." She didn' t receive a cure, but had a peaceful death. I believe that having a peaceful death was the cure Margaret received. Going back to Arizona now I had a boy in the seventh grade who came from New York. His mother was out there due to a severe arthritic condition. I went to see her a few times. One time I hadn' t any medals, but I had a little red book. It had a picture of Mother Seton on the inside. When I went back to see her a week or so later, she said: "Sister, I hope you won' t be offended, but I tore the picture of Mother Seton out of the book you gave me." I said: "Well, dear I left the book with you to do as you like. It is yours." I'm sure that you had a good reason for tearing the picture out of the book. Then she told me why she had done this. She said: "There is a young man down the hall so very crippled up with arthritis that they can't do anything for him. During the night a terrible thing happened to him in his abdomen. His sister ,who is a nurse came over and told me that the doctors said there was no hope for her brother. At the hospital, the doctors said that the only possibility of saving her brother would be if they could operate on him. They felt that he had some sort of obstruction. However, his arthritic condition was so severe that they weren't sure they would be able to operate. The sister came to the woman to ask her to pray for her brother. The woman thought of the picture of Mother Seton and gave it to the sister saying: "Here, you put this picture of Mother Seton under your brother's pillow. I'll pray to Mother Seton and you pray too." So the sister took the picture to the hospital, knelt and prayed all night with a picture of Mother Seton in one hand and a crucifix in the other. The next morning, the doctors were to make their final decision about surgery. They couldn't believe the change in the boy's condition and had no medical explanation for his recovery. There was no need for surgery. He continued to have his arthritic condition. I know I had much to say about our teaching, but would like to add something about the teaching we did outside of the class room situation. We went to Children's Hospital on Wednesdays. On Saturdays, the Sisters went to the pre-ventorium. I didn't go there. I did remedial teaching on Saturdays. On Sundays, we taught the deaf and the blind. SBMG: Well then, how was it that you left St. Peter and Paul's? Did you come back East from there? SSMcI: Oh, before I leave St. Peter and Paul's, you have to hear about my summers. We did some of the most important things during those summers. In the Summer of 1935, which was my first summer there, I went to California as a companion to Sister Mary Felix Clarey, to visit Sister's brother, Father Hyacinth, whom she hadn't seen for years. Sister Mary Felix had planned to have this trip for a long time.· The morning we were to leave, I accidentally knocked my glasses on the floor, breaking them. Sister Mary Felix said: "Take your glass prescription with you. You are going to California." Father Hyacinth (her brother) met us in San Diego. The first thing he had to do was find an oculist for me to have my glasses taken care of. The World's Fair was in San Diego that year. I of course went to it and enjoyed every minute of it. From San Diego, we went up to Sierra Madre. We went to visit the Japanese Maryknoll Sisters in Pasadena. They have a Rest Home or Hospital there for their sisters and for other people too. I saw their little Sister Suzanna. She was about my size. She was a patient there. We became friends. I must admit I was a little bit ignorant in asking Sister Suzanna how long she and her family had been catholic. She looked at me very sweetly, smiled and said: "Sister we go back to St. Francis Xavier. My family lived on the island that he gave instructions to." She made me feel so small, not intentionally, but she could trace her catholic ancestry back over three hundred years, and I don't know where my great grandfather came from. My connection with Sister Suzanna was before the war. She became a prisoner of war in Arizona some years later during the second world war. She was in a camp with about seven others. It certainly wasn't cruel like the war camps in Europe, but they were not treated very nicely either. We went to a popular beach on the Pacific Ocean (I couldn't determine the name of it) while in California. This resort area belonged to a wealthy oil man who the Passionists knew. So, Father Hyacinth was able to make reservations for us to stay at the cottage (was really a beautiful home) belonging to this gentleman. I have never before nor.since lived in such a luxurious place. We had three weeks there. It was glorious! I've never been too fond of the Atlantic Ocean since this experience. The Pacific Ocean is peaceful and calm whereas the Atlantic is rather rough. That was the end of the 1935 Summer. The next Summer, 1936, Father Hyacinth felt that we should have another enjoyable one. That Summer, Father Hyacinth came for us. He brought with him a French, Japanese gentleman driving the car. We went via Reno all along the coast where the Missions were located. I got to see all of them. We had a frightening experience along the way. I could see a great deal of fog, but our lights didn't seem to be doing any good. I knew something was wrong. Sister Mary Felix was getting nervous as she knew that Father Hyacinth would be upset at my saying something. However, Sister Mary Felix finally said: ''Now listen Raymond (he was the French, Japanese gentleman), you'll just have to listen to Sister Suzanne. If you don't, she's just going to make us a nervous wreck." So, Father Hyacinth instructed Raymond to stop the car. Sure enough, our lights were dead. So after traveling very slowly, we came upon what looked like an army camp. They fixed our lights and we were on our way. We were supposed to be in Sierra Madre, but this wasn't possible. We stayed in a Motel over night. Sister, I can't remember what happened in 1938. One thing that we did do that Summer was to go to Chandler, at Father Patterson's request to teach the Mexican children Religion. Sister James Marie Malone and I did this. Father wanted us to live in a remote area, which would have made things difficult for us. Father Patterson maintained that he would come and take us to Church, shopping, etc. However, I persisted in telling him that we were not going to do this, and that surely there was somewhere we could live during those summer weeks. We ended up in what really was a shack. We scrubbed and cleaned, with the help of some older boys who lived in the area. That was a real experience that summer. My sisters decided, of all things to come to visit me that summer. I made the Sacred Heart Novena. It surely is powerful. There was a woman who lived nearby. Her husband was a newspaper editor. He was not a catholic, but she was. She wanted to know if there was anything she could do to help. I told her about my sisters coming and she said they would be welcome to stay at her house. She said she had a spare bedroom with a private bathroom, which they would be welcome to. So the problem was solved. Father Patterson saw to it that they had a trip to the Grand Canyon. Irene and Mary (my sisters) said that was the best trip they had in their entire life. They thought Father Patterson was wonderful. Irene and Mary bought some First Communion clothes for the little Mexicans. They were a large Communion class. There were thirty-nine children, ages nine to nineteen. Sister James Marie had a class of seven and eight year olds, who also made their First Holy Communion. They were all very polite children. Sister Rita Ann Woods was also with us. She worked upstairs with the babies teaching them to sing. I went back the next year with: Sister James Marie Malone, Sister Mary Cletus Murphy, and Sister Rita Ann Woods. This year, Father Patterson would not permitted us to go back and live in the shack which we inhabited the previous summer. We had made our point. The people in Chandler were impressed that we would live the way we did for their children. A lovely young family went to Father and said that they were going East for the entire summer, so the sisters will be welcome to stay at our house. We lived in a nice, comfortable, place that summer. The couple made no restrictions regarding the use of things. We were never neglected by the people even when living in the shack. For example, every morning we would find fresh grapefruit outside our door, and even though it was not good grapefruit season for eating, we had delicious freshly squeezed juice. Father Patterson himself, who was once a Benedictine, would never let himself forget how the .people lived. He was no longer a Benedictine, due to health problems. The third year we went back, Sister Mary Cletus Murphy was not with us. We were: Myself, Sister James Marie and Sister Ann AugQ.Sta Schroth. We lived in a different house that summer. It was someone's house again. That seemed to start a pattern. This was a much larger house with lots of room. We didn't get any company from the East as last summer when my sisters Irene and Mary came. Sister Ann Augusta had to have an emergency appendectomy that summer. We always had large classes in the summers. I should say that we managed to have Mother Seton Clubs during our summers, so we were spreading devotion to Mother Seton in Tucson and in Chandler. So, I had three happy summers teaching Religion in Chandler. For some reason, I believe Father Patterson was negotiating to start a regular school in Chandler, so we didn't go back to Chandler the fourth summer. In Tucson, they had started a CCD program by that time. I was asked to be principal of the Junior High CCD. We had the use of the public school buildings and facilities for the summer. We had eight grades. There were: Two Sisters of St. Joseph, one Immaculate sister, who taught the Music and a class, two volunteer teachers who taught there during the school year, and some High School girls, whom I had taught. The enrollment that summer was about three hundred. This was the year of 1941 when I didn't have an assignment in Chandler. The summer of 1942, we went to Ajo. In the beginning, we lived in luxury in the house of someone who had gone East as in Chandler. In Ajo, the Copper Company had built a beautiful church...The Immaculate Conception. There was a large hall which was very adequate for our teaching. Sister Dominica O'Connor was with me that summer. However, Sister Dominica became quite ill with Rheumatic Fever and had to be hospitalized. She was not permitted to teach for the remainder of the summer. Father Connare (the priest who had invited the sisters to teach for the summer) was concerned about proper accommodations for Sister Dominica, so he graciously moved into the house where we were staying, and we moved into the Rectory. Both in Ajo and Chandler, we found that the people had great devotion to the Blessed Mother, particularly to May devotions. When June came, the people in both places also were deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart. As a - result, I learned many hymns in Spanish to Mary and many to Jesus. SBMG: Sister, I was wondering if you spoke Spanish to the people in Chandler and Ajo when you were there. SSMcl: When I could make myself understood I sometimes spoke Spanish. However, we were working on the principle that the children had to be educated in English. Therefore, we spoke English more frequently. I also want to say here that the people in Ajo were educated. They had a fine school. They were also religious. They had many religious customs, as in May devotions. They had a procession every night. This also happened in June for devotion to the Sacred Heart. SSMcl: When I returned to Tucson after being in Ajo the summer of 1943, I was told my ticket had been bought, and that I would take the train to Pennsylvania the next day. I said: "What is so important in Pennsylvania?" I did laugh, but I was angry. However, I said that I wouldn't go without stopping in Chicago to see my brand new niece. We did stop off, and stayed in Chicago. Then we went home. I had been out in Arizona from February of 1934 until June of 1943. I had a class of seven sisters in Spanish that summer at Seton Hill. The only name I'll mention is Sister Mary Eleanor Frederick , because the sister who the class was really for wasn't interested, but Sister Mary Eleanor and I had some good times. After the course was over, I went up to Erie with Sister Mary Dorcas Smith, my dear friend. Her family owned a cottage in Erie. So, we had an enjoyable week there. In those days, the Mission list (our assignments) were read in Cecilian Hall. As we weren't going to be there to hear our assignments, I ventured into Mother Claudia Glenn's office before leaving for Erie and asked if she could let me know my assignment. She said: "Oh yes, dear. You're going to go to Johnstown Central High School. Father Cauley wants you to teach a Spanish course there." Well Johnstown seemed to me to be farther away than Tucson. My first reaction was: "My sisters don't drive a car and it's harder to get to Johnstown than Tucson." They won't have any way to get there, nor would I be able to go home. Well, I cried for about fifteen minutes. Then as usual, Sister Mary Dorcas said: "Okay Suzanne, that's enough now. Dry the tears. Nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be alright." I had an enjoyable time in Erie with Sister Mary Dorcas and her family. I came home and went to Johnstown. I was never sorry about those two years. They were happy ones. I lived with wonderful sisters, like Sister M. Gregory Farrell. The boys in the school were very fond of her and in fact, considered her to be saintly. I also lived with Sister Marguerite Guinagh who was very holy. So the three ofus then taught in the high school-Sister M. Gregory, Sister Marguerite and me (Sister Suzanne). We lived at Our Lady of Mercy convent in Prospect. It was a poor convent. In those years 1943, I suppose were war years. Sister M. Hortense Barclay, the superior would hurry to the store at noon with food stamps trying to buy enough substantial food for our dinner. The people didn't always know we were in need, but when they did, they would bring us loaves of home made bread. If you have this, it helps to take care of your need for food. We were definitely in a deprived situation, though I must admit I was never hungry. I must remind you of the great kindness of the sisters and of the people. We traveled to and from school via car. There was a young lady in the parish who generously and lovingly transported us daily to and from school. The high school was wonderful. Father Cauley was the principal and was indeed an excellent one. I had almost all boys with six girls in my Spanish class. I made just one mistake. I learned a great deal in those two years. The mistake was: One day, one youngster, for a little longer than I could put up with became annoying by interrupting. After giving him what I felt was fair warning, he persisted in this behavior. I simply said: "Take your books and leave. Report to Father Cauley's office at three-fifteen." I didn't ask anything else. I didn't give him a chance. In the high school at that time, we could put a finger on a little box which would connect us with the office. All I said at this time is that I was dismissing a certain young man(gave name). Father Cauley did try to speak to me about accepting the boy back in class, but I said, no, he can't return to my class. Father taught me a lesson by saying:"Don't speak quickly and tell someone they can't come back." He went on to say that the saddest part of the situation was that the young man had to graduate from a public high school. His family for three generations graduated from a catholic school. His mother is broken hearted that he will graduate from a public school. I was glad, some years later, to meet another young man from that class. He told me that the young man whom I had expelled was doing fine. He turned out to be a fme lawyer and a good catholic. He also told me that he ( boy who was expelled) thinks highly of me. I think it is interesting to note that I taught all boy classes while in Johnstown. I had all boy report rooms..freshman one year, juniors the next year, Religion, etc. It's really nice to teach boys' religion. They listen to what you have to say. It means something to them. The second year there I had an all boys history class. The only class which had a mixture of girls and boys in it was Spanish. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, you said that you were in Johnstown for two years. You became ill the Spring of the second year. Did that have anything to do with your leaving Johnstown? SSMcl: I don't know that it contributed to my having to leave, but nonetheless I left in the summer . At this time, I was under the care of Doctor Deptha in Pittsburgh. At the end of the summer, I was missioned to St. Luke's in Carnegie to teach Spanish. I had six very pleasant years in St. Luke's. I loved St. Luke's children. The reunion in 1985 was a remarkable thing when all those children came to the Hilton. I have a whole envelope of pictures about th(;! event. I went to St. Luke's in 1945 and was there until 1951. While in Carnegie, I worked with Sister Rosalee O'Hara on some speech projects. We also had debates. What I do remember about Carnegie is that it always reminded me of my own high school. While in Carnegie, I was with a lot of sisters who were my contemporaries. It made it very interesting to discuss, to argue, etc. We had Sister Rosalee O'Hara, Sister Mary Bernard O'Brien, Sister Marie George Abbot, Sister Alexine Beam, Sister Mary Rose Knorr, Sister Edith Marie Fullen, Sister Mary David Doyle, and Sister Marie Dolores Haney. As we know, these sisters were all good teachers. We all had strong personalities, so it made things interesting. Sister M. Emily Miller was our superior and a fine one at that. Sister Emily was like the rock of Gibraltar. What I remember about Sister Emily is that she had a dish at her place in the community room. Every day she would put change in it for people's possible needs. Today we would call that money petty cash. A sister remarked to her that it was pretty risky putting money out in that way. She replied: "Sister, every sister has taken a vow of poverty as I have. Each one can keep their vow of poverty. I don't have to keep anyone else' s." I forgot to mention Sister Mary Carlos Smith, who was our wonderful cook at St.Luke's for several years. I taught CCD work at St. Barbara's while in Carnegie. I liked being able to continue this ministry. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, you mentioned traveling to Pitt by train. Is that when you got your master' s degree? SSMcl: Yes Sister. Sister Marie George Abbot and I went to Pitt. In the summers, I stayed at DePaul Institute which was very much to my liking. Ifl hadn't had a sick spell I would have graduated the summer of 1949. I got my degree in August of 1951. I had a major in English and a minor in Spanish and History. SBMG: Where was your next assignment after St. Luke's in Carnegie? SSMcl: I was assigned to St. Jame' s in West End. For four months I had a happy time. I had the Junior boys and girls. We were getting along fine and then unfortunately I came up with a very painful arthritic condition. I was put in Pittsburgh hospital under the care of Dr. Ballantyne who I didn' t get along with. After being discharged, I went to Seton Hill to recuperate. This really began my career at Seton Hill. There was Miss Geyer who became very ill and died. So, I was given some of her courses to teach. Also, I had been helping Sister Miriam Joseph Murphy who went off to Wisconsin to work on her doctorate. I taught her classes in American literature, which she didn't like, but rather preferred English literature. I was then at Seton Hill this time from 1952-1962. Those ten years were very happy years at Seton Hill. I enjoyed all the advantages that there were from being at Seton Hill. SBMG: Then where did you go after you left teaching at Seton Hill college in 1962? SSMcI: Again, I had become ill. I had an exploratory operation in Pittsburgh hospital to determine the reason for my illness. As it turned out, they removed my gall bladder. I recovered from the surgery, but developed a kidney infection. After being discharged from the hospital, I was at Assumption Hall where I received wonderful care. Sister Philippa Henry and Sister Mary Carol Murphy were the nurses and saw to it that I was given such care. In 1963, Mother Claudia sent for me. At this time, she showed me a letter from my sister, Irene, requesting that I be permitted to go to the canonization of Mother Seton. I told Mother that I couldn' t go. She said: " You can' t?" I said: "Well, no, all the sisters ...all the sisters who are out on mission working hard, and I haven' t done a thing for a year." She then said: "Would you like to go?" I said: "Is there anyone who wouldn' t want to go?" Mother then said: "Well, just go out of obedience to satisfy your sisters." So I did. I was one of the twenty that the Community sent to the canonization. We started in Portugal at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. So I got to pray for everyone there. Then we went to Rome and were very close to the Pope when he was saying Mass. In the afternoon at the Basilica, due to my size I would have been way back where it would not have been possible for me to see. However, I pretended not to understand the directions on my paper regarding seating arrangements and ended up sitting with Sister Macaria Nestor and Sister Mary Amy Connelly near the main altar that the Pope spoke from. They were waiting for me. The next place we went to was France. We went to the shrine where Our Blessed Lady had appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure. It was one of the most prayerful experiences I have ever had. We also got to pay our respects to Saint Vincent de Paul. The next day we took a train to Lourdes. Of all the sisters who were on the tour, only two took advantage of the bath at the shrine in Lourdes. One was a Daughter Of Charity from Missouri, and the other was Sister Suzanne McIntyre from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful experience. I can't tell about it on this tape, but I do feel that I am alive today due to Our Lady Of Lourdes curing me. I gave orders at the hotel that I was to be called early in the morning. So I rose at six a.m. in order to be ready to go to the Basilica. From Lourdes we went to Ireland. When we got to Dublin, you knew it was Lent. In Dublin, morning, noon, and night, people were going to Mass and were looking like they were fasting. We were told that we were exempt from fasting as we were on a tour. Of all of us, about twenty sisters, I was the only one who returned home without getting sick. I didn' t so much as have a sniffle. That was Lourdes and all those holy places! When I returned to Greensburg (Assumption Hall), I wrote a letter to Sister Theodosia Murtha requesting to move over to Seton Hill and perhaps even teach some classes. So, in June of 1963, I went over to Seton Hill. I did teach one class in Children's Literature, and helped out at the main desk in the Administration Building. At the end of the summer, Mother Claudia Glenn sent for me and told me that I was going to go to Sacred Heart High School to teach Spanish. You understand I had been ten years at Seton Hill and had not taught one Spanish class. During those ten years, I had concentrated on American Literature, particularly in Wisconsin. I had taken other classes in Literature, Journalism, and Research, but nothing in Spanish. I did a little arguing about this to no avail. I landed at Sacred Heart in September. So I was back at my Alma Mater. I had a Freshman home room. I taught two classes of Senior English, two classes of Spanish, and a class of Freshman Religion. You will remember that John Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year. I had a sick spell which put me in the hospital for a week. I do feel that his death had something to do with this. As a result, when I returned home, my teaching schedule was greatly reduced. They kept me on that year to teach Spanish. However, after that year, I managed a full time schedule for a number of years. I'm still here at Sacred Heart, and I could go on for hours Sister Brigid Marie about all the wonderful people here. SBMG: What about your work with the Spanish Honor Society in Pittsburgh? I know you used to be very involved with it. SSMcl: Thank you, Sister. Yes, the AATSP, the American Association of Teachers for Spanish and Portuguese. I should never pass that up. For some reason or another, some lovely gentleman in New Jersey nominated me to be the National counselor for the AATSP. My first meeting with the organization was in Atlanta, Georgia. This was a delightful experience for me because I always met with very kind, intelligent, humble people. We did a lot of good things. A highlight was a trip to Madrid. We did our convention work during the daytime. Therefore, we got to see many things. I met up with a group of the Daughters of Charity while there. I had the privilege of having the final five days to rest and enjoy. During this time I met many fine people...mostly in the dining area. The food was delicious. We didn' t have any waitresses. They were all waiters. I spent these five days on the coast of Del Sol, which was within walking distance of the Rock of Gibraltar. I stayed in a family oriented hotel. It was delightful! During my time with the AATSP, I had other trips. One was to Toronto, Canada. There was a trip to California, which I wasn' t able to go on due to sister, Irene becoming very ill. SBMG: Sister, when you were talking about teaching Religion in St. John Evangelist, Tucson, it struck me that you were the first or one of the first Sisters to bring the Word Of God to the people in the West. Could you summarize that for me, please? SSMcl: Well, I went out to the West in February of 1934. In 1935, Father Stohler, managed in December to get the chapel. At first, I went out alone with a companion girl to teach catechism. The other Sisters were all spread out teaching the deaf and blind, etc. They also went to many of the distant areas to teach catechism. This .was in 1935. I continued to teaching catechism until I left Arizona. In 1938, I went to Chandler. I wasn't alone in Chandler. Sister James Marie Malone and Sister Rita Ann Woods were with me there. I was in Chandler from 1938 until 1941. From 1942-1943, I went to Ajo. Sister Dominica O' Connor accompanied me there. SBMG: Looking back on her life, there are a number of things that Sister Suzanne would like to tell us about. SSMcl: After looking at a picture last evening, I think it is important for me to tell you about the Mariachi Mass in Puerto Baca,Mexico (I don't know if this is what Sister is saying though I tried to determine.) The Cathedral in Puerto Baca was built by the early Spanish settlers there. You could put this entire Cathedral in Sacred Heart Church. There was a very fine Bishop there. The Mariachi singers connected with the Mariachi singers from Mexico had composed music to be played at Mass. The Bishop there gave them permission to use a record of this music at his Mass. So on a Sunday while I was there I attended this Mass. It was most reverent, but also definitely Mariachi. The people came in bus loads to that Mass. Much to my surprise, there was a bus load of Daughters of Charity in full regalia. Even though the Spanish people were not prone to accept religious in religious attire, they were most accepting of these Sisters probably because they manned the hospitals in the poorer sections of the cities. The people in Mexico still had laws in their books against priests and sisters. I too was suspect, but when asked to change, I said: "I don't ask anyone from Mexico to wear something American when they come to the United States, and as a citizen of the United States, I believe I should be permitted to wear what I please." Mass begins at the back of the church and it is also where the presiding priest delivers his homily. This is where the Baptismal Fount is, quite a large one in case any adults want to be Baptized. The Sunday I was there, there must have been about fifty priests accompanying the Bishop. The Bishop then intones the Confiteor, which is the beginning of the Mass. We have windows above our altars, but they have balconies above theirs. Important people sit up there during the Mass. At the Sign of Peace, the Bishop and the accompanying priests walked the full length of the Cathedral extending the Sign of Peace to everyone. The Blessed Sacrament is not reserved on the altar, but in a separate room. This was so that no one could do any harm to the Blessed Sacrament. A person really had to know their way around in order to find this separate little chapel. There is another thing I would like to tell you about. In 1955, Mother Claudia Glenn sent me out to Tucson. I had never been asked to work with the young sisters, but in this case, I was sent to help Sister Mary Ann Farrell and Sister Esther Marie Phillips, both of whom were postulants. I'm not going to say any more about it. Perhaps some day these two sisters may relate the experience. I want to say now that the Community has been most gracious with me. I have had opportunity to learn, opportunity to travel, opportunity to improve my spiritual life, if I would. In spite of all the opportunities received, I feel that I have been a financial burden at times. It seems that since 1962, I spend time in the hospital every other year or so. SBMG: I really don' t think we have much room left on this tape. So, I think we'll just close, thanking you very much for your giving us this information. I feel that we have some very valuable information. I learned a lot about you and feel that anyone listening to these tapes would have the same experience. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: I transcribed this oral history on Sr. Suzanne McIntyre from cassette tapes. It is somewhat edited. I completed it on January 12, 2011. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Suzanne McIntyre Subject The topic of the resource Sister Suzanne McIntyre Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Suzanne McIntyre, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 2001. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on September 9, 10, 16, 17, 25, and 30, 1986. Sister Suzanne McIntyre was born on August 11, 1906 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Patrick J. McIntyre and Margaret Josephine Barry, Lillian Margaret McIntyre entered the community on February 2, 1925 as Sister M. Suzanne McIntyre. Sister Suzanne initially ministered as a teacher in the Congregation’s schools in the Southwest United States and taught English and Spanish at Saints Peter and Paul School, Tucson, Arizona. Beginning in 1943, she taught in schools throughout Pennsylvania, including Johnstown Central High School, Johnstown; St. Luke High School, Carnegie; St. James High School, West End, Pittsburgh; and Sacred Heart High School, Pittsburgh. She taught English at Seton Hill College from 1952 to 1962. Sister Suzanne earned her B.A. in English with minors in Spanish and Social Studies from Seton Hill College in 1930, and earned her M.L. In English with a minor in Social Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950. She did further graduate study at several other universities. She was a member of several societies dedicated to language education, and was the National Director of one of them, La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, from 1977 to 1979. Sister Suzanne McIntyre passed away on May 18, 2001 at the age of 94. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/09/09 1986/09/10 1986/09/16 1986/09/25 1986/09/30 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-35 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Jean Ann Wilburn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Marian Clare McGurgan Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 28:01 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Marian Clare McGurgan Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marian Clare McGurgan Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marian Clare McGurgan, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on October 12, 1986. Sister Marian Clare McGurgan was born on September 15, 1899 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Peter P. McGurgan and Catherine Agnes Holley, Marian Lucille McGurgan entered the community on March 25, 1926 as Sister Marian Clare McGurgan. Sister Marian Clare ministered as a teacher to schools in both Pennsylvania and Arizona. Initially teaching in junior high schools in the Pittsburgh area, she performed a mission to the Saints Peter and Paul School in Tucson, Arizona as a music teacher and choir instructor for twenty years. After this time, she was reassigned to Pittsburgh and continued to teach at secondary schools within the diocese, including John the Baptist, Lawrenceville; Sacred Heart, Shadyside; and Canevin, Crafon. Sister Marian Clare received her B.A. in Music with a minor in English from the University of Arizona in 1944 and received her M.A. in Religious Education from Providence College in 1966. She was renowned for her efforts to promote the liturgical policies of Vatican II. In 1967 she was a founder of Seton Hill’s Institute for teachers of religion. Sister Marian Clare McGurgan passed away on October 31, 1994 at the age of 95. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/10/12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-45 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/52aa0be133308a2538d8170d9bf20c4a.mp3 a729277aab7781d0d8e7f30ec7676dff https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/2376d5a758b46b7dc1749db26fb43f57.mp3 bdc3c1271d20e0dcddaffc27bb48e124 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/01169be6c950ae220504f9c5a3c4d854.mp3 9a4858dd09ec5cc1ee7c36fc4525c920 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/15b69651a171934c78cc0422b5ee454f.mp3 12ddf1a8935c6de13d75793d8228b14a https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/c71f2a4e37b8ae42ff91bbf91c53f530.mp3 394638225716fb15d292559ebe6d4158 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/37e69540ad1c7e8a58b9dde2b555a787.mp3 46af83a37b5d96b1030db1a569e81eec Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:01 31:02 31:00 31:02 31:00 28:04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy Subject The topic of the resource Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1922 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on September 9, 1986. Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy was born on March 18, 1906 in McKees Rocks, Pa. Daughter of Thomas B. McConaughy and Margaret Teresa Powers, Mary Teresa McConaughy entered the community on December 8, 1922 as Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy. Sister Margaret Teresa served as a renowned music teacher and high school teacher in schools throughout Western Pennsylvania for 44 years. Among the schools she worked at were St. John the Baptist School, Pittsburgh; St. James School, West End, Pittsburgh, and Elizabeth Seton High School, Pittsburgh. She also worked as a librarian in the 1970s, where she wrote book reviews for Catholic Library World. In her later years, she assisted elder sisters at Assumption Hall, Greensburg; and St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, Pittsburgh. Sister Margaret Teresa earned her B.S. in Music Education with a minor in Piano from Duquesne University in 1943 and earned her M.S. in these subjects from Duquesne in 1948. She was intermittent president of Pittsburgh’s National Catholic Music Education Association from 1943 to 1960 and served as its secretary-treasurer. At the House of Hospitality, she was well-known for baking bread. Sister Margaret Teresa McConaughy passed away on November 7, 1997 at the age of 91. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985/09/09 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-27 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/5fa60a920d9b2212a2ea28291d13e608.mp3 c373936cd11f2ce8a63b8e08e12c19b7 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/e2debceb682860730a1609dff32c3ee5.mp3 642befeefb9391284fb2db595c2778b8 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/6d4284029da6aa0bfabc1ea83990bc7e.mp3 730b91fc043ed0009d4d0e43c715590c https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/ae23ee88e865b86718c4522afbf36194.mp3 46e5405aa6d19239cb5eb35450a3e55c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Josephine McClory Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:03 31:01 31:00 31:02 14:20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sisters Mary Josephine McClory Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Josephine McClory Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Josephine McClory, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1921 until 1985. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 19 and 20, 1985. Sister Mary Josephine McClory was born on July 14, 1891 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of John McClory and Elizabeth Boyce, Anna Marie McClory entered the community on June 3, 1921 at the age of 19 as Sister Mary Josephine McClory. Sister Mary Josephine worked throughout her ministry as a housekeeper for many of the Sisters of Charity’s convents throughout Pennsylvania, including Cathedral, Altoona; Our Lady of Mercy, Johnstown; Sacred Heart, Shadyside, Pittsburgh; and Saint John the Evangelist, Southside, Pittsburgh. She retired in 1943 due to poor health, and later worked as a switchboard operator at Assumption Hall. Sister Mary Josephine McClory passed away on June 2, 1985 at the age of 93. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985/02/19 1985/02/19 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-23 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/2a13ffbbd6262729a6d87e8fa9725f94.mp3 41fc1687ff88c4abd4cdb7347db8f081 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/728ad8717c5dcd112da30ca8023534e2.mp3 c89c502f51c5092115318e1d65bb7cfb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sisters Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Callista McChesney Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:56 25:13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Callista McChesney Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Callista McChesney Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Callista McChesney, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1931 until 2007. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 17, 1988. Sister M. Callista McChesney was born on June 28, 1912 in Sharpsburg, Pa. Daughter of John McChesney and Elizabeth Katchey, Mary Elizabeth McChesney entered the community on February 2, 1931 as Sister Mary Callista McChesney. Sister M. Callista worked as a store clerk and telephone operator before entering the community. Over the course of her ministry, she taught primary education at schools in the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Altoona-Johnstown as well as the Archdioceses of Los Angeles and Washington. Among the schools she taught at were St John Baptist, Scottdale; Holy Innocents, Sheraden, St. Philip, Crafton; St. Irenaeus, Oakmont; St. James the Greater, Apollo; St. Anselm, Swissvale; St. Pancratius, Ca.; St. Joseph, Tucson; SS. Peter and Paul, Tucson; and St Jane de Chantal, Bethesda, Md. She also taught elementary-level catechetical classes at Most Holy Trinity Parish, Huntington from 1968 to 1975. Later in life, she was the Coordinator of the Greensburg Central Catholic Faculty House, and then performed volunteer work at Saint Pius X Convent, Mount Pleasant. Sister M. Callista earned her B.Ed. in Education from Duquesne University in 1956. Sister M. Callista McChesney passed away on July 15, 2007, at the age of 95. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988/04/17 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-67 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/e725a185f9dd062d8053ae4b8aba2d8e.mp3 85c4950c9af9925cdd067e65e28b6574 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/d844b3680d667f921e6d0ba5f53f5b6f.mp3 db4c0f83a6d46d028b246cd331222e4d https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/2d8bbcc2d8d2ba3a05e927cea84abf50.mp3 0d583b267b0f9d951401dd0156d6fb2d https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/7a69fb9781939d953921e315f20291e4.mp3 ca6fe860e2bb8a20de081098671a02bc https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/95d51d97b512dfb99f103ecb6112bec6.mp3 6c008017df9069ebae2aa89531ad68e6 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/f3374a77e83ab6d3f2dd336a62413a90.mp3 182a8b5c3587aea88528ac61e3ca7d34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Ida Marie McCarthy Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:34 31:35 31:35 31:35 31:35 25:02 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Ida Marie McCarthy Subject The topic of the resource Sister Ida Marie McCarthy Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Ida Marie McCarthy, a Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1989. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on October 8 and 21, 1986. Sister Ida Marie McCarthy was born on December 1, 1908 in Swissvale, Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Jeremiah McCarthy and Margaret Loftus, Margaret Mary McCarthy entered the community on September 8, 1926 as Sister Ida Marie McCarthy. Sister Ida Marie taught primary schools throughout the Dioceses of Greensburg and Pittsburgh. The schools where she taught include Holy Cross, Youngwood; St. Anselm, Swissvale; Resurrection, Brookline; St. James, Wilkinsburg; Cathedral, Greensburg; St. Jane de Chantal, Bethesda, Md.; the Day Care Center, Greensburg, Seton Hill, Greensburg; and St. Edward, Pittsburgh. She also served as principal at St Jane de Chantal from 1953 to 1959, Mother of Sorrows in Murrysville from 1962 to 1965, and Holy Cross from 1965 to 1968. Beginning in 1974, she performed home visits to the elderly in the parishes of Greensburg and Irwin, before her retirement in 1984. Sister Ida Marie earned her B.Ed. in Kindergarten and Primary Education from Duquesne University in 1951. Sister Ida Marie McCarthy passed away on February 3, 1989 at the age of 80. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/10/08 1986/10/21 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-46 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Agnita McCall Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 20:31 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Sisters of Charity Oral Histories Interviewee: Sr. M. Agnita McCall Interviewer: Sr. Marie Corona Miller September 22, 1986 This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History program of the Sister of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Agnita McCall. The interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at Marian Hall the date is September 22, 1986. Sr.M: Good morning Sister Agnita Sr.A: Good morning Sister Sr.M: I’m very happy to be here with you today Sr.A: And I am delighted to be with you. Sr.M: Would you like to tell me something about your life as a Sister of Charity? Sr.A: I’ll try. I was born on the 23rd of June 1900 4. One I am the youngest of 14 children. They’re all deceased except my dear self. I was born on a school picnic day. I was told that my mother had loaves of bread ready to be put into the pans when she knew it was time for me to come into this world. My oldest sister Mary a most happy memory then took over charge of the bread etc. My parents came from Ireland in 1860 and to start a business, which was the coke ovens. They borrowed $200 from Mr. Quigley father of our deceased Carmelita Quigley. The ovens were on Main Street close to Saint James church in West End but the convent and school were located on Steuben Street. At that time very few people had telephones so that the Sisters would come down to my father’s office to make their calls. He loved the Sisters. On Monday morning when he would see a Sister stretching out the clothesline, he would hurry to help her. He like my mother were great church workers. What influenced me to become a Sister of Charity from the time I was very young, I would pretend I was a Sister, you know how we use to get dressed in long clothes and have a rosary hung on our belt. I suppose to hearing my parents talking about respect and love they had for the Sisters was another thing that influenced me. When I started to school, it was even easier for me to see the love and concern the Sisters had for their class their classes, 125 children in the first grade. I entered the community on March 24, 1921 just in time for supper. Sr.M: Sister? Sr.A: Fried eggs and lettuce served by the whitecaps Sr.M: Sister before you go on there can you remembers any of your teachers at Saint James? Sr.A: Oh sure Sr.M: Can you just give us some of their names? Sr.A: Ok, my first grade teacher was a Sister who left the community, I can’t remember her name. Also I had Sister Leanor, Sister Recarda, Sister Marsclene, Sister…. oh I can’t remember the others just now. Sr.M: Thank you Sr.A: I enter on March oh I did say that. That was Holy Thursday; we had adoration of the Blessed Sacrament all night. Our dorm went to the chapel at 1:00 how delighted I was, I suppose it was for sperber. My earliest recollection of my community life were buried, we had our ups and downs, but for, they were alleviated by the kindness and understanding of our senior novices and our senior profess Sisters. I can look back to those days and recollect the help that was given to us as we tried to do our best. I could never enumerate all the happenings of our early days, but I know there were many interesting incidents. I recall this one, the day I received the white cap a senior Sister asked me “What is your name?” I said it is Sister Agnita said she “You shouldn’t have that name, that means little Agnes and you are too big for that” So I still hear, I still have my name and I still am big. Then when I worked in the butter house, I let fall a large tray of butter chips plus the butter, I did the same thing when I worked in the Priest dinning room. I broke a tray of beautiful glass finger bowls you can imagine what Sister Mary Lenard said, but bless her, she was always most forgiving. On December 12th 1923 my first assignment was to Saint Mary Magdalen School in Homestead. I arrived at suppertime to face 25 sisters who were in the dining room. I didn’t feel at ease at first but soon that wore off. The following day, Mother Mary Joseph a magnificent principal took me to my class 50 in the second grade, didn’t’ say a word to me, but handed me a register and that went on for about a week. After that mother came in each day and what help she gave was the foundation of my teaching career. To which to this very day I am most grateful. May mother rest in peace. I always enjoyed teaching I miss children very much and I think I played a part in the field of education by one method I always employed. Always find something good in each child that would encourage him to do better work. The saying a spoon full of sugar will carry more flies than a barrel of vinegar. I forget what saint said that. I taught in the schools in Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Tuscan many happy a days. I think I always related well to both religious and lay faculty. My last assignment was at Holy Innocence for 16 years for 6 years. On June 11, 1979 after 56 years of teaching I came to assumption hall, a little strange at first but it didn’t take long for me to adjust to the work I was about to begin. What am I doing now, what are my assignments they’re varied too. I work in the guild office writing names on menu slips, cutting and soaking stamps, visiting the sick, writing Christmas cards, and of course praying and reading. As to major changes in the community I have tried to corporate as far as I can. May the lord bless all who hear this tape and trust that your life will be as happy and blessed as mine. Please remember me in your prayers. Sr. M: Well thank you sister that was an interesting life. Sr. A: Ya but nothing spectacular. Sr.M It doesn’t have to be spectacular, honest. Sister can you just tell me who was the Mother Superior when you entered. Sr.A: Mary Joseph Sr.M: Mother Mary Joseph Sr.A: A huh, and then she that was her last year in office Sr.M: Oh I see Sr.A: See then when I went to Homestead she was my first principal Sr.M: Oh I see, I see. Who was your mistress of novices? Sr.A: Sister Hildegard Eichenlaub and Mother Mary Joseph Mother Mary Francis for a short time. Sr.M: And Sister did Sister Mary Lenard that you mentioned was she Sr.A: She was in charge of the priest dining room. Sr.M: Oh I see Sr.A: Very everything had to be just so. But as I said she was most forgiving. Sr.M: Well Sister thank you very much is there anything else you want to tell us? Sr.A: No Sr. M: No nothing else, okay Sister thank you very much God bless you Sr. M: Sister Agnita Sr.A: I’m here! Sr.M: I think we forgot to hear a couple stories that you had to tell us, would you like to share that, those stories with us? Sr.A: Yes, One time when I was in Homestead Sister Rose Xavier and myself shared the same bedroom. One Saturday afternoon we did not hear the bell for reading which was at two o’clock so naturally we had to report to Mother Mary Joseph that we missed the reading said said she will go and go and get your reading. We went to our room and Sister Rose Xavier opened the book, which said, it is good for us to be here. Sr.M: (laughing) very appropriate huh Sr.A: A huh, and I remember two more of my teachers, Sister Patricia for whom I took that name for my confirmation name therefore my name is Rose Helen Patricia. Another Sister was Sister Agnes and Charles Regina. Sister Charles Regina, I that’s all I can remember. Sr.M: Sister when you entered you were by yourself. Sr.A: A yes and Sister Mary Lucy entered a week before I did. Sister Michaela and Clarisa entered on the first of May Sister Rose Xavier and Mary Josephine on the third on June and that was our group plus some ahead of us that are dead and some below us that are dead. But I was one of those young ones that entered. Sr.M: You entered right after High school Sr.A: No before that even, I was only I was only 16 I celebrated by 17th birthday in the community. Sr.M: Oh I see. Now Sister Agnita there is another story that we would like to hear about your sister who also entered our community what was her name? Sr.A: Her name was Bernadette, then 28 years of age, entered the Sister of Charity in 1928. During her novitiate time, she was asked if she would go to Scottdale and be a nurse for Father Lambing. Sr.M: What was her religious name Sister? Sr.A: Her religious name was Mary Jude. Father Lambing had two Sisters in our community Sister Grace and Sister Ildephonse. How long Sister was over in Scottdale I don’t remember. Maybe you do not know this, but Sister died on Christmas day in 1943. One thing I can remember most visably about her is her great love for senior Sisters and perhaps the younger ones too but I know the Senior Sisters told me many kind things about her. In the community one time, she had a mastoid and when the doctor operated, the nerve was severed and her face was drawn to one side for a few years, then it was decided that she would go to Eye and Ear hospital for another operation. They took a nerve from her ankle and transplanted it in her ear her face became straight. But it didn’t last too long in the next year she went to God. Sr.M: Sister what about your mother you told me Sr.A: At the time of this mastoid operation, my mother was losing her sight and the last one of the last things that she saw was Mary Jude’s face crooked then when it was straighten then that was then my mother became totally blind and the memory of that crooked face was in her mind, but of course we told her about the operation and she seemed contended. Sr.M: Well that’s good, and after Sister died then what did you tell me about our present Sister Mary Jude? Sr.A: oh Sister Mary Jude died in 43 December 43. Sister Mary Jude McColligan was to receive the habit in April of 44. Mother Claudia called me and asked me if I would mind if my Sisters name would be given to somebody else and I was very happy to say I will be glad for that. Sr.M: Well thank you Sister for sharing this with us. Sr.A: You’re welcome This is a correction of the interview with Sister Agnita McCall. Father Lambing had one sister. Sister Ildephonse Lambing. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Agnita McCall Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Agnita McCall Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Agnita McCall, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1921 until 1998. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on September 22, 1986. Sister M. Agnita McCall was born on June 23, 1904 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Michael McCall and Margaret Fullerton, Helen R. McCall entered the community on March 25, 1921 as Sister M. Agnita McCall. Sister M. Agnita received teaching certifications for elementary education in 1922, 1944, and 1968. She worked as an elementary school teacher for grades 4, 5, and 6, and taught for 56 years until her retirement in 1979. She taught at various schools in the Pittsburgh area, including St. Kieran, St. Philip, St. Stephen, St. Anselm, St. John the Evangelist, Resurrection, and Holy Innocents, as well as a brief career at SS. Peter and Paul in Tucson, AZ. Upon her retirement, she led the Assumption Hall Guild from 1980 to 1988, and provided a variety of volunteer services for her fellow sisters. Both of her parents were born in Ireland, and she was the youngest of 14 children. Sister M. Agnita McCall passed away on December 19, 1998 at the age of 94. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/09/22 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-21 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/36b281ed1d8f5b223685f95db1f94ad0.mp3 f6b14af44e4039af216d6cbba7b8c43e https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/ef3f74dcf2ef08dde9594e183c04c881.mp3 6cf0e2f3e9ee1966264e24546c50226d https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/663a6e92cf5047893cd56dfd5e5fc278.mp3 fbbdef3c44b1324f760f8aabd4441800 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Virginia Pascaretta Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Norberta McCabe Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:37 31:37 31:35 17:29 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-86-1 SVP: This is an oral history tape for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill , Greensburg, PA. The interviewee is Sister Norberta McCabe and the interviewer is Sister Virginia Pascaretta. It is being conducted at Assumption Hall on April 20, 1983. SNMcC: I was born in Pittsburgh. My father was Philip B. McCabe Senior. My mother was Nellie Farnan. They were married in St. Mary's Church on upper forty-fourth street. I have two sisters and a brother, all older than me. I was about nine years younger than my brother. My brother still lives in Pittsburgh. He has two daughters who are married. We lived in Garfield. I went to St. Lawrence's Grade School. My mother went to St. Mary' s school on Butler Street, which was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. My father went to Duffs College. I don' t know about his early education. He became a Funeral Director. He also had a livery stable on Penn Avenue. He had carriages, and kept about twenty to twenty­ five horses. After finishing grade school at St. Lawrence, I went to Peabody High School. The Dominicans from Ohio taught at St. Lawrence. After graduation, I went into Nurses' training at Pittsburgh Hospital. I completed training in 1934. While attending Duquesne University for further classes, I worked as a staff nurse at Pittsburgh hospital and also did some private duty nursing. I entered the Community on September 8, 1935. SVP: Sister Norberta, may I ask you what attracted you to the Sisters of Charity? SNMcC: Well, I always wanted to be a sister and felt that they were the most sensible I had met. I had been in touch with the Ursulines, the Franciscans, and the Dominicans and felt that they were all terribly artificial. The only Sister of Charity I actually knew was Sister Mary Stephen Cusick who visited her family who lived across the street from us. In the Novitiate in 1936, we were being sent out on Mission. I was ill with rheumatic fever and was unable to go. As I wasn't finished with my education, Mother Rose Genevive Rodgers determined that I should do this. I was sent to Pittsburgh Hospital with the Registrar from Seton Hill to see a Miss Tobin, Dean of Nurses training at Duquesne to make arrangements for how many credits I would have to have, etc. It was decided that I needed twenty credits. The last three credits were attained by them permitting me to write a twenty thousand word paper on the "ISMS", which were rather new at that time. Meanwhile, when Miss Tobin arrived for the interview, she looked at us. We had our outside bonnets in our hand. She said: "What lovely bonnets you ladies are carrying!" The Registrar , Sister Eucharia O' Hagan turned around and said: "Well, I'm going to put my head in it in a minute!" As soon as we got out of the Dean' s office, the two ofus killed ourselves laughing the whole way down the hill. Sister Eucharia was not usually so jovial and friendly, but her mother had been a patient in Pittsburgh Hospital when I was on duty there, so perhaps this eased the situation. Then I lived at Pittsburgh Hospital. We lived on the second floor of the old nurses' home on Penn Avenue. There were five ofus in thedormitory. I had to be in bed every night at nine o'clock but I did some substitute nursing along the way, so I couldn ' t study after nine o'clock. While I was waiting for other sisters who went to school at the same time... Sister Audrey was in Pharmacy and Sister Mary Virginia Herald was going to school. Sister Mary Virginia' s classes ended earlier. Sister Mary Audrey' s classes didn' t end until six o'clock. Mine ended at three o'clock, so I went to the library from three o'clock until six o'clock and studied. After I completed my work at Duquesne University, I was missioned that Fall to Pittsburgh Hospital to be on night duty in the emergency room. Shortly after receiving this assignment, we received an SOS advising that Sister Philippa Henry was leaving Roselia Foundling and that a replacement was needed immediately. So, I went to Roselia Foundling. Sister Philippa introduced me to a woman there (I forget her name), said this is the Delivery Room. So long! There I was alone. I had never been alone with an anesthetic. I watched Sister Amelia Foerster administer an anesthetic at Pittsburgh Hospital in the Obstetric department, but I didn' t care for Obstetrics or Pediatrics in my own training experience. I knew that I would have to know something about administering an anesthetic, at least until Sister Amelia or someone else came. Dr. Lawrence Sullivan was the doctor who came to Roselia. He performed tonsillectomies. These tonsillectomies were not patients from Roselia. They were patients of his and perhaps of other doctors. He told me that you used Ethyl Chloride and dropped it into Ether, the anesthetic. It was still :frightening for me, but nevertheless he showed me how to do it. Thank God, we did it and noone ever died on the table or anywhere. There are a lot of funny incidents that happened at the Foundling. Sister M. Charlotte Judge was the Sister Servant. She had new linoleum put down in the Nurses' Home. The Nurses' Home was two houses joined together. So, you could go through the hallway, through the laundry, through the living room in both houses and back to the laundry. So, it made a nice skating rink. One of the girls one time lent Sister M. Margaretta Bernlohr and Sister Ann Louise Sacco roller skates with big wooden rollers on. They put them on and we had a real circus. This occurred while we were having a party one evening. We invited Sister Charlotte to the party, but she declined because she said all she would do is worry about the new linoleum being damaged from the skating. She didn't come until it was time to eat. She examined the linoleum, but determined no damage had been done. Sister Rita Mary Leonard was there. She was in charge of the trays and kitchen at that time. She was the life of the party. Shortly after that, Sister Rita Mary had to go to the hospital and we were concerned that perhaps the party had something to do with it. This wasn't the case. In 1940, I was sent to Provident Hospital in Beaver Falls. In Beaver Falls, Sister Irenaeus Joyce was the Sister Servant. Sister Mary Stephen Cusick was the Director of the School of Nursing, Sister Mary Thelma Long was her assistant, Sister Marie Stephen Jablonski was in charge of the Obstetrics Department, Sister Teresita Coleman was in charge of the Ex­ Ray Department and laboratory. She had a secular assistant. Sister Louise Clare Duffy took care of the chapel and did the linens and all that was involved with the chapel. She also helped out in the cafeteria and did a great many miscellaneous jobs. Sister M. Wilfrid Hirschinger was supervisor of the operating room. She replaced the Sister (she couldn' t remember her name) who was in charge before her. Mary Riley was the Pharmacist, but was replaced later on by Sister Virginia Marie Waudby when Sister completed her studies for the job. Anne Mutschler was the record librarian and Betsy Hanley was the Bookkeeper. They were the right hand helpers to Sister Irenaeus Joyce as far as administration was concerned. Sister Agnes Catherine Kearney was there as supervisor on one of the floors and was on night duty. When you were on night duty, you took over the switchboard, and gave the report from there in the morning. In those days the shift was seven o'clock PM until seven o'clock AM. The three shifts had not come into reality yet. I believe it was in 1942 that Sister John Francis, who went back to her baptismal name, Sister Mildred Anne Curry, came. Sister Mary Kieran Beyer came for a short while, but returned to Pittsburgh. She came back some years later to replace Sister Irenaeus Joyce as Administrator. Sister Mary Jean Flaherty was here for some years in charge of the Obstetrics Department. Sister Mary Frederick Blatt came after some years to replace Sister Teresita Coleman in the laboratory. A secular was hired to replace Sister Teresita in the ex-ray department as Sister Mary Frederick was not qualified in this area. Years later when Sister Mary Stephen was finished being Director of the School of Nursing, Sister Alice Patricia Harvey came and took her place. She also had a secular assistant to replace Sister Mary Thelma Long who had been Sister Mary Stephen's assistant. Both Sister Mary Stephen and Sister Mary Thelma went to Assumption Hall. Sister Patricia Airhart worked in the office for several years. Sister Miriam Rita Kelsey also worked in the office for a few years. Sister Catherine Francis Kem and Sister Paul Gabriel Wilhere were there for just a short time. Sister Agnes Joseph Hines and Sister Agnes Teresa McLane were also there for a short time. I had been doing some teaching, working in Obstetrics and working night duty. When Sister Mary Kieran Beyer came to replace Sister Irenaeus Joyce as Administrator, she thought that Sister Mary Stephen Cusick had been in charge of the entire Nursing Service, but when Sister Alice Patricia came to be Director of the School of Nursing, I did the Nursing Service which was concerned with the graduate nurses and the other help. Sister Alice Patricia Harvey, of course, had the student nurses. I didn't mention that Sister Mary Daniel Havlak was at Provident Hospital for many years. She was instructor. She was in charge of the Obstetrics Department for half of the day. I took over the other half. Sister Mary Magdalene Foley was in charge of the admissions office. After she left, Sister Mary Ethel Beyer, who is no longer in the community, took over in the admissions office. The Board was very strong at Provident Hospital. The President of BMW, a Mr. Whiteman was head of the board when I first went to Beaver Falls. He was succeeded by Mr. Soyer. They were very interested in the hospital and did everything possible to take care of our needs, especially providing equipment. The BMW Company were the most interested group in Provident Hospital and they are still down there. There was also the Michael Baker Construction Company from Rochester. In 1955, when we had that tremendous snow, Michael Baker was a patient in the hospital. He had a broken leg. It was he who had patients brought to the hospital using his large equipment. Ambulances weren't able to move at that time down there and because of his connection with Sister Irenaeus Joyce and his respect for her, he did everything that he was possibly able to do to keep the hospital functioning. The Doctors also had deep respect for Sister Irenaeus and so did the board members. Sister Irenaeus had great rapport with the business people in Beaver Falls. For instance she would go food shopping with you. Of course she didn't like carrying the food home. She would send you off and tell you to go and enjoy seeing things, while she bargained with the merchant for some things which she always got. One day, she decided she was going shopping. I was the youngest, so I went along to carry the bags. She had two very large umbrellas, the ones with the long spike on the end. Also, before leaving for shopping this day, she shoved about a dozen pairs of rubbers down into the umbrella. She sent me up street to look at the card shop and other things while she shopped. When she came back and we were ready to leave, I was holding a couple of shopping bags and the umbrella. She said: "Oh, it looks like a storm is coming. We better hurry." We got out to the curb. Seventh Avenue was the widest street in town. It was wider than Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh by a longshot. Just as we stepped off the curb, the rain started. Oh dear, put up the umbrella, put up the umbrella! Dear (me) thinks that she can hold the shopping bags in one hand and put the umbrella up with the other. The light was ready to change by the time the umbrella got up, but out came about a dozen pairs of rubbers! She said: "Pretend I'm not with you, and she proceeded to cross the street!" All the people passing by were having a good laugh at me trying to pick up the rubbers, manage the umbrella and carry the shopping bags. When I got to the other side of the street I couldn't find her. She went into another store while I waited outside for her for over an hour. She always got bargains for the hospital...things that noone else could get because of her rapport with the business people. Sister Irenaeus was also very interested in hospital insurances. At BMW during the time of the depression years, she had suggested to the presidents of the BMW a plan whereby the men working for BMW would pre-pa y for hospital care. This really was what is now known as the Blue Cross Insurance plan. Even now older men whom you would talk to would say that Sister Irenaeus really introduced the Blue Cross Insurance plan. She not only had a great influence on businessmen, but also on politicians. Sister Mary Daniel Havlak was a very organized individual. This was a great help to me as I'm not well organized. When I was put in charge of Nursing Services, she did all the bookkeeping and record organizing. Sister Mary Thelma Long was also very helpful after she was no longer physically able to work full time. She did a lot of things to make the girls' lives happier by arranging song festivals and other enjoyable activities. These things were all experiences during my younger years. There were other Sisters who came during the following years, but things were not as difficult then. The hospital had a new wing on. Sister Alphonse ( no longer in the Community) came as dietician. She was a tremendous dietician. She worked day and night. The kitchen was pretty well equipped, but not as they are now. We didn't have a responsible maintenance man, so therefore we had to do many of these maintenance type duties ourselves, like tending to the heat. You of course had to go to the basement to take care of the heat, which was in the original building. It was a rather dark, spooky ,place to go, and some people were afraid to go. I never was afraid, but nonetheless it was difficult not to have a responsible man to take care of the heat. Many nights, if the Sisters were busy with their nursing duties, Sister Irenaeus and Sister Mary Stephen were up taking care of these things. SVP: The second tape for Sister Norberta McCabe is being taped on January 28, 1984 at Assumption Hall. Sister, I know you have some other things to say about your experiences at Beaver Falls, and some conventions you attended. SNMcC: It might be as good a time as any to do this. On one of the conventions I was at with Sister Irenaeus at Atlantic City, she said we had to see the elephants before going home. Well, I thought we were headed for the Zoo. Instead of that, when we got off the bus, in the middle of the street, there was a big, three story high elephant standing in the middle of the road. There were stores in it.. I suppose you entered these stores through the legs, but we didn't do this. I thought we were going to see a live elephant. I suppose that elephant is still there. Another time, Sister Irenaeus, Sister Mary Stephen, and I went on a shopping trip to Pittsburgh. We went into one of the department stores. Sister Irenaeus was deathly afraid of escalators. She didn't mind elevators. Well, we were up on one of the top floors and the elevators went out of commission, so we had to use the escalators. I had all the packages, so I got on and went all the way down. In the meantime, Sister Irenaeus was following a manager around to get help. She would pick up her skirts, tippy toe to the escalator, look, and back up. Sister Mary Stephen, to help the situation said: " Sister, I'll show you how easy it is. You just step on, stay put, and the steps go down." Sister Mary Stephen kept going up a few steps coaxing Sister Irenaeus to get on, but nothing doing! No way would she get on. Finally, the manager got on. He went through the same process as Sister Mary Stephen. He kept saying: "Come on Sister, get on, it's easy." After a while, Sister Mary Stephen was beating it up a down escalator. The manager was doing the same, but Sister Irenaeus would just back up. The people on the up escalator were killing themselves laughing. It looked like: "Up the down staircase!" So, finally the manager succeeded in running up to the top. He picked Sister Irenaeus up bodily and carried her downstairs! Sister Mary Stephen came down barely able to breathe after her ordeal. Sister had emphysema, so this really took its toll on her. Another time, Sister Miriam Grace Solomon had come down to visit at Beaver Falls. We were going to take her back home to Seton Hill in our car. Sister Mary Thelma , a couple of visiting sisters plus Sister Miriam Grace Soloman and myself were in the car. One of the sisters was very much impressed with a handkerchief that Sister Mary Thelma had embroidered and also with some linen towels that she had done. They were impressed with the beautiful designs on the towels She had showed these to the sisters while she was visiting and was showing them all over again in the car. They were giving Sister Mary Thelma all kinds of praise. Sister Miriam Grace was sitting in the back saying nothing. Finally, came the deep voice of Sister Miriam Grace saying: "That's the trouble with life. Make a handkerchief, everybody swings the censer. Write a book, noone says anything. Woe is me. Nobody cares." On another occasion, three of the sisters were going into Duquesne University to school. They traveled via train. It was in the winter, so it was very difficult to see out of the windows to identify your stop. The three sisters were: Sister Agnes Catherine Kearney, Sister John Francis Curry (later Sister Mildred Anne Curry), and Sister Mary Kieran Beyer. They would be coming home usually some time after six PM. Sister Mary Kieran was very dominant. When she said something, it was almost in the form of a command. Anyway, when they came to what was their stop, Sister John Francis got up to get off the train. Sister Agnes Catherine also got up to get off the train. In the meantime, the conductor had already called out the stop and was openin.g the doors. Sister Mary Kieran said: "Why are you two getting up? We haven't been on the train long enough! Sit down!" So, the two little soldiers (Sister John Francis and Sister Agnes Catherine) sat down. Sister Mary Kieran by this time had cleared off her window and saw the sign for Beaver Falls. She immediately called to the conductor to let them off. He replied by saying: "Lady, I can't just stop the train. You'll have to get off at the next stop." Sister Mary Kieran asked the conductor when the next stop would be. To which he replied, Elias Ohio! Ohio, she said! Yes, Ohio! They of course had to call Sister Irenaeus because it was·so late. Then, we were all in the community room for recreation, wondering where our three sisters were. The phone rang, and Sister Irenaeus answered. It was the operator asking her if she would accept a call from Elias, Ohio. Ohio! I don't know anyone from Ohio. The Sisters in the community room could hear Sister Mary Kieran in the background trying to tell Sister Irenaeus what had happened. When Sister ·Irenaeus got off the phone, she said: "Well, our scholars are in Ohio!" Eventually, the scholars did get home and we got them dinner. SNMc: On one occasion, when I was still a student nurse at Pittsburgh Hospital, Sister Amelia Foerster had charge of the priest Father Burns was the chaplain. He was very austere looking, but actually was a lot of fun. He and the bishop were great friends. Bishop Hugh Boyle was Bishop of Pittsburgh at the time, and he sometimes came to visit Father Burns at Pittsburgh Hospital. Sister Amelia always provided a little lunch for Father Burns, but when the Bishop came, she made it a little special. On this particular night, the Bishop was there visiting Father Burns. I was on duty that night, so Sister Amelia asked me to fix their lunch. She told me that she had bought special vienna sausage and bread to make them a sandwich. So, I cut the special bread, opened the can of sausage, put the sausage on the bread, made coffee and took it to Father and the Bishop. When I returned later to take care of the dishes, both Father Burns and Bishop Boyle raved about their sandwiches, saying they were the best sandwiches they had ever eaten. Later when Sister Amelia saw me, she asked how I thought the Bishop and Father enjoyed their special sandwiches, and of course I told her how they had said they were the best they had ever eaten. She then asked me how I had prepared the sausage. I said: "What do you mean?" I opened the can and put them on the bread you had bought. She said: " Well, you fed them raw meat then, because you were supposed to boil the sausage!" We never heard that Father or the Bishop suffered any unfortunate results. SVP: Sister Norberta, what can you tell me about how you found the spirit of the Sisters of Charity in your experiences over the years? SNMcC: I saw that there were some very decisive people and people who expected this decisiveness. I had also heard about and seen pious looking, but quick on the stick sisters from other religious communities. As indicated earlier, I found the Sisters of Charity to be "real." There were no airs, just simple, authentic people. Every summer while I was in training, I got to know some of the school sisters because they lived with us in the Nurses Residence while attending summer school. These sisters were warm and friendly. They exhibited a great sense of rapport with each other and also with the nursing sisters.· In other words, I think the Sisters of Charity are great! SNMcC: We left Provident Hospital in Beaver Falls in 1967. I came to Jeannette Hospital in March of 1967. At that time, they needed social service work at Jeannette. I was asked to be the director of the auxiliary, which was composed of volunteers at the time. The-a uxiliary was really well established and well run. All I had to do was go to the meetings, socialize with the ladies, and give them help where it was needed. All I had to do was go to the meetings, socialize with the ladies, and give them help where it was needed. I advocated that they should have a trained social worker, and in time this did happen. ( I couldn't understand the name of the woman who was hired for this position. ) I helped her out for a time. Then she took over. The doctors were fussing about their library which was not being taken care of and some of their books were missing, so Sister Geraldine Miller asked me to go down to the doctors' library and take care of it. There were a lot of other things that had to be done in the various offices. Some of these were done by volunteers who occasionally didn't show up, so I filled in there. After a while, the library was closed as it was not being used very much, even by the doctors. It was too small to be used for research. Computers had been bought to be used in the library. However, when the library closed, they were put in the record room which is where I worked until my retirement in 1982. SVP: Sister, you've described a very active life in hospital work. Is there anything you would like to say about your retirement at Assumption Hall? SNMcC: When it became the policy for us to retire at seventy, I was at Jeannette Hospital. I was seventy in February, so they let me work until the end of February. I didn't want to stay on living at Jeannette Hospital, so I moved to Assumption Hall in March. Some people said to me: "Well, how did you fit in at Assumption Hall?" I replied that it was no problem for me at all. In fact, I was enjoying not having to get up at four forty-five AM. It was nice to get some extra sleep. Also, it was a relief not having to worry about being sure people were where they were supposed to be on the job. It gave me more leisure time to be with the Sisters, many whom I didn't know. I knew Sister Theophane Geary who was in charge of the stamp collection at the time. While at Jeannette, I sold some crib sets which put me in touch with Sister M. Clarissa Cunningham. One day I said to Sister Clarissa: "How would you like to have a helper?" At first there was that moment of silence. Then, she said: "Like, who?" So, when I got to Assumption, Sister Theophane had taken on another project, that of making pot holders, and she solicited my help. Well, my first two looked like twisted vines, but I did get the hang of it and was kept quite busy helping Sister Theophane fill many orders. Really, the hobbies kept me quite busy. Sister Clarissa quite patiently taught me many things about making ceramics. I told the sisters that I wasn't an expert, but would help people with anything. I've had a very enjoyable time, and feel that I have good rapport with them all. I haven't been to the switchboard very many times. On my first experience there, a call came saying that Sister Sharp was ready to come home. I didn't know who Sister Sharp was anymore than the man in the moon. So, I said: "Well, this is Sister Doubt. You'll have to be more specific." They promptly told me it was Sister Mary Alfred. Everything I do seems to have a funny twist to it. I've enjoyed being not just here, but every part of my Community life. I've seen a psychology which goes along with decisions that have to be made. I've appreciated the leadership we've had.....good listeners. Our "Alive Committee" has done much toward lessening bigotry, pornography, etc. It's mostly bigotry against Jews, Negroes, and Catholics. I think we are unique in that anyone can be listened to. If people listen, ideas will be picked up and perhaps acted upon. I feel that every sister should back our present day leaders in decisions they make regard religious life today. I find the present day regimentation much easier than in the past. For me, it is more conducive to my prayer life and my connectedness to God. As said before, I think we need to be "real" people, and not pious dolls walking around. That's all I have to say. SVP: Sister Norberta, I want to thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I've enjoyed talking with you. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: This oral history on Sister Norberta McCabe was transcribed from cassette tapes by me onto the computer. It was completed on March 1, 2011. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Norberta McCabe Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Norberta McCabe Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Norberta McCabe, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1935 until 1989. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on April 20, 1983 and January 28, 1984. Sister Norberta McCabe was born on February 5, 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Philip B. McCabe, Sr. and Nellie B. Farnan, Julia A. McCabe entered the community on September 8, 1935 as Sister M. Norberta McCabe. Sister Norberta worked for a year and a half as a private duty nurse before entering the community and continued to work as a nurse during her ministry. She was first assigned to the Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital in Pittsburgh. She then worked at Providence Hospital in Beaver Falls, Pa. for over twenty years in a variety of positions, including Instructor, Clinical Instructor, Night Supervisor, and Director of Nursing Service. She then worked at Jeannette Hospital as Director of Volunteers and Social Services, and later as a medical librarian, before she retired to Assumption Hall in 1982. Sister Norberta earned her B.S. in Nursing from Duquesne University in 1938. Sister Norberta McCabe passed away on December 15, 1989 at the age of 77. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983/04/20 1984/01/28 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-86 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/e15e5d1985778a7f75b3f78473ed3444.mp3 02d3d41b7db5558a11f746f11b3b5493 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/10824028aab2b876b9e0554edb458eab.mp3 cadb1ea9537fc7aa314da3f443446519 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:34 31:34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on November 1, 1986. Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy was born on October 27, 1903 in Frostburg, Md. Daughter of Thomas P. McAvoy and Ellen C. Cunningham, Mary Rose McAvoy entered the community on September 8, 1926 as Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy. Sister Mary Ellen worked for six years as a secretary before entering the community. She ministered as a secondary education teacher in schools throughout the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Tucson, Az. Among the schools she taught at were St. Anselm, West End, Cathedral, Holy Innocents, Sacred Heart, Salpointe, and St. Mary in Chandler, Az. She also served as principal of Holy Innocents from 1950 to 1953. She later served at Seton Hill College, first as a secretary from 1972 to 1978, and later in supportive services from 1978 to 1984. Sister Mary Ellen earned her B.Ed. in History and English from Duquesne University in 1945 and earned her M.A. in Religion from Providence College in 1956. Sister Mary Ellen McAvoy passed away on July 11, 1991 at the age of 87. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/11/01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-47 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/e6bb728126b6da6f8cd4947c8501b505.mp3 6ecc0335c90a66856e7385a373bd3bdc https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/2fd462268246deca0c0a260546d87401.mp3 65657cdff9ef2864c2f09f7533cdf00d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Maria Serafina Mazza Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:17 04:39 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Maria Serafina Mazza Subject The topic of the resource Sister Maria Serafina Mazza Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Maria Serafina Mazza, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1923 until 1980. The interview was self-taped in October of 1977. Sister Maria Serafina Mazza was born on January 13, 1900 in Sersale, Italy. Daughter of Giuseppe Mazza and Rosa Talarico, Serafina Lucia Mazza entered the community on September 8, 1923 at the age of 23 as Sister Maria Serafina Mazza. Sister Maria Serafina taught briefly in public schools before entering the community, and became a member of the Seton Hill College faculty in 1934, where she taught Italian, Spanish, and French until her retirement in 1976. Sister Maria Serafina received her B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Education from Seton Hill College in 1930, her M.A. in French from McGill University in 1935, and her Ph. D. in Italian from Columbia University in 1947. She wrote several published works on the Romance languages, most notably a book on the Frontespizian literary movement which was published through Columbia University. She was the first Italian-born member of the community. Sister Maria Serafina Mazza passed away on July 22, 1980 at the age of 80. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1977/10/01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-19 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/310786e5adb3581e89bd132f40bdbbc4.mp3 c906ea34f295bd1f382826ff17685949 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Patricia Marie Stack Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister James Marie Malone Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 20:27 30:07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister James Marie Malone Subject The topic of the resource Sister James Marie Malone Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister James Marie Malone, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1927 until 1992. The interview was conducted by Sister Patricia Marie Stack on April 23, 1983 and by Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa on July 31, 1988. Sister James Marie Malone was born on August 31, 1908 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of James P. Malone and Ella Grace Cover, Mary Frances Malone entered the community on December 8, 1927 as Sister James Marie Malone. Sister James Marie ministered as a teacher at schools in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Arizona. She was one of the founding members of the Sisters’ SS. Peter and Paul’s School in Tucson in 1933 and taught there and at schools in Arizona, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale and St. John Evangelist in Tucson, for over thirty years. Other schools she taught at include St. Anselm, Swissvale; St. Leo, Altoona; St. James, Wilkinsburg; and Sacred Heart, Glyndon, Maryland. Sister James Marie earned her B.Ed. in Mathematics with a minor in English from Duquesne University in 1947. In 1975, she wrote a history of the Sister of Charity’s missions in Arizona, which was a major source for this period of the Order’s history. Sister James Marie Malone passed away on August 30, 1992 at the age of 83. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983/04/23 1988/07/31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-51 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/44e1430000c669409013eb2f3241a2f3.mp3 86cdc23482ef88c0a345efc4e5d0d5f1 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/f0743e66654b47eebe5343b8b40a22b7.mp3 ab0b692cce1c543b1da5d240b4cefb09 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/84c935c605c0116a7fadfe8da0aa85c3.mp3 ce4bbe4e496add5b568e468182fc6fe5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Mary Noel Kernan Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Jean Malloy Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 32:08 32:07 09:35 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Jean Malloy Subject The topic of the resource Sister Jean Malloy Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Jean Malloy, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1945 until 2006. The interview was conducted by Sister Mary Noel Kernan on July 17, 1987. Sister Jeanne Malloy was born on September 30, 1926 in Altoona, Pa. Daughter of John F. Malloy and Erma M. Luther, Jean Elizabeth Malloy entered the community on September 8, 1945 as Sister Jeanne Malloy. Sister Jeanne served as a teacher in diocesan schools throughout America and Korea. In her American ministry, she served in schools in the dioceses of Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg, and Pittsburgh and the Archdiocese of Washington. In 1961, she travelled to South Korea to serve at the Sisters’ new schools there and returned to teach in America in 1976. She returned to teach in South Korea from 1981 to 1991, and then returned to America to teach until 1994. From 1994 to 2006, she volunteered with the Senior Companion Program at the Blair Senior Service Center. Sister Jeanne earned her B.M. in Piano and Voice instruction from Seton Hill College in 1959. Sister Jeanne Malloy passed away on March 7, 2006 at the age of 79. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/07/17 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-97 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/39114c3e7b681efa26617fd00cab894a.mp3 943df87052b9000ecce930521c19bfc3 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/177a83edaa9459fcdb8b39c7ddf81b64.mp3 e25e4981282ad97cbbd3240f48abe6eb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Virginia Pascaretta Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Angelica Little Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 19:39 31:05 31:04 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 30-1 1 This is an interview for the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, PA. The interviewee is Sister Angelica Little. The interviewer is Sister Virginia Pascaretta. The interview is taking place at DePaul Institute. The date is March 5, 1983. Sr. Virginia : Sr. Angelica, to begin with, would you please give me a little bit of your family background? Sr. Angelica: Well, I was born in Evansberg, PA in 1904 and I had five sisters and two brothers. My father was an attorney in the town and my mother was originally from Johnstown, my father, from Loretto. SVP: Would you like to give your father's name? SAL: Peter J. Little and my mother was Bertha O'Connor Little. SVP: I think that at one point in our conversations you mentioned that there was a reason for your going to Seton Hill Academy. SAL: Yes, my father grew up in the town of Loretto; Sr. Cecilia Schwab grew up there also. On one occasion Sister asked him if he would send his six daughters to Seton Hill and enroll them in St. Joseph's Academy; he agreed to do this and he did. When I went to Seton Hill, I had two older sisters there and three to come after me. So I entered th Academy in the Fall of 1918. There was a class of 200 girls and there were three Directresses that I lived under during my four years in the Academy: Sr. Francesca, beloved of all the girls, Sr. Angela Sullivan and Mother Claudia. The buildings there, I remember, were only two at the time, the Administration Building and Maura Hall. There was no passage way going over to the post office as there is now; it was possible to walk from the old laundry and the bake house straight down to the old gym. There was no building between the kitchen and what is now the dishwasher; that was all open then. The pantries were up, but nothing else. I enjoyed my years in the Academy very much. I was attracted to the community by the things that the Sisters did, just going about their work. In the evenings, many of them, on warm Spring days, would collect on the spiral stairways which extended from the porch on each side of the Administration Building. I loved to watch them. And another gathering was in the "court" where the Sisters with long paddles in their hands stirred apple butter in a big steaming kettle; it was beautiful thing to watch from upstairs. These things attracted me to the community. And another gathering was in the Fall, I was in the community then. Each sister, professed as well as novices, put on a gingham apron, got a pan and filled it with vegetables and fruit; we called it "courting". We would have a nice time down in the kitchen peeling our fruit and cutting up vegetable . Sr. Salome Kline was the one who did a lot of the canning and preserving in the old kitchen. We would smell the good spicy smells in the Fall. What really attracted me after I finished the Academy was. I was going to wait until I entered, for I always wanted to be a Sister, but I didn't talk to anyone about it because I thought they would be surprised on account of a few pranks I had been involved in. Then, Sr. Theodosia and I talked one time outside the chapel and she said that she wouldn't give anything in this world for even one year of her community life. That's when I decided to enter that September instead of coming back fro a second year of college. So I was in school five years. SVP: How did your parents accept that news? SAL: Well, Sr. Victoria, my sponsor, said I should go home and talk to them and when I got home, I just couldn't say a word about it. I came back and I wrote a note; instead of saying I'd like to enter, I wrote that I'd like to come back to stay. Well, they were delighted; they were very happy. When it was time to enter, my sister Claire was always taunting me saying, "Only three more dinners, only two more breakfasts", and I couldn't stand it anymore. So, I had my sister Margaret call the Mistress of Novices and ask if I could come early. I entered on the 6th of September, 1923. Mother Mary Francis didn't have any problem with the young sisters working in close contact with all the others and we had many happy talks with the senior sisters. We didn't know the pioneers but they did. Sr. Ligouri would work with us on our habits and one of her frequent sayings was " _ is the soul of a religious, without it you are not much more than a layman." Sr. Baptista and I used to talk, too; she had a niece in our community years later. She would tell me about Mother Aloysia Lowe. She said that one reason was she always wanted to build a house for the sisters; that was her goal. She said that when she thought of going back to Cincinnati, "It was hard to abandon the cradle that rocked me." Sr. Baptista would say that "She taught us how to live when too high were they the paths of knowledge; she taught us how to die." I used to go to the cemetery and read the tombstones; only two of them had inscriptions, really. Mother Aloysia's said: She has gone and left us; in her of love. Her image carved in So, therefore, is her children's guiding star Whose only death is in her for zeal. I used to go to every place on the campus, down to the dairy, and up to the towers, to read the inscription on the bell: Ave Maria peel out the bells, Over the hills and over the dales. All hail fair queen and mother of many Near whom the seraph's eyes gaze and Ring loud sweet bells, ring long sweet bells and pray In the words that are Gabriel's, - - Ave Maria. Well, what else? Well, the Novitiate life was very structured in those days, of course. We had morning prayers and a ½ hr. of meditation in the Grotto. Then, we had Mass and, our charge list was always hanging up, so we went to our charges. Sometimes to the laundry, sometimes to the kitchen. We always had time for a little walk, without shawls around us, outside. We had Chapter once a week and we really dreaded that because we had to kneel down publicly and tell our faults, such as, "We worked without our gingham aprons, we didn't keep our charges, we didn't keep recollection ." We had quarter prayers at quarter to 12, that's why they called them that, and we had our prayer for benefactors. I'm sure we must have prayed for Mother Seton's Canonization, all told, for over fifty years that God would hasten the time of her canonization. St. Vincent says that we always want an answer to prayers before God wants to give it. St. Theresa says God delays His answer because He loves prayer so much and we waited and prayed for fifty years for Mother Seton's canonization. We had recreation before night prayers during our Novitiate and then we'd have night prayers at quarter of eight. I always thought that was good to have silence right after night prayers, stop in the oratory after prayers for a little visit and then right up to bed. We'd have the lights out at 9:30 and be up at 5:00 the next day. The sisters entering today don't know the joy of getting the habit that we had years ago. It was a great joy in helping to make it, then putting it on and kissing the cap before putting it on. Sisters were always pinning the ends of their caps when walking down the hall. I'll never forget the time we came back for Christmas; some of us entered from the back of the chapel and the sisters were already assembled. We didn't know who some of them were. We thought, well, what's the matter? They hadn't any curtains on their caps! We didn't know Sr. Mary Cletus had red hair; we didn't know Sr. _ had curls behind her cap. We were amazed, but what happened was they had had a curtain on their caps. In the Academy we wore middies and skirts, of course. We had our mail given out in the community room at Cecilian Hall at noon. I always remember Sr. Marie Antoinette when she was our angel, she said that if there were any infractions that we were guilty of she wouldn't give out the mail to them. She used to say that she would "Communicate the intelligence verbally". And we'd think, "what? What did she say?" "Communicate the ." That didn't sound a bit like Sr. Marie Antoinette. When I entered I heard those words when the Community Customs were read and thought, "Oh, that's where Sister got that phrase." Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Angelica Little Subject The topic of the resource Sister Angelica Little Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Angelica Little, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1923 until 1993. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on March 5, 1983 and March 15, 1983. Sister M. Angelica Little was born on September 23, 1904 in Ebensburg, Pa. Daughter of Peter J. Little and Bertha O’Connor, Mary Elizabeth Little joined the community on September 8, 1923 as Sister M. Angelica Little. Sister M. Angelica taught school education for many years, including at St. John’s High School, Scottsdale; and Sacred Heart High School, Pittsburgh; and later taught English at Seton Hill College. From 1953 to 1970, she taught visually handicapped children at the DePaul Institute, Brookline. After her retirement in 1970, she remained at the DePaul Institute as a tutor. Sister M. Angelica earned her B.A. in English and Education from Seton Hill college in 1926 and earned her M.A. in these subjects from Columbia University in 1933. She also studied Special Education for the Blind at Catholic University in the summers of 1953 and 1954. In 1942 she helped found the House of Mary during her social ministry in Pittsburgh. She was a prolific writer of songs, verses, and plays, and she directed her students at the DePaul Institute in her plays throughout her teaching career. She also introduced the Talking Prayerbook for the Catholic Blind recordings for her students in 1955. Sister M. Angelica Little passed away on March 10, 1993 at the age of 88. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983/03/05 1983/03/05 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-30 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/c6755470c25b3fa770760750e0c72dd2.mp3 629b0b54a10faf5c99de2291a9966270 https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/7d750ecfb41d7de114ca46b822e2098e.mp3 21bfd2a85703b45acf5552c08860749a https://www.scsharchives.com/files/original/786e4767ffa01794d950b37f2ff38b22.mp3 df3c42394a4b2b85a77534a127cf6d58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister David Mary Leonard Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:32 31:34 31:34 20:27 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 71-1 Sr. David Mary Leonard Tape I Side I This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister David Mary Leonard. The interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at De Paul Institute. The date is October twelfth, nineteen eighty-six. SMCM: Good morning, Sr. David Mary. Sister, I'm very happy to be here with you today to talk about your personal history. SDML: Good morning, Sister. I was born Kathleen Leonard, January twenty-third, nineteen fifteen in Cumberland, Maryland. My Father, David Leonard, was the youngest of twelve children, born to Adam and Emma Clarr Leonard in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He had come to Cumberland as a young man and he met my Mother there. Her name was Edna Mason. She was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph Mason and Rose Mattingly Mason. Rose was a descendant of the original Mattingly’s who came to Southern Maryland with Lord Baltimore. There were three brothers. They settled...one in Ohio, one in Maryland, and one in Kentucky. My Grandmother told me that I would never meet a Mattingly who was not descended from one of those three. My Grandmother had a sister who entered the Seton Hill Sisters of Charity..Sister Louis Regina Mattingly. Sister died at a very young age in eighteen ninety after being in the Community for just four years. Her sister, Emma Mattingly, went to Kansas and entered the Ursuline Community there. My Mother's youngest sister, Lucy, followed her to Kansas. She is still living there. She is Sister Rosemary Mason. My Father, the youngest of twelve, never had the opportunity to attend a Catholic School. Both families were farm families. His family produced five Granddaughters to the Religious Life four Sisters of Charity and one to the Ursuline Community in Paoli, Kansas. His sister, Emma became a Visitation Nun in Georgetown, Kentucky. I grew up in St. Patrick's Parish in Cumberland, Maryland. I went to St. Patrick's Grade School where I was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame. went to the High School there also which was upstairs. It was a very small school. My graduating class consisted of fifteen girls. The boys left after sixth grade and went across the yard to La Salle Institute which was conducted by the Christian Brothers. I can't remember anytime that I was not planning to be a Sister. It was always assumed that I would be a School Sister of Notre Dame because they were the only Sisters that I really knew. I knew about these relatives, but they were all sort of out there somewhere. There were Daughters of Charity in the town, but they were Hospital Sisters. I didn't know that they worked jn schools until much later. My Mother very wisely arranged for me to meet some of these Sister relatives from different places so that I would have a wider choice. Among the trips which she planned was one to Greensburg-. It was after my Sophomore year. I visited Sister Marie Elizabeth Leonard, Sister Jean Marie Leonard, and Sister Rita Mary Leonard, all of whom were first cousins. When I was in my Senior year, I was still going to be a School Sister of Notre Dame, but sometime in the Spring of that year, I made a retreat, during which I learned that I really belonged to Seton Hill. So, I wrote to the Mother Superior not knowing her name. She invited me to come to visit. I visited on June nineteenth. There had been no contact with the cousins. When I went to visit, Sr. Marie Elizabeth met me at the door. Mother Eveline Fisher had turned over my letter to Sister Theodosia Murtha, who was the Mistress of Novices. Sr. Theodosia then invited Sr. Marie Elizabeth. That was my offici I petitioning day. I found out later that it was .the anniversary of Sr. Louis Regina Mattingly's death. SMCM: What year was that, Sister? SDML: It was nineteen thirty-two. It was immediately after my graduation from High School. I was accepted and told to prepare- for September eighth. I spent the Summer trying to get my wardrobe together. Since I wasn't near any of the Sisters, it was like hit and miss, because I was trying to get the items on the clothes list. The School Sisters of Notre Dame were very gracious. They helped, and they ordered some things for me. So, I came to Greensburg on September eighth. My Father and my Brother and I left Cumberland at something like four o'clock in the morning by train and went to Connellsville. My cousin from Greensburg met us there. He took us to his home for breakfast. It was still only about eight o'clock in the morning. It was too early to go up to Seton Hill. Finally, we went up. Sr. Marie Elizabeth couldn't be there to take care of me because she was teaching. She delegated Sister Margaret Ann Hanley to put my lace cap on. She took me up to the Blessed Mother's altar. I left my Father and my Brother. I went up to the Novitiate and was ushered into the Senior Novitiate to help tie knots in haps. We would call them quilts or comforts, but they called them haps. SMCM: What time did you enter? Were you the first one? SDML: I think it was about ten o'clock in the morning. I think I may have been, but there were a couple of others there by lunch time. Sister Marie Celeste Cuzzolina and Sister Inez Mary Beckel came from Altoona. Sister Teresina Bridges, Sister Rosina Highland, Sister Miriam Ann Eck and Sister (couldn't get the name) came from Johnstown. The rest came in the afternoon. My biggest surprise was that Sister Theodosia was young and beautiful. I expected her to be old and cranky. By the evening meal everyone was there. Mother Richard Ann Watson, Sister Olivia Hamilton, Sister Maura Walsh, Sister Mary Arthur Giseburt, Sister Teresa Marie Jenkins, Sister Naomi Walsh, Sister Mary Timothy Adams, Sister John Joseph Weber, Sister Marie de Sales Clougherty, and Sister Mary Frederick Blatt. There were seventeen, and we became known as the" Notorius Seventeen." We had a good time, we learned a great deal, we worked hard, and we tried hard to pray. Some of the College teachers came over to the Novitiate from the very beginning and gave us classes. We had courses like...The History of Education, The Fundamentals of Education, and valuable things like that. Sister Francesca Brownlee, and Sister Teresa Clare Kernan were the main teachers. Sister Agnes Francina Kearney was in charge of the sewing room. Sister Ann Regina Sweeney had us for Choir. She had tryouts to determine eligibility. Sister Cecilia Clare Ott helped us to make our first habit. That was difficult, because most of us couldn't sew at all. We had a very interesting and busy postulancy which lasted only until January first. We received the habit and the white cap on January first, nineteen thirty-three. Then we had our canonical year which was mostly spiritual development. If we had any courses from the College, they would have been Religion classes. SMCM: Was Mother Evelyn at the head of the Community at this time? SDML: Yes, it was the beginning of her second term in Office. Sister Marie Antonio Mclinden, who was at De Paul Institute some time-later was the Assistant Mother on the Council. Sister Victorine Ellsworth was the Treasurer, and Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub was the Procurator. That was the Council in those days. At the end of that year, January first, nineteen thirty-four, we received the black cap. Most of us were assigned to Missions. Sister Mary Frederick and I were not missioned. We were told that we were going to school. In the meantime, Sister Carolyn Lager had broken her leg at St. Philip's in Crafton. Instead of going to school, I was sent to Crafton to replace her. Sister Mary Frederick was also sent somewhere, but I don't remember where. Anyhow, we didn't get to go to school until some time later. I was sent to teach Sr. Carolyn's fourth grade temporarily for five weeks. Sister Angela Sullivan was the Principal and Sister Servant. She was very stern, but kind. She was in my classroom every day. - She just sat quietly in the back, keeping discipline I imagine. When Sister Carolyn returned, I was then needed at St. Anselm's in Swissvale. I substituted there for one week for Sister M. Gabriel McGivern, who had gone to visit her sister, who was. at Mt. Hope. When Sister Gabriel returned, I substituted for Sister Mary Patrick Donovan for the following week in the fifth grade, which was also at St. Anselm's. By that time it was Lent. I remember going to St. Luke's in Carnegie. Someone from St. Anselm's escorted me to Carnegie via train or streetcar. I was first put into the High School at St. Luke's to replace Sister Mary Henry Hanse who was off duty. After a few weeks there., Sister Agnes Marie Reuber, who was the Sister Servant and Principal of the High School and Grade School said to me: "Do you think you're a High School teacher?" I said: "I don't know, Sister." She said: "Well, you're not! Sister Mary Henry is back, and she will take her classes. So, you will go across the street to the seventh grade where someone else is off duty." I went over there and did my best in that seventh grade for the rest of the school year. I loved those children and everything about it. I returned to St. Luke's in August, which would have been August of nineteen thirty-four for another full year in that seventh grade. It was during that year that I taught Sister Camillus Erb- .·- At the end of that year, I would have been happy to come back to Carnegie forever, but it wasn't to be that way. In the meantime, there were three of us there who were preparing for Vows. As of January First, nineteen thirty-four, we were to pronounce our Vows for the first time. During that first semester, Sr. Agnes Marie Reuber, who was Sister Servant and Principal of both the grade and high school, nevertheless took us every Wednesday evening for a study of the Vow manual. SMCM: Sister, who were the three Sisters preparing for Vows? SDML: They were: Sister Teresa Marie Jenkins, Sister M. Naomi Walsh and myself. We were right next to each other in the Community. We slept up on the top floor, what we called the Attic, four of us in a room. I don't remember who the fourth Sister was. I remember once having a very bad cold, and Sr. Agnes Marie trudged up those steps to rub my chest. I got better fast! She was a very strong woman and forceful. She was a good, holy, woman. When she said something, it was said, and you did it. Sr. Agnes Marie also taught German in the High School. That Christmas, we went back to Seton Hill, to prepare for Vows, by making what was called the "Christmas Retreat." Then on January First, we pronounced our Vows. At that time, they were annual Vows. That was a big event. We knelt up in the front of the Chapel, and we said our Vows together between the two elevations of the Mass. Mother Eveline Fisher and Sister Marie Antonio Mclinden knelt up there with us to receive our Vows. Then we went back to Carnegie for the remainder of that year. When I left Carnegie, I had no thought about being transferred. Of course, we knew that we were always subject to being changed. When the mission list came out, it just happened to be the day that I was leaving for my first-visit home. My parents came to get me. We rode over night. I learned that I was going to De Paul Institute, which meant very little to me. I knew that Sister Inez Mary Beckel, who is in my group was at De Paul for a year, but I still knew very little about it. She was very excited about my coming to De Paul. I had never known any deaf people, except an Aunt and Uncle of a classmate of mine. I'm sure they were old time, deaf, who never learned any speech, and I was afraid of it. I went willingly and found myself happy to be there. Immediately, Sr. Marie Antonio, who was still on the Council, came to visit. She wanted to know how I liked it. I already was sold on it completely. SMCM: Who was the Sister Servant? SDML: Sister M. Bernadette Hayes was the Sister Servant in the absence of Sr. Marie Antonio. She really had never worked here, but she was sent here during the six years that Sr. Marie Antonio was on the Council. Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney was the Principal. The Sisters here were: Sister Marie Michael Carroll, Sister Rose Gertrude Ritzert, Sister Emmanuel Manning, Sister Benedicta Sharp, (Sr. Benedicta had charge of the boys), Sister Mary Lois Highland, (Sr. Mary Lois had charge of the girls}, Sister Ethelreda Merz, Sister Teresa Mary Lacey, Sister M. Bridgetta Fitzpatrick, Sister Rose Xavier Garrity, Sister Mary Linus Hoag, Sister M. Fiorita McGrory, and Sister Inez Mary Beckel. SMCM: How many Sisters were there? SDML: I think there were about fifteen. I'm not remembering all of them because people were coming and going all the time. They were all very kind to me. I was assigned to observe Sister Rose Gertrude in the Primary Department. The youngest children we had were about seven years old. spent some time each day with Sr. Rose Gertrude, and then some time with Sr. Mary Linus at the next level. I also spent some time with Sr. Teresa Vincent, who, in addition to being Principal, was still trying to teach some classes. Time was spent too with Sr. Emmanuel and with Sr. Rose Xavier. Eventually, I had my first class, which was middle school children. They were about twelve years old. When Sister Emmanuel died in nineteen forty, I moved into the upper level, where I spent most of my time until I was made School Psychologist. We were still Novices even though we had made Vows once until we had completed five years. I don't know why, but five years and three months was the exact time. On December eighth, nineteen thirty-seven, we were officially professed Sisters. There was no ceremony connected with it. We just no longer reported to the Novitiate. During those five years, every time we went back to Greensburg, we were Senior Novices. We were still under Sister Theodosia Murtha. SMCM: Did you have to go back to Seton Hill every Summer? SDML: I went back the first two Summers, but I don't think we went back every Summer. SMCM: Did you go to school? SDML: We went to school. We took classes in the College. I remember one Summer when Mother M. Eveline Fisher was the Mother Superior and she said: "You went to school last Winter. So, you can spend the Summer in the laundry." I had gone to Duquesne from De Paul on Saturdays and took a class or two. I did then work in the lower part of the laundry mangling sheets, and taking charge of the Novices who came to the laundry to help. SMCM: Sister, who was in charge of the laundry at that time? SDML: I think that Sister M. Aloise White was still there, but maybe Sister Ruth Cecilia Giseburt was there by that time, but I don't think so. In any case, that was my part. I enjoyed it. I got a lot of reading done that Summer, didn't have to study, and that was very nice. Then after that, I didn't go back to Seton Hill in the Summers. I went to school at Duquesne and at St. John's Liberty Avenue where the Community had classes for the Sisters on Saturdays. I never matriculated at Duquesne, I just took courses there. After Sr. Emmanuel died suddenly the Easter of nineteen forty, I was sent to Pitt. I went there with about sixty-seven credits, most of which were from Seton Hill, and some from Duquesne. Tape I Side II SMCM: Sister, you were talking about your education. SDML: Yes. I started at the University of Pittsburgh the Summer of nineteen forty. I went there part time until January of nineteen forty-five when I graduated. I got my degree in Education with concentration on Psychology, and also in Geography. The Summer of nineteen forty-five, I was sent to Catholic University to work on a graduate level. Again, I majored in Education with a Minor in Religious Education. I spent six happy, very hard working Summers there. I graduated from Catholic University in nineteen fifty with a Master's Degree. SMCM: Sister, is that when our Sister Maurice McManama was there? SDML: Yes, I was there with Sister Maurice most of those years. She was very kind. She knew the ropes...the campus, etc. In fact, I took one course from her there. Every Summer there were several of our Sisters there, but I can't remember exactly in what order they came, or who were there which Summers. I know that Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp and Sister Rebecca Kelsey were there for at least one Summer. Sister Deborah Kelly was there while I was there. Several Sisters from De Paul were there different Summers. I took the following year off from Study. In the Summer of nineteen fifty­ two, I was sent to Northwestern University for nine or ten weeks. I returned to Northwestern the Summers of nineteen fifty-three and fifty-four. At Northwestern University, I worked toward requirements needed for State certification in the Education of the Deaf. I didn't receive a degree from Northwestern. That was all Post Master's work. Then I went back to Duquesne University part time. I took special courses which were needed for certification. During those years of schooling, I acquired Certification in Elementary Education, Education of the Deaf, Speech Therapy, and finally in School Psychology. In the meantime, I had been teaching here at De Paul continuously. I remained in full time teaching until nineteen seventy, at . which time I was given part time as to work on School Psychology. In January, nineteen fifty-seven, when Sr. Teresa Vincent left here and Sister Helen Louise Connelly was made Principal; I was asked to take charge of the testing program. I was doing that while teaching full time for several years. Finally, in nineteen seventy-four, I was relieved from the classroom completely and given full time in the clinic. During those years, I worked closely with the Alumni. I had taught older children most of the time, so it was natural that I would keep in touch with them. We had an organized program going, and a Newsletter. It is still a very active on-going thing. They don't have organized meetings, but we still have the Newsletter, and they come to class re-unions. Sr. Marie Antonio returned here in the Fall of nineteen thirty-six, having completed her six years on the Council. She became the local Sister Servant at that time I believe. Sr. Teresa Vincent remained Principal. There were times when Sr. Teresa Vincent also seemed to be Sister Servant. They relieved each other on occasion, but Sr. Marie Antonio was always in the background. She was always at the top because she had been one of the original Founding Sisters back in nineteen hundred eight. SMCM: Who else was with Sr. Marie Antonio back in nineteen eight? SDML: There was a Sister Martha. I can't remember who the third one was. Two of them didn't stay in the work, but Sr. Marie Antonio did. In the early years at De Paul, we got back to Seton Hill just for retreat. As cars became more common, we were able to get there more often. When more of the Sisters became drivers, it became even more possible. The Sisters making renovation spent several Summers here at De Paul. We always had Sisters who were studying at Duquesne living here in the Summer. SMCM: What was your experience like living with the children when you first came to De Paul? SDML: That was very interesting. We lived in a dormitory, those of us who lived on the girls' side. You had a curtained corner with a very small stand and a cupboard somewhere out in the hall where you could hang your habit. You waited until the girls were in bed so that you could use the bathroom. If anyone got sick or anything like that during the night, you were responsible. Eventually, I graduated to a semi-private room. There were two of us in a room which was so small that if one person was saying their prayers, the other couldn't pass until she got up. I remember it being that way with Sister McClory. The Sisters who lived on the boys' side had little rooms between the dormitories. They had a window opening to the dormitory so that if they heard anything unusual, they could look through the window before going out. Those were interesting years. I don't remember having too much disturb us during the night. I think that I was so tired that I wouldn't have heard it. We taught all day. Every teacher had evening study hour with her class. The Angels ( Sisters who had charge of the children outside of school) had to be relieved for an hour in the evening so that they could pray. Some of us had to help the children to get ready for bed. The children were here even on the week-ends in those days. SMCM: Were there a lot of children in residence in those days? SDML: Everyone was in residence. The only ones who were not in residence, to my recollection, were two boys who lived in Brookline. They were permitted to go home. It was customary in Schools For the Deaf to keep all the children in residence. I think the reasoning was so that the teachers could have more access to them, but we learned gradually later on that the children needed their families as much as or more than they needed the school. So, we worked toward getting to be day pupils, but that was a long process. SMCM: Did you have dining room duty, Sister? SDML: Yes, the children were all seated and served. There were two Sisters on duty in that Dining Room...one on each end. We all took turns doing this. SMCM: You also took part in the program at Edgewood, didn't you? SDML: Oh, yes. I don't remember which years, but at least two or three years, I went out there every Monday after school here and we met those children. At bed time they were not allowed to be taught. We were not allowed to teach them Religion in their own school. A couple of Catholic teachers walked the children down to St. James school in Wilkinsburg where we met them. We used all of the classrooms in St. James School for an hour after school. SMCM: How long did that Monday night program go on? SDML: It went on for a long time. It started out being a Sunday morning program. I remember Sisters as far back as Sister Mary Linus, Sister Teresa Vincent meeting the children after Mass to teach them Religion. SMCM: Why did they change it? SDML: I don't know. I don't remember the reasoning, but the second phase was the Monday after school thing. The third phase was: A couple of Sisters by that time, we were down to one or two, went to the school itself to meet the children. The program still goes on, but I believe all of the teachers are lay teachers. SMCM: What group of children did you have when you helped? SDML: I had the oldest children. When one of the priests was there, I believe it was Father Daugherty, he took the oldest group, and I had the second oldest. When Father wasn't there, I had the oldest. It was difficult work, because the children were used to people signing to them. We didn't do that. I met some very nice people there. One of the boys, whom I taught, later married one of our girls. That couple has kept in close touch with me. . Another thing that we did was go to Canonsburg to a place called Morganza. I think it has a different name now. It was a school for delinquents. There were some deaf children there. A couple of us went out there for a while to teach them lip reading. It was for a short time, but it was another interesting experience. SMCM: Was that after school? SDML: I have a feeling that it was on Sundays. SDML: On May fifteenth, in nineteen forty-nine, Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers went from mission to mission to receive the Sisters' Perpetual Vows. Up until that time, of course, we had been under Annual Vows. When Mother Rose Genevieve came to De Paul, we were all assembled in the Chapel, which is presently the Library. It was a very solemn moment. A lay person was taking care of the phone here. During that time, there was a phone call for me. When the ceremony was over, I was given the message to call Mary Halloran. I had the vague notion that Mary Halloran was the daughter of my mother's first cousin, who I knew lived in Pittsburgh. I called Mary, and she told me that she was interested in becoming a Sister of Charity. She was my second cousin. My Grandmother and her Grandfather had been brother and sister. Her mother had married a Pittsburgh man and had come here to live, so I probably only met her once that I could remember. Mary Halloran had been in our Sisters school in Brushton, in Father Black's parish until it closed. Eight years later, she wanted to enter. She looked me up because her Mother remembered that I was in Pittsburgh. SMCM: What was the name of that parish? SDML: Most Blessed Sacrament. It had been called Marian at one time, but got to be called just Father Black's. Mary wanted to be a Sister like one she had remembered from her early years in grade school. Mary's family went to an Italian parish after that, I believe it was Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Then she went to a Public High School and worked for four years before realizing that she wanted to become a Sister of Charity. Her Mother, her Aunt and I got into the act to put her in touch with me. She entered in September of nineteen forty-nine. Five years later, Rosemary Corwin, who lived in Jackson, Michigan, and was the daughter of my Aunt, my first cousin really by adoption, wanted to enter our Community. When she talked to me about it, I said: "Well, you know it's a long distance between Michigan and Greensburg. You won't get home very often." She was determined that this was what she wanted. SMCM: Sister, could you tell us a little bit about Sister Rose Virginia (Rosemary Corwin)? SDML: Her Mother had died when she was only two years old. Her Father, who had several other children, was not able to provide for her. The Pastor at the parish asked my Aunt to take this little girl. My Aunt and her second husband (her first husband had died) were more than willing to take this little girl. They enjoyed rearing her. She went to the Catholic schools in Michigan, first to the Dominican Sisters for grade school, then to the Cincinnati Sisters of Charity for high school. She had met me once or twice when she was small, so she decided that she would like to become a Greensburg Sister of Charity. Meantime, she had gone through college and had spent some time at Catholic University. SMCM: What was her field? SDML: It was Education. She was a teacher for several years before she entered. She finally came to see me in Greensburg. It was nineteen fifty­ four, the Marian Year. She was accepted for September eighth. I didn't see much of her in between times. She entered on September eighth, nineteen fifty-four. Both of Sister Rose Virginia's parents became invalids. There was no-one to take care of them. The Community gave Sister permission to go to Michigan to care for them. The Father died. After that, they sold their home and moved the Mother into an apartment. Sister had to stay with her. SMCM: Didn't Sister also teach at this time? SDML: She also taught at St. Mary's School with the Cincinnati Sisters of Charity. At one point, she taught at Queen's School, which is a Dominican School. She came back for one year and worked in Johnstown, but then she had to go back to Michigan again. When she went back, she took a part time job as a Librarian at St. Mary's. She had a person who stayed with her Mother during the hours when she was at the Library. SMCM: How long did she do this? SDML: I would say it was five or six years. Her Mother became weaker and weaker. Sister knew that she wasn't going to have her Mother much longer, but she didn't go to the Hospital as there really wasn't anything they could do. Three days before my Jubilee Celebration at Seton Hill, in nineteen eighty-two, Sister Rose Virginia called me to tell me that her Mother had died, and that she was taking her to Cumberland, Maryland to bury her. Her Father was also previously buried in Cumberland, Maryland. Of course, I had to go, but didn't go to Michigan. She had a Funeral Mass in Cumberland. I left immediately after the Mass for my Golden Jubilee with my Sisters to go to Cumberland. We arrived there that evening. Sister Rose Virginia had arrived shortly before us. We stayed with the Sisters of St. Ursula, who were very good to us. I think we stayed on in Cumberland for a day, and then returned here. SMCM: What happened with Sister Rose Virginia after that? SDML: She stayed here for a while for some much needed rest, but then had to return to Michigan to finalize her Mother's business. There was much to be done. She was there for at least a couple of months. Again, it wasn't possible for me to go to be with her, but she had many dear friends among her Mother's acquaintances. They moved right in and helped her. They had a family lawyer who took care of the financial end of things. Sister Rose Virginia got sick in Michigan. She came back to Greensburg, but she thought that if she could get back to the West where she had been happy, that she would get stronger. She got permission to go West, and was sent to Chandler, but she wasn't able to do much. She had been diagnosed by a specialist here.in Pennsylvania with leukemia. She knew before the Mother died that she wasn't well, but just didn't take time to look into it. The specialist at Mercy Hospital gave her permission to go to the West. He transferred her to a Doctor in Arizona, and sent her record. Sister Patricia Marie Stack, who was the Sister Servant at St. Mary's in Chandler, called me in late November or early December to tell me that Sr. Rose Virginia was quite ill, and that she would have to go back to Greensburg. She was flown home to Greensburg shortly before Christmas. The reason I know it was Christmas is that when I went out to see her, she had been caroling the night before with the Sisters. She wasn't really able to do that, but she wanted so much to be a part of it. She was so happy to be back with the Sisters at Assumption Hall. She was in the Hospital during New Year's that year. I remember talking to her on New Year's Day and telling her that everything was a sheet of ice. Tape II Side I SMCM: This is a continuation of the interview being conducted for the Oral History program for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister David Mary Leonard. Sister Marie Corona Miller is the interviewer. It is being conducted at De Paul Institute. The date is October twelfth, nineteen eighty-six. SDML: Sister Rose Virginia spent a long time in Jeannette Hospital. During that period, !·talked with her on the phone every day. I think Sister Sebastian Jellison must have visited her every day from Assumption Hall. Sister Rose Virginia learned to know Sr. Sebastian and to trust her completely. She confided to her all of her wishes concerning her few little belongings and every detail of her funeral. I remember Sr. Rose Virginia telling me that she wanted the "In Paradisum" in Latin because it flows better than the English translation. . During that time, her Dominican half­ sister came to visit her from Florida. There was also a cousin who came from Michigan two different times. They stayed at Assumption Hall for several days. Sr. Sebastian took them back and forth to see Sister at the Hospital. Those were highlights of that period while she was in the Hospital. There came a time when I called her and she couldn't talk. Finally, on March twenty-first, nineteen eighty-four, she died quietly at Assumption Hall. She wanted to die there. Sr. Sebastian called me immediately to inform me of Sister's death. Someone took me out to Assumption Hall and I stayed there until after the funeral. My sisters and their families came to the funeral. SMCM: How old was Sister when she died? SDML: I believe that she was fifty-four or fifty-six. SMCM: Where was she on mission? SDML: She was missione, d to many places. I remember that she was sent out as a postulant, along with Sister Laverne Cassidy; and Sister Barbara Mary Koval to St. Anselm's in Swissvale. She was also at: St. Stephen's in Hazelwood, St. James in Wilkinsburg, and a couple of western missions. I remember specifically that she was at St. Catherine's in Tucson. Her last mission out there was in Chandler. SMCM: I really appreciate you telling us about Sr. Rose Virginia. SMCM: Sister, is there anything else that you would like to tell us about your Religious life? SDML: As far as mission life is concerned, I was always happy that I had experience for about a year and a half on a smaller mission before I came to an institution. I think that it made me understand that the life of the other Sisters is different from ours. Since things have changed, the difference is not as big. There was one funny thing that happened here shortly after I came. I was in the classroom at the head of the stairway. I was very new and very green. This priest came to my door and wanted to know if I had a yardstick. I didn't have a yardstick, didn't know where to get one, nor did I know who he was. I found out later that he was the Reverend T. F. Coakley, who was the famous pastor of Sacred Heart Church, and also the first director at De Paul Institute: He had come to measure the niche, where St. Catherine now stands outside the kitchen door. She wasn't there yet. She was being made, and he wanted to measure the niche. did direct him down the hall to the Principal's office, but I was never allowed to forget that, because Father Coakley was like the name of the saint here. Soon after that, right before Christmas, he came out here to announce that he was resigning his position as Director of De Paul. He didn't feel that he could do justice to De Paul and to Sacred Heart Parish. The Sisters were so distressed about this. It seemed like the end of the world. The Capuchin Priests took care of our spiritual needs. They came for Mass, heard the childrens' confessions, did whatever needed to be done. Father Coakley still took care of the business end of things. He came often to do this. He brought back academic ideas from the different places he visited. He brought back materials from the original Montessori School. He was determined to make De Paul Institute the largest oral school for the deaf in the world. I think he came pretty close to doing this. He knew that the school was growing, so he felt that the school should be turned over to someone who could devote full time to it. That's when Father Raymond Daugherty was appointed as Director of De Paul. Another thing that I remember about Father Coakley was that when I came here, the old Annex was just being finished. We called it then "The Primary School." There were four new little classrooms available for whoever was going to use them. Father Coakley came out on the twenty­ fourth of October to dedicate that building. It was pouring rain. I remember escorting one of our big boys over to that building for the dedication under a large umbrella. We had many happy times at De Paul. Sisters came and stayed for a long time. I particularly recall what a delight Sister Marie Michael Carroll was, with her Irish brogue, quotations, lady-like manners, etc. She was the essence of refinement. Sister Rose Gertrude Ritzert was a chubby little German from Butler. She played the organ and taught the youngest children. SMCM: Can you tell us anything about Schwester(German Sister)? SDML: Oh, yes, Sister Rose Gonzaga Wieland. She had charge of the laundry, and sometimes she was in the kitchen. The biggest thing about her was her German trunk. Anything that you ever wanted, you could get from the German trunk....set of candles for the table, or a lovely brass candle holder, or some ribbon, whatever, it didn't matter, she had it, and she was more than willing to share it. She kept her trunk down near the laundry. She was very good about holidays. She liked to celebrate. She would do anything for anyone. SMCM: How long was Sr. Rose Gonzaga at De Paul? SDML: Oh, a long time. I wouldn't estimate how long. She left De Paul for a while and went to one of the missions. I think it was to St. Luke's. She must have returned here, because I can remember her being carried out of here to her death bed on St. Patrick's Day, nineteen sixty-six. She died on March twenty-fourth, so she was close to death when they removed her from De Paul. Her big concern was that she was spoiling Sister Bridgetta Fitzpatrick's birthday party. That's the kind of person that she was. SMCM: Sister Bridgetta was the Sister Servant then. SDML; Was she? Maybe she went to the hospital with Sister. SMCM: She did. SDML: Were you here then? SMCM: Yes. SDML: Well, that explains that then. Sr. Rose Gonzaga had one very close friend here in the city. She called her Cunni.....CunegLinda was probably her name....Cunegunda Koett. Once in a great while, Cunni would have Sr. Rose Gonzaga to her home. One time, Sister took me as companion. They served a heavy, rich soup first. I ate the soup, and thought that was the meal. That was just the introduction. Then they came with more and more of whatever. It ended with cheese cake. It was the first time I had ever eaten cheese cake. It was home made. That was the nearest thing that Sister had to family, besides the German Sisters in the Community, whom she didn't get to see very often. SMCM: Did she ever go back to Germany? SDML: She went back at least once to Studtgard. When she came back, she said: "Ve had to stay over night in Paris." We all said: "Oh, you poor thing!" That was a great event...getting ready for that. SMCM: What about some of the other Sisters, like Sister Maureen Coggers? SDML: Sister Maureen Coggers was a very efficient bookkeeper during her stay here at De Paul: She wasn't here very long. Sister Benedicta Sharp was what we called 'The Boys' Angel." She would have defended those boys with her life. She and Sister Mary Lois Highland worked well together. During another period of time here, there were other people in that position. Sister M. Liguori Steinmiller was here for a while as the boys' angel. SMCM: When did Sister Marie Andrea Dedig come? SDML: I don't remember dates clearly, but she probably followed Sister Liguori. Didn't Sr. Marie Andrea come directly here after she made her vows or after she got the black cap? I think she did. I don't believe that she was ever anywhere else. She dedicated· herself completely to the boys, and their welfare, and the baseball team. SMCM: What nurses were here during your time at De Paul? SDML: Sister M. Aquinata Moore was in charge of the infirmary when I came. I think she was a Practical Nurse. The infirmary was one small cupboard outside the Sacristy. She was also the Sacristan, so she had charge of the Sacristy. There was no Infirmary room. If she had to take care of one of the girls, she did it right there in the hallway. There was a small Infirmary room upstairs with three little cots. If someone was really sick, they were put in there. She also had a cupboard over on the other side for the boys, and she went over each day to tend to any needs. SMCM: How long was Sr. Aquinata there? SDML: I'm not sure, possibly three to five years. SMCM: Who followed Sr. Aquinata? SDML: It was probably Sister Alice Elizabeth Nolan. I can't remember anyone in between. SMCM: What about Sister Agnes Teresa Mclane? Wasn't she at De Paul twice? SDML: She had two turns here, and I don't know if one of them was before Sister Alice Elizabeth. You know who else was here briefly was Sister Agnes Joseph Hines. SMCM: I think that Sr. Agnes Teresa was here before Sr. Alice Elizabeth. SDML: That's probably correct....then after Sr. Alice Elizabeth the second time she was here. SMCM: Can you tell us about the kitchen? Didn't someone in your group work in the kitchen? SDML: Yes, Sister Teresa Marie Jenkins came here after she lost some of her fingers in an accident at Seton Hill. She was more or less recuperating when she first came. She gradually got well and she worked hard in the kitchen for several years. She was eventually in charge of the kitchen. There was another Sister here at one time in the kitchen....Sister M. Dominic Wivell. She was here for a while. Another Sister who was here briefly after she retired was Sister Mary Florence Hickey. She had been a teacher, but she came here to take charge of the children's dining room. She died here in the boys' house. SMCM: Did she serve in the dining room? 18 SDML: I don't think she served. She didn't know the children. She just took care of the dining room generally. SMCM: Several of the Sisters died here, didn't they? SDML: Sister Emmanuel Drake died here. That was the greatest shock! · She was getting ready to go to the Easter Retreat the next day. On Holy Saturday morning, she had polished the main hall, with the help of one of the boys. By Noon that day she was dying. She died in the early part of the afternoon on Holy Saturday. She was just forty-six years old. She was a very active person. She took part in everything that we had here. We had just celebrated her Silver Jubilee back in February of the same year. SMCM: How long was Sr. Emmanuel at De Paul? SDML: I think she spent most of, if not all of her Community life here. I think she was older when she entered, maybe twenty-one. I think she · taught before she entered, but don't believe she was ever on any other mission. She played the piano by ear. She loved to put on plays. I remember on St. Patrick's Day when we were still having silence for breakfast, that she got permission to play the piano in the school hall while we were coming down to breakfast. She was always wanting to celebrate something. Sister M. Adelaide Ford had charge of the "Baking House" at Seton Hill, and she was Sister Emmanuel's dear frjend. They had entered together. Sr. Emmanual made Sister Adelaide a complete, new habit for her Jubilee, even down to a new handkerchief for her pocket. She had great joy in doing that. The people here put on a play for her Jubilee. ·It was really elaborate. It was the story of Prince Galitzen, and she loved that. She was very history minded. I should tell you that Prince Galitzen, known as Father Smith, said Mass in the home of one of my Great, Great Grandfathers. My Grandmother told me that. Western Maryland was part of his territory. SDML: This Summer, Sr. Mary Antonio's niece came to visit. She had never been back to Pittsburgh since she was a young girl. She now lives in Florida. She was the daughter of Sr. Marie Antonio's sister. Those of us who remembered her went down to talk to her. I said to her: "Do you have one of the statues which was a souvenir of Sr. Marie Antonio's Jubilee?" She said: "No, I don't." I said: "I have one, and I'm going to give it to you." She was just delighted to have that, and after she went back to Florida, she wrote to me and thanked me again. She went through the Academy when we had it, and was present when the College was Incorporated in nineteen seventeen, I think it was. There were many Sisters who have come and stayed for a while and have gone. Sister Sophie Gloss was here for a while, Sister Jeannette Weisman was here for quite a while. Tape Two Side Two SDML: Other Sisters were: Sister Mary Francis Irvin, Sister Mary Kevin Kerrigan, Sr. Marie Michael Carroll, Sister Mary Ann McAfee spent most of her life here, except for one brief period when she was out on one of the other missions, Sister M. Dionysius Henry was here for two different terms...one before I came, and later when she was really not well. SMCM: What did Sister Dionysius do, Sister? SDML: She was in charge of the boys. I can't remember if she was well enough to be with the boys the second time she returned. Sister Mary James Brownlee had been here for some time before I came. believe she was here specifically to be the Sister Servant. SMCM: That's what I was going to ask you. I understand that the period of time when Sr. Marie Antonio and Sr. Teresa Vincent were both here, that there was another Sister here who was acting as Sister Servant. Sr. Marie Arthur: This issue is being repeated. It has already been recorded that Sr. M. Bernadette Hayes was the Sister Servant at De Paul while Sr. Marie Antonio was on the Council. SDML: In January of Nineteen Fifty-Seven Sr. Marie Antonio and Sr. Teresa Vincent left, at which time, Sister Helen Louise Connelly was made Sister Servant and Principal. After Sr. Helen Louise, Sister M. Bridgetta Fitzpatrick was Principal and Sister Servant, followed by Sister M. Justina Dreistadt as Sister Servant and Sister Philomena Mannion as Principal. SMCM: Did you also have Sister Leocadia in the kitchen for a while? SDML: Oh, yes, Sister Leocadia Mulholland. She was a great baker of pecan rolls. SMCM: Where did she come from? SDML: She came from Carnegie. I taught her niece at St. Luke's. She has a sister living in Brookline. She had several brothers and at least one sister. She was a wonderful cook and a great manager. Dorothy Jackson, who was Sister John Joseph Weber's sister, and who came here under Sr. Leocadia, and later had to take over, said that Sr. Leocadia taught her everything that she ever knew about cooking. SMCM: Whose place did Sr. Leocadia take? SDML: I suspect that Sr. Leocadia followed Sr. Teresa Marie Jenkins. Sr. Leocadia was here for quite a while. SMCM: Is there anyone else that you can recall? SDML: Sister Miriam Ruth Clark used to always tell us that her aunt, Sister Marie Aloysia Schreiber had been here some time back. I knew that the older deaf people talked about her. She spent a number of years at De · Paul. Also, Sister Agnes Dougherty was here and was well thought of, but she left here and went to St. Luke's, and she was equally well liked there. She taught the older children. Some of them who have gone out to Greensburg for funerals for other Sisters, like Sister Fiorita McGrory, have visited Sister Agnes in the Infirmary. SMCM: Did Sister Fiorita McGrory and Sister Rose Xavier Garrity come together? SDML: They came together in the same year. Sr. Rose Xavier was older in age, but Sr. Fiorita was already in the Community. Sr. Fiorita entered in Nineteen Fifteen, and Sr. Rose Xavier worked for a number of years in a bank. They lived together here for many years. Sr. Rose Xavier had charge of the Boy Scouts, and Sr. Fiorita had charge of the Girl Scouts. Anything concerning the boys, Sr. Rose Xavier took care of, e.g. The Holy Name Society, and anything pertaining to the girls Sr. Fiorita handled e.g. The Sodality. Sister Mary Linus Hoag was the third one of that team. They were a great team! Now we have Sr. Mary Linus's nephew on our faculty...Tom Hoag. At one point, Sr. Mary Linus left here for a year or so, because she had a very serious sinus condition. Someone thought that going to the West might help her. It did help her physically, but she missed De Paul. So she came back after a year or two and brought Sister Helen Louise Connelly with her. Sr . Helen Louise had been out there for a number of years and I never knew how it happened, but we always teased Sr. Mary Linus about getting Sr. Helen Louise for De Paul. SMCM: Sister David Mary; weren't you instrumental in teaching the deaf to communicate via wire? SDML: Well, I suppose so, but the instruments were given to me by the alumni. The one they gave me was an old PTY (sounds like they're saying, can't tell). It was a monster of a thing! It sounded like judgement day! However, it was a great benefit to the deaf people. What you did was attach the receiver of your phone to a cuppler, which in turn was attached to the PTY instrument. Then you dialed your number on the regular phone, which had to be connected with this instrument. Then the phone would ring in the deaf person's home and he or she had it rigged up to a light, so that when the light flashed, they knew the phone was ringing. Then he picked up his receiver and attached it to his instrument and we typed messages back and forth to each other. The first one that we had literally was a PTY. It was an old adapted tele typewriter which a deaf physicist, who was not from Pittsburgh, figured out a way to attach this typewriter to a telephone so that deaf people could communicate by telephone wires, but without hearing. Messages on the older models appeared on rolls of paper. The messages appear on screens on the newer models. (I couldn't make out the acronym letters for the newer models....sounds like TVD...which stands for Television V (can't determine) for the Deaf. The Alumni gave me two of the newer models for my Fiftieth Jubilee. SMCM: Is there anything else that you would like to say about your work at De Paul? SDML: It has been very gratifying. I've always been happy that I was sent here. Had I been consulted, I might not have known what to say. SMCM: At the present time, what are you doing? SDML: At the present time, I'm the school psychologist, but working for just a half day. I'm training a young man who has been on our staff for a number of years, to do my work. He's also taking courses at Duquesne University toward certification in Psychology. That's working out very well. SMCM: Are there any comments that you would like to make regarding changes in the Community and in the Church? SDML: I'm very hopeful on both counts. I feel that there is a considerable amount of unrest in the Church, there is some rebellion being shown, but I think in the end, that the Rock of Peter is still there, and it's going to come out right. In the Community, I believe that we are learning to live with diversity. I think that's good. I have my reservations about some angles of it, but that's alright too. SMCM: What do you think about the Faculty staffing of the school in light of having fewer Sisters? SDML: We have very fine lay people, and they are very dedicated to the work here. I feel that they are going to have more and more control of the school unless we get some Sisters. Our youngest Sisters are not really young. I can accept having more lay people, but would like it to stay in the hands of the Sisters. SMCM: Well Sister Mary David, I appreciate you taking the time to provide the Community with this important information, and the Community is also grateful. Sr. Marie Arthur: I completed the transcription of this oral history on Sister David Mary Leonard on June Fourth, Two Thousand Thirteen. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister David Mary Leonard Subject The topic of the resource Sister David Mary Leonard Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister David Mary Leonard, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1932 until 2002. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on October 12, 1986. Sister David Mary Leonard was born on January 23, 1915 in Cumberland, Md. Daughter of David A. Leonard and Edna R. Mason, Kathleen C. Leonard entered the community on September 8, 1932 as Sister David Mary Leonard. Sister David Mary spent much of her ministry in education and care for the deaf and hard of hearing at the DePaul Institute in Brookline. She initially taught junior high education for the hard of hearing for 37 years, and later served as a full-time psychologist for the Institute. She also worked as coordinator of the “Share A Home” project and as liaison of the Alumni Office. She also coordinated to send older DePaul students to the Connelly Vocational School and the Vocational Center at South Hills High School to learn useful trades. Sister David Mary earned her B.S. in Education at the University of Pittsburgh in 1945 and earned her M.A. in Education at Catholic University in 1950. She was certified by the state as a teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Speech Correction and Public School Psychology and was certified by the Conference of Executives of American Schools for the Deaf. Sister David Mary Leonard passed away on May 7, 2002, at the age of 87. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/10/12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-71 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Sara Ann Lauer Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 59:21 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 43-1 1 This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sisters Sara Ann Lauer. The interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. This is being done at Assumption Hall. The date is February 26, 1983. SMC Hello, Sister Sara Ann. SSA: Hello. SMC: How are you? SSA: Oh, I'm fair. SMC: That's good. Sister, would you like to tell me a little bit about yourself? SSA: Well, I'll tell you if it might be of any benefit to you, then I'd be glad to tell you. SMC: Alright. Sister, when were you born? SSA: I was born at Kittaning Point near the Horseshoe Curve where Hershey Reservoir is now. The water company took that place over after about, 0, a good many years and they took the dwellings all away from up there. But my Aunt and Uncle, they had their home right close to the uh, where the reservoir was; and my father's sister was married to a man by the name of Jim McGinley and her name was Jane. Aunt Jane married and they lived . . . when I was a child I visited with them. And I stayed a week; I was awfully lonely. I was always worried about my little sister at home. SMC: What about your parents, Sister? SSA: My parents We lived up in what is now called Coupon and we lived about four miles away from Kitanning Point. SMC: Where did you go to school? SSA: Well, I went to public schools in different places. I quess my first year was in Coupon. It was called Delanyville at that time and they changed the name later to Coupon, PA because there was another town that had almost the same name and they were always getting mixed up so much they called it Coupon because the people who worked for the company all used coupons to get their groceries and things like that. SMC: Now Sister, what about the Sisters of Charity? When did you first come tin contact with the community? SSA: Oh, I met the Sisters of Charity I went in training for nursing with the Sisters of Mercy in Johnstown, and the Sisters of Charity seemed to be much plainer and seemed much more, uh, easier. And uh, I liked the sisters were working for the poor. I liked the habits they had much better than the Mercy Sisters because when it was cold they didn't seem to have to wear, as much. The clothes and they seemed to be too dressed up to me to work -the Sisters of Mercy. And on feast days, you know, they were even dressed up more; they put on copes and things. I thought I'd rather be with working with the poor and the Sisters came there to visit at the Mercy Hospital. They had people, patients here and there. And to me they seemed, well . . . you know a plainer and easier to work. 2 SMC: Did you say that you worked at Mercy Hospital in Johnstown? SSA: I did. I went in training there. I was there 15 months, I think. Then I took typhoid fever and I nearly died. Then I didn't go back. I took , I went to Philadelphia. I finished my training in Philadelphia , with the Coronet Sisters in Philadelphia. I got my diploma from them. SMC: What school was that, Sister? SSA: It was St. Vincent de Paul's and . . .uh... it was an orphanage and children's home. SMC: And after you got your training, is that when you entered the Sisters of Charity? SSA: Oh yes. Well, I went to the sanatorium, I went to the State Sanatorium. I didn't part with my nursing and I went to the State Sanatorium and worked there for four and a half years. SMC: Where was that Sanatorium, Sister? SSA: In Cresson, PA. It was State run. And I did private nursing in Pittsburgh for a while, too. I was in Pgh., Oh, I couldn't tell you how may years. I entered in '25. I had been working, nursing and then going home and helping my parents on the farm. And then I'd go back nursing again. And I saved my money and put it away for them, in case they didn't have and need a place to take care of them when they got old until they died. SMC: Did you take care of them while they were sick, Sister? SSA: I took care of my father, well I was in the community then; at home I took care of my father until he died. But my mother, she had to have a colostomy on her and she didn't get over it. She was, I think, 83 years old. She died in Mercy Hospital. I was teaching then at Johnstown, at Our Lady of Mercy. I was teaching there for a while. That's where I was when my mother had her operation, and died. SMC: Were you working at the hospital in Johnstown? SSA: No, I was working at the convent, at Our Lady of Mercy Convent. You know, I kept house for them for a couple of years. SMC: Who was your Mistress of Novices, Sister? SSA: Well, the first Mistress of Novices was Mother Mary Francis, and uh, she died while she was in office. And I was through training by that time, I think, yes. SMC: Sister, who entered with you in 1925? SSA: Sister Rita Mary and Sister Maureen and Sister Maureen and Sister Marguerite. The four of us entered together. SMC: Would you tell us a little bit about your novitiate? 3 SSA: Well,. to tell about the novitiate . . . there were the youngest sisters. There were two groups of us; there was the senior novices and there the younger novices. They had their novitiate; one of the big dormitories was the Senior's novitiate and ours was . . . well, Mother was with us most of the time. We'd get our prayers together still, rosary and all those other prayers we got together. We were about the same size, me and another sister and when they saw us coming, they didn't know whether it was Mother Mary Francis or us!! SMC: What did you do as a novice. Sister? SSA: Novice? Well, I guess the first job I had was taking care of Sister Maria-she was an invalid then and I took care of her. Then I went on night duty; I guess I was on night duty about eleven months. I had a nervous breakdown and I had get off duty for a while. When I got better, I did any extra nursing I could and uh, ... I helped on the novitiate floor. But I was on night duty 11 months; I used to go all around the house then. And I had charge of the floors; put me on day duty and I had charge of the whole house. Had to go every place all around the building if anyone was sick on either side. In the summer time the Sisters would come home and there would be a lot of sick and old on the different floors. Whenever they called, some of the sisters would go and find out about this or that one, and then I'd have to go over to where they were, and maybe it was the other end of the building. Then back to get medicine and try to fix them up. SMC: Well, Sister , you were really infirmarian? SSA: I was infirmarian, yes. I think I was about 15 months. SMC: Does that include your Postulancy year when you first entered? SSA: I guess it was, because I was sent to, uh, I was at the Foundling a while; can't remember how long. What do they call it? At that time it was the Roselia Hospital . . . What do they call it now? SMC: Philip Murray Hall SSA: Philip Murray. They done so much for them. When they put up the new building they called it Philip Murray Hall. SMC: So, after you finished your years as infirmarian, then what did you do? SSA: Well, I did nursing, taking care of the sick as long as I was able. I helped the sick any place, where ever I could be. I was on, did I tell you? I was on night duty for 11 months. I took care of Mary Xavier and she would always tell us her story. Sr. Fides was very, very fond of her. And I... well, I liked to hear her talk And Sr. Mary Xavier, she said, "I didn't want to quit teaching music". She said, "I asked for help and in place of giving me help" she said "they brought me home here and put a young sister in my place. What I wanted to do was just stay right there and have somebody help me because the teaching was too much for one." And so she, well, she .... Oh, I'm all l just can't think what to say. Besides, when she told the story, then her mother was bad, bad-sick and uh, she said that everybody she met would ask her "How's your mother?" and she would say she hasn't changed, she's just the same. So the mother one day Rose came in and asked how she was and she said, "Oh, I'm just living and that's all. And when she 4 came home they wanted to know what she meant by telling the people she was dying. Everybody was coming and calling. She said, "I didn't tell them you were dying, I just said what you said to Aunt Mary this morning You told her that you were just living and that was all." SMC: Sister, where did you live with Sr. Mary Xavier? SSA: Why- Seton Hill. She died while I was infirmarian. I was on nights while I was infirmarian. SMC: The date is February 27, 1983. Sister Sara Ann, can you tell us something about when you were at the foundling? What did you do there? SSA: I had charge of the larger children, everyone called them the "run arounds" ! I took them out to the park; you know we had a nice park there. And I took them out to the park. They had places to play, a very nice open place and they had sand to play in and different things to entertain them. They had their lunch hour there, at the-, you know at noon time, they'd have their lunch. I remember there was a big crowd. I couldn't just say how many now, but ah, those are the ones that I took to Beaver Falls. You know they got Beaver Falls, what they called the Kelly Farm. They had a nice home there and when I took them to Beaver Falls, they had a nice big barn, and they had the barn floored for a clothes room like, we could, ah, a nice place, then they fixed everything but the children stayed there for weeks at a time out ih the open spaces and in the summer months when it was nice and warm. And that was the time I took them there, I picked up one of the children to show her a chicken so she wouldn't be a scared of the chicken and she tripped up against the wall, and knocked me over and, uh, uh I injured my wrist very badly that I couldn't work for awhile. That's when I went back to the uh, Seton Hill. And I guess that was the last time that I went back to well, no I went back to the Foundling a second time and they called me home to take care of an old sister who was dying. By the time I got home, it was Sister Marie and she had died. And I, ah, that's when I was made infirmarian, at that time. SMC: How many years were you at the Foundling? SSA: Oh, I couldn't tell ya that; I was a good many years at the Foundling. I was at the Foundling when they moved the chapel-moved the chapel over there to the next building where it was the nurses' home. They had a chapel over there for a number of years. They moved the chapel out of the building when Gov. Pennypacker came in and he didn't want any religion in there, you know any place where he-where the government was giving money. So they moved the convent, uh, the chapel into the nurse residence and it was there for a number of years. Now, I couldn't tell you the dates or anything . SMC: That's all right, Sister. Sister Sara Ann, you have always loved to work outside in the garden. SSA: Yes , uh-huh. 5 SMC: Taking care of the plants Could you tell us a little bit about that? SSA: Well, I had ... when I came here after a sick spell, I guess, after nursing, why I could work outdoors and I could keep up. I tried working indoors with the sick people; I felt so bad with the sick people,..... you know it affected me. So I had...l took ! had a garden down,--- a nice place down at the end of the lot. I could go out and work in garden for hours. If I had to stay around sick people, it depressed me so much. Well, l. it affected so that I couldn't do the work that I wanted to do. SMC: What did you have in your garden? SSA: I had a little bit of everything, things that we'd use around the house. I had tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. One year I had so much cabbage and it all came at one time. think I had about sixty head of cabbage that year-nice big cabbages. And then I had a few of those little acorn squashes. You know, I'd have enough for a meal every now and again for the whole house. I had the peppers, too, and they could bake the peppers. I had baked and stuffed peppers and uh, onions and radishes and all those things that could be planted in the garden. And I planted sweet corn, too; and we'd have sweet corn. SMC: Sister we still had the farm at Seton Hill, is that right? SSA: Yes, that was the chief here... SMC: At Assumption Hall? SSA: Yes. SMC: Oh. SSA: Assumption Hall. SMC: What year did you come to Assumption Hall? SSA: Why, I moved over when the house was first opened. I was one of the first ones that moved over. And then I went to the hospital -Mother Rose Genevieve wasn't good then and they sent me to the hospital to look after her. And so I went to the hospital until she got better. And they got the house finished and I brought her home brought to Seton Hill. SMC: I think that was in the early 1950's, Sister, right? SSA: Well....l couldn't tell you the dates. I can't remember, but she was at Seton Hill a number of years. She died over here, in the big room next to the chapel. SMC: So you had your garden on Assumption Hall grounds. SSA: Oh, yes. I didn't have any garden at Seton Hill. But I got things out of the garden and I canned them, cooked them, the tomatoes and things and got them ready for the kitchen. I canned tomatoes when I was there, too----canned pickles, tomatoes and things like that 6 out of the garden. When I was on night duty, I put up a good many jars of stuff like that when there wasn't too many sick people on the floor. Why, I'd put up some of the things for the kitchen, help the sisters out in the kitchen. SSC: What about fruits, sister? SSA: Well, the priest was over on the first floor, you know where they had their dining room. But I never took care of the priest. The priest lived over at the , what they called the priest's house; the house they had for the priests. It's still over there; it's called St. Mary's I think. I don't know just what they call the priest's house now. I think the building is still standing.... SSC: I think so, Sister. SSA: Yes, because there are a couple of priests there and each one of them has a suite of rooms. They are teachers, teachers up until they brought that priest. he's still getting pension over there. You know that priest; he took the whole suite of rooms. When Father Reeves took sick, they brought in a priest from New York. Do you remember his name? SSC: Monsignor Ryan? SSA: Monsignor Ryan. Now he took the whole suite of rooms; took nearly the whole house. don't know if it was his mother or sister when they put up the new building, he wanted them to put up a whole suite or rooms over the library so he could bring his mother or sister. But they didn't agree with that. SMC: You were still at Seton Hill then? SSA: Yeah. SMC: Sister, besides your garden of vegetables, didn't you pick fruit from the trees around the grounds? SSA: Oh, yes, I used to pick apples and get them ready for the kitchen. When I had the garden I'd get the apples and put them in, we had a nice, what you'd call a shanty down at the end of the lawn, and I'd put the apples in there and then when we'd get a chance we'd bring them up and we'd have an apple party. An evening when we could all get together. Why, we'd make 8 or 10 gallons of applesauce at a time! Get it ready and kept it in the cold storage so they could use it when they needed it. We had applesauce for breakfast so very often. And all the sisters wanted to have applesauce when it was cooking; some of them would come to the kitchen and ask if they could have a dish of applesauce it smelled so good. SMC: Sister, who would prepare the apples? SSA: We'd all come together. Like they're having now-parties in the evening you know. All the sisters and the novices, everybody that was around would all work together to make the apple sauce. 7 SMC: Did you just make applesauce, or did you use apples for anything else? SSA: We got them ready to use for pies, or anything they needed. We had big containers --------I guess, but we'd cook it in there and keep it in the cold storage. SMC: Did you make apple butter? SSA: I helped to make apple butter at Seton Hill; we made apple butter over there. But, not after we came over here. Apple butter takes a long while to cook and they cooked it in great big containers; then send it out on the missions. The missions got apple butter from the motherhouse SMC: And you did that at Seton Hill while you were nursing? SSA: No, I was off sick from nursing, and I didn't go back to nursing right away. I went and helped in the kitchen. When I was in the kitchen was when I helped to pick the apples. And the sister in charge; I think Sr. Rose Vincent was in charge. And she went out with us and we picked apples and brought them in. We got cider made, and apple butter for the missions. SMC: What other kind of fruit did you pick from the trees? SSA: Oh, there was pears, lots of them; we used to bring those in and keep them until they got ripe. The pears aren't tasty, but we had a couple of other pear trees that was around here and they were all the "rust coats" and they were real sweet pears. They had trees down here in the fields. And I have trees planted over here; down below here, I have planted golden balls and plums. The green ,Ihad a couple of trees of those. I had a sorry?? cherry tree; Mother Eveline and I put our money together and we bought the trees and had them planted, right below the house here. A good many cherries, the summer cherries came off; and we had peach trees, and pear trees. I had a beautiful big one. The pear tree--- what are those yellow ones called-the nice yellow, big pears? SMC: Sickle pears? SSA: No, sickle pears is the nice tree that they have down there; that's what they call sickle pear. Do you remember what those good pears are get in the summer time? SMC: I'm afraid not, Sister. Sister, you talked about the shanty, that is where your garden was. Could you tell me, where was the shanty on these grounds? SSA: It was down here next to the road. I think it was a tool shed, what the people had that was here before. But it was all finished nice, and protected. You could lock the door and keep things in. It wasn't a shanty; it was a nice tool shed. And that is where I put the pears and I raised a good many of those big turnips, cabbage, turnips or rutabagas. I had a lot of them too; I could bring them in, in the fall and keep them a while in that building. And I brought them in and tomatoes, too, when there was going to be frost. I'd be picking tomatoes and bringing them in to let them finish ripening. But mostly, I brought them up to the house, put them in the basement, and they would be ripe in just a 8 short while. But, I had bushels of tomatoes and rutabagas, too. SMC: Had you done a lot of that, Sister, before you entered? SSA: Well, we had a "truck patch" at home and we'd raise a lot of things to sell, to take to market. SMC: Was that in Coupon? SSA: No, in our own farm, well, yes, it belongs to the Coupon parish. SMC: Did your brothers and sisters work outside with you? SSA: Oh, yes. Yes, the ones that was home worked in the garden. SMC: How many brothers and sisters did you have? SSA: I had 4 sisters and 10 brothers. There's two of them living, two of my brothers living and one sister and myself. SMC: And you're the oldest of those who are living? SSA: Yes, the sister is the little one I took care of. She is six years younger than I am, but she still keeps house and is taking care of a retarded woman, Miss Gallagher. She had a brother a priest up at Johnstown; he used to take care of her. SMC: Were you the oldest of the 15 children? SSA: No, I was the sixth child. There were five older than I. Did I tell you before what my father and mother's names were? SMC: No. You didn't tell me that, Sister. SSA: I didn't? Are you sure I didn't? SMC: Yeah, I'm sure. SSA: Well, my mother's name was Sara Ann Cole. And my father's name was Augustine Henry Lauer. SMC: And you took your mother's name in religion? SSA: Yes. SMC: Sister, when you came to Assumption Hall, did you leave to go to another mission? You spent some time in Altoona? SSA: Well, it was after I was old enough to retire; when I got old and I felt that I wasn't able to do too much and I went to Altoona. I was there I guess on to part of three years 9 SMC: Do you remember what you did in Altoona? SSA: Well, I worked around the kitchen; I canned fruit for them. I used to go up the mountain; I'd bring home apples and tomatoes; I cooked and canned for the sisters at the Cathedral. I baked for them and I worked in the kitchen - made bread or buns or anything they wanted- made pies or things like that if they wanted them for their meals. SMC: So after you left Cathedral in Altoona , you came back to Assumption Hall? SSA: Yes. SMC: And you've been busy doing some things here at Assumption Hall? SSA: Well, I'm doing anything I can to help the sisters, to help anybody. You know, it wouldn't be too much because I'm up in years. I wasn't able when I had a spell with my heart. That's the reason I came, was brought back here. SMC: Sister, what about your love for plants? SSA: I had plants --- a place on the porch after I wasn't able to go to the garden, I had a place for plants on the porch. We always had flowers growing on the porch, you know, and I looked after the plants there. Whenever they'd have the parties for Korea, there was always a lot of plants to take to the Korean Card Party, and those kinds of things. SMC: What is your favorite kind of plant, Sister? SSA: Oh, I don't know about favorites, but I do like the coleus. It's a beautiful plant with all colors of leaves, without getting any flowers on it. It's surely a beautiful flower, beautiful plant. SMC: Do you still take care of some plants? SSA: No, 1-1 have a plant that is there in water. That's that Can you see those leaves over there? SMC: Yes, Sister, I see that. SSA: What's the name of that? SMC: I don't know. SSA: Well, I can't mention the name of it right now; it's just a little ivy leaf. My plant lives in the water and it works pretty good; it's just in water. SMC: You have revived it, right? SSA: Well, it's still living . . . . SMC: Sister, besides your caring for the plants at Assumption Hall, and visiting with the sisters. 10 SSA: Well, I try to get them to say certain prayers. The ones that are most sufficient; especially the seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys for the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. And the consecration of the community to Our Blessed Lord. You know that prayer that I had written, I ask the sisters to say it . . . . The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary for all your holy prayers and good works, the sorrows and joys of all thy faithful peoples all over the world in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that has been offered, that is being offered and ever will be offered to thy Divine Majesty .this day or anytime til the end of time. Then I say 7 Our Fathers and 7 Hail Marys and 7 Glorias for the 7 gifts of the Holy Ghost. I offer that to Almighty God for any intention He wishes to offer them for and especially for our Pope and our Church all the way through and for each and every one of us. SMC: Sister, you spend many hours in the chapel here at Assumption Hall. SSA: Well, I pray as long as I can and the rest of the time, I have to come to my room and sit down. Yes, I spend a good bit of time there. That is what I'd like to be doing now, in fact. I think I'd get more merit from sitting in the chapel than I would from writing notes or taking notes. SMC: Is there anything else you'd like to tell me? SSA: No, I don't think of anything special that I could tell you. I ask God's blessing on our community and all our friends and relatives. And do God's will in every way we can. And I pray the same for each and every one. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Sara Ann Lauer Subject The topic of the resource Sister Sara Ann Lauer Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Sara Ann Lauer, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1983. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 26 and 27, 1983. Sister Sara Ann Lauer was born on August 5, 1882 in Kittanning Point, Pa. Daughter of Henry Lauer and Sara Ann Cole, Gertrude Jane Lauer entered the community on December 8, 1925 as Sister Sara Ann Lauer. Sister Sara Ann had a prolific medical career before entering the community. She had worked at Cresson State Hospital for four and a half years and worked private nurse in Pittsburgh. Upon entering the community, she continued to work in nursing. She first worked at the Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital in Pittsburgh for ten years, and then worked as a practical nurse for the older Sisters at Seton Hill until 1969. She then served at Cathedral Convent in Altoona until 1973. Sister Sara Ann completed her nurses’ training at Saint Vincent Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania prior to entering the community. Sister Sara Ann Lauer passed away on October 4, 1983 at the age of 101. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983/02/26 1983/02/27 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-43 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Camilla Lasher Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:23 19:51 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Camilla Lasher Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Camilla Lasher Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Camilla Lasher, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1918 until 1988. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 13, 1987. Sister Camilla Lasher - born Cecilia Dorothy Lasher on February 5, 1900 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1918. She taught at a number of Pittsburgh and Greensburg area schools, including St. Benedict School - later known as Cathedral School - from 1944-1945, 1948-1953, and 1957-1967. She also taught at St. Paul School and St. Bruno School in the mid-fifties and at Cathedral School in Altoona from 1967-1971. From 1971-1977, she volunteered at the Seton Hill College bookstore. Sister Camilla died on July 19, 1988. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/04/13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-14 Cathedral School Sacred Heart Elementary School Seton Hill College St. Anselm Elementary School St. Benedict School St. Bruno School St. Paul School Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Caroline Lager Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:02 Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz 96kHz Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Caroline Lager Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Caroline Lager Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Caroline Lager, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1910 until 1990. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on June 9, 1986. Sister Caroline Lager - born Emily Catherine Elisabeth Lager on March 28, 1887 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1910. She served as an elementary school teacher in Pittsburgh area Catholic schools. Locations she taught at include Sacred Heart Elementary School in Pittsburgh from 1943-1957, St. Theresa School in Munhall from 1957-1961, St. Mary Magdalen School in Homestead from 1961-1962, St. Luke Elementary School in Carnegie from 1962-1967, and St. Philip School in Crafton from 1967-1972. The in-house dental center at Assumption Hall in Greensburg was named after her. Sister Caroline died on January 18, 1990. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/06/09 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-3 Sacred Heart Elementary School St. Luke Elementary School St. Mary Magdalen School St. Philip School St. Theresa School