Our reading for Sunday, September 8, is from "The Meaning of the Mountain" by Sister Faith Schuster: In September, 1926, the college began its first year as a state-accredited institution with Mother Lucy, president; Sister Adelaide, directress; Sister Dorothy, dean; Sister Edith, treasurer; and Sister Hildegard O’Keefe, librarian. Father Bonaventure Schwinn, who knew its early days so well, said that its very first dean, while Sister Dorothy was still studying, had been Sister Helena Brandmeier. It is easy, in the light of the years, to touch too lightly the real achievement and the real earnestness of that year, perhaps because there seemed to be so much happiness about it. Twenty-five students were necessary for accreditation, but a munificent thirty were enrolled—twenty-four girls and six sisters. The six sisters were novices who had completed eight months of their canonical year, and for their registration special permission was requested. The Novitiate, regretting the encroachment, made three unavailing novenas to prevent the college attendance, but the saints seemed on the side of the harried college administrators this time. Permission came and Sister Helen Sullivan, Sister Mary Charles Walsh, Sister Theonilla Stessman, and Sister Theresa Snoddy became the first sister-students during the year. Sister Dorothy taught algebra; Sister Jerome, Latin and French; Sister Hildegard, ethics; Sister Romana, chemistry; and Sister Bernarda, English. Father Abbot Martin taught ethics and religion.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:16:41 +0000