Oral History: Sister Miriam Agnes Regets
Dublin Core
Title
Oral History: Sister Miriam Agnes Regets
Subject
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets
Description
An oral history of Sister Miriam Agnes Regets, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1919 to 1992. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 25, 1988.
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets was born on May 25th, 1901 in Smithdale, Pa. Daughter of Michael Regets and Mary Sichon, Mary Ann Regets entered the community on September 8th, 1919 at the age of 18 as Sister Miriam Agnes Regets.
Sister Miriam Agnes was a "PBX Attendant" - commonly known as a telephone attendant - at Seton Hill College from 1950-1979. She was an elementary teacher in the Pittsburgh and Altoona-Johnstown Dioceses. Her parents were both born in Austria.
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets passed on April 9th, 1992 at the age of 90.
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets was born on May 25th, 1901 in Smithdale, Pa. Daughter of Michael Regets and Mary Sichon, Mary Ann Regets entered the community on September 8th, 1919 at the age of 18 as Sister Miriam Agnes Regets.
Sister Miriam Agnes was a "PBX Attendant" - commonly known as a telephone attendant - at Seton Hill College from 1950-1979. She was an elementary teacher in the Pittsburgh and Altoona-Johnstown Dioceses. Her parents were both born in Austria.
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets passed on April 9th, 1992 at the age of 90.
Creator
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Publisher
Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Date
1988/02/25
Rights
All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Format
Audio cassette tape
Type
Oral history
Identifier
OH-18
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Sister Marie Corona Miller
Interviewee
Sister Miriam Agnes Regets
Transcription
1
OH 18-1 Sr. Mir. Agnes Regets
This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Miriam Agnes Regets. The interview is.being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at Seton Hill College. The date is February twenty-fifth, nineteen eighty-eight.
SMCM: Good Morning Sister Miriam Agnes. SMAR: Good morning.
SMCM: How are you today?
SMAR: For my age, I think I'm doing pretty well.
SMCM: Sister, I came over here this morning to talk to you about some of the significant things in your life as a Sister of Charity. You have been at Seton Hill for how many years?
SMAR: I've been here for sixty-seven years.
SMCM: What was the date of your birth?
SMAR: I was born May twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred one. L don't remember my mother. My father married a second time.
SMCM: Where were you baptized?
SMAR: I was baptized in St. Charles Borromeo Church in Sutersville, PA. I don't know who the priest was.
SMAR: What about your father? Where did he come from?
SMAR: He came from Austria. He and his five brothers came to America. SMCM: What kind of work did your father do?
SMAR: He worked in the mines.
SMCM: Did you have any brothers or sisters?
SMAR: I had a brother whose name was Michael and a sister named Julia. Julia died from cancer, I believe. My brother was named after my father whose name was Michael. I had a half sister, Helen. She's still living.
SMCM: Sister, where did you go to school? SMAR: I went to grade school in Sutersville. SMCM: Was it a one room school?
SMAR: No, we had two or four rooms. I went there for grades one through eight. I wanted to go to high school but couldn't as it was too far away and there was no way to get me there. I stayed around home, but then got a job. There was a Federal Supply Company store in our area. They kept in touch with the miners. We kept a record of their earnings in order to pay their bills at the store. They would send a lot of newspaper which we put into bales for the purpose of recycling.
SMCM: Sister, how did you come in contact with the Sisters of Charity?
SMAR: At first, it was through Sister Marie Stephen and Sister Pancratius Jablonski. We used to be in the choir at St. Charles Borromeo parish. We used to teach catechism...Sr. Marie Stephen,
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Sr. Pancratius and I. Father Lonergan became interested in us. We taught downstairs, and once in a while Father would come to see the children. I believe I came in contact with the Sisters of Charity through Sr. Marie Stephen and Sr. Pancratius who may have entered frrst and we kept in touch. They kept in touch with Father Lonergan . This was inaudible, but I believe she indicated that Father Lonergan sent some kind of communication saying that she would be suited for religious life. Then I did make a visit out to Seton Hill. I don't remember much about the visit.
SMCM: Do you remember the names of any sister that was at Seton Hill when you visited there? SMAR: I remember Sister M. Paula Moran. There was another sister whose name I can't remember. It was such a long time ago.
SMCM: Was your father still living when you entered the community? SMAR: Yes. He died some time after I entered.
SMCM: Sister, when did you come to Seton Hill to enter?
SMAR: I don't specifically remember the year. It was either nineteen eighteen or nineteen nineteen.
SMCM: Do you remember if it was on September eighth? SMAR: Yes, it was September eighth.
SMCM: Who was the Mother Superior when you entered and who was your mistress? SMAR: Mother Mary Joseph Havey was the Mother Superior and Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers was the Mistress of Novices.
SMCM: Sister, tell me about the sister who sponsored you. Who took care of you when you entered? You did tell me that there was one sister who helped you.
SMAR: Sister Columba Henry helped me. (Sister had a difficult time remembering anything about this.;
SMCM: Did you have classes during your postulancy?
SMAR: Yes, we had classes until I went out on mission. I don't remember much about the classes. When we went out on mission we went to school on Saturdays.
SMCM: Then, you did go out on mission after your novitiate training. Where did you go? SMAR: I don't recall where I went first. I know at some time I was in Altoona?
SMCM: Was that at the Cathedral or at Saint John's What did you teach? How long were you there?
SMAR: I believe it was at Saint John's. I taught the primary grades. I don't remember how long lwas there.
SMCM: Where else were you on mission?
SMAR: I was at Holy Cross· in Pittsburgh. I was also at St. Mary Magdalene's in Homestead. It was here in Homestead I had a bad physical experience. I was walking with Sister M. Paula Moran to her home. As we were passing a fence, there was a dog behind the fence who began to bark. He sounded so angry that I thought he would tear us apart. Whether it was that which affected me, I don't know, but that night I couldn't breathe. I had a bad headache. I called to the sisters for help saying: "I can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to die!"Some of our sisters were there. She seemed to be trying to mention some of the sisters' names...! believe one was Sister
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Richard Marie Greeley, and Sister Agnes (the one in charge, possibly Sr. Agnes Marie Reuber?) The first thing in the morning , I was put in the room next to the chapel. From there I was sent to Pittsburgh Hospital. After a time in the hospital, I was asked if my mother told me that I was a blue baby. I said that my mother died when I was three years old, so therefore I don't remember.
I had a Doctor Dzffi-a while at Pittsburgh hospital. He was supposed to have kept one of our
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sisters in bed for eight years. I said: "He's not going to keep me in bed that long!" From.there , I
was sent to Provident hospital in Beaver Falls. There I had Doctor Wilson. I came back via ambulance with Sister M. Marcella Renninger to Pittsburgh hospital. After my stay at the hospital, I came back to Seton Hill.
SMCM: So, have you been at Seton Hill ever since you came back.from the hospital? SMAR: Yes, I think so. That was in nineteen thirty-two.
SMCM: By this time, had you made your vows? SMAR: Oh, yes.
SMCM: What did you do at the Hill when you first came?
SMAR: Whatever we were given to do. I just don' t remember what. Whenever I came from the hospital, I was put in the Infirmary. I thought that just the old sisters were there. I said to Mother Evaline Fisher, who was the Mother Superior " Mother, I don't think I can stay in the
Infirmary. lfl could just have something to do, it would help me." She said: "Alright, Sister, we' ll find something." She came the next day and said that they thought I could work at the switchboard. The time I was given was increased gradually.
SMCM: Could you tell us where the switchboard was first located?
SMAR: Yes, it was down in a room on the first floor next to the lobby. It had been in the lobby, but they had it moved into the room which was to the left of the lobby. Sometime later, it was · moved into the room which had been known as the "Tea Room." One time, during a bad storm, lightening hit the wires and I was thrown. I had been putting a call through for Mother M. Claudia Glenn. I was able to put the call through after this incident.
SMCM: So, you were at the phone for many hours then?
SMAR: Well, my hours kept increasing and many times I had to fill in for someone who couldn' t take their place. Then of course Mrs. Bortz came. Dolores (I think her name was Daily) also came. The board was open day and night. That's why we had to have additional people.
SMCM: You got to. know many people during your hours at the switchboard, didn' t you? SMAR: Oh, yes. You got to know them, where to get them, and all that kind of thing. Even now, I remember how when cars would be parked out front, we would get a call from Frank Baker or Bernard Baumeister, two of our men who worked for us, telling us to have people move their cars. I think there were pipes underneath that pavement, and they might have been worried about a cave-in.
SMCM: About how many years were you at the switchboard?
SMAR: /Siste r rambled here) She said: " Well, I was in the community for fifty years; and some of my friends told me it was time for me to let the younger people take care of the switchboard, meaning Mrs. Bortz and Dolores Daily. Assumption Hall opened and I thought it would be good if I offered to take a few hours of the day there and perhaps save a little if they had to pay
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someone."
SMCM: Did you move to Assumption Hall then?
SMAR: No, I stayed at Seton Hill and traveled back and forth daily. SMCM: How many years did you go back and forth to Assumption Hall?
SMAR: Not too many, because I think that something happened so that I couldn't go there. SMCM: In those days we had the call bell system. Do you have any stories that you want to share about that?
SMAR: Oh my, yes. That was really something. I remember Sister Mildred Corvi. She went to the college. Then she entered the community.
SMCM: Do you remember anything about any of the older sisters who were around during your time at Seton Hill?
Sr. Marie Arthur:(Sister just seemed to ramble here. The questions Sr. Marie Corona asked Sr. Miriam Agnes were too difficult for her to answer because of having poor memory.)
SMCM: Sister, how do you like the changes that were made in living in small groups at Seton Hill. Did you like the changes?
SMAR: Well, you have to keep up with the times. The sisters were good about informing each other about what you needed to know.
SMCM: Do you think you have adjusted well to these changes? SMAR: Oh, yes. We have to put up with each other.
SMCM: How do you like the changes made in our prayer, specifically saying the Office? SMAR: We have the books. Again, we have to go along with whatever changes are needed as time goes on. One has to be open and resigned to whatever happens.
SMCM: Sister, you were telling me about Sister Mary Matthew Con&lly. What exactly did she do here at the college?
SMAR:(I wasn't able to make any sense out of what Sister Miriam Agnes was saying here. She is very confused!)
SMCM: Sister asked again just what Sr. Mary Matthew was in charge of.
SMAR: Here, Sister does say that Sr. Mary Matthew was in charge of the employees and anything else that needed to be taken care of. Sister also said that something happened to Sr. Mary Matthew. She wasn't sure just what that was. However, she then said that Sister Rose Agnes McGowan took Sr. Mary Matthew's duties over.
SMCM: Can you tell us anything that you remember about Sr. Rose Agnes? .
SMAR: She was wonderful to live with. She was on the job all the time. She never answered her bell, because she had to be outside so much.
SMCM: Didn't Sr. Rose Agnes have to sign out at the switchboard?
SMAR: Oh. Yes. She didn't always remember because she had so many things to do. It wasn't easy to find her!
SMCM: Sister, how long do you plan on staying at Seton Hill?
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SMAR: I don't know. They gave me a heart pacer. The Doctor gave me two years to live when I came to Seton Hill in nineteen thirty-two. I'm eighty-six years old. I'll be eighty-seven in May. I'm concerned about how much it cost to give me a pace maker. Sr. Mary Paul Coleman sends me things periodically, which I give to Sister Rose Irene Boggs, who is our treasurer. I said: "I think I'm spending too much money for this business on an old hag like me." I want to keep my prayers up for the community, the missions, priests, etc.
SMCM: Is there anything else you would like to tell me about your history?
SMC : I don't know that I have a good history. The Lord has been keeping me here for something. Mother Seton also is watching over me in the Community.
SMCM: What do you hope for the Community in the future?
SMAR: I hope of course that we will continue. Assumption Hall is wonderful. The Sisters there pray hard for the Community. That's where I landed after being at Seton Hill.
SMCM: So, you are really a part of the wonderful ffeyer and good works that are being done at Assumption Hall? "
SMAR: Oh my, yes. We have to keep up the prayers, because after all, we can't do it ourselves. The Lord has to help us.
SMCM: I want to sincerely thank you for giving your time to me for your oral history. It will certainly add to the history of the Community, and the tape will be kept in the Archives of the Community at Caritas Christi.
SMAH: I completed the transcription of this tape on the oral history of Sr. Miriam Agnes Regets on September 17, 2012.
Original Format
Audio cassette tape
Duration
31:22
11:09
11:09
Bit Rate/Frequency
96kHz
Collection
Other Media
Citation
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, “Oral History: Sister Miriam Agnes Regets,” Collections of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives, accessed April 25, 2024, https://scsharchives.com/items/show/716.
Item Relations
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