3 25 573 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/0e152c357b045dd15b94f33cc73d1ed3.mp3 7dbf27551ac4ee8fa83420c3534a7418 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/9b462bc1252f0b069566e6d47bd7112b.mp3 c589dd451e77ff7dfb15c08935cfa3f3 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/ac5f78a9bd28eadbcacf2dab0f5b3ec5.mp3 316710cc768999a2dcf86f61c0a3fc6a 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 Sr. Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Seton Hill College 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 31:04 31:02 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound 1 OH 42-1 Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Rose Angela Cunningham. The interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. It is being done at Seton Hill College. The date is February twenty-second , nineteen eighty-seven. SMCM: Sister, I'm very happy to be with you today, to talk about some of the things that you have experienced as a Sister of Charity. Knowing that you have spent your entire Religious life here at Seton Hill College, I think there are many wonderful memories that you could share with us today. Would you like to begin? SRAC: I was born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania on April eighth, nineteen hundred six. My parents were Katherine Costella Cunningham and James Cunningham. I have three brothers and two sisters, one of whom, of course, is Miriam Francis, who entered the Community six years before I did. I never went to a Catholic school, because we didn' t have Catholic schools in Neville, a town in Waynesburg at that time. In fact, they still have none and probably never will. However, I enjoyed a good elementary education and remember my teachers very well. We had Religious instruction from our parish priest and went to Catechism every Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. It was planned that way for reception of the Sacraments. SMCM: Sister, were those classes taught by Sisters? SRAC: No, Father Dennis Maloney was the pastor that I remember so well. He taught the classes. SRAC: My mother told me that she was born in Ireland, of course. My father was born in this country. My mothers ' parents left Ireland from County Mayo to go to England where my grandfather, my mother' s father, hoped to find work. After living there for a number of years, it was decided that there was more opportunity in America. So, my grandfather, grandmother, and their family, which included two aunts, one uncle (the second uncle was born in America) were to leave from England. It just so happened that when they were ready to board the boat, my mother was ill. She was only two years old and wasn' t allowed to go with them. The captain felt that she might have a contagious disease. I think they feared Scarlet Fever. So, what were they to do? My relatives, the Kerry family, who lived there in England were there to see them off and they had my mother with them. There was nothing else to do. They had to board the ship and leave her behind. She grew up in England until she was fifteen years old. They never had enough money to send her passage fare. All those years, my mother never knew her mother and father, since she lived with cousins. I think that might account for the fact that she became quite a baker and quite a cook of English foods because she often in later years would make a bread which she called English Christmas bread that we all like so much at home. Anyway, when she was fifteen, my grandfather finally was able to send money over for her to come to the States. She tells the story about being all alone on the boat, being deathly ill and frightened. She was only fifteen, nobody with her, and it took so long. I think it took a couple of weeks at that time. 2 SMCM: It probably did take that long. SRAC: She finally arrived in New York. When I see the pictures now of how the immigrants were looking at the Statue of Liberty and cheering, I think of my mother. She never saw that, and if she did, she never told us about it. I think she was down in one of the lower decks. Anyhow, the hard part of it for her was that there was a failure of communications between my family, who lived in the South Side of Pittsburgh and the cousins in England, as to when the ship would arrive and so on. When she landed, there was no one there to meet her. There she was, fifteen years old, not knowing anyone. She said I guess they took pity.on me wherever they went, Ellis Island, perhaps. Someone took care of her overnight. She had her parents' names and where they lived, so someone contacted them from Pittsburgh. She didn't know her mother or Father, so that was a traumatic experience for her. Then they moved from Pittsburgh to Waynesburg where my Father became a railroader. My Mother met him in Pittsburgh, of course, and they moved to Waynesburg, because my uncle had already gone there and had a fairly good job with the W & W Railroad. He got my father a job there, so that's where we grew up. SMCM: Where is Waynesburg, Sister? SRAC: It's about thirty miles south of Little Washington. I would say about fifty miles south from Green County in PA. It's a beautiful little town, but very prejudiced toward Catholics. It's very much a Presbyterian town. They had a College which was Presbyterian. There were wealthy people there who made money in the Coal Industry and still do. I went to Waynesburg High School until my Sophomore year when my Mother died. Sister Miriam Francis had already entered the Community in nineteen, nineteen. My younger sister, Elizabeth, was two years younger than I, two of my brothers were home, but my oldest brother had left. Therefore, it was thought that I should stay home and keep house, which I tried for a year. I'm not saying how well I did it. I didn't do well. At the end of the year, I guess my Father and Sister Miriam Francis thought that I should really finish High School. That Summer, there was a Summer School offering at Seton Hill, which I attended primarily because Sister Miriam Francis was there and she informed us about it. Of course, I fell in love with Seton Hill when I was there. SMCM: Sister, you were attracted to the Sisters of Charity through your own Sister, I'm sure. Would you tell us what attracted Sr. Miriam Francis to the Community? SRAC: Yes, my cousin lived in Sharpsburg and knew the Sisters of Charity because they taught at St. Joseph School in Sharpsburg. Mariah Linder, our cousin, knew my sister wanted to become a Sister. She wasn't much older than Sr. Miriam Francis and said: "You'll have to go to Seton Hill." She had two very dear friends, the McElligott Sisters...Mary Albert and Mary Bridget McElligott. Sister Mary Albert was Sr. Miriam Francis' sponsor. Mariah brought my Sister up to Seton Hill, so naturally she asked for Sr. Mary Albert. Sr. Mary Albert came and met my Sister. Mariah tells a story that she took her off some place. I don't know where, but I guess it was to meet the Mother Superior. Mariah often tells the story that when they came back, she could tell by Mary's (Sr. Miriam Francis) eyes that this is where she wanted to be. SMCM: Thank you, Sister. 3 SRAC: So, naturally she was here and during that Summer of nineteen twenty-four, I took a course in English. I forget what the other course was that I took. It so happened that Sister M. Paulina Glenn, who was Cornelia Glenn, Mother Claudia's niece, was here at the same time taking classes. She was already teaching school. We roomed together, so I got to know her. What impressed me so much, and I think what really started me thinking about Religious life was going to Benediction. They had Benediction often, and at the end of Benediction there was always a certain hymn played. I thought it was so beautiful because we never had anything like that in our little hometown parish. "Adoremus in aetemum, sanctissimum" something like that. We adore Thee Oh Christ, and we bless Thee forever and ever, but it was sung in Latin. I never forgot that. I remember after going home and visiting our own parish that it would come back to me. Sr. Miriam Francis, before she entered made evening visits to our parish church every night. Because I was eight years old...younger than she was, she would take me with her. I remember walking with her, and sometimes having to hide from my younger sister because she would want to go too, and we didn' t want to take her. I thought I was great because I could accompany her as we walked. We lived in the south side of town and the church was quite a distance in the north side of town. We walked from South Side up and down Main Street and down to the little St. Anne' s Church which would always be dimly lighted. I would sit in there beside her as she prayed. I don' t think I prayed anything, but I just sat beside her thinking I was great because I was with her. I must tell her about that sometime. I think that's where my vocation really started, going with her. SMCM: How old would she have been then? SRAC: Well, she would have been about sixteen years old then, because she' s eight years older than me. She worked for a while. I guess she was about twenty-one when she entered. I'm not too sure, but she was older than I was when I entered. SMCM: Was she the oldest of your brothers and sisters? SRAC: No, my brother Joe, who is deceased, was the oldest. She was the second oldest. SMCM: And how many do you still have in your family now? SRAC: There is my brother Leo, Sr. Miriam Francis and I. My younger sister died last July and my brother Jim died about five years ago. I went back to school in the Fall and I finished after that. The next year, nineteen twenty-five, Sister Harriet Omlor, who had been here in college for a year, decided that was where she wanted to be. Sister Corinne Omlor, who was my age, decided that is where she wanted to be too. So, the three ofus entered together from Waynesburg in September of nineteen twenty-five. We were in the same group. SMCM: How about Sr. Paulina Glenn? Was she going to enter too? SRAC Yes, she was, but she didn' t come until about a year after we did. She entered with Sr. Miriam Joseph Murphy, who was also in Summer school, but she had finished her High School. At that time, I think you could teach without having gone to college. She was already teaching and entered about a year or so later. SMCM: What was the date of your entrance? SRAC: It was September eighth, nineteen twenty-five. There were twenty of us. 4 SMCM: Can you recall the names of some of the others? SRAC: Oh, yes. I believe there are eight ofus living. Sr. Stella Marie Beckel was the second oldest, Sr. Grace Marie Parker, Sr. Sara Marie O' Hara, Sr. Edith Fullen, Sr. Anselma Clougherty, Srs. Harriet and Corinne Omlor, myself, Sr. Mary Amy Nestor, Sr. Natalie Kent, Sr. Margaret Frances Coogan, Sr. Rosalie O' Hara, Sr. Rose Eileen Brazell, Sr. Evangelista Sofaly, Sr. Jean Marie Leonard, and Sr. Marcellus Buzzanell, who was the youngest. That's the most of them. We've often been called "The Famous Twenty" because nobody left. We stayed throughout the whole novitiate which was five years in those days. SMCM: Who was your Mistress of Novices SRAC: Mother Mary Francis McCullough was our Mistress of Novices, and she was wonderful. She had been Mother Superior. She understood young people and overlooked a lot of things that we did. As I look back now, I can often see a little smile when she'd been scolding us, but couldn't quite bring herself to do it. However, she did discipline us. SMCM: Did you say that Mother Mary Francis had help? SRAC: Yes, Sr. Liguori Gillesspie was her assistant, and when Mother would go away, Sr. Liguori was in charge. In those days in the novitiate, it was common that if there was some misdemeanor that you committed, you were put in silence. Sr. Margaret Frances tells a funny story of being put in silence by Mother Mary Francis. Then Mother Mary Francis walked away and forgot that she wasn' t allowed to talk. She wasn' t gone long. Those were the days when you weren't permitted to ever talk in the dormitory, after night silence or in sacred places. SMCM: Sister, do you have some memories of your novitiate days? SRAC: We all had a charge and that charge was most important. When you were a white cap, that came before anything. I got into trouble a few times over that because I was put into Home Economics while I was still a white cap. Another teacher was needed in the department, so one day Mother Mary Francis came and asked me what I liked to do, which I thought was very strange. I said that I enjoyed Latin in High School, had received good marks, and was especially happy that Mother Maria Benedict Monahan taught me. I think Mother Mary Francis expected me to say: "Whatever you want me to do, I'd be glad to do it." I thought of that later, you know. She said: "Well, we' re going to put you into Home Economics, which was the other end of the spectrum. Anyhow, that was where I was put the next year as a Novice. I had a full schedule, which was sixteen credits. Again your charge was important. Mine was to help clean or take care of the Priests' House every day. Sister Mary Kieran was in charge and I think Sr. Maurice McManama and I were helpers. We had to do Father Reeves' room first, and then Father Sullivan' s room. There were two seculars rooms upstairs occupied by Mr. Dan Carr and one other teacher. I remember one time when a test was scheduled on a Saturday, I didn't go to do my charge. Sr. Mary Kieran must have reported me because I was really called to time and told that I should have mentioned this to Mother Mary Francis. SMCM : Sister, was that the present Priest House? SRAC: Yes, but it wasn't where it is now. The whole house was moved from where it was down to where it is now. It was up on a large bank where Bayley is now. The tennis courts were above it. They excavated all of that later when they built Sullivan Hall. The Priests' House was right 5 there and that is where we went everyday. SMCM: So, then it was closer to the campus? Was Canevin there? SRAC: Yes, Canevin was built in nineteen twenty-five.. It was already there, as were the tennis courts. The Priest House was right along side of the tennis courts. There was a steep set of steps going up to it from down where the walk is now. SMCM: So, you were there the entire canonical year? You weren't in the kitchen or dining room? SRAC: No, I wasn't in the kitchen or dining room. I did help Sr. Mary Leonard Burns in the Priests' Dining Room. There of course are lots of stories. All of us who were Sr. Mary Leonard's assistants had stories to tell because she was one of those hyper active people who had to have everything just so. The priests were treated royally. I mean, everything was done for them then. The dining room was so perfect! Sr. Mary Leonard needed someone to run errands for her...someone to run back and forth between the kitchen and dining room. The priests had a special cook. Sister Ann Vincent McDonough was their cook for a while. We laugh about it now. SMCM: Where was the Priests' Dining Room at that time? SRAC: It was next to where the little kitchen on the ground floor is now. I think it still has "Refectory" above the door. Sometimes after you got the black cap, you were sent out on mission to substitute. The only time I did substitute teaching was once during the month of September when the college didn't begin classes until the last week in September. A teacher was needed in Blairsville in the third and fourth grades. I subbed there that month and one other time somewhere else, but I don't recall where that was. I didn't have much mission experience at all. SMCM: Sister, who were some of the other senior Sisters who were around when you were a Novice? You talked about the clothes room. SRAC: Yes, Sister Agnes Francina Kearney had charge of the Novices' sewing room. It was located directly across from where our community room is now, to the left of the Oratory. That is where there were sewing machines and an ironing board. She had charge of our clothing....made sure that we kept our clothing mended. She checked on us now and then. It was not unusual for her to come and look at your habit to see if the hem was coming out or if something was ripped. If you couldn't do it yourself, she would help you. She guided us in our mending and made our white caps for us. SMCM: So, she sort of helped Mother Mary Francis also? SRAC: Yes, in that regard. Spiritually, Sr. Liguori Gillespie was next to Mother Mary Francis and she would take us for conferences when Mother wasn't there or was ill. SMCM: Who was on the Council at the time? SRAC: Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers was our Mother Superior, Sister Mary James Brownlee was Assistant, Sister Angela Sullivan, the Treasurer, and Sister Ignatius Loyola, the Procuratrix. Mother M. Eveline Fisher was the Mother Superior in nineteen thirty-three. SMCM: Did Sr. Mary James Brownlee have Sisters in the Community? 6 SRAC: Yes, she had two sisters...Sr. Francesca Brownlee, who was the first Dean of the College and Sister De Chantal Brownlee. Father Sullivan was the first President of the College. He was very fond of his students. He said if anybody wants to see one of his students, go ask the Dean. She may be seen, but don't ask D.R.S., Daniel Richard Sullivan. SMCM: How were your years as a Novice for five years? SRAC: Yes, we were novices for five years. Part of that time I was already studying in the college for my degree. It was really difficult getting everything done with school, your charge, prayers, etc. In my studies, I had laboratory classes which sometimes took me past meal hours. I'11 always remember Sr. Rose Marie Schneider though because she was in the Home Economics Department and I kind of fell into her tutelage as a novice. I'm not a dietician. When we were selected, I was told that they needed a teacher, so I was to pursue teaching, and Sister Anselma Clougherty was going to be trained as a dietician. However, Sr. Anselma developed a Goiter in perhaps her second year of college and had to drop out. The year this was discovered we were on our way to Roselia Foundling to help out over the Christmas vacation because we weren' t out teaching as novices. So, to allow some Sisters from Roselia to come home for the Christmas Retreat we could help as we didn' t have other important things to do. On Sunday, we were to go to Roselia to spend Christmas and Sr. Anselma was to stop to see a doctor at Pittsburgh Hospital. He saw her and decided that she needed to stay to have treatment. They sent me over to Roselia and I, being from Waynesburg, didn' t know anything at all about Pittsburgh. I was to take a streetcar to 17th Street incline, go up the incline and that would bring me close to Roselia? Is that right? Anyhow, I was frightened to death. We didn' t have streetcars in Waynesburg. I managed to get up onto the incline and to the top of the hill. By that time the street lights were coming on. It was dark, and I didn't know where the road or the Foundling was either. Beginning Tape 1 Side 2 SRAC: Now I can' t remember the Sister's family orto whom she was related, but she was stationed there at Roselia. I hadn' t had any dinner, but in the dining room there was a little old fashioned hot plate. Sister heated something for me to eat. The funny part was that I was sent the. next day to be in charge of a nursery room where all the girls who had their babies were. Many of the mothers were there also, yet some were not. SMCM: What year was this, Sr. Rose Angela? SRAC: That would have been about nineteen twenty-seven. I remember so well the one Sister saying: Well, what you have to do now is bathe all of these babies. There were thirty of them. We never had a baby in my home because I was next to the youngest. I didn't know what in the world I was going to do! I'll never forget that experience. Thank God, there were girls working there who helped. We took one baby at a time to the place where they bathed them. After bathing each baby (black or white), we took it back and put it in its crib. It was quite an experience let me tell you, but I go through it. SMCM: How many days were you at Roselia? SRAC: I was there during Christmas week only. I believe I went back again during one Summer, but it was not for long. 7 Mother Rose Genevieve, thinking that I knew a little bit about office work because Sr. Miriam Francis did sent me to help Sister M. De Paul Brennan (Brennan 1/4 34 or McGill 7/19/47), who was then in charge of the Foundling. My job there was to copy a lot of the records and put them in some order. Sr. De Paul soon found that I wasn't quite as good as needed for this task. She must have called Mother Rose Genevieve and asked her to send someone else. Who came as the replacement in about a week? It was Sr. Maurice McManama . Sister Maurice did have the necessary skill, so she finished the job and I was sent back home to Greensburg. SMCM: Did Sister Anselma ever get to Roselia? SRAC: No, she had to have thyroid surgery. She was out of school for a while, so she didn' t finish her four years with me. She had to make up time. However, at the end of that time, she was sent to St. Mary' s, Rochester to do her internship. At the end of that year she was a certified dietician. She became a very fine dietician. They thought a lot of her up at St. Mary's. Then she became a dietician here at the college. SMCM: When did you graduate from the college? SRAC: I started in nineteen twenty-six and finished in nineteen thirty. I got my degree here at Seton Hill College. In fact, our class was the first class to receive their degrees over in Sullivan Hall. Before that, they got their degrees in Cecilian Hall. I went right into teaching in the Fall. When I think of it now no experience, no graduate work, but somehow or other we managed. We learned on the job I suppose just as a lot of the teachers did. The Sisters who went out to teach in grade schools had to do the same in those days. I didn' t start any graduate work until nine years later. Then I was sent to a Teachers College. Well, I did have a couple of courses in Biochemistry before that, but all my graduate work was done in Summer school. I never had a year off. SMCM: Sister, where did you go to Summer School? SRAC: It was a Teachers College, Columbia in New York. Other than having experience in education at workshops, conventions and meetings of that nature, I did not have any further education. Of course, I had that trip to Europe, a gift from the Alumnae, which was a highlight in my life. SMCM: Now, before you tell me about that, tell me about the Home Economics Department. SRAC: I taught Foods and Nutrition. That was to be my major field in nineteen thirty. I got my graduate work from nineteen thirty-nine through nineteen forty-one. Around that time Sister Anne Elizabeth Regan came into the Home Economics Department. She was to be the Chairman after Dr. Sanders left to go to Harrisburg. I continued teaching under Sr. Anne Elizabeth and took care of the Home Management House after Sr. Rose Marie discontinued. I was in the Home Management House from nineteen forty until perhaps sometime in the sixties where we lived with the students, ate all meals with them, and had charge of the baby. That was a long period of my teaching career. SMCM: Where was the Home Management House? SRAC: One wing of St. Mary's was used. SMCM: Now going back a little bit further. Tell me about the Home Economics Department moving down to Saint Mary's. 8 Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: Sister didn't really answer this question. She says: My recollection is that the Department moved to St. Mary's in nineteen twenty-eight. I was a student then, mainly doing what I was told, helping wherever I could, and studying at th-e same time. I wasn't teaching there until nineteen thirty, but was living there. It was much more simple in those days. You didn't have nearly as many activities as they have now. SMCM: The Boys' School was down there. SRAC: Yes, and when they moved out, Father Sullivan, Mother Rose Genevieve, and Dr. Sanders went down to evaluate it as a possible place for the Home Economics Department. SMCM: Who was Dr. Sanders? SRAC: Pauline Sanders was the one in charge of Home Economics here. They always had a secular in charge until Sr. Anne Elizabeth Regan took her place. Sr. Anne Elizabeth was only in the department for a few years when she developed cancer of the throat. After her death in nineteen forty-five, I was made Provisional Chairman, and then Chairman after about a year. I was Chairman for about twenty years until sometime in the sixties. Then Sister Mildred Corvi (formerly known as Sr. Alice Louise Corvi) followed as Chairman. She was Chairman when we got the new bell. SMCM: When those three people went down to look at the house, what developed from their decision to move that department down there? SRAC: Well, we simply carried as much as we could. Sr. Anselma and I had a little wagon we used. All the material equipment we had was moved down and set up. SMCM: Where were you moving from here at the college? SRAC: From where the present Biology Lab is now....only two rooms. They had a sewing room which was in a different place...forget where that was. The Food Labs, Office and the little Dining Room were all along that section, which is the Biology Department right now. SMCM: So the purpose was to get more space? SRAC: Yes, because it was felt that there was a future for Home Economics. It was thought to be a growing field for women and we would eventually need even more space, which was good foresight on their part. Doctor Sanders was very alive as far as Home Economics was concerned. She graduated from Kent State in Ohio and did a lot for the college. SMCM: How long was she at the college? SRAC: She was here when I entered in nineteen twenty-five until I believe around nineteen thirty-nine or forty. She left thinking that she had more of a future if she could get into a state school. Her aim was to be in Harrisburg, and she finally made it. She said she would never forget the Harrisburg Catholic College because it was still prejudiced, so she took a job at Indiana State Teachers College. I remember telling her that I hoped that she would be back and she said that maybe she would. Having taught there, she was able to get the state job. She wanted to be in charge of Home Economics all over the state. This she did, but it wasn't as rosy a job as she had anticipated because of all the politicians. She was a Catholic, and Catholics were not held in high esteem. She had many duties with her superiors. I guess she was asked to leave because she was fearless and wanted you to know that she wasn't afraid to take strides. When this happened to her, Sr. Rose Marie and I felt so bad for her that we went to Sister M. 9 Francesca Brownlee. Sister Francesca asked her to come back. Doctor Sanders appreciated that, and we were happy that we had done it, but she decided not to return. She obtained a position at Misericordia College. SMCM: When Saint Mary's was ready, what Sisters moved in? SRAC: Sisters Rose Marie Schneider, Anselma Clougherty and I (Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham) were sent down to live there. SMCM: And how did that go? SRAC: Well, it was hard because we had to walk up to the Six AM Mass every morning. There were no cars. The college didn't even have a car. We never thought anything of it. In Winter and Summer, we walked up for Mass, went back, and walked up again for Reading. They had two sets of prayers... one at two PM, and one at five PM. We always went to the ones at five...Reading and Rosary. That went on until Vatican II Days. SMCM: What were the accommodations like at St. Mary's? SRAC: Three ofus lived in one room. There was a little bathroom connected with it which was almost primitive you would say. There was nothing fancy about it. It had a bathtub, a commode, and a sink. We had a coal furnace there. It was pretty cold many times. SMCM: Was Sr. Rose Marie your Senior? SRAC: Yes, I learned a great deal from her. I felt that it was a great privilege to have been under her tutelage because she always did so many things which she seemed to put her whole heart and soul into doing. We used to have a lot of fun too. During Thanksgiving and Christmas Vacation, it was usually a time when you were renovating your habit, making white sleeves, etc., Sisters came down from Seton Hill to be with us while we all worked together in the Sewing Room at St. Mary's on these things. Sometimes we turned a habit inside out and really made a new one out of it, made caps, and did things for some other Sisters. I remember making a first habit for Sister Caroline Lager. It was Sister Rose Marie who taught me how to be very careful in measurements, etc.,. She was very careful and exact about everything. SMCM: What did you do for recreation in your early days at the college? SRAC: We sat around. There were no televisions or radios. In nineteen twenty-eight, when Al Smith was running for President of the United States, Sister Rose Marie's brother gave her a little radio. She placed it on the mantle piece, and everyone went into that room to hear the talk that came over the radio. Sometimes we made cocoa and had some crackers with it at recreation. We talked, and of course damed, because our stockings always needed it. SMCM: Did you do anything else during the Holidays. SRAC: Well, there was always cleaning to be done. We just had one person. We did a lot of the cleaning. I remember scrubbing the floors, washing the walls, etc.,. One time during the War, when there were three bed rooms that the students used, living room, dining room, kitchen, I remember washing all those walls and ceilings myself. The students cleaned their rooms better than the students do now, but they had to be housecleaned. SMCM: Sister, where was the rest of your group while you were at Saint Mary's? 10 SRAC: Most of them were out teaching. They were black cap Novices then. Sister Anselma and I were the only two left. SMCM: Did you make your Vows on December eighth? SRAC: No, we made our Vows on January First, nineteen thirty, I guess. Before that, they had been making their Vows on Christmas Day. I believe our group was the first to make them in January. Sr. Marie Arthur: Sr. Rose Angela did some rambling remembrances of retreats here. SRAC: I remember my first retreat as a White Cap. I'll never forget that. It was a highlight in my Community life. Father Camillus from the Congregation of the Passion gave it. He was a much demanded Retreat Master in those days. That was the first retreat I ever made, except for the three day one that Mother Mary Francis gave us before receiving the Habit. SMCM: How did she do that? Were you on silence? SRAC: Yes, we were on silence, but I remember that Sister Edith Marie Fullen couldn' t quite keep it. One day she was talking to someone and I could hear her saying:"Well Mother Mary Francis said that if you couldn' t keep it, it was alright to talk." Mother Mary Francis was wise. She knew it might cause some too much stress, but we were encouraged to keep the silence. Mother Mary Francis gave us a few talks everyday. My first big, six day Retreat was in August of nineteen twenty-six. In those years, you didn't make a Retreat of your choice. Your name went up on a Retreat list, and you made whatever one your name was on. SMCM: Can you tell me something about Sister M. Eucharia O' Hagan? SRAC: Sister Eucharia was the Registrar during the first years in the college? SMCM: Did she determine what classes you should take? SRAC: No, she had charge of the secular students, and was the one who recorded our grades. SMCM: What Sister was in charge of the Sisters' extended work? SRAC: In my case it was Doctor Sanders. There were catalogs which contained the directives necessary for the choice of classes, so all they had to do was follow these. SMCM: How long were you down at Saint Mary' s? SRAC: I taught for forty-five years which began in nineteen thirty. I retired in nineteen seventy­ rune. SMCM: When did the Home Economics Department move up to where it is now? Can you tell us anything about that? SRAC: The Department moved up in nineteen seventy-five. ·We were permitted to plan the building as we wanted it. The architect was wonderful. At all stages he would call us in to make us aware of things. We were very satisfied with what we got, except we would like to have had a basement. It would have been too expensive. There was some controversy as to where the location ofthe Home Economics Building should be. The architect kept saying that is was the best spot because it was close to all the other buildings around. I remember walking around with Mother M. Victoria Brown and hearing her input as to where the best place was. Most of us in the Department felt that it would be nice to have it near where the Nursery School is now. I remember that they started digging during Christmas Vacation. I was the only one here. Sister Mildred Corvi was the Chairman, and she was up in New York. Noone thought or knew they were going to begin digging when they did. I remember being in the 11 Chapel and hearing this extremely loud noise...looking out and seeing the large machine and huge amounts of grass and dirt being dug up. Beginning of Tape 2 Side 1 Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham 42 - 2 SMCM: This is a continuation of the interview being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham. The interview is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at Seton Hill College. The date is February twenty-second, nineteen eighty-seven. SMCM: Sister, you were telling about the Home Economics Building? What was the name of it? SRAC: Bayl1 Hall. The year was nineteen seventy-five. SMCM: You re teaching now, aren't you? SRAC: No, I go over to Baylt¥ every day, answer the phone, check on equipment, etc I keep in touch with the Staff. I enjoy being with them, for perhaps a half a day or a little longer. Since we have this little Green House, I spend some time with that. SMCM: And this has been since nineteen seventy? SRAC: It has been since I retired in nineteen seventy-nine. SMCM: Sister, tell us too. You also have another hobby down at the Hill? At Seton House? SRAC: Oh, yes, that's the garden. A number of years ago, some people were interested in having a garden, people from town. So, we started it. I suppose eight or ten people had gardens there. I was able to get our former Shoemaker, Fred Vercelli to help me. We had a garden for a number of years there. We're not going to have one this year though for the reason that Fred can't walk, no car transportation, and it's too far away now. We didn't get much out of it last year because we weren't able to spend as much time as before. We also had trouble with groundhogs, so we decided this year that we're not going to bother with a garden down there. SMCM: Who were these people from downtown who were interested in having a garden? SRAC: Well, the first was a Minister from one of the churches who wondered if the congregation could sponsor a garden. They could give the produce to some of their poorer parishioners. We did that for a couple of years. Then that Minister was changed. They then dropped out of it. Then other people from town were interested. The ones who asked were permitted to start a garden. SMCM: Did you always have to be there when the people were doing their gardening? SRAC: No, we didn't have any problems. They were trustworthy people. One of the gardens was started by a Korean woman who later worked at the College. There was a High School Teacher from one of the Greensburg schools who always had a garden because he loved to do it. Some people took good care of their garden. There were some who didn't. SMCM: Did you have to do anything in relation to ones being neglected? SRAC: No, the only thing I did was to have plowing done. That's about all I had done. SMCM: What about the Green House. How did you get into that? SRAC: The way we got the Green House was a doctor from Jeannette Hospital called Sister Bernadette Fondy (no longer in Community) and asked her if she could use a Green House. She knew I liked flowers, so she asked if I would like to have it. What they had was sufficient for them SRAC: I said: "Wonderful, great!" It was brand new. The doctor who had it never took it out of 12 the crate. He had bought it when he lived out in the suburbs toward the country. He never got around to working with it. Then he moved back to Jeannette and he knew he never would, so gave it to us. Mr. Frank Butter and his Staff directed it for us. SMCM: Where is that Green House? SRAC: It' s right over behind the Boiler House.....behind the old laundry I should say. It isn't large, but has light, water, heat, etc. It's really nice. This year I'm trying to plant some seed for various places around the building...patios. SMCM: Do you take care of all of it? SRAC: Yes, pretty much. We' ve always bought the plants previous years. This year, we' re hoping that the seed from the Green House will be productive. SMCM: Sister, tell me a little bit more about this friend you have. SRAC: Fred Vercelli is ninety-one years old now. Many years ago, he had a shoe repair shop. We would wrap our shoes up, put our names on them, take them to the Post Office, where once or twice a week he came, took our shoes and repaired them. When he returned with them, he had the amount of the cost for repair written on the package, which was usually fifty or seventy-five cents, sometimes a dollar. We paid and then got our shoes. Fred did shoe repair until it went out of style. He closed his shop which was in Manor..toward Jeannette. He lived in Greensburg. When these funded programs came through, I asked Fred ifhe would be interested in having a job here. He's been here ever since which is about fifteen years. He gets paid regularly, minimum wage, but is satisfied. They know they' ll never get another job. Everyone likes him. He is so friendly and so capable, and does so much. You just can't say: " You ' re too old to work anymore!" SMCM: Does he work every day? SRAC: Yes, he works Monday through Friday from eight AM until twelve Noon. He never takes the fifteen minute break that all the other employees take. SMCM: Does he work with you all the time? SRAC: No, I could tell him what to do, but he knew what to do most of the time. SMCM: Even at ninety-one, he can still do that kind of work? SRAC: We had a little Birthday party for him on December the eleventh, and the men over at the shop got him a nice, new hammer for a present because he was always borrowing one from them. They like him very much. He' s very deaf now, but his mind is clear. SMCM: How old is your Green House now, about fifteen years old? SRAC Oh no, the Green House is only about three or four years old. Before the Green House, Fred worked in the garden. When the garden project was finished, we'.let him shine up all the pots and pans in the kitchen and that sort of thing. It was work that we.didn' t have time to do. SMCM: You also have some other hobbies. You do make good fudge. SRAC: That was when we had the Summer Festivals. I still like to bake. SMCM: How soon ahead did you begin making fudge and other candy for the Summer Festival? SRAC: I started early in the Spring to order my supplies. When we were doing it at Saint Mary's, there was plenty of storage space. Then I began making certain candies after the College girls were finished. I made the hard candy and things that wouldn't spoil. SMCM: Can you tell me a little bit about the candy making? Did Sisters come to help you on a regular basis? 13 SRAC: Sister Rose Catherine Ward was always a regular helper. Many Sisters came after the schools closed and volunteered to help. There was never a shortage of helpers. I always had enough. Sister Mary Edna Trexler, like Sr. Rose Catherine was also a regular helper. She did a lot of candy making in Altoona. Sisters Margaret Frances Coogan, Madeline Sophie Gloss, and Jean Ann Wilburn were right there to help a great deal of the time. SMCM: What kind of candy did you make? SRAC: We made fudge, divinity. Caramels were very popular. We made butterscotch hard candy for a time, but discontinued. We also made bonbons. SCM: How much candy did you make? SRAC: Well over a thousand pounds. SMCM: I remember that sometimes on Sunday, the candy was all gone. SRAC: It was a good money maker. You know when you see the number of people who go into that business now, that there is money to be made. SMCM: Did you make candy all the years that there was a Festival? SRAC: No, Sr. Mary Edna really started it when she was in Youngwood on a small scale. She knew that I knew how to make candy. A few times when she was running out, she asked me to make something. At that time, I was helping with the dinners at the Festival. SMCM: Where did you buy the lovely candy boxes you had? SRAC: We got those in Williamsport. We still have some. We found them some years later. SMCM: Are you going to make candy for the Mardi Gras? SRAC: No, the next day is Ash Wednesday and people don't like to eat it then. SMCM: Do you want to tell about your CCD work now? SRAC: I started that in nineteen twenty-eight with Sister Margaret Anne Hanley and Sister Anselma Clougherty. Sister Margaret Anne had already been teaching with Sister Mary Matthew Connolly down at St. Anthony's Church in Sedgewick ( if correct) around Our Lady of Grace Church. Sr. Mary Matthew had to stop teaching. Sr. Anselma and I were in the same novitiate as Sr. Margaret Anne, so we volunteered to go with her to teach. We walked down the hill all the way to Ludwig. We got there at two o'clock, and we taught from two until three. SMCM: How long did it take to walk there? SRAC: About a half hour I guess. Father Albanese was the Pastor. He would promptly check on us every Sunday to see how we were doing. Sr. Margaret Anne was a wonderful teacher. I learned a lot just from watching her. I was there for a good while. I was so pleased just this past Fall. One of the boys I had taught became quite an important person in Greensburg. He was Vice-President of (couldn't get name of corp.) until he retired. He died and I went to the funeral home to pay my respects. I was telling one of his sisters how I had taught him in the Confirmation class at St. Anthony's and she said: "Yes, Vince still has the little book you gave him, called "My Changeless Friend." SMCM: What level did you teach? SRAC: Well, I suppose at that time it was fifth and sixth grade boys. That was until nineteen thirty. I don't know why I discontinued going to St. Anthony's, but Sr. Rose Marie Schneider and Sr. Marie Gertrude McNeil were working out in Avonmore. They needed someone, so I started out there with them. We taught out there until around nineteen thirty-nine. During that 14 time we did a lot ofFishing...looking for lapsed Catholics. That was a very rewarding time for me. Then I stopped teaching CCD until it must have been in the mid forties. Sister Helen Mary Laverty had to leave Strasbourg (if correct). They were opening a new missiol), I believe in Argyle (again, if correct). I took her place with Sr. Ruth Cecilia Giseburt. I was there about twenty years. Sr. Ruth Cecilia was probably there for about twenty-five years. I've had a rich experience with CCD. A few years I taught on Saturdays too...at LevelGreen and Jeannette. I worked with Sister M. Silverius Finnerty. She was another wonderful teacher the "Blue Sister", we called her. Did you ever hear about that? She had in error taken Silver Nitrate, and her skin turned kind of blue. The children listened so carefully to her. 1I didn't teach too long on Saturdays, only for a couple of years. SMCM: What about Saltsburg? How long did you teach there? SRAC : I taught at Saltsburg for about eighteen years. I taught the·older children there. SMCM: Was it common at that time for many of the Sisters to teach CCD on Saturdays and Sundays? SRAC: Yes, every Sunday the house would practically be vacant. When I taught in Avonmore, we would leave right after Mass in the morning and wouldn't return home until after five PM. We had our dinner and everything in Avonmore. We taught in Avonmore in the morning and Tintown in the afternoon. Sr. Marie Gertrude McNeil and Sr. M. Consuelo Hughes taught at Saltzburg in the morning and then at Morraine in the afternoon. We had a secular driver who would transport us. The CCD paid for that driver. In later years, Sr. Marie Consuelo drove me and Sr. Marie Cecilia Bums. We stopped at St. Vincent's and got a few boys who would help us out in Avonmore. My CCD work extended into nineteen fifty-two. SMCM: Would you like to comment on any of the changes that occurred after Vatican II? SRAC: Well, I can say this, I was on the Chapter during that time. The thing that I remember most was the trauma that we had in deciding on change in the habit. SMCM: What about the prayer life? Have you found that it is suitable for you? SRAC: I think so. You aren't under the stress that you had formerly, having always to be at a certain place at a certain time. I like it better. SMCM: Is there anything else you would like to tell us? You have had a rich experience although you have been stationed at Seton Hill for the entire time. SRAC: Yes, I feel that it may have been better for me to have had more experience on the Missions. Although I have been happy here all of this time. Sometimes I think I might have missed out a little bit on the things the Sisters learn at the Mission level. SMCM: Sister, I can say that you were a great inspiration to the Sisters when they came to Seton Hill for Retreats and in the Summers. I do want to thank you for your time and effort in giving this history. The Community will be very happy to have it in the Archives of the Community at Caritas Christi. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of this oral history for Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham on Wednesday, January thirtieth, two thousand thirteen 1/30/13. 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: Sr. Rose Angela Cunningham Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rose Angela Cunningham Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Rose Angela Cunningham, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 2007. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 22, 1987. Sister Rose Angela Cunningham - born Catherine Cunningham on April 8, 1906 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1925. She received a bachelor's degree in home economics from Seton Hill College in 1930 and a master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University in 1941. She taught in the Home Economics department at Seton Hill College from 1931-1980, also teaching in the Summer Sessions from 1942-1972. Sister Rose Angela died on January 30, 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill 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 1987-02-22 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. 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 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-42 Columbia University Professor of Home Economics Seton Hill College https://scsharchives.com/files/original/426b7a67d64915a0b08c05a8357b07d5.mp3 2bb5392d5c5c540bf3719f3137773c00 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 Sr. Virginia Pascaretta Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sr. M. Boniface Curren Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall 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.) 31:09 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 6-1 1 This is an oral history interview for the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The interviewee is Sister Boniface Curran. The interviewer is Sister Virginia Pascaretta. The interview is taking place at Assumption Hall, March 12, 1983. SVP: To begin the session Sr.Boniface, could you give me a brief history of your family background? Your mother and father's names; when and where you were born. SBC: My father's name was Christopher Curran. He was born in Waterford in Ireland in 1866. He died in 1899 in Pittsburgh, PA. My mother's name was Brigid Walsh, born in 1898 and died in 1954. My parents were married in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. They came to Pgh during the Johnstown flood. That was in 1889. I was born on June 13, 1895, in Pgh. It was a very happy home; every one worked to help mother because my father died when he was 33 and mother was 31. My mother was a darling, a very saintly person who lived and guided us close to God very _ SVP: Sister, at one point, you told me that you had always wanted to be a Sister. When did you first meet the Sisters of Charity? Was it when you went to school? SBC: I started school at St. John the Baptist on 36th Street and Liberty Avenue. I was in the first grade and the second grade with the same teacher, Sr. Virginia Donnelly; she was a very kind teacher. In my school years there I had St. Patricia and Sr. Antonia; these dear Sisters were a good thing for me. SVP: I understood you to tell me at one time, Sister , that Sr. Antonia who was one of your teachers gave you special devotion and special talks prior to your First Communion . Do you want to tell us about that? SBC: Sr. Antonia was a very religious person. She talked greatly and at much length on the Blessed Mother. So when First Communion time came around, she spoke very beautifully about the sacrament and what it does for us; and also to ask for anything we wanted and if it would be pleasing to God we would get it. So, I was thinking about my mother who was very sick at that time. I would ask the Blessed Mother that she would console her and help her that she might get well. And I would ask for a very sickly lady who lived on our street. She met me on the way to Holy Communion that day and she asked me to pray that she would get better. And I thought of myself that I would like to be a Sister, a Sister of Charity. I would like that very much. I got my three wishes: my mother got well after four years of sickness; my neighbor, Wendy?, got better; and I received what I asked for, a vocation to a religious order. SVP: When you finally decided to enter our community, you were delayed in doing that, I understand, because of your mother's illness. Would you describe that a little? SBC: One Saturday, once when I went to Confession, the priest in the confessional box, after I was finished, he said, "Margaret, I think you have a vocation to the Religious life the more I thought of it. May I suggest ." And he said, "What order would you want to belong to?" And I said, "Well, I was taught by the Sisters of Charity and I love them." And so then he also said, "Margaret, did you know that our mother is going to have a very serious operation and there is only one chance out of 100 that she might get better? If you are wanting to go to the convent, put it off and make sure that you are 2 doing the right thing first. If God gave you a vocation, He won't take it from you." And so I listened to that Father . That evening Mother said to me, "Did you go to Confession, Margaret?" And I said, "Yes, Mother." She said, "Did the priest there tell you anything?" I said, "Yes, he gave me my penance." And did he say anything else?" And I stopped. And then I began to say what Father said, and I told my mother what Father said. "I don't want to stand in your way." SVP: And what did you decide to do? SBC: So I decided that since mother was going to have this terrible operation, and none of us were sure she'd recover, I decided not to go until later on. Because as the priest said in confession, "Your mother depends on you, so if God gave you a vocation He won't take it from you.'" So I didn't go. Shortly after that I made a retreat at the Passionist Convent in ,and the priest, Fr. Guido, God rest him, after he heard my confession, he said to me, "Little girl, I think you have a vocation to religious life.'' SVP: And Fr. Guido was a Passionist, a Passionist priest? SBC: Yes SVP: Did you tell him about your mother at that time? SBC: Not to the confessor, to Fr. Guido? No, he just heard my confession. SVP: After the retreat then, you felt that it would be better for you to stay at home and wait until your mother became better. SBC: Um Hum. I thought she would need the help with the work. We all worked, everyone of us, except Sr. John Baptist; she was the youngest. SVP: How long after that then, did you enter the community? SBC: Well, as I said this morning, I stayed and worked until June of 1908. I was 21, just 21, and I thought. .. Well, I was assured that mother was getting better. SVP: Your First Holy Communion date was 1908. SBC: Yes, in June. SVP: And then you entered the community in what year? SBC: 1916 SVP: I thought I understood you to say that Sr. John Baptist entered before you did? SBC: We both entered the same year, but she entered in March, March 19. SVP: Of 1916? 3 SBC: Yes. SVP: And you entered? SBC: September 24 of the same year. SVP: Of the same year. And what are your recollections of the Novitiate? SBC: Well, there were so many beautiful things in the novitiate. Especially the right to listen to the spiritual reading and nice talks we got from our _ SVP: Mistress of Novices? SBC: Yes. And... SVP: Who was that? SBC: Well, I had two, in fact I had three. The first one was ... SVP: Your Mistresses were? You said you had more than one. SBC: Sr. Hildegarde and Mother Rose Genevieve. SVP: But she wasn't Mother Rose Genevieve at that time. SBC: No, she was Sister. SVP: And what are your early recollections of your Novitiate training? Of Sister, Mother Rose Genevieve and Sr. Hildegarde? SBC: Very peaceful, very understandable, very kind and very caring; they were good women. SVP: What did you like best about being in the Novitiate under those sisters? SBC: I think I'd say I liked everything the same way, Sister. SVP: Everything was always good, huh? SBC: Um hum. SVP: And then when you finished your novitiate training, you went out immediately to school. SBC: St. Mary Magdalene's. SVP: That was your first mission? SBC: Yes, in Homestead. SVP: And I understand that you went there with Sr. Mary Charotte. And what grades were you assigned to? What special .... 4 SBC: From Seton Hill they assigned me to be with Sr. Mary Charlotte doing the First Grade. There were too many for one teacher so there were two. Sisters had one room and I had the other across. SVP: And I understand that you were doing a special reading method. SBC: Yes, the Shields Method. SVP: Would you like to . . . . SBC: See, Sr. Mary Charlotte and one other sister were sent to Washington, D.C. to get this work from the people who were putting this new thing out. And then see, I was sent with her and I was to have First Grade, too. SVP: So then she was teaching you that method. SBC: We both- - - she'd teach one subject and I'd teach the other. She'd teach first and then I sort of gathered up on that and would repeat here and there. SVP: nd what was the method? SBC: It was. . . Oh, I didn't like it! SVP: You didn't like the method then because it required too much memorization. SBC: Yes. I don't know; I was just glad to get rid of it. I only taught it in that one room in that one school. SVP: You only taught it that one year? SBC: Yes, when I went to... taught at Holy Cross, yes, Holy Cross was my next mission, I taught the method. In the meantime that method was lost out to the Sisters of Charity. They didn't care for it, none of them did. SVP: So you didn't like the method, but I understand that you do have some stories about the way the children responded to it; they couldn't keep the memorization going. Would like to recount one of those stories? SBC: One of my little boys was to have read the next day. He had taken a book home the night before with the idea to study it. And when it was his turn to read, he just looked at me and I said, "Well, if I start it, you finish it." So, I read the first two lines for him. I said, "Now what comes next?" He says, "All the of the rest!" SVP: Question. Wasn't Bishop Boyle at St. Mary's as a young priest when you were there teaching First Grade? SBC: Fr. Boyle was there and he used to come into the classrooms to talk to the Sisters and the children. One day he came into my room and I had 18 action verbs on the board and I had the class up at that time, pointing to them to tell me the words. Then I went through the whole 18 ; then Fr. Boyle said, "Send them to their seats," and I did. He took 5 the chalk and he told me that he would write down what I said so I gave him the words, the 18 action words and he wrote them down. He said, "Call that class up now". I called the class up and he took the pointer and began to point at the words -no answer. The next one- no answer. He turned to me and said, "See, Sister, I knew that was memory work; they didn't know that. He said,"Rub out the words,"so I rubbed them out and he whispered to me, "And place the words differently than I had on the paper." Then I wrote them and he said, "Call that same class up," so they came up and I pointed to the words and they just spun them out very quickly. He said."How's come you know them now ; you didn't know them when I had them on the board?" In one voice they said, "Father, we can't read your writing!" He said, "Good-bye, Sister." SVP: That's a good story. Wasn't it Sr. Ann Elizabeth? SBC: Now that is where it comes in here. That evening Father came over to the convent. to see the First Grade Sister. So I was called and he told sister that I was .. SVP: He told Sr. Ann Elizabeth? SBC: No, no, he told Sister uh, that he was in my classroom and that when Sister wrote them on the board they knew them, but when I wrote them on the board, he said they couldn't read my writing. So, he said, "I guess I'll have to learn how to write. So, Sr. Ann Elizabeth would you please teach me how to do the method? - The Palmer Method?" She said, "Gladly, Father. Father came two or three times and everything was doing nicely, but then he got tired and was busy, so he asked Sr. Ann Elizabeth to write his name on a piece of paper. He took the paper into one of the stores in town and had a stamp made from it. The people in the parish said "Oh, how Fr. Boyle has improved in writing, look at that!" SVP: During the time that you were at St. Mary Magdalene the influenza epidemic occurred. Weren't you involved with Sr. Agnes Josephine, helping some families at that time? Would you like to tell about that? SBC: Sr. Agnes Josephine and I were sent to a family down below the railroad . . . a poor family, but a very good family. Everyone in that family was sick except the new baby; the new baby was a little boy about a month or two old. So, there was no one to help them. Sister and I stayed; we washed their clothes, we sorted them and put them away. We cooked their meals, gave food to the children and milk to the little baby, medicine to the father and mother and to the others who were to get it. We worked with them for at least a week until we saw a little improvement. One of the boys, he was just a tiny boy at the time, is PA's best harmonica player. Charles ? SVP: Charles what? Do you remember the last name? You can't think of it? Well, that's alright. How did you have time to take care of the family? Was it after school hours or what? SBC: All of the schools were closed on account of the influenza. So that gave us a chance to go and help; we helped wherever we could. The Sisters went up to the tent and stayed all night in the open tent because the air was to have been the factor in getting well, and they came in the morning and they rested; then they went back again. In the meantime, Sr. Adelaide, Sr. Agnes Josephine and myself prepared the meals. We did their 6 clothing, washing their gowns for them, whatever we could to help out. SVP: Were some of the sisters struck by the epidemic? SBC: Yes, everyone, but myself. Sr. Agnes Josephine even got it. They said they had to send them to the hospital. I was the only one that was there. SVP: Where was the tent? SBC: Up above the hill, up in Homestead, way up above. You'd have to go in a car to get up there. All the sisters that were well, went there. But the ones that were sick, were too sick, they were sent to the hospital. SVP: And who took care of the people that were going to be under that tent? Was it a Salvation Army thing, or? SBC: No, it was, must have been, some society in Homestead. They sent them out and the Sisters would have to wear long white gowns, myself included, and so did Sr. Agnes Josephine. We would stand on the porch and put them on them. And take them off as we went out. SVP: And what was the purpose of the Sisters going up to the tent? SBC: They were treating the sick. SVP: They were treating the sick up there. SBC: Feeding them, washing them, taking care of them, giving them medicine. They stayed all night. SVP: Were there any doctors? SBC: Yes, oh, Yes. But they needed help; there were so many of them. That whole area up on top of the hill, as it were. I've never seen it, but they say it was pretty far up. Somebody used to take them up in their car. They were wonderful to the sick. SVP: Do you have favorite memories of being at St. Mary Magdalene's? After you left St. Mary Magdalene's where did you go? SBC: I went to Holy Cross and enjoyed the children there, enjoyed the work. I went to Stephen's, Hazelwood and I was there for fourteen years; I have beautiful memories of certain people who are now in the religious life. St. John's, South Side - lovely people there. St. Anselm's Swissvale - I was there for seven years; the children were very nice; the children were very impressive. Sacred Heart in Greensburg - I taught there and I was superior for six years. I have four children, five children, no, three children that became religious from Sacred Heart in Greensburg. Two of them, one of them is a twin and she is in our community. One boy had studied for 18 years as a brother and he is now becoming a priest; he'll be ordained and - - - SVP: Who is the Sister that is in our community? 7 SBC: The lawyer. SVP: Sr. Melanie? SBC: Yes, and her sister; she was a twin. I had two sets of twins that year. The Petroy's and the Di Pietro's. The Petroy's is the one - - - the two boys and he studied for 18 years and now he'll soon be ordained a priest. SVP: Then where did you go? SBC: St. James in West End - I enjoyed that very much; I spent nine years there. St. Philip's in Crafton - My sister was with me at that time -Sr. John Baptist. St. Therese's in Munhall - Beautiful memories of very kind people and lovely children. Sacred Heart - Every moment was a joy there. SVP: That was Sacred Heart in Pgh. SBC: I have taught in 11 schools and I taught over 3,696 pupils. It might be more than that. just put that down. I have it in my book though ; I can show you. SVP: And you were in First Grade all of those years? SBC: In two instances, no, in three, I had First and Second, that was double grades. And that was at Sacred Heart, I had double grades. SVP: That was in Greensburg? SBC: Yes, then I had St. Philip's, too. Then Sacred Heart in Pgh. SVP: And was you last mission? SBC: Yes. SVP: And from Sacred Heart in Pgh. you came to Assumption Hall? SBC: Right. SVP: Looking back on all of your experiences as a First Grade teacher, do any of them stand out in your memory as something you'd like to recount for us? SBC: I don't want to brag though. SVP: Well, I don't think you'd be bragging; I think it would be interesting SBC: Well, I have 8 girls that became Sisters and 10 boys that became priests, and 3 boys became Brothers. SVP: And they were all pupils of yours? SBC: Yes, that's why, they were all different ones that I just couldn't point them out. There 8 were these pupils that were _ SVP: How would you look at what you have done in the First Grade? You seem to have felt that they were all happy memories. They were all good experiences. Is that truly the way you look at your life as a Sister of Charity? As a First Grade teacher over the years? Is there anything that you would have changed if you had to do it over again.? SBC: Just to be a little more zealous. SVP: A little more zealous. You enjoyed teaching then? SBC: I'd go back again today if I could _ SVP: If you could hear better. SBC: Um hum. SVP: In your recollections of the community, could you mention some of the people who were special to you or who seemed outstanding? SBC: In my earlier years in school, Sr. Antonia was an outstanding Sister, in everything - in teaching and charity to little people who were not guided correctly at home and it was a pleasure to come to school for them. And Mother Eveline, Lord have mercy on her, and Mother . . . uh, what's the other one? SVP: Mother Claudia? SBC: Claudia. And Mother Rose Genevieve. SVP: I was wondering, since Sr. John Baptist entered shortly before you did, what was it like having a sister in the community? SBC: A little bit of heaven. SVP: Is there anything that you would change if you had to do this all over again? SBC: Do you mean in teaching? SVP: In teaching, or in your whole experience as a Sister of Charity. SBC: If I had to do over again, I would choose what I have seen and what I know and I would choose it again. SVP: You 'd choose it again, without a doubt. SBC: Uh hum, I appreciate being a Sister of Charity. SVP: Sister, I'd like to thank you for sharing your story with us. Thank you for contributing what you have done. SBC: You're welcome. Glad to do it. 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: Sr. M. Boniface Curren Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Boniface Curren Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Boniface Curren, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1916 until 1990. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on March 12, 1983. Sister Mary Boniface Curren - born Margaret Mary Curren on June 10, 1895 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1916. She received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1944. She was Principal at Sacred Heart High School where she taught from 1946-1951. She also taught at St. James in West End and St. Philip in Crafton. During her early years at St. Mary Magdalene, she worked alongside a young Bishop Hugh Boyle, then a priest. Sister Boniface died on December 28, 1990. Her blood sister, Sister John Baptist, died on that date one year earlier. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill 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 1983-03-12 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. 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 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-8 Bishop Hugh Boyle Crafton PA Duquesne University Principal Sacred Heart High School St. James School St. Mary Magdalene School St. Philip School Teacher https://scsharchives.com/files/original/9714c11f5d764e57a6ba7c8b97647fd6.mp3 070104b786e660e9b9b028387e9fcfec 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 Sr. Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sr. John Baptist Curren Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Marian Hall Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 25:08 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: Sr. John Baptist Curren Subject The topic of the resource Sister John Baptist Curren Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister John Baptist Curren, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1916 until 1989. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 20, 1987. Sister John Baptist Curren - born Catherine Jane Curren on May 8, 1900 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in March of 1916. She received a bachelor's degree in English from Duquesne University in 1944. She taught in a number of schools in the Pittsburgh area, including St. Philip, Holy Innocents, St. Luke, and Sacred Heart. Sister John Baptist died on December 28, 1989. Her blood sister, Sister Mary Boniface, died on that date one year later. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill 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 1987-04-20 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. 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 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Oh-6 Crafton PA Duquesne University Holy Innocents Sacred Heart School PGH Sheraden PA St. Luke's School St. Philip's School Teacher 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 Mother Richard Ann Watson Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sr. Marie Vincent Doyle Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:09 31:07 14:50 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: Sr. Marie Vincent Doyle Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marie Vincent Doyle Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marie Vincent Doyle, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1910 until 1987. The interview was conducted by Mother Richard Ann Watson on February 29, 1984. Sister Marie Vincent Doyle - born Ellen Doyle on May 13, 1891 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in April of 1910. She taught at St. Mary's School for Boys on the Seton Hill campus. She also taught at a number of other schools, including St. John the Evangelist, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, and Holy Innocents, among others. Sister Marie Vincent died on April 19, 1987. Mr. Charles Burkhart, an alumni from St. Mary's School for Boys, is recorded on the final three tapes of the interview to discuss his experiences at St. Mary's. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill 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 1984-02-29 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. 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 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-2 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mr. Charles Burkhart, graduate of Sr. Mary's School for Boys St. Mary's School for Boys https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7832f094224e3e01da7e644e68de0283.mp3 fc9164dd3a6022a59fd96749b650e52d 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 Helen Cecelia Dwyer Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall 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.) 31:25 14:26 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: Sr. Helen Cecelia Dwyer Subject The topic of the resource Sister Helen Cecelia Dwyer Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Helen Cecelia Dwyer, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1919 until 1990. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on May 8, 1982 and July 10, 1984. Sister Helen Cecelia Dwyer - born Helen Louise Dwyer on February 15, 1902 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1919. She received a bachelor's degree in music from Seton Hill College in 1925 and a master's degree in supervision and education from New York University in 1938. She also studied music and music education at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University), the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and Juilliard. She taught many subjects, including music and choir, world history, religion, and Pennsylvania history. She taught piano at Seton Hill College from 1926-1950. She also taught at Holy Innocents, Immaculate Conception, and Sacred Heart High School, among others. In addition, she taught CCD classes. Sister Helen Cecelia died on February 24, 1990. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill 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 1982-05-08 1984-07-10 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. 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 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-20 Carnegie Institute of Technology Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Holy Innocents School Immaculate Conception School Irwin Juilliard Music Education New York University Sacred Heart High School Seton Hill College 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 James Marie Malone Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview St. John the Evangelist (Tucson, Ariz.) 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.) 13:06 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 Rebecca Ann Espinosa Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1952 until 2004. The interview was conducted by Sister James Marie Malone on July 28, 1983. Sister Rebecca Ann Espinosa - born Maria Ignacia Louise Espinosa on June 21, 1912 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in March of 1952. She served as a housekeeper, teacher's aide, homebound parish visitor, CCD teacher, and Spanish teacher in Arizona from the 1950's through the 1980's. She served at Casa Elizabeth Seton, Immaculate Conception, and St. John the Evangelist. Sister Rebecca Ann died on January 27, 2004. 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 1983/07/28 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-99 Ajo Arizona Casa Elizabeth Seton Immaculate Conception School AZ St. John the Evangelist School AZ Teacher Tucson 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. Bridgetta Fitzpatrick Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview DePaul Institute 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.) 31:33 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 M. Bridgetta Fitzpatrick Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Bridgetta Fitzpatrick Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Bridgetta Fitzpatrick, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1930 until 1998. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on January 24, 1987. Sister Mary Bridgetta Fitzpatrick - born Helen Mercedes Fitzpatrick on March 17, 1908 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1930. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1945 and a master's degree in special education for the deaf from Wayne State University in 1945. She also took a course in Braille at the Catholic University of America. She served at DePaul Institute for the Deaf from 1943-1994, serving as Principal from 1963-1969. Sister Bridgetta died on August 3, 1998. 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 1987/01/24 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-60 Catholic University of America Deaf Education DePaul Institute Principal Teacher University of Pittsburgh Wayne State University https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7c9455a7d33edddd166266a10ec37442.mp3 e94fbd1413130129c3498e72852acc3a https://scsharchives.com/files/original/09b4b513860dc00e5ec626755a9905b3.mp3 8058604ed1cc0f2e243d05bc3a5ae952 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 Marie Anthony Flavin Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Elizabeth Seton Convent 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 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 Marie Anthony Flavin Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marie Anthony Flavin Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marie Anthony Flavin, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 2000. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on September 17, 1986. Sister Marie Anthony Flavin - born Alice Marie Flavin on September 18, 1905 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in March of 1925. She received a bachelor's degree in physical sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 1942 and a master's degree in biological sciences in 1948, also from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught at St. John the Baptist, St. James in West End, Elizabeth Seton High School, St. Anselm's, and more. She also served at the Elizabeth Seton Center in the mid-eighties. Sister Marie Anthony died on August 29, 2000. 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 1986/09/17 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-36 Elizabeth Seton Center Elizabeth Seton High School Science education St. Anselm's School St. John the Baptist School Teacher University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/df4520f847a1e470e43696b1d857ac1e.mp3 6264ffec3a6371b8f0683f5f151a2563 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/700061a6492e52718be5f4fa145c511d.mp3 5a6e37b4386ee84b8e42ff8060e579d1 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b7d6a26470e3219528c6cdb0ba58799d.mp3 eb2d7791e2a718975c4ea44181b8e783 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 Marietta Flynn Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Sacred Heart High School 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 31:02 31:01 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 Marietta Flynn Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marietta Flynn Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marietta Flynn, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1922 until 1993. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on March 18, 1987. Sister Marietta Flynn - born Mary Grace Flynn on January 4, 1904 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1922. She received a bachelor's degree in Latin and Spanish from Duquesne University in 1933, a master's degree in classics (also from Duquesne) in 1943, and a master's degree in library science from Marywood College in 1957. She served at St. Luke's, Elizabeth Seton High School, and Holy Innocents, among others. She was the librarian at Sacred Heart from 1967-1980, and created an outreach program to help other librarians. Sister Marietta died on March 11, 1993. 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 1987/03/18 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-25 Duquesne University Elizabeth Seton High School Holy Innocents Librarian Marywood College Sacred Heart High SchoolSchool St. Luke's High School https://scsharchives.com/files/original/2b2d8c49266cd299924e89ffe07ddddd.mp3 bf68c86019f3deee34882db39e4bfb0e https://scsharchives.com/files/original/2f1c12b24cd85bd254b54be20c141caf.mp3 e7ddcab0e19dbef645ec91ed48c75b3b https://scsharchives.com/files/original/9e028904da9113c6fe856bb79ef4d8fe.mp3 42bba0b8541c975f8cb8f159e14d8b91 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 Edith Marie Fullen Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview St. Anselm's Convent 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.) 31:24 31:22 31:24 18:05 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 Edith Marie Fullen Subject The topic of the resource Sister Edith Marie Fullen Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Edith Marie Fullen, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1993. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on October 15, 1987. Sister Edith Marie Fullen - born Mary Alice Fullen on November 4, 1907 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1925. She received a bachelor's degree in business education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1941 and a master's degree in supervision and administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1959. In the 1930's, Sister Edith Marie taught transcription, bookkeeping, shorthand, and accounting in a business course that she ran from Resurrection Parish in Brookline. She also taught at Elizabeth Seton High School, Seton Hill College, St. Luke's, and Sacred Heart. Sister Edith Marie died on July 14, 1993. 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 1987/10/15 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-40 Business education Elizabeth Seton High School Sacred Heart High School Seton Hill College St. Luke's High School Teacher University of Notre Dame University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/6c149cf720bd6d3c45edff40e2bfaadc.mp3 cb9a343018f86c8b694ab17e697d5558 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f0c32b98a6ab52b56134cdfdc222d4a9.mp3 57d17a80125ef720f0b0eb0fafccdd3b 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 Rose Xavier Garrity Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview DePaul Institute 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.) 46:47 46:53 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 24-1 Sr.Rose X Garrity This is an interview for the Oral History program for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pennysylvania. The interviewee is Sister Rose Xavier Garrity. The interviewer is Sister Virginia Pascaretta. The interview is taking place at DePaul Institute and deals with the history of the Institute. The date is May eighteenth, nineteen eighty-two. SVP: Sr. Rose Xavier, before we get into the history of the school, tell me briefly about yourself, your entrance into the Sisters of Charity, and your introduction to your work at DePaul. SRX: Well, I wanted to be a Sister for quite a while. The night that I made the final decision was in March of nineteen twenty-one during a novena to St. Francis Xavier at St. Benedict's Church in the Hill District where we were teaching Sunday School. That night I set the date. It was to be on the Feast of the Sacred Heart that coming June, which was really less than three months away. I wanted the Sisters of Charity alright, but was also attracted to the Franciscans. I knew in my heart it was only peripherally. My confessor was a Capuchin, and he would always say: "I know you, I know you well, and I know you belong at Mt. Alvernia. That sort of gave me a well, I suffered from it, trying to get that off my mind. Finally, one day I called Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney at Sacred Heart Convent. SVP: Sister Teresa Vincent was a friend of yours before you entered? SRX: Yes, we had gone to the same school. She was just a couple of years ahead of me. I called Sr. Teresa Vincent at Sacred Heart and made an appointment for that night. She didn't do a single thing. I got no help from her. In thinking it over, I don' t blame her. I don't know what to tell anyone else when they are wavering like that. She telephoned me the next day and asked me to come to see her. I went, and I left there happier than I had been for quite some time. First of all, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Jane Elizabeth Smith took me out to Seton Hill to petition. So, I kept the date of entrance...the Feast of the Sacred Heart in nineteen twenty-one. When we arrived on the date of petitioning , there was no-one around on the main floor, so we went on up to the Chapel. They were having Benediction or Holy Hour, and they were singing: "O Sacred Heart." Later, when we went on the date of entrance, we must have arrived at just about the same time because they were singing the same hymn. As we entered the Chapel, they came to the words " O Sacred Heart, lead all exiled children home." So, I was at home at last and was settled. SVP: What year was it when you were introduced to DePaul Institute then? SRX: I was still a Novice...about a fourth year one. Our Novitiate was five years long. Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers sent for me that Summer. It was an unusual thing, of course, for a Novice to be called to the Mother Superior' s office. I felt a little uneasy about that. Mother Rose Genevieve wasn' t the easiest person to approach, at least I thought so at the time. She started out by saying: "Oh, you know that Sister Teresa what's her name." I replied, " Sister Teresa Mary, Mother." Then I was frightened for sure, because Sr. Teresa Mary had lived with me that year and she left the Community in a very unconventional way at the end of the Summer. But, why was I connected with her? And Mother said: "No, no, another Sister Teresa. It dawned on me then and I said: Oh, Sr. Teresa Vincent, Mother?" Yes, she said. They need a teacher up at DePaul. We don' t like to send our teachers there, but she said they need someone, and she mentioned your name. Do you think you ' d like it? I don' t know, Mother, if it's anything like teaching Sunday School. I did what DePaul was. " Well then, you' ll go to DePaul this year." I didn' t tell anyone, except Sister M. Fiorita McGrory, because we had lived together a year before that. We kept it a big secret until a few weeks later when the Mission List was being read in Cecilian Hall. Sister Florita's name was on that list right after mine. That was a big surprise to both ofus. SVP: Then you arrived at DePaul Institute the late Summer? SRX: That late Summer, yes. SVP: What special event was happening at that time? SRX: First of all, it was first called the Pittsburgh School For the Deaf. It wasn' t called DePaul Institute until December thirty first, nineteen ten when it was incorporated. . I'd just like to tell a little about the attempts that were made before it opened. There were several attempts before that time, in fact beginning as early as eighteen seventy-four, to open such a school in the diocese. For several good reasons, that didn' t materialize. We have this information from a letter written by Monsignor A.A. Lambing to Sister Marie Antonio McLinden in nineteen eleven, nineteen­ twelve. He was, of course, born in eighteen forty-two. The Pittsburgh Diocese didn' t come into being until the next year, and he was always considered to be the great historian in the diocese. In that letter, he tells that as a young priest, in eighteen seventy-three, he was stationed at the Orphanage on Tannehill Street. There were two or three little deaf girls there who were children of a poor mother, a widow. Naturally, he was interested in them, but he had no idea what to do for them. He frequently spoke to Bishop Domenec about the matter, about the deaf in general in the diocese and in the state. The Bishop thought of opening a department in the school there and having a couple of Sisters of Mercy trained.to teach them. The financial panic of eighteen seventy-three was just coming up at that time and it was impossible for anything to be done. The next year he was transferred to the Point, but he didn't forget the children. He said that he consulted a Catholic Directory and discovered that there was a school, a Catholic School for the deaf in New York near Fordham University. He contacted the Heads, the Administration there, and found all the information he could about it. SVP: Did he send the children away to that school? SRX: Yes, he did. SVP: And that was near Fordham? SRX: Yes, near Fordham University. He obtained a free pass for the children, in fact, he had them admitted, free of charge. He had a pass from (William Shaw) for the children, the mother and himself. He visited them twice while they were there. He sent the mother to pay a last visit to them before she died. By the time he was transferred to Wilkinsburg, Bishop Phelan was head of the Diocese. In that letter, Monsignor Lambing stated that the Bishop sent two Sisters of Mercy to St. Mary's School for the Deaf in Buffalo to be trained. One of the Sisters died, and he didn' t know what became of the other one. He didn' t hear anymore about it, and the venture came to an end. By nineteen hundred Four, Right Reverend Bishop Canevin was installed as Bishop of Pittsburgh. When he heard of the great numbers of Catholic deaf children who were being brought every week from the state school in Edgewood for Sunday Mass to St. Joseph's Church in Wilkinsburg, he shared the concern of Monsignor Lambing about the possibility of the children losing their faith. SVP: That was St. James Church in Wilkinsburg? SRX: St. James Church in Wilkinsburg now. SVP: Why did he choose the Sisters of Charity? SRX: Well, Bishop Canevin immediately attacked the problem. He searched through the histories in the Constitutions of the different Communities within the diocese, and he saw that St. Vincent de Paul included all types of afflictions within the missionary scope of his spiritual daughters. Accordingly then, he appealed to Mother Ignatia Flinn at Seton Hill for Sisters to go away to be trained. SVP: How did they prepare themselves? SRX: First of all, the Sisters were: Sister Marie Antonio McLinden, Sister Gertrude Litzinger and Sister Martha Walsh. They were sent to the Sisters of St. Joseph in New York. SVP: Was that St. Mary' s School for the Deaf? SRX: Yes, that ' s right. The Bishop's thought was to establish a Catholic School for the hearing impaired children with Religious specially trained to teach them and to provide Sunday School for the missions for the hearing impaired adults. SVP: What you're saying then is that the goals for the opening of this work were really twofold? SRX: Yes. SVP: Both for the children' s education, and Catholic education for the adults. SRX: The three Sisters appointed for the New York adventure left then, when they finished in Randolph at the end of the year. The following May, they began observation in most of the schools for the hearing impaired in the East. SVP: Did they go to Boston, to the Randolph School for the Deaf first? SRX: Yes, that's where they were sent. SVP: Then, they went to St. Mary' s and the other places to observe later? SRX: Yes SRX: Their fust stop was the Fox School for the Deaf in North Hampton, Massachusetts, where Dr. Carolyn L. Yale was the Principal. Dr. Yale had been at the Clark School almost from the beginning in eighteen sixty-seven. It was she who had developed the vowel and consonant charts to teach speech, used almost exclusively in so many schools for the deaf at the time. From North Hampton, the Sisters went to the Hartford School in Connecticut, founded in eighteen seventeen. That is the oldest school for the deaf in the United States. The next stops found them at the Lexington Ave. School, Fanwood(?) School, Fordham School, which is now St. Joseph's School in Westchester. While they were at the Mt. School in Philadelphia, the Sisters met Mother Mary Ann Burke from St. Mary's School for the Deaf. A life long bond of friendship between the St. Mary's and Pittsburgh School developed. Mother Mary Ann Burke offered a permanent scholarship at Buffalo to train teachers for the new school in Pittsburgh. SVP: When they came back from their observations, how did they continue their teacher training? SRX During the Summer that followed their return to Greensburg, a six weeks course in education methods and practices in teaching the deaf was given at Seton Hill by Sr. Rose Gertrude of the Sisters of Mercy in Hartford, Conn., and Mrs. Albert Graskendalls of Green School in Washington. There were courses given later at DePaul by Miss Clinton from the School for the Deaf in Billings, the Principal of the West Virginia School at Romney (if correct), and Sisters of St. Joseph from the state school in Buffalo came to DePaul. SRX: Something else I wanted to say was: Sr. Marie Antonio, before they went to Philadelphia from New York, they went to Lackawanna to visit Our Lady of Victory Shrine and Father Baker gave Sister a pocket size statue of Our Lady of Victory and a litany. His parting words to her were: "Say this everyday and your work will bear fruit for the glory of God." Sister said the litany faithfully through the years and she inculcated devotion to Our Lady of Victory in the Sisters and in the children. The children repeated the invocation after their grace before and after meals and after any Hail Marys or prayers they would say at any other time. Among the treasures that were placed in the cornerstone of Our Lady of Victory Hall when it was built in nineteen forty-nine were the pocket-sized statue and the old well-thumbed litany. SVP: When the School finally opened, can you tell me who the Sisters were and in what capacity they worked there? SRX: During the preparation of the teachers, Bishop Canevan rented a three room brick house surrounded by a large lawn and it's the old Lappe Mansion in the Troy Area of Pittsburgh. SVP: What Street was it on? SRX: It was at 1613 Lowry Street. On August twenty-second, nineteen hundred eight Sister Mary Cecilia Brown came as the Sister Servant and Sister Mary Michael O' Shea as the house keeper. Sister Marie Antonio McLinden and Sister Martha Walsh, the teachers moved to prepare for the opening of the Pittsburgh School for the Deaf. SVP: What happened to Sr. Gertrude Litzinger? SRX: Sr. Gertrude never went on. She was elected as a Councilor at Seton Hill later on. The school opened on September seventh, nineteen hundred eight. Daniel Cusick, a boy from Coraopolis was the first pupil. Interestingly enough, he had been at St. Mary's School for the Deaf in the Preparatory Department. SVP: How many other children came at that time? SRX: The end of the fust week closed with an emollment of three. One of them was Mrs. Laura Matthews from the West End. She is the great grandmother of a little boy who is in the school now...a nephew of Sister Rosalie O' Hara. The next month, Father Thomas Coakley had just completed his studies at the North American College in Rome and Bishop Canevan told him that he had a job waiting for him. When Father Coakley asked him what it consisted of, he said: "a five hundred dollar debt." On October sixteenth, nineteen hundred eight, the Bishop presented Father Coakley to the Sisters as Superintendent for the Pittsburgh School for the Deaf. Bishop Canevan had promised that the frrst School Mass would be celebrated when the enrollment reached ten, to match the ten commandments, he said. The tenth pupil came in November and the Bishop was notified. The Bishop then said: " Well, I thought I had said twelve in honor of the twelve apostles. That was his answer, but he notified Father Coakley immediately and the young Superintendent celebrated the frrst Mass on December sixteenth, nineteen hundred eight. Monsignor Lambing presented the Missal and Ciborium, and the Seton Hill Sisters of Charity, the Chalice. Some other benefactor donated the Monstrance and a pair of seven brass candle sticks. After that time, Mass was offered by Father Coakley in the School Chapel once a week. At other times, the Sisters and the students attended the nearby Holy Name Church. They received every possible attention from Father Mullen, the Pastor, and the two Assistants, Father Killmeyer and Father Angel. In February of nineteen ten, the Assistants were appointed to offer Mass at the School. Father Coakley always came after that every year on May twenty-fifth, the day of his Ordination, with the exception of nineteen thirty-six when he was three thousand miles away. On that day, his Mass was offered in the church where Abbey De LaPae was buried. Abbey De LaPae had founded the National Institute for the Deaf in Paris and had trained the first American teachers for the deaf. As the first Christmas of the pioneers was drawing near in nineteen hundred eight, Mrs. Catherine Maloney who became a life-long benefactor of the School promised to send a turkey with all the trimmings. Christmas day came, but no turkey had come. Several days later, it was learned that the turkey had been delivered to the Ladies of Charity of the Good Shepherd Home on Lowry Street. Mrs. Maloney saw to it that another turkey and trimmings would arrive in time for the New Year' s dinner. Besides her monetary contributions , Mrs. Maloney also gave an outdoor statue of St. Catherine of Siena, designed by Scullari and dedicated by Father Coakley on July seventh, nineteen thirty­ six. Incidenta lly, the new School Chapel, dedicated twenty five years later was named St. Catherine Siena in memory of the mother of its benefactor, Mr. Kelly. Later in the school year of nineteen hundred nine as the enrollment increased, Sister Emmanuel Drake arrived as the frrst teacher in training. Sister Margaret Cecilia Brennan was the children' s Supervisor. On the anniversary of Father Coakley's first Mass, five children received their First Holy Communion in the School Chapel. Five children were confrrmed in St. Paul' s Cathedral on May thirtieth, 1909. The closing exercises took place on June twenty-first, 1909. Sr. Marie Antonia gave a vivid account of that event. She said: "We pushed the dining room tables together to make a stage. The children used the parlor windows from the porch for entrance and exits. The program consisted of songs, drills, tableaus and speeches." During the second year, the enrollment increased to twenty-six, and an adjoining house was rented for boys. In September of 1910, as the third year of the new school began, Sister Marie Michael Carroll came as Children's Supervisor. The next year brought Sister Rose Gertrude Reitzert. These two Sisters became the third and fourth members of the teaching staff and comprised the training staff of nineteen hundred eleven. Both Sisters spent the rest of their lives with their beloved deaf children. Sister Rose Gertrude died after a long illness in nineteen fifty­ seven and Sr. Marie Michael died in nineteen fifty-six. The school had been undertaken without definite plans for its support. Most of the children had to be boarded and educated free of charge. Few could pay the small tuition fee suggested. In the 6 early days, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill provided not only personnel; but also money from Music lessons taught by Sisters: Mary James Brownlee, Dolores Cupps, Agnes Regina Nunnick, and Mary Cephas Storm. In January of 1909, the Ladies Aid Society had been organized. Through membership fees, entertainments and donation days, they contributed largely for many years to the maintenance of teachers and pupils. SVP: What about the Women' s Guild? SRX: The Women's Guild also accomplished a great work during the four years of its existence. Mrs. Flannery was the President, Mrs. Salomney, the Secretary, and Mrs. Frank Larnining the Treasurer. The Guild contributions to the school totaled $48,000.00. The Ladies Aid Society and the Guild were sponsoring their parties, while their male counterparts were not looking on idly. Mr. James Flannery erected the apparatus for the playground, and after his death, his widow maintained it. Mr. Frank Lanahan donated the complete equipment for the manual training department in nineteen twelve. Boy, the expense of maintaining equipment even in nineteen thirty-six! SVP: Was there not some early affiliation with the state in which the state provided funds? SRX: Yes after the legal requirements of state aid had been completed by the Incorporation of DePaul Institute in 1910 as I mentioned above. The Directors applied for an appropriation of $2,000.00in order to place the Institution on the list. Before the bill passed and was signed in 1911 by the Governor, the number of students had increased. Through the efforts of a Mr. John F. Casey, the appropriation was raised to $7,000.00 and signed by Governor. As the excellent work done in the Institute won the admiration and approval of other state officials, the appropriation was steadily increased until in May of nineteen twenty-one it had reached a sum of $45,000.00. That was lost that year by an adverse decision by the Supreme Court and a number of other Pennsylvania declaring the appropriation a violation of the Constitution of the State. The Supreme Court, in its decision, placed DePaul Institute and a number of other.Institutions managed by Catholics as sectarian and not entitled to an appropriation from the public treasury. · And so the next year, Bishop Hugh Boyle, Bishop of the Diocese began the annual diocesan collection. SVP: I was just going to ask you about the need for larger space, and when that move took place from Lowry Street to Brookline? SRX: By the end of the year 1909, the Pittsburgh School for the Deaf, as it was then called, had outgrown its temporary home on Lowry Streeet. In October, Bishop Canevan and Father Coakley accompanied by Mr. George Schneider who was the father of our Sr. Rose Marie Schneider, inspected the thirty-five acre Gilfillin Farm in Brookline, and they decided to purchase it. Six acres were set apart as a future site for the School for the Deaf. The high altitude and the beauty of the surrounding South Hills, made it a desirable site at the time, and still is. The location was just a twenty minute streetcar ride from the Downtown business section of Pittsburgh, close enough to permit the future school to enjoy all the educational advantages of the city, while far enough away to escape its noise and dust. On that plot, a three story building was erected and a Charter granted December thirty-first, nineteen ten, incorporating it for the city under the name DePaul Institute for the Deaf. SVP: Do you want to tell us about the move now? SRX: During Easter Vacation of nineteen eleven, while the students were at their homes, the Sisters bid farewell to Troy Hill bearing with them happy and grateful memories of three blessed and fruitful years. With the aid of the tractors of the Pittsburgh Railway Company, and wagons supplied by Mr. Donald Donovan of the Consolidated Ice Company, the transfer of furniture was begun on Thursday, April twentieth, nineteen eleven with difficulty amid torrents of rain. The move was considered completed on Friday, April twenty-first just as far as the Fire Engine House on Brookline Blvd., where part of the water soaked furnishings were stored until fairer weather arrived to move the treasured cargo down the long, muddy hill to the new building at the head of Castlegate Avenue. The following two weeks were spent getting classrooms in order as well as preparing the Chapel. The Chapel was small and unpretentious, but the donors of the stained glass windows found it elegant. They were Seton Hill students of nineteen ten and eleven. There were also other benefactors. The Chapel and house were blessed and the first Liturgy was celebrated by Right Reverend Regis Canevin on Saturday, May sixth, nineteen eleven. "I think Our Lord is pleased to be here," he said. On Monday, May 7, 1911 the faculty and pupils assembled and opened the second chapter of Bishop Canev1m's zealous efforts on behalf of the deaf in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop Canev i,n would return to DePaul each year on June sixteenth, the feast of his patron saint to celebrate the feast day. He had oriental pine saplings around the property on both Dorchester Street and Castle Avenue. He liked to stand on the porch and he' d say to Sr. Marie Antonio: "These oriental sycamores we have planted will be fine trees some day." And today, they are. Offices now fill the spaces where that first little Chapel stood. The buzz of the Xerox and other machines replace the profound quiet of the sacristy. Sister David Mary Leonard now sits with a child or talks with a parent in the conference room, which in 1911, completed the body of the first little Chapel. The main building, in addition to the Chapel, also contains classrooms, dormitories, dining rooms, kitchens, offices, laboratories, bathrooms, locker rooms and a clothes room for the children. The building was erected at a cost of over $39,000.00. Between July and October of 1911, a two-story building was added at the cost of $12,000.00 to serve as the recreational hall building and manual training shop. An increase in enrollment soon required additional space. In March of nineteen fourteen, a third floor dormitory was added to the recreational hall building and joined to the main building with an annex. In nineteen fifteen, tile replaced the wood in the first floor and in the students' dining room, later used for the girls recreational hall. The work was done by Scotts Howell Company at a cost of $2,000.00. In nineteen twenty, a new hard wood floor replaced the old floor in the boys' recreational hall. In September of 1920, another three-story dormitory building was begun and completed in February, nineteen twenty-one. No effort was spared by Father Coakley to surround the children with the beautiful. Among the art collections which he donated were Chartrand' s original Cistercian Monk formerly in the Metropolitan and Carnegie Galleries, an original portrait of the Irish Poet Thomas More, which had been exhibited in the Dublin and Chicago Art Galleries, twenty-seven etchings of famous Cathedrals, forty copies of masterpieces and European posters: German, French, Italian and Belgium-among them a charcoal of Cardinal Mercier Protecting the Vatican. The etchings and the posters were sent by Father Coakley during his years in the First World War·. DePaul became Father Coakley's album after the war. In nineteen thirty, he sent statuary to DePaul which included exact replicas of six of the Della Robbias in terra cotta, the head of the god of Amon, a Spanish and a French Madonna, and three of Orentia's(if correct) models for the stone carvings of Columbus, St. Francis of Assisi, and Father Damian of Molokai which graces Sacred Heart Church. Even Father Coakley's precious chalice with the following inscription was given to DePaul: "The fragments of the Chalice and Ciborium belonging to Rev. Thomas Coakley, chaplain of the forty-seventh Infantry, fourth division AEF, destroyed by a German shell." The shell was shown on it, together with the piece of shrapnel imbedded in the Ciborium. In December nineteen eight, Father Coakley prepared to fulfill Bishop Canev in's second purpose in founding the school: To reach through Sunday School and Worship, the adult deaf. He began his work for the adult deaf in the Church of the Epiphany in Pittsburgh. Mr. William Hays, brother of Sister Bernadette Hays, SC and Mr. Vince Dunn assisted Father Coakley in gathering twenty adults for the first instruction. Sr. Marie Antonio McLinden and Sister Martha Walsh from the Pittsburgh School for the Deaf went to the Epiphany Church every Sunday afternoon to teach Catechism, beginning December twentieth, nineteen eight, with only three months experience with little deaf children. Three months later, they will work with the adult deaf. Within a year, sixty adults from all over Allegheny County were at Epiphany Church every Sunday. Then he got the Redemptorist Priests who were more experienced teachers of the deaf. They conducted retreats at Troy Hill, and at St. Philomena's Churches in Pittsburgh. They also gave retreats at DePaul. During Father Coakley's absence in WWI, Father Burger, one of the Redemptorists, took care of all the services for the deaf. Father Coakley even found a small group of deaf in and around Jeannette, whom he visited and instructed every two weeks. Reverend Florian, OSB, Assistant at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Jeannette, took over, so he left then. SVP: I wonder a little bit about Father Coakley. I know he was very interested in the School and in the education of the children. He made personal visits to several schools in Europe. Could you tell us just a little about that? SRX: Father Coakley was convinced of the wisdom of conducting an entirely oral program for the instruction of the deaf. As an army chaplain overseas during WWI, he visited the great schools for the deaf in Rome, Bordeaux, and the National Institute for the Deaf in Paris, where he addressed the students in their own language. The following is an excerpt from a litter written under the date of February twentieth, nineteen-nineteen, in which he states his conviction that his own Pittsburgh School compared favorably with the schools he had observed in Europe. Dear Sisters and Children at DePaul Institute, "I was fortunate enough to make a flying trip to Rome during the last couple weeks. Although it entailed a journey of more than two thousand miles. It was worth it. In spite of the bare week I had in Rome, with a million Avenues to attract me, I did manage to get to the school for the deaf there. It is out on the "Via Nomen" near the beautiful Church of St. Agnes. I spent part of the morning there. I find that there are fifty-two such schools in Italy. The work is truly oral, not a sign being used officially in class by the teacher. The work is almost, though not qui1 as good as they do in Bordeaux and Paris. I saw a lengthy demonstration by third grade boys in lip reading and voice work which in its way was really remarkable. In that I did the talking witb them in Italian on subjects with which they were entirely unfamiliar, for instance, my m'ilitary costume, its significance, the insignia, the sleeve decoration, which they had never seen before and the symbolism of the colors. All this they wanted explained. They got it marvelously well. When they hesitated, the fault was mine, not theirs, the reason being that I talked too slowly and did not pronounce my vowels correctly, a thing that is not at all perceptible when one talks rapidly. When I cut loose and talked to them normally, as did the professors, it was as plain as noonday to them. So, now I've made speeches in French and Italian to deaf children. Taking it all in all, we have nothing to be ashamed of at DePaul. And from the shores of Europe, our owr work shows up first class." When the school opened in nineteen eight, Bishop Canev; n , Father Coakley, and the Sisters hac in mind the deaf child, in keeping with his native ability, the kind of parochial schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. In general, this meant an elementary education. For the deaf child, it als1 meant the special techniques of communication development skills, of speaking, understanding speech and of comprehending and of writing speech skills which the Sisters had learned and observed as the traditional methods used in American Schools for the deaf. In the case of the deaf child, vocational training was to be added in addition to the elementary school subjects alsc Bishop Canevin further requested that the children be taught every phase of domestic work....sewing and needle work for the girls, trade work for the boys. Beginning in 1909, Fathe Coakley secured teachers for Physical Education, and trade training for both girls and boys. Carpentry, chair painting, shoe repairing, arts and crafts were offered for the boys, sewing, embroidery, needle work, lace making and millinery for the girls. Such education enabled the deaf children to find employment and be self-supporting after graduation. By 1920, high school education had been available to the parochial school child, and occupation usually followed upon graduation from the twelfth grade. Research on the psychological approach to education had reached down to the elementary school level. As a result, new courses for the teachers were being offered in the universities. Father Coakley encouraged the Sisters to enroll in the special courses being held in the university, and in Summer sessions being conducted by leaders in the field of education of the deaf. Father Coakley also made strenuous efforts to obtain Dr. Carolyn Yale, Miss , and their peers in leadership, for a year ofreorientation for the faculty of DePaul. This failing, the Summer of nineteen twenty-four, two Sisters attended the first vocal Summer session at the Clark School under the direction of Dr. Carolyn Yale. In nineteen twenty-five, at the second vocal Summer session, three Sisters attended at the North Carolina School under the direction o Miss (not audible). Delegates at both of these sessions included outstanding educators for the deaf from various countries around the globe. At a special faculty meeting, the entire DePaul staff benefitted from the evaluation of new procedures in the field of special education. The following Summer, at the invitation of Father Coakley, Miss (not audible)gave a special presentation at a Summer session to the entire staff. The addition of the new Chapel wing in nineteen twenty-five made possible the rearra classes. In order to develop the potential of each deaf child, it was necessary, in each to plan for a fast moving group, one slow moving group and two or more average grm according to their ability to achieve similarly so far as academic implements were con Children in the fast moving groups were for the most part in the area of Junior High s they had reached the upper departments. Within the next three years, they would be a complete all nine grades. This group included the totally deaf child of superior ability hearing handicapped child who had had language meaning and use before losing their the hard of hearing child who may have entered without either speech or hearing, and with partial hearing who had been unable, even at the primary levels, to maintain him local school. It was planned that all of these variously afflicted children would compl ninth grade requirement and enter the regular High School, Public or Parochial at the level. There was a group of average deaf people that allowed for average (couldn ' t cl school years at DePaul. At the age when the faster moving group would be leaving D tenth grade at a Conventional school, these average Junior High groups would be mo the academic work in the advanced department at DePaul. They entered upon a progr operative sort, in conjunction between DePaul and the Public School System of Pittsb plan would be in operation until Conley Vocation School, in nineteen twenty-seven b s killed center for children over the age of eighteen. DePaul students would report to the choice of their trade in the afternoon. Their mornings would be spent at DePaul f< related subjects , for related theories and the other non-trade subjects. Both course m the associated techniques changed, at least partially, in order to meet the individual n Vocational School work. English, for example, was designated for a particularized V and the field of Mathematics became necessary for the introduction of Algebra and G and Trigonometry for Mechanic Students for Graphic Skills. Some of these boys we full time at the Vocation High Schools soon after graduation from DePaul. Others h jobs which seemed to be sufficient after they left DePaul. The girls attended Bellefiel and (couldn ' t get it) Dress Making, and other Vocational Schools. They also attendee Business Schools in Pittsburgh. The group at the lowest level of training also reporte Vocational High School for semi-school trade courses of their choice in the afternoon morning, they were at DePaul for Theory, related to their afternoon courses as well m subjects. Every educator of the serious handicapped is aware of the fact that the averc child could well afford academically to spend the final years of formal education in in study of English and all of its implications. At DePaul, the faculty did not minimize importance of the fact that for the deaf child, it is essential that he study special classe specially trained teachers to make a foundation for education by learning his native to without hearing. It was recognized as well, that for him, the vernacular would contin stumbling block. From the consideration of adjustment in personality improvement , School would be the right time to learn proper attitude. The philosophy has been that so important that he follow the frame from which he has spent a few years in life. Th important consideration was that he develop positive personality attitude characteristi to any life situation. 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 Rose Xavier Garrity Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rose Xavier Garrity Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Rose Xavier Garrity, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1921 until 1987. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on May 18, 1982. Sister Rose Xavier Garrity - born Catherine Cecilia Garrity on November 24, 1895 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in June of 1921. She received a bachelor's degree in history and English from Duquesne University in 1937 and a master's degree in the same subjects from Duquesne in 1945. She also studied special education in teaching the deaf at Xavier University. She taught at DePaul Institute for the Deaf from 1925-1981. Sister Rose Xavier was the Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout Troop at DePaul. Her nephew was U.S. Senator Eugene Scanlon. Sister Rose Xavier died on February 9, 1987. 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 1982/05/18 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-24 DePaul Institute Duquesne University Scouting Xavier University https://scsharchives.com/files/original/9f7b09cff0d74e7f24ea6f1b2115e7ff.mp3 9d46117bfe23109ccf6f19070af0fd9b 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 Aiden Geary Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview St. James Convent 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.) 31:54 22:41 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 Aiden Geary Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Aiden Geary Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Aiden Geary, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 2003. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on December 17, 1987. Sister Mary Aiden Geary - born Helen Regina Geary on May 4, 1913 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in 1933. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy and received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Seton Hill College in 1958. She taught at Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart, and St. James in West End, among other locations. She volunteered her time throughout the nineties. Sister Mary Aiden died on December 18, 2003. 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 1987/12/17 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-77 Immaculate Conception School Sacred Heart School Seton Hill College St. James School West EndPGH St. Joseph Academy https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b2177fa517352cd4c37efb1d8c6737a6.mp3 549adec1dfe32532d26bc53eb6ed5d4c https://scsharchives.com/files/original/148e41a31d17e6474618c5486fd70788.mp3 015ddee0f853a100738d533e599ebd2b 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. Theophane Geary Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:02 31:02 Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz 96kHz Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 7-1 Sr. Theophane Geary This an oral history interview for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, PA. The interviewee is Sister Theophane Geary. The interviewer is Sister Virginia Pascaretta. The interview is taking place at Assumption Hall on May twelfth, nineteen eighty-four. SVP: Sister, as we begin this interview, I understand that today is your feast day. You entered the Community on May twelfth, nineteen-sixteen. I think it's interesting that we are doing this interview on this particular day. For the beginning, would you like to give me a little of your own personal history and background? STMcG: I was born in Millwood, Pennsylvania, which at that time was an adjunct of Derry, PA. Today, Millwood no longer exists. My parents were: Joseph and Amelia Geary. My father and his ancestors (my grandfather) had a farm between Derry and Blairsville. Some of our relatives lived in Blairsville. My grandparents were related to Thomas Geary and also married into the Latent family...a very old family in Blairsville. I think one of our senior sisters was from a branch of that family. My mother was born near Stuttgart, Germany. Both of her parents died when she was young. She came to America with an uncle and aunt where she met my father. In Germany, she had been in a Mariana section where the reformation was very rampant. Her parents and grandparents belonged to the Lutheran Religion. She told me that she had an old uncle whose ancestors had stayed in the catholic church. His devotion to the Sacred Heart impressed her very much. While she was in Germany, she longed to be a catholic. When she came to America she became a catholic even before she met my father. I was baptized in Saint Martin's Church in New Derry. I understand that St. Martin's was one of the oldest churches in western Pennsylvania. Later on a division was made. St. Joseph's church in Derry became the parish to which we belonged. I went to school in a country school, which had two rooms...primary and advanced. I went for eight years there to this school. At the end of that, I went to Derry High School. I was there for four years and graduated in nineteen-fourteen. By the way, it was the first commencement held in a new school in Derry Borough. Today, it has been demolished. They have a big school out where they call it "The Lake" in Derry. After graduation, there was a ruling then if you were a high graduate, and took a summer at least in childhood education, you could apply for a school. That is what I did. Since I passed the examination, I was assigned a school in Livermoore, PA, which was the first PRR (railroad) stop beyond Blairsville. There I spent my first year of teaching. It was all the grades. SVP: Sister, how did you do it? STMcG: I don't know. Looking ahead to the examination I would have to take as a teacher, I wasn't very knowledgeable in Music. There was quite a bit of Music that was involved in the teaching program. So, I was looking around for a teacher who would help me in this area. I was told by one of my friends that there was a Sister at the convent in Blairsville who was a Music teacher. lfl applied there, I could get lessons, so that's what I did. At that time Sister M. Dolores Cupps was the Music teacher and Sister Marie Antoinette Reilly was the Sister Servant. The other teachers that I recall were: Sister M. Ferdinand Love, and Sister M. Chrysostom Andrayko. I was very impressed by the sisters there. I learned enough music and I could have passed the next exam, but I never took it and I can give you the reason why. Those Sisters of Charity were wonderful. I had never seen any sisters at all before, though I had a cousin who was a Benedictine Sister out in Cannon, Colorado. Her brothers and sisters lived in Blairsville, and I often spent weekends in their home. By the way, her name was Sister Rita, and my parents named me for her. I was baptized Rita Marie. Well, as time went on, I was thinking about the coming year. Then, admiring the sisters very much and learning more about their life etc., I had an inspiration that I would like to be a Sister of Charity. Right before the end of the school year, I told Sister M. Dolores Cupps my ambition. She said: "Well, as soon as you are finished the school term, we'll go up to Seton Hill. School ended about the middle of April in those days. So, I followed her advice. We went to Seton Hill and after I returned home, I more and more had the ardent desire and prayed that God would give me the vocation to be a Sister. I made up my mind very quickly. On May twelfth, nineteen hundred sixteen, Sr. Dolores took me to Seton Hill and I have been there ever since. SVP: What were your early recollections of the Community? STMcG: I could never get over the interest those sisters in Blairsville had in what I was doing. I received good teaching from them and more than that they were so cordial and kind. I was impressed with every one of them. Sister Marie Antoinette Reilly was one of the most beautiful souls we ever had in the community. SVP: Who was the mistress of novices when you entered? STMcG: It was Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers. Mother Mary Joseph Havey was the Mother Superior and Sister Mary Regina Farrell was the Treasurer. SVP: What do you remember about your novitiate experiences? Is there anything you would like to share? Who were the sisters in your novitiate? STM cG: Do you want to know the ones who were in my group? SVP: Well, any that you would like to share. STMcG: We were all very close. There was: Sister Mary Luke McConnell, Sister Mary George Monahan, Sister Mary David Doyle,(Sr. David Mary lives with me at Assumption), Sister John Baptist Curren (Sr. John Baptist was closest to me in years), Sister Grace Barr, who was a nurse, and Sister Mary Patrick Donovan. SVP: What was your novitiate training like? How were your days? STMcG: Of course we had a regular prayer schedule. We got up at five o' clock in the morning. Novices who were late for morning prayers had the little penance of kneeling before the Blessed Mother's altar. This is just a little incident that happened. Sister Mary Eymard Fleming was up at the Blessed Mother' s altar almost every morning. This particular morning, right near the steps which led into the sanctuary, Father Sullivan always came in the back door, up the side aisle and up those steps. He was always circumspect and guarded his eyes. He came up and fell over Sister Mary Eymard. It was quite a scene. That was the last day anyone knelt there. Before the end of the frrst year, I had appendicitis and had to be operated on at the Pittsburgh Hospital. I think it was Canon Law that you were only permitted to be away from the novitiate for a certain number ofdays. I was away extra days so, I had to spend another year. That year, I was sent down to Saint Benedict's to teach the third grade. Then the next year I was sent on mission to St. Francis de Sales school in Mckeesrocks. I had first grade, and there were about eighty-five children. We only had eighty desks, so there were five children who sat up around the teacher's desk, which was on a platform. Generally in the winter time , we had some vacant seats. I had quite an experience in my first year of teaching. Sister M. Bernardine Hefferon was the Sister Servant. My predecessor there was Sister Marie Dolores Haney, who is still living. I think she taught the second grade. Sister Bernardine had taught as a secular in the school. She was always telling me how I had to measure up to the discipline that Miss Haney (I would presume she means Sr. Marie Dolores) had in the primary school. This was very hard to meet. I recall the first time I ever had drawing. I passed the crayons. Shortly after passing them, I heard a terrible scream. Sister M. Alacoque McHale, who taught above me came running down the stairs to see what had happened. It was a two-story building. A little girl had put the black crayon up her nose, broke it off, and couldn't get it out. Well, Sr. Alacoque had quick comprehension. She sent a boy over to the convent to get a pepper duster. She put some pepper in her hand, put it to the youngster's nose, who took a quick sneeze and the crayon flew across the room. That was one of my first experiences. I always felt secure at that parish because the pastor was Father Dunlee(ifthat's how it's spelled). Father Dunlee baptized me over in Derry. He was pastor of Saint Martha's where I was baptized. I should have mentioned that when I was ill at Seton Hill, I was sent to the Junior College where I learned Latin and a few other things. I had four years of Latin in high school, so with another year, I had five years of Latin. SVP: Were these experiences in Greensburg? STMcG: No, they were at St. Francis De Sales in McKeesRocks. I was just there for one year. The next year I was transferred to Holy Innocents in Sheraden, where I stayed for four years. While I was at Holy Innocents, the sisters had Saturday school in what they called "The Old Gusky (sounded like) Building." It was down near the Point. I had to teach first and second year Latin to the other sisters. They were sisters of different communities and all ages. Every Saturday afternoon I nursed a sick headache as a result of teaching that class. Every week, I told Sister Hyacinth Ryan, whom I could confide in that I would have to write and tell the mistress that I couldn't do it anymore. She said: "Oh, no. They'll put a black mark against you if you have to give up anything. You just keep going." With her support I finished the year. STMcG: The first year since I had taught school, I was given the second and third grade to teach in the Academy. SVP: How old were you in the community when you did this? Were you still in the novitiate? · STMcG: Yes, I was still in the novitiate. SVP: In what year did you make vows? STMcG: Sister didn't indicate any year, but I would presume it was nineteen hundred twenty as she entered in nineteen hundred sixteen and she did say that it was four years after entrance. After my four years at Holy Innocents, I was sent to St. Mary Magdalene's in Homestead where I taught for one year. Then I was brought back to Seton Hill to teach in the academy. I replaced Sister Victoria Brown in the academy. I believe I taught in the academy for eight years. During those eight years along with the teaching I was able to get a degree from Seton Hill College. SVP: What was your major? STMcG: My major was American History. SVP: When did you begin your work in the college? STMcG: In the summer after I got my degree, I was sent to summer school at the university of Chicago. It was a double term each summer. At the end I received a Master's degree. Sister Victoria Brown was in charge of the Seton debates. I fell heir to that. I was sent to Fordham University where I studied Argumentation, Debating, etc. one summer. Another summer I studied at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Still another summer I studied at the University of Pittsburgh. So, I had quite a variety of tastes in graduate work. After my number of years teaching in the academy, through the influence of Sister Stanislaus McVay I received a grant to the Catholic University of America. I received a doctorate degree from there. After this, I returned to Seton Hill college to teach. SVP: I know that you spent quite a number of years at the college. Do you remember what year it was that you began teaching in the college? Would you say it was around nineteen thirty? STGMcG: I think it was around nineteen thirty-two. SVP I thought that since you spent so many years in the college that you might want to share some things with us. Also, what teaching in the college meant to you as a teacher and as a professional there. STMcG: One thing that impressed me very much was the type of teachers we had at Seton Hill. For example in the history department, we had Summerfield Lawlden (sounded like). He was an Englishman, who was born and educated in England. I think he was connected with Harvard in his earlier days. He taught Western Civilization. He was an especially fine teacher. Then of course we had Father Sullivan. Everyone took every course that they could. SVP: What courses did Father Sullivan offer? STMcG: He taught courses in the Sociology field. When at Seton Hill, I recall the very fine priests we had for retreats in those days. There was a Father Kelly, who was an English professor at Duquesne University. Every sermon he gave was really a classic. We had Father Kelly several times. Then there was a popular Passionist, Father Camillus. He too was very fine. SVP: What about the history of the college as you taught there over the years? Were there any outstanding events or incidents that you would like to share? STM G: I think the growth of the college from a Junior College which is what is what it was when I entered to a full College. I can remember the joy that we felt when we became recognized as a Full College and then getting into the different associations related to our learning process. The college grew, and Father Sullivan was an expert in his choice of teachers. SVP: Then, it was Father Sullivan's responsibility for the hiring of teachers? STM G: Oh, yes. SVP: What about the sisters who taught in the college in the early years? 5 STMcG; They were excellent teachers also. Sister M. Stanislaus McVay was in the History department. Sister M. Electa Boyle was in the English department. Sister Florence Marie Scott taught Biology. Sister Florence Marie was in my novitiate. She graduated from Columbia University. She really was a scholarly teacher. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: Sister said a few more words which sounded as though she was continuing to speak. However, there isn't any additional tape in the Archives. I completed transcribing this oral history from the cassette tape recorder onto the computer on August fifteen, two thousand twelve. 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. Theophane Geary Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Theophane Geary Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Theophane Geary, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1916 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on May 12, 1988. Sister Mary Theophane Geary - born Rita Marie Geary on May 3, 1897 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in May of 1916. She received a bachelor's degree in history, English, and social studies from Seton Hill College in 1926. She went on to earn a master's degree in U.S. history from the University of Chicago in 1931 and a doctorate degree in history, politics, and American church history from the Catholic University of America in 1938. She served as a history professor at Seton Hill College from 1933-1975 and was head of the history department from 1940-1961. Her tenure as director of summer school was also from 1940-1961. She wrote the entry on the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill for the New Catholic Encyclopedia. Sister M. Theophane died on January 4, 1994. 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 1988/05/12 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-7 Catholic University of America Professor of History Seton Hill College University of Chicago https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b6379efaaec0f4b191cfcddaf93d07f0.mp3 1fac4c8ea649307f339e03991427f868 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/24349a6a038b2c104e4a09a879fbd625.mp3 48185ea78ca71f60871f3e259d53f655 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 Arthur Giseburt Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall 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 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 Mary Arthur Giseburt Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Arthur Giseburt Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Arthur Giseburt, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1932 until 1992. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on May 30, 1987. Sister Mary Arthur Giseburt - born Dorothy Mildred Giseburt on October 1, 1908 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1932. She served as a housekeeper and a kitchen assistant at a number of convent locations, including Resurrection in Pittsburgh, Cathedral in Greensburg, and at Assumption Hall. Sister Mary Arthur died on August 2, 1992. 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 1987/05/30 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-69 Assumption Hall Brookline PA Cathedral School Greensburg PA Resurrection School https://scsharchives.com/files/original/62d70464d924808a67a838dce3d209f2.mp3 81797ac1efb9566f00602125d9344f4e https://scsharchives.com/files/original/2038235b420688c2e89be5aefb2c30f0.mp3 2663f72676e7041f2a370e762a32f293 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b6c0708e0010e911f439e460363d5155.mp3 2445f13b3d40987ef0d2572a969f73e5 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 Ruth Cecelia Giseburt Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Seton Hill College 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 26:34 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 Ruth Cecelia Giseburt Subject The topic of the resource Sister Ruth Cecelia Giseburt Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Ruth Cecelia Giseburt, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on July 10, 1986. Sister Ruth Cecelia Giseburt - born on July 22, 1906 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in March of 1933. She worked in the community laundry department at Seton Hill and was in charge of this service until its discontinuation in the seventies. She then served as front desk receptionist in the Administration building of Seton Hill College. Sister Ruth Cecelia died on March 12, 1997. 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 1986/07/10 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-75 Laundry department Seton Hill College 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 Marguerite Guinagh Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Marian Hall 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 30:59 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 Marguerite Guinagh Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marguerite Guinagh Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marguerite Guinagh, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1992. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on August 18, 1986. Sister Marguerite Guinagh - born Margaret Guinagh on July 19, 1905 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1925. She received a bachelor's degree in French and Latin from Seton Hill College in 1925. Her studies in French continued at McGill University in 1933, Western Reserve in 1937, the University of Notre Dame in 1943, Laval University in Quebec in 1948, and at the University of Delaware in 1960. She taught English, Latin, and French at a number of Pittsburgh-area schools, most notably at Sacred Heart High School from 1945-1952 and again from 1967-1980. Sister Marguerite died on February 1, 1992. 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 1986/08/18 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-44 Laval University McGill University Notre Dame University Sacred Heart School PGH Seton Hill College Teacher University of Delaware Western Reserve University https://scsharchives.com/files/original/014777705fd113dd6ee6f2d09bf86b4b.mp3 d9b9a741cef4d06633069b031f867a10 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 Miriam Fidelis Guinagh Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall 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.) 26:55 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 49-1 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 Fidelis Guinagh. The interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at Assumption Hall. The date is November 16, 1986. SMCM: Good afternoon, Sister. SMFG: Good afternoon, Sister. SMCM: How are you today? SMFG: I'm very well. Thank you. SMCM: That's good. Sister, I'm here to talk to you about some interesting things about your life as a Sister of Charity. Would you like to tell us some things about your personal history? SMFG: Very well. I was a fourth child of Robert and Catherine Sullivan. I was born January 15, 1903. At Baptism received the name Catherine Fidelia. Now, of course, my family name was Guinagh. I attended Saint Mary School in New Castle and was taught by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. I attended New Castle Public High School, commercial course. I held the position of desk supervisor at the Bell Telephone Company, making out tours and payroll. I liked it. I entered the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1926. I had thought of joining the Sisters of Saint Joseph as they were the only sisters I knew. However, when I was 23, I talked to my father about entering. He settled the problem for me saying, "Ifl were going anywhere, I would go with my siste r." Sister Marguerite had entered the Sisters of Charity on December 8, 1925. She was ajunior in Seton Hill College. I took my father's advice. I have been very happy with the Sisters of Charity. SMCM: Sister, what are some of the things that you did as a Sister of Charity? Like in the Novitiate, who was the Mother Superior in your day? SMFG: Mother Rose Genevieve was the Mother Superior. My first mission was going to Homestead. Sister Dorothea and I were postulants. We hadn't any coats to wear. So, we borrowed them from the college girls. Coats and hats. We walked at 7 o'clock in the morning, down the hill, to get the train to Homestead. SMCM: You mean you were missioned in Homestead? SMFG: For a couple days, I think. SMCM: I see. SMFG: It was quite an experience. SMCM: How long did that train ride take? SMFG: I don't remember how long. It wasn't too long anyway. Mother Mary Francis was our Directress. She was a very understanding and sympathetic person. Many confidential chats were held near the fems outside the Novitiate. SMCM: Where was the Novitiate, Sister? SMFG: The fourth floor of the Administration Building. Sister Marie Antonia took Mother's place when Mother became ill. We were very sorry to lose Mother, but we enjoyed Sister Marie Antonia, too. SMCM: Sister, could you tell us who entered with you? SMFG: There were 13 ofus. I was the 13th• We went by the way our applications came in. SMCM: I see. Can you remember any of the names of those sisters? SMFG: Oh, yes. Sister Mary Emma was the youngest, but she had her application in first. She was our senior. I was the youngest. I was the baby of the group. One left the community. I think three have died. SMCM: Who are the ones who have died? SMFG: Sister Kathleen Higgins and Sister Sabina Reilly and Sister Louise dePaul. So those are the three. SMCM: When you were in the Novitiate, Sister, what did you do as a charge? SMFG: I had every charge. I was sent to the faculty dining room. Sister Natalie and Sister Jean Marie were the two who were in charge. They showed me a great deal. One day I was left alone. Somehow or another, they had to go elsewhere. I had to finish serving the meal. One time, Mr. Bennet said he rang the bell and I answered, "Remove the dishes, please." I did. It was part of the experience to be there by yourself. SMCM: Now that was when you were a canonical novice. SMFG: No. I was a postulant. SMCM: Oh. You were a postulant. Were you home the whole time you were a postulant except when you went to Homestead? SMFG: About a week they took us to Homestead. Yes, we were always home, which was very ruce. SMCM: When you became a second year novice, did you go out on mission? SMFG: I had teaching assignments at Saint Stephen in Hazelwood, Saint Philip in Crafton, and Holy Innocents until about 1944. One day Mother Claudia asked me to be the Directress of Novices. I acquiesced so she sent me to the Catholic University for summer work in canon law as taught by Bishop Jerome Hannon. SMCM: What year was that, Sister? SMFG: 1944. ' SMCM: You followed Sister Theodosia as Mistress of Novices. SMFG: Yes. I did. SMCM: You held that position for how many years? SMFG: Until 1964. As Directress of Novices, Mother also sent me to school and I had that as a background for my work. So until 1964, with all its joys and sorrows. Then in 1964 we had gone into the new building, which is now called Doran Hall, which is very nice. SMCM: Sister, you saw a lot of transitions in those days, those 20 years as being Mistress. Can you tell us anything about how you felt about the transitions that the community experienced? The things that might have been very hard for the novices. SMFG: Not particularly the novices, but the community. The chapters, different things came up. The idea of going into secular clothes. Life had changed. Other little things that we did. SMCM: Sister, when you were Mistress, were you also a member of the chapter? SMFG: Yes. I was elected. SMCM: So you served on the chapter all those years, also. SMFG: I don't remember whether it was all those years or whenever we had it, but I remember being elected. In the Fall of 1965, I returned to my teaching of history at Holy Innocents. A second trip back to Crafton brought to an end my teaching career. I returned to Assumption Hall in 1984 and that' s still where I'm at. SMCM: And still very busy. SMFG: Making things. SMCM: Sister, going back to your years as Mistress, you were the one who brought the Novitiate from Seton Hill to Assumption Hall. SMFG: Yes, in 1954 we went to Ennis Hall. The college girls had to leave to give room for the novices. We were quite crowded. We were waiting for the new building. We had novices everywhere. We even had somebody sleeping in the, what we called the living room. She brought her cot out every day. SMCM: How many did you have? SMFG: Seemed to me to be 90. SMCM: 90? SMFG: We had them everywhere. SMCM: So you moved from Seton Hill over to Ennis Hall in 1954. Then the novices did what, as far as Assumption Hall was concerned? SMFG: They were up on the third floor doing the rooms. They worked on getting the trays ready for the sisters. I think they were happy. Every now and then we might lose somebody, but it was better that way. SMCM: Do you have an idea of how many sisters went through your hands? SMFG: About 200. SMCM: 200. That's a wonderful record. SMFG: I pray for them everyday. SMCM: Oh, I know you do, Sister. SMFG: For any mistakes that I made that the Lord may rectify them. SMCM: Oh, I'm sure He would. Sister, when you had the novices, I remember that you used to have other professed sisters come to help you. Can you tell us some of those sisters who gave you help? SMFG: Sister Mary Adrian helped. SMCM: Anybody else? SMFG: I should remember them, but it's hard to. SMCM: I know. SMFG: Sister Serafina helped one summer. SMCM: Was that only during the summer months? SMFG: Yes. They were busy elsewhere. SMCM: When you taught, Sister, you taught history. Was that in the elementary school level? SMFG: Elementary and High School. SMCM: And high school? SMFG: Oh, yes. SMCM: What level was that in high school? SMFG: Sophomores. SMCM: Sophomores. SMFG: The Sophomores for World History and United States History for Junior year. SMCM: Where did you get your education? SMFG: At Seton. I got my degree in 1942. SMCM: In history? SMFG: That was my major. SMCM: You didn't go anywhere else? SMFG: I went into Pitt for a Master's Degree. SMCM: I thought you did. SMFG: I went in for Master's and took the bus in every day. One day, I fell asleep and passed the school, went into town. I said, "Is this bus going back?" He said, "No, not for awhile." So I had to get another bus. SMCM: What did you study at Pitt? SMFG: History. Dr. Oliver was the teacher and Dr. James_. SMCM: You went there how many years? SMFG: Maybe two. SMCM: When you had the novices, Sister, there were some of the things that you liked us to do as novices, when we recreated. Remember? SMFG: No. SMCM: You don't remember? Well, I know one of the things that you always enjoyed us doing. We always had the sing-a-longs, you know? We always sang at the end of the evening. We prayed in Ennis Hall at the bottom of the stairway. We always said our night prayers together. It was always a very beautiful experience. We always had a good time at recreation. SMFG: The statue that we all stood around was quite an old statue in the community. It came to the Novitiate. SMCM: Where did it come from? SMFG: Somewhere at Seton Hill. SMCM: When you moved over with the novices from Assumption Hall, you were, too, on fourth Admin., where you were as a novice, is that where the novitiate was? When they all moved over to Ennis Hall, you said that they were everywhere at Ennis Hall. SMFG: My room was in the back on the first floor. We were privileged to have the Blessed Sacrament. We made arrangements for the chapel. Sister Mary Francis designed things for us. We were very happy to have the Blessed Sacrament. SMCM: Sister, when you returned to mission, that was a difficult thing to do, wasn't it, after 20 years? SMFG: Yes. It was. I admit. SMCM: Had you been at Holy Innocents before you became Mistress? SMFG: No. SMCM: So that was your first time there? SMFG: After the Novitiate. SMCM: Can you tell me anything about some of the sisters who were there with you on mission? Maybe some of the ones who have passed on? Who was Principal of the High School when you were there? SMFG: Sister Eug ne. SMCM: Oh, Sister Eugene. Were there a lot of sisters there? SMFG: Quite a few. I can't remember their names so well. SMCM: That's all right, Sister. Is that the last time you taught in high school, at Holy Innocents? SMFG: Yes. I came out here, I guess. SMCM: Oh, you came here from Holy Innocents. SMFG: Yes. SMCM: When did you go to Crafton? SMFG: I went to Crafton two different times. As a young sister and then later on. SMCM: You finished your teaching at Crafton and then stayed on in the convent. SMFG: Yes. That's right. I retired to the convent. SMCM: What did you do in those days? SMFG: Well, I did crafts and things like that and I had an eye operation. Then I had to agree to give up and come out to Assumption. SMCM: Well, you didn't really give up. SMFG: I hope not. SMCM: You just changed your residency and continued on. Right? SMFG: Right. SMCM: Now here at Assumption Hall you do a lot of things. Tell us about what you do here at Assumption. SMFG: I belong to the stamp crusade. SMCM: Good for you. SMFG: Something nice that happened to me was that the group that I had in 1945 as novices had a little get together for me...a surprise. They gave me that in a box and a statue of tqe Blessed Mother. SMCM: Oh, I know. She's beautiful. SMFG: Very beautiful. I was quite surprised. It was good to see them all again. SMCM: That was to celebrate what? SMFG: My 60th Anniversary. SMCM: Your 60th Anniversary? SMFG: Yes. SMCM: Marvelous. Do you remember, Sister, the anniversary that the rest of your novices had, our other novices, for your 50th? SMFG: Yes. In '76. SMCM: Where did we have that? Do you remember? SMFG: Yes. SMCM: Elizabeth Seton High School, in the auditorium. SMFG: That' s right. I remember now. SMCM: Yea. That was a surprise, wasn't it? SMFG: It surely was a surprise. My sister didn't even tell me. SMCM: She was warned. She was warned not to tell you. SMFG: I forgot all about that. I shouldn't, though, people were so kind to me. SMCM: Well, that's all right. SMFG: That was for the golden. SMCM: That was your Golden Anniversary. Did you attend the Bishop's celebration when he came here to Doran Hall for the 60 people? At Doran Hall, he always comes here annually for the 25's and the 50's and the 60's. We had Mass with him. Do you go over? SMFG: Bishop Connare. SMCM: Yes. Bishop Connare. Did you go over for that? SMFG: Oh, yes. SMCM: So what else do you want to tell me? SMFG: I think I've told you everything. SMCM: I know that, like you say, many sisters went through your training. Many sisters come back to you often. I know there's no possible way that we can say thank you for all that you've done for us. SMFG: Just say a prayer for me. SMCM: We do. We always pray for you. I'm sure that you're always praying for us. SMFG: I do, every day. SMCM: Some of your novices, I've heard you speak of this, some of your novices have already gone to God. SMFG: Oh, yes. Eleven. SMCM: Yes. Could we name some of those sisters who were under you? SMFG: The first one is Sister Mary Victor, Sister Margaret Allen, the last one is Sister Mary Bede. It's always heart breaking to lose somebody. God wants them. SMCM: That's right. The one that was in the group ahead of me, Sister... I can't think of her name, she died when we were Juniors. She was in Sister Mary Victor's, not the Sister Mary Victor who died, the one we have now. She was in her group, she was their youngest. SMFG: Sister Mary Anthony. SMCM: No. Sister Mary Anthony was before us. Jeannine. Sister Jeannine. So, Sister, in all your years of ministry, you are just going to continue to do what you can do here at Assumption Hall. SMFG: Yes. God has allowed me the gift. I have a contact lens in one eye. I have an advantag.e, wonderful I think. SMCM: You also do some needlework of some sort. SMFG: Oh, yes. SMCM: What are you making now? SMFG: I am Swedish embroidering towels that I made for the Christmas sale. I made a net table cover, decorated it. It sold for 15 dollars. SMCM: Is it sold? SMFG: Yes. SMCM: Wonderful. SMFG: I was pleased with that. SMCM: Wonderful. SMFG: I can always keep busy. SMCM: I kriow. That ' s what you always told us to do, keep busy. So, is there anything else you want to tell us? SMFG: Not that I can think of, I think that I've told everything. SMCM: All right Sister. I really appreciate your giving me your time and if there is anything else that you would like to tell me, you just let me know and I'll come back. SMFG: Thank you very much. SMCM: Thank you, Sister. God bless you. SMFG: God bless you. 10 SC 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 Miriam Fidelis Guinagh Subject The topic of the resource Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on November 16, 1986. Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh - born Catherine Guinagh on January 15, 1903 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1926. She received a bachelor's degree in U.S history, economics, and English from Seton Hill College in 1942 and a master's degree in U.S. history from the University of Pittsburgh in 1949. She served as Assistant Dean of Women at Seton Hill College from 1940-1944 and was the Director of Novices for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill from 1944-1964. She then taught at Holy Innocents School until 1967 and at St. Philip School from 1967-1980. Sister Miriam Fidelis died on June 21, 1994. 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 1986/11/16 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-49 Crafton PA Holy Innocents School Mistress of Novices Seton Hill College St. Philip's School University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/fd5b76c2bcc90174b62bb61c3ba1a4fd.mp3 1fd27d71285b59635a648aec9cb3c7af https://scsharchives.com/files/original/1328f4d9e8648bb9df252f0c5e1a922b.mp3 ba8ff3ecdcacec48a5d2fa3f6ab6c4d0 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7f8527d7948c943251eddc47e50454a9.mp3 69b8285cf7642df7e92b4330c05f04be https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f5e439510285f8a72609e20e624dbfac.mp3 5b0b41cf590922360481e60bcdd18a89 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 Augustine Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Margaret Anne Hanley Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall 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 31:06 31:02 31:03 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 34-1 1 This is part of the Oral History recording done in Assumption Hall on Thursday morning, June 14, 1984, with Sister Margaret Anne Hanley. Sister Jean Augustine is conducting the interview. SJ: Good morning, Sister Margaret Anne. SMA: Good morning Sister. Would you like to hear something abut Sister Muriel? SJ: No. Eventually, yes. I would like to hear about Sister Muriel; that would be very good. But one of the things I wanted to talk with you today Cremember we mentioned this oral history project that the Congregation has undertaken? We want to keep as much history as we can for the future of the Congregation. I would like to talk to you a little bit this morning about your early recollections, your earliest Balmost like an autobiography. I noticed in your file that you came to the Congregation from Coshockton, Ohio. SMA: Right. SJ: And our years when I used to be a piano student of yours, when I used to practice. . . SMA: Oh, yes? I=d like to know that day. SJ: You and I talked about your love for Ohio. Can you tell me a little about your earliest remembrances, your history? SMA: Starting with my entrance in the community? SJ: Oh, even before that. SMA: Before that? We had an ordinary family, but a rather large one- - three boys and three girls. We had a delightful homelife, very close, lots of fun. I was very close to my brothers, especially; my sisters were much older. They entered the family earliest of all. SJ: Where did you come in the family? SMA: Last. But not least, of couse. SJ: Of course not. You=re an Irish family? SMA: Yes, my father was right from Limerick, Ireland, and my mother=s relations, grandmother and grandfather, were from Derry, Ireland, I think or Kerry; I don=t know which. SJ: Your mother was born, though, in this country. SMA: Cresson, around there. SJ: Yes, what was her maiden name? Do you remember? SMA: Mary O=Connor. SJ: That=s as Irish as you can get. Your father was . . . SMA: Thomas Hanley. Hanley is not an Irish name Bit=s more English to my mind. But they say, ANo, that=s not correct. It was straight from Ireland.@ SJ: What did your father do for a living? SMA: Well, at his work he was a - - - - - ; he was everything. He started out on the railroad, walking on the tops of the cars till he had my mother a nervous wreck, so the urged him to get another job. Then he went into ordinary grocery store business and from there, I think, to the mill. He bought a mill in cahoots, in partnership, with another man. Finally the man dropped out and her had the whole mill which was a very small mill, a flour mill. He had all kinds of wheat, especially. SJ: Oh. SMA: Oh, brother, was it good, real molasses in it! SJ: Mixed in with the buckwheat? Isn=t that great! 2 SJ: Is that in the farm country, Coshockton? MA: I think it definitely is. We were not farmers, but we were so closely related to them. They came down our front street and sold everything they had from the cart. So, it was like living on a farm; but she knew that farm work was too heavy for her SJ: Was Coshockton a small town? SMA: 12,000, it ran generally, but now it=s grown quite. I think it=s up in 30,40, 50 thousand. But, they moved; the people we knew have moved to the elite part of town, the outside, the borders. SJ: Your birthday, I know is in June. . . June 26. You don=t want to tell me what year? SMA: Yes. SJ: Will you? What year? SMA: I=m going to be one more year in a couple weeks. That was 1903 I was born. SJ: 1903 - - so you are going to be 81. SMA: 81. Very good arithmetic. SJ: Was there a Catholic parish and school? SMA: As far as I know, and of course I wasn=t in on everything. There was a Catholic parish and we started the school when we got there. My father needed a school for his children and he was instrumental in helping to urge the priest to build a school. And we had a very small school - - Dominican sisters from Columbus, Ohio, and it went just beautifully, I think. SJ: Was that Sacred Heart Parish? SMA: Yes, how did you know? SJ: I checked on your. . . I checked your dossier. Sacred Parish, Coshockton, Ohio. SMA: Now, here=s an interesting part. They had even a three-year high school. But three years stuck with us all through my life. When it came up to high school time, I wanted a Catholic education completed. I had to go away to get a fourth year, so I went to St. Mary of the Springs, Shepherd, Ohio, and got my fourth year high. I had a complete Catholic High, and then on to Seton Hill. SJ: I see. In that three-year high school, was that an academic high school or a commercial high school? SMA: An academic high school, and a whiz of a teacher! She handled. . .now, don=t be shocked because I think we were well taught. She handled three years high school all by herself. SJ: One woman? SMA: One woman. SJ: Taught all the subjects? SMA: All the subjects, plus a - - - - - - - -course. SJ: Oh, my! How large was the school? Can you think about that? SMA: Eight grades . . . and an average of, maybe at the most, 10 pupils in a grade. SJ: O.K. And in the High school. . . would that be about the same? SMA: About the same. SJ: Thirty students altogether. SMA: At the most, I think. SJ: And she did the whole high school part? SMA: She did the whole high school part. But she was a brain beyond a brain. 3 SJ: And she was a Dominican? You would have had algebra, and science? SMA: Right, we had everything, except the fourth year high, except science - - no lab. SJ: No lab. Now, when you went to St. Mary of the Springs, that was also Dominican, and finished your fourth year of high school there. SMA: Yes. SJ: Was that a boarding school? SMA: Yes. SJ: Did the rest of your family do that? SMA: Yes. SJ: They went to boarding school. What about the boys? SMA: They went to Cleveland, Ohio, to the Jesuits. . . St. Ignatius, I think. SJ: Coshockton - - Is that in the Cleveland Diocese or Columbus? SMA: Columbus, I think. SJ: Columbus. Okay. Now, your music. . . do you remember when that started? SMA: When I was seven years old. Moreover, they allowed me to practice in the convent. It=s evident they were either deaf or far away. SJ: Who taught you. . . one of the sisters? SMA: Dominicans. SJ: Was the rest of your family musically inclined, or were you the only one who wanted to take up piano? SMA: I think Delci would have loved it; I don=t think she had the opportunity. They were in the public high. SJ: I see. Did you have a piano at home? SMA: Yes, not much of one, but good enough . . old, upright. SJ: Did you practice willingly, or did your mother have to get after you? SMA: Well, this is queer, and very good management- - - I=ve never been able to copy it. But, they allowed me to practice right in the convent. SJ: Ah, so that=s where you got your practice in, and there was no tomfoolery there. SMA: No, wasn=t that lovely! And I didn=t have to stop to cook or scrub, like some people I know, very close to me; there was no interference. SJ: And you liked it very much? SMA: Ohh! We loved it. Half the time, another girl my age, her name was Kimmie?, would come in and practice with me. We=d do duets and make it a little bit livelier. SJ: Was the lesson a weekly lesson and a half hour? SMA: I think it was two lessons a week, a half hour each for something like 50 cents apiece. Wow! The way we cheated those good sisters. Nobody knew about that. SJ: Seven - - You would have been probably in second grade. SMA: Yes, and I=d be dismissed from the room, run around the corner and go into the convent. SJ: Oh, in those days they allowed the children out of school for lessons. SMA: They did, and I don=t think they lost out one speck- - -a little bit of propaganda in there. SJ: All right. So you were interested in the piano. Did you study any other musical instrument? SMA: No, I was at Seton Hill - - -we=d grab Sister Carinne=s violin and practice on it. SJ: So, at St. Mary of the Springs, Shepherd, Ohio, is where you finished your fourth year. 4 SMA: That fourth year=s very interesting. It was empty, you know. And I went to St. Mary=s for the fourth year. Then the priest said, AWhat=s the matter with us? If we can send our boys and girls away to get a fourth year, why can=t we have our own fourth year. He delivered one wonderful sermon and got his fourth year and a science lab.- - a little bit of extra money for that small town, but they did it. SJ: And from that time on, then, on one had to leave Coshockton for a parochial high school. They could get the four years right there. SMA: Isn=t that a great love for their religion and all - - to push them into that. I thought that was great. SJ: Okay. Now the other- - - on this connection with Seton Hill. I=m interested in that. You lived in Ohio; your mother had come from Pennsylvania. Your father, I think you told me once, came from Ireland, and settled somewhere around.. . SMA: Dennison, Ohio, I think. SJ Dennison, and . . . . SMA: And also the tops of the trains- - - Mother got him off that. In Dennison, I think he went right to the grocery store to make some money. SJ: How did he meet your mother, then? SMA: That was all done in Cresson, and a very interesting story. Mother=s brothers came home one day and said, @You might as well call off the wedding, Mary. Tom=s gone to Ohio.@ And that was two days before the wedding. So Mother said she was much flabbregasted, but she tried to take it easy and go on with her work. And here Dad had to go to Coshockton, Ohio, to get the Baptismal record for mother. They had to have permission from the priest to get married because they were in another. . .no, because she was underage - - 17, and he was 10 years older at least, 27 or so. SJ: And they were married in Cresson? SMA: They were married in Cresson. SJ: He might have met her when he was traveling on those trains. Maybe he had stopped there. SMA: Oh, he worked around there, too. SJ: That=s probably it. SMA: I think, but I=m not too sure how he met her. She was really lovely to look at. Beautiful, in fact. I looked at her picture many a day and I thought, AWho is that?@ So, one day when she was in the room, I said, AWho is that beautiful lady?@ and that tickled her to pieces. SJ: I=m sure. SMA: It was a portrait of her. SJ: In your home. Well, then, you would have graduated from high school in 1919, 20, 21, something like that? SMA: It was a year earlier than I should have because they shortened the course; they put the 7th 5 and 8th together so we could all move on, and we didn=t seem to miss anything. I don=t know, maybe we did. SJ: Well, then, you would have been probably one of the first students to come to Seton Hill College, because it started around 1919. SMA: I think we were. There were four ahead of us to graduate in that first class. SJ: In that first class. Well how did you get to know about Seton Hill? You were out in St. Mary of the Springs? SMA: I had a dear cousin who spent the summers with me often- - - and this summer we were both out of high school and we had to find a college. So we searched the books - -AAmerica@ and all the rest of the Catholic books we had around, for ads. And we wanted, not a high rating - - we didn=t know enough to pick a college with a high ratingB just a near one to home. Ans so Seton Hill was the nearest. I would have gone to St. Mary of the Springs for college but it wasn=t quite finished. They had to have another year. Now that=s called fate, or Providence or whatever. I would have been a Dominican. SJ: The way the Lord wants it. You know, in those days not too many women went to college. SMA: Very true. SJ: Was your family favorable? Did your other sisters go? SMA: My sister Veronica was killed. She had the brains of the family, I think, and I think she was always a little jealous, but she kept it down. But she would have loved to have gone on. SJ: And your father and mother were both very favorable. . . INTERRUPTION We were talking about the fact that you and your cousin had done some research to find a college. I=m interested in the fact that it had to be a Catholic college. SMA: Well, we were both from Catholic families. Her father was my father=s brother. And my father was just rampant on the question; he had to have a Catholic college. He was very, very Catholic all his life. SJ: All right, now, that=s interesting. You would have come about 1920, I=ll say. SMA: Well, wait now, I entered school at 7. But we had not the regular courses, not 8 & 4, but 8 & 3. So, how much does that make? SJ: That=s eleven years- - -1920, approximately. We can check that out later. The college was very small B Administration Building, Maura Hall, St. Mary=s Hall. That=s probably all the buildings that were there. Right? Maybe. . .No. . . SMA: I don=t remember the buildings so well. We had classrooms. We went to Dr. Reeves= classroom. SJ: You boarded there. Where did you sleep when you were in college? Do you remember? Administration? SMA: Administration. 2nd floor. Double room; my cousin was with me. SJ: Who were some fo the Sisters you remember from those early days? SMA: Schwester. SJ: Ah, God rest her. SMA: AGod rest her=s right. SJ: Did she teach you? SMA: No. She taught German. I took German later on after I was finished with a college degree. 6 I wanted to know some German. She was a wonderful teacher. Father Reeves, of course and Father Sullivan. SJ: Sister Francesca? SMA: No, she didn=t teach; she was the dean. I mean I don=t know that she taught. Who else? SJ: Would Sister Stanislaus have been there then? SMA: Yes, but she didn=t teach me, I don=t believe. I went to her for a special course. After I went out West, I had to have history, and I didn=t have it, so I went to Stannie and she gave me a special . . .no, I was in a course with her. She had another class going and I took it. SJ: You would have decided, when you were going to Seton Hill, to take music lessons because you had been studying it? SMA: I think it was sort of thrust upon me by Sr. Cecilia Schwab. She used to thrust things upon people. SJ: They would have looked at your high school record and decided. SMA: I think it was. . . this is sort of unkind to say, but I think there was a need of building up the music academy, the music courses in Seton Hill, and they were picking out obviously easy people to teach. I could memorize easily; that=s about my only qualification for music, really. I had Mrs. - - - -. I was practicing about 4 or 5 hours a day. That shows the interest to probably go ahead with it. And Sr. Cecilia stepped in on me and wondered why I was there so long. So she was getting my background right then. I didn=t realize it. I was rather sassy; I didn=t know she was the head of the department, and she taught me the following year. So I had her a couple of years and Mrs. Caveny? at the time. SJ: With the music department- - -I guess Cecilian Hall would have been there, and the practice studios? SMA: The practice suite was around it, in the back; we practiced in there. SJ: And those rooms are still there, too, and still used. SMA: They were well built. SJ: Were some of the studios? I remember Sister Ann Regina=s studio used to be in the Irish Room on the parlor floor. SMA: Yes, well, Sr. Cecilia taught in there. SJ: In the Irish studio? SMA: I guess she followed Sr. Ann Regina, I don=t know. SJ: Or Sr. Ann Regina followed her, I think. SMA: Yes, that=s right. That was her place. SJ: Would Sister Helen Cecilia have been- - - She wouldn=t have been teaching; she was younger, about your same age. SMA: Yes, different category. I didn=t know Helen very well at all. . . Something running around in my mind. . . But, uh, we=ll skip it. SJ: Some of the teachers you had? SMA: Sr . Cecilia and Miss Caveny taught with the same idea in mind Chigh pressure. I can remember walking down the hall in a rage after one of the lessons and I ran into - - - - who was the one in charge, little, red-haired, down in the office. . . SJ: Eucharia? SMA: Eucharia! I said, AWhat this place needs is a vocational advisor. I shouldn=t have been in music at all!@ And I left her staring. But that=s the way I really feel, even yet. They took us in the wrong direction- - - capable of being taught instead of based on talent or. . . . SJ: Interest? SMA: Maybe, but I practiced for hours, so there=s nothing the matter with my brain. 7 SJ: Did you like it? Did you like. . . . SMA: I love music. I just loved practicing. SJ: Do you remember some of the other teachers? I suppose they gave you instrumental lessons. You mentioned getting a violin from Sister Corinne. SMA: That was out of the course. That was after I finished. We did that for fun one summer. SJ: As a college student, as a young girl there, was there an orchestra? SMA: The Glee Club was very interesting. We had a wonderful man, and copies for all of us- - - That was a real luxury - - -to have your own copy, and he got us in part singing right away and didn=t waste time. Oh, it was lovely. Wonder he was? I don=t remember his name. SJ: Would you have been inlee Club all four years of college? SMA: Oh, yes. SJ: And you had recitals, I=m sure. How did you like that? SMA: Hated it! SJ: But you liked to practice! Was it the pressure? SMA: I loved to practice; there was no pressure on that. SJ: But the other pressure - - to excel, or to be . . . SMA: None, I mean I didn=t respond to it. SJ: You just turned the other way. SMA: Yeah, I just loved my work. And I didn=t care about associating with others. I had very few friends at the end of the four years because I spent my time in the music suite. SJ: Now, were you being prepared to be a piano teacher? SMA: No. SJ: Just knowledge of music. SMA: And memorize. You see, we had to memorize to perform, and we had to give a recital every year, a whole recital. So, I don=t remember much about my freshman recital, but we had to have it; I know. And sophomore, and it came to junior, the memorizing was pretty stiff. Miss Caveny thought I=d better spend the summer helping to memorize for the following year, so I did. I went to her place close to Braddock, went through East Liberty to get there, and she taught me there. So I got some memorizing started for that next year. SJ: That summer. Did you live somewhere in Pittsburgh while you did that? SM A: Yes, a friend of my mother, Nancy- - - Netty Brown. SJ: Miss Caveny- - - I never heard that name, but she must have been there the whole time you were in college. SMA: Yes. SJ: Any other sisters that were in the music department? Cecilia Clare Ott? Would she have been in the music department then? SMA: Yes. SJ: Did she teach you? SMA: No. SJ: Sister Ann Regina? SMA: Yes. SJ: What about that Sister Angelica? Was she a musician? SMA: The old Sister Angelica- - -was quite a musician, taught singing, I think. Never taught me, but everyone loved her, looked up to her. That=s about all I can remember of her. SJ: Did you take eurythmics, folk dancing? Did you have to do that? SMA: We didn=t have to, but that was fun. Lots of fun. 8 SJ: Did they have any other kinds of performances besides your piano recitals? Now, I suppose the Glee Club - - - SMA: Glee Club - - - No, I don=t think we had a Glee Club. SJ: You just mentioned about the man who taught you. SMA: The man who taught us was for the graduation exercises. SJ: Oh, I see, you had a lot of singing for that. SMA: Yes. SJ: Did you have instruction in the flute or any of the woodwinds? SMA: Yes, thay could have had; they did have - - - many of them. SJ: But you didn=t, because - - - SMA: Virginia Pfeiffer, P-f-e -i-f-f-e-r took flute. SJ: She=s one of your classmates? SMA: No, I believe she=s another class - - - I don=t know what happened to her. Marie Fox was a star of Cecilia Schwab=s. Don=t you know Marie Fox? She=s around here somewhere. Lives in this parish, I think SJ: Was that Sister Annina? SMA: No, she=s not a sister. SJ: Sister Annina was in music, but I don=t know whether she would have been taught- - SMA: Inez? Did you say? SJ: Sister Mary Inez. Yes. SMA: She was in music and she studied with Sister Cecilia Schwab. SJ: Did you have anything to do with the organ? Did you have to? SMA: Not till after I graduated in music and all, and I wanted the organ because of using the organ (???) and I didn=t know too much, either. But he said I was all right. And I loved it, for sure. See, it=s the same idea - - activity or memorization - - - I don=t think there=s any love of the art in me, or at least there=s none left. I have a fashion of hammering it out. SJ: Your degree - - was it a music degree or a bachelor of arts degree? SMA: Well, see, they didn=t want it to be a music degree. Now how did they work that out? They said I had enough credits for English and French. SJ: Oh, Sister Marie Elise Blouin? SMA: Yes, I had four years of French. So I had enough credits to get in on a minor or major. English and French, I think that=s what they used. SJ: So, your recollection of those as a college student at Seton Hill were- - - a lot of hard work, sometimes frustration because you felt that you were being pushed too hard, and you felt that you needed more guidance; yet you enjoyed practice - - - SMA: I loved practice. SJ: Loved to play, the recitals were hard. You had a lot of good times with your friends, and yet you didn=t do as many things as you would have liked to do. 9 SMA: No, I didn=t have a social life that I should have had, because I was worn out, practicing. I practiced like an artist, I imagine C8 or 10 hours. SJ: Did they have teas and receptions and thing like that? SMA: Yes, and _____________ all dressed up for the occasion, and somebody watching over us to see that we did it right. Yes, they were- - -that way. I don=t remember being in on that. SIDE B SJ: . . . of the oral history tape with Sister Margaret Anne Hanley, continued on Friday, June 15, 1984. Sister, we left off on the other side; I think, when the tape ran out You were recollecting some of your days at Seton Hill College as a young lady, before you entered the community. I have to admit to you that I did a little research last night because you were very clear in remembering such things as English degree, four years of French and I think I had asked you if you received a bachelor of music degree or a bachelor of arts degree. And you received BOTH. SMA: Right. SJ: You were graduated from Seton Hill College in 1924 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. You=re an English major and a French minor, which tells me why we have an affinity. Because I was an English major also, not French though. SMA: I loved English. Couldn=t get enough of it. SJ: Who taught you English? Do you remember that? SMA; Yes, I sure do. Sister Electa Boyle! SJ: Do you remember anything about her - - her classes? What was your favorite . . author, or favorite period in English? SMA: I loved composition. I thought I knew how to compose. SJ: Creative writing? SMA: Stories. SJ: Stories SMA: And so I tried to latch in on Setonian, make a place for myself in there, but unfortunately, St. Electa Boyle and I didn=t get along. But luckily, she died and left the path clear for me. SJ: But that was a long time after you were a student there. SMA: Yes. SJ: If you recall, she was a Chaucer. . . she did a lot with Chaucer, didn=t she? SMA: Nothing for us. SJ: Nothing? You didn=t have Chaucer. SMA: No. SJ: Did you have Shakespeare? SMA: No, it wasn=t a literature course. It was composition. SJ: All through the four years? SMA: No, I signed off the second year, I think. I made the Setonian. I was tickled bout that. But my music was taking over- - hours, you know. I think I dropped the English. SJ: Well, I think what happened, probably- - in order for you to get your degree, you would have so many courses to take and there would have been requirements. And I=m sure you would have had Shakespeare, and probably the 17th C. poets. SMA: No, ma=am, there was nothing of that! I think I just missed it probably by signing off. I think I only had two years with Electa. SJ: You may have had another English teacher. There was someone- -may have been before your time- - but they talk about a Mrs. Geyer. 10 SMA: Don=t know her. SJ: Don=t remember. Does the name Revihan? or Revilan? SMA: No. SJ: A man=s name. SMA: Electa was my onl;y English teacher. ___________ I can say that definitely. SJ: I see. When I checked your degree, your Bachelor or Arts degree from Seton Hill in1924, then as a novice, I suppose, or a young professedBnovice, you had five years= novitiate in those days, you finished your bachelor of music degree in 1926. So that you were keeping up with your music, I=m sure, while you were a student, but then as a Sister, as a member of the congregation, you went back and completed the requirements for the bachelor of music degree. And I looked through your file, and I found this music program - - probably your senior recital, dated AMay 2 to May 8, 1926, Seton School of Music,@ and inside ASenior Recital@. You=re first on the billing B Sister Margaret Anne Hanley, B.A.1924, B.M.1926. Greensburg, Pa.@ And you played such things as Ramanza? by Mozart, Melody from Orpheus, by Gluck, DemBattie (two names) Zecchio Minueto by DemBattie, and the second set or section was three works by Chopin: an etude, valsay? valse. SMA: Valse. SJ: and scherso, and then the third section was some composer named Shutt - - - SMA: What=s the composition? SJ: The Tondra as You, op.43 #2. SMA: Gone with the wind - - - SJ: And the second was by a composer called Gadowski? __________my French is terrible! SMA: Not bad. SMA: You should read these! What about the next by Lizt - - -something about a garden? SMA :Oh, Tarantella. SJ: No, the next one. SMA: Oh, Jardin su ________ B Gardens under the rain. SJ: Do you remember that? SMA: I sure do. I liked that one- - - crazy wild to memorize, though; modern harmonies. SJ: Would they all be? Maybe they=re all modern harmonies, all those ______ compositions? SMA: Perhaps. SJ: And then the last one. SMA: Tarantella, Lizt. SJ: Do you remember that? SMA: Oh, yes, that was fun! I loved Liszt. SJ: Look at the rest of these names. I guess the other two - -Lenore Patricia Hickey . . . . SMA: I remember her well. SJ: She was one of your classmates, graduated with a Bachelor of Music in 1926, and all the pieces she played. SMA: Yes, she was very lovely. . . . SJ: Chopin was very popular on the program. SMA: Yes. SJ: I doubt that . . . well maybe Chopin would popular today, too. I don=t know. SMA: I think so; I don=t know either, just from what I hear on the TV, I=d say yes. SJ: Is he one of your favorite composers? SMA: Just loved him. Difficult to memorize, but I loved him. SJ: How did you rate Mozart? SMA: Um, Mozart was easy to memorize Bvery formal--- formalism, I guess, and wild modern harmonies B very easy. 11 SJ: And what about Liszt? SMA: Liszt was a wild bird, he went anywhere he pleased. It was delightful, though, just lovely. I think my pupils like Liszt better, too. Lots of spunk to him - - -What did he do for me? - - Tarantella, I guess; that was it. SJ: That=s right. All right, now. Notice all the things she played. She did something from AThe Nutcracker Suite,@ the Flower Waltz. And Dorothy Tonsmeier? SMA: Tonsmeier. SJ: Tonsmeier. She came from Mobile, Alabama. SMA: Right. SJ: Do you remember her? SMA: Certainly - - - She was quite a character. SJ: Was she? SMA: And then she entered; and loved her socks rolled when she entered. SJ: She entered our community? SMA: Yes SJ: Did she really? SMA: But she didn=t stay long, about six months, I think. I don=t really recall. SJ: You would have been B if you entered the community on September 8, 1924, and then you would have had your postulancy and canonical novitiate. You would have been a sister. Would you have had any connection with them at - -probably not much, huh? SMA: If I had any four years before I entered? SJ: No, you entered in 1924. In 1926 when you had your recital, you probably wouldn=t have had too much of a relationship with either of these other two women. SMA: Yes, I think so, because I always felt that I knew Lenore Hickey very well and Dot Tonsmeier and I were quite friendly. I took care of her in the novitiate; I guess I thought she lost her vocation, I don=t know. But she went home after a very short time. SJ: Ah, I see. SMA: But they were very close to me. SJ: Would Sister - - -We were talking yesterday about Sr. Cecilia Schwab. Would she have been the instructor for all three of those seniors? SMA: Could have been, but I don=t know whether she was or not. I don=t recall her at all. SJ: I also found out something. I looked in Sister Electa=s book, AHistory of the Sisters of Charity in Western Pennsylvania@ and found out that Maria Caveny SMA: Caveny. SJ: Caveny; she graduated from Seton Hill in 1919 with a Bachelor of Music degree. And Othelia Vegel also graduated from Seton Hill. Now they were probably some of the first graduates with a Bachelor of Music degree form Seton Hill. And then I suppose from what you=re telling me, Maria Caveny came back as an instructor. SMA: Must have. SJ: She probably got additional work and came back again. But notice how long the program was- - -it=s a whole week, from. . Mary Miller from Salzburg?, she was a junior, and then Marcella - - - SMA: Oh, you mean the recital. SJ: The whole recital. SMA: They certainly were not ordinary. They were extraordinary recitals. I thought all of them were. SJ: How was that - - -Aextraordinary?@ WhatB - SMA: Well, extraordinary work on them and I thought they were beautifully done. I don=t remember how mine were done, but I thought they did a wonderful job on all of them. SJ: Were they held in Cecilian Hall, on the stage? 12 SMA: I think they were held in Sister=s teaching room- - Cecilia Schwab=s. That=s the largest room, at the end of the hall. Mine was , anyway. SJ: It doesn=t say here. It just says, AMusic Week, School of Music, Seton Hill College.@ S it doesn=t say Cecilian Hall. There were more sophomore playing tests. One young woman, Susan McDermott, did a Bach fugue and prelude and a Beethoven sonata, a Paderewski and Mendelssohn number. There were six freshman, so it=s a big program. SMA: Yes, that=s what I think. The School of Music was rapidly progressing; I think due mostly to Sister Cecilia Schwab. Caveny was on her own and a very smart woman, a very good teacher, but Cecilia had so much outside work. Where did she study? Boston? SJ: ____________Probably. SMA: Boston Conservatory? And she was very well equipped for this sort of thing. We were just making grades and the first time they ever did that as far as I know - - the recitals and all. But I thought they were up to snuff. SJ: Okay. Is there anything else you remember before ... well, before 20 and 24, as a college student? You would go home on vacations, I guess, holidays. In the summer, you didn=t have to get a job or anything , did you? SMA: In the last summer before my graduate recital, Miss Caveny, as she was then, I don=t know her married name, requested that I would take work, summer work, start me on the memorizing. The memorizing was quite stiff. It would take a long time. She didn=t know whether I could do it in a year. So she thought I=d better try some summer work. So I did. SJ: Is that when you lived with a friend of your mother, lived in the city and went out to her, Miss Caveny=s, home in Braddock? SMA: Yes. SJ: I understand. But the other times you would go to your home in Coshockton? Did you go on vacations? Or. . . SMA: Yes. I wasn=t on study work all that summer. I think I just took two or three weeks to help be sure that I could do it. SJ: Did you ever go with your family on vacation, or did you spend the time at home? SMA: Home. SJ: All right. By this time- - - you were the youngest in your family, so I suppose you brothers and sisters were married? No, Veronica married late in life, didn=t she? Were the others all married? SMA: Jerry was engaged to a Cleveand girl, which made it nice for me, because he couldn=t get to Cleveland every time he wanted to go to a dance, so he was my partner. He protected and took care of me. I had a really grown-up beau all that summer. SJ: Oh, that was good. SMA: that was very good. SJ: Where would they have dances in Coshockton? SMA: In a very cheap hall, and he said, AI=ll take care of you; don=t worry.@ So one night- - - So you want this? SJ: Un huh. SMA: One night I was dancing, and Jerry, I don=t know where Jerry was, but he was there in one minute, and my dance evaporated. He said he was fresh. SJ: You were a blonde, weren=t you? SMA: Redhead. SJ: Bright red hair, or - - - SMA: Titian, we called it, to make it easier to take. SJ: Was the whole family redheaded? SMA: My father was, and I think the girls had a little red in their hair. Jerry was quite redheaded and he went bald the very summer he was going to be married. 13 SJ: Just like that? SMA: Oh, I was sick for him. He=d come into my room and say, ADon=t you think that=s real hair?@ And I=d say, ANo, it=s just fuzz.@ He would be killed; he thought he was going to grow another set of hair. SJ: Ah, but he married Aand lived happily ever after?@ SMA: And he has a woman who has the most beautiful hair in the whole world, I think- - - one wave after the other. So, I guess, that=s why he was interested. SJ: Was he next to you, Jerry? SMA: Yes, very close. That was always a bone of contention. For an argument B:@Which do you like best?@ and I=d say, AYou=re all just the same to me.@ You, know, I had a funny dream about that this year. I dreamed that my brother Tom was in the car, and he said to me, AYou remember that you used to say - -that you loved all of us the same? But you loved me the best when I was alone?@ And I said, AYes, I remember that.@ Is that the same now?@ I said, AYes, it=s the same now.@ And I looked up and saw the eyes of his wife (acetic?) We never hit it, never hit it - - strange nightmare. I haven=t had a Mass said for him yet, but I=m going to. So something was the matter. SJ: Was he the brother in the service, Tom was? SMA: Uh huh. SJ: Was he the one whose son was a priest? SMA: Yes, Dexter. Dexter went out to give a sermon one Sunday morning and couldn=t get a word out, so the priest rushed up rushed him to the hospital, and he had cancer of the brain, and I don=t think he was more than 10 years. SJ: He was a Jesuit? SMA: Jesuit - - -He had an operation right away, followed by about 10 other operations on this same brain. He was so sweet, and such a ham, a lot of fun. SJ: All right. Well, Sister, now. Can you remember- - - we were talking about your days in the community, or before. You graduated probably in 1924 and you entered right after that, in September. Can you think of what it was attracted you to the sisters? You would have ben taught by them, you would have seen them at Seton Hill, but was there anybody especially who made an impression on you? SMA: My mother made the most impression on me. She said, AIf you must enter, I=d rather have the Charities.@ SJ: Is that what she said? SMA: Uh Huh. Because the Charities are friendlier. SJ: She would have known them from the college. SMA: Well, I thought, AWell, what the heck, if I can please her in one thing, why not:@ So that=s at least a credit I can give the Community. But I think that=s very true. I knew and loved them and I came, that was all there was to it. SJ: You just felt you had to come, had to enter, to be one of them. SMA: I always wanted to be a sister from the time I was in the 8th grade. And everybody kept putting it off, of course. So I came. SJ: You petitioned, then, after you went home, or while you were still at the Hill? SMA: This sounds conceited. And you can=t check on it because she=s dead, but Cecilia wrote the letter. Sister Cecilia asked for me to enter; she practically wrote my petition letter and I went along with her because that=s what I wanted. I don=t think she dragged me in by any matter or means, but I want to enter. SJ: Okay. You came back then. Did you have spiritual mothers or sponsors? SMA: She was it. SJ: Sister Cecilia Schwab was your spiritual mother? She helped you to get ready, the things you needed? 14 SMA: No, I got a list from the Community. . . You also know she went to another community? SJ: She went to the Carmelites. SMA: And I wept all that Christmas. She hadn=t told me she was going, and I didn=t know about all her heartaches over her brother. SJ: Was that. . .were you in the Community when that happened? SMA: Not more than two years, I think. I=m not sure. SJ: All right. You would have petitioned. Who was the major superior then?...Mother Rose Genevieve?. . . . SMA: Could have been. SJ: Mother Mary Francis? SMA: Mother Mary Francis was our mistress. Now that is someone I really truly love. SJ: What do you remember about her? SMA: That she had something I used to call. . .@She knows discernment of spirits,@ I used to say to myself. Because she handled each one according to what she knew about her. She didn=t treat us as a mob. We were all individuals. I thought she was perfect for our mistress . . . though I=d walk up and down outside her room about 10 times before I=d get the courage to go in, I believe that. SJ: Where was the Novitiate then? SMA: Third floor. SJ: On third floor Administration. SMA: And her room was up in Lowe Hall; . . . was it Lowe?. . .isit St. Joseph Hall or what? SJ: St. Joseph? SMA: St. Joseph. She lived up there in 304, I think, somewhere (around there?) SJ: You entered with Sister Muriel? No. . . SMA: I did. SJ: Muriel and Joanna . . . SMA: Yes. SJ: Who else was in your group? SMA: I don=t know whether Miriam Grace was in our group or followed us. She may have been a year older or younger, I can=t be sure. SJ: Was Sister Remigius in your group? SMA: Remigius?. . . was not a college girl. I mean, we weren=t close. No, uh, I don=t know if (she taught school??) SJ: But Muriel and Joanna had been in the Academy. SMA: I don=t know: I=m not sure. SJ: . . . and in the college. SMA: I was not in the Academy. SJ: No, but you were in the college, and you came. . .All right. Anybody else around you in the community? SMA: Muriel was awfully sweet. She was in charge of the college girls at night, and she would---- We were together in a double room. She walked into the place, and she said, (I never verified it.) that I=d sit up in bed, look at the clock, look at her and lie down again- - -which sounds very true, because she=d arrive in anytime between 12 and 2, and be in chapel exactly on time in the morning. SJ: In those days that was quite early, wasn=t it? SMA: Oh, yes. SJ: Be up at probably, 4:30, 5:00? SMA: I=d say 5:30 the bell and 6:00 for prayers. I=m very vague on that. I don=t know. SJ: All right. When you came as a postulant, then, you had your degree. Were you sent out to teach, or did you have your novitiate training classes, do you remember that? 15 SMA: I tried to remember yesterday. I think I taught at Seton Hill, a follow-up; I already had pupils, I think, (that=d been to me?) And I went on with them, or with a class of harmony I was teaching at Seton Hill, but I was almost instantly also sent to St. Benedict=s to teach. Now I don=t know whether that was 1 or 2 years or no years at all, whether I just went down. But I remember this!! I was sitting in chapel for the Mass, very peacefully, so resigned to my fate, and they came up and whispered in my ear, AYou have choir practice right after Mass.@ Now, I didn=t know the children; I didn=t know where the books were; I didn=t know whether the woman who ran the organ would be up there. I didn=t know anything about singing; I had piano work, You see. SJ: Oh, this was when you were down teaching at St. Benedict=s, or teaching in the grades? SMA: Yes. SJ: You were teaching piano students at St. Benedict=s, or teaching in the grades? SMA: I don=t know. I don=t know what stage this was,=cause this is a stage all by itself when you=te told to teach singing right after Mass. So I hurried upstairs and luckily the organist ws up there - - - Hulda Quinleven(sp?) SJ: She=s still there! SMA: Is she? SJ: She=s still playing the organ. SMA: She is an angel pet lamb, so she showed me where the books were, so I gathered them up and took them downstairs for choir practice after Mass Cmy introductionCand she helped me pick out 2 or 3 hymns and we worked together very beautifully, I thought. I don=t know. Of course, Harriet followed me there, so I don=t suppose I kept any reputation. Harriet=s a dream; she=s very good. SJ: You probably stayed on at Seton Hill for those first two years after you entered, while you were getting your education, getting your novitiate preparation training and things like that. See, our records don=t tell us too much about the sisters prior to about 1943. SMA: Oh. SJ: And we don=t know where they were, but the fact that you got your bachelor of music degree two years after you entered, and the fact that you were in those recitals makes me feel that you probably stayed on at Seton Hill up until about 27 or so. SMA: 26 or so, in there. SJ: Yes, after that, and you had your degree . . . and you mayhave been teaching right there. They probably had a program they let you . . . SMA: (They used me on it???) SJ: then you wnet down to St. Benedict=s maybe to teach the piano classes. SMA: No, it was singing- - entirely different. SJ: In the Cathedral itself? Or at St. Benedict=s Church, I guess it was then called, and went over into the school. SMA: And then it began to be in the school rooms. I=d go around to each room and teach groups, I think. SJ: I see. SMA: Not real gropups, you know; I=d teach the whole class. SJ: Yes. .? ? (Have you ever been a music teacher, school music teacher, then? ______ St. Benedict=s?) SMA: 10 SJ: 10 years. All right. SMA: I don=t know . . .if it was 10 or 8, you know. I don=t remember how long the singing at Seton Hill was. SJ: And see, in those days you wold have lived at the college, lived at Seton Hill and traveled down by cab. 16 SMA: W A L K E D ! ! ! SJ: You walked. Oh, each day. SMA: (uh huh? and home ? ? ? ______car? Carr?) Eating at second table, we called (her?) (it?) That was great. SJ: You probably had a lot of duties over there, too, like charges and. . . SMA: There was something that gave me heart trouble. This little girl, Dr. Trimble=s little girl, Sally Trimble, was taking lessons and this afternoon when I was finished with her lesson, I went on with the next lesson and about two minutes later, a taxicab, I think, appeared. It was sent to get Sally Trimble and Sally was nowhere. I was sick unto death because I thought she=d been kidnapped . . . so I don=t know how I lived through the next hour; I think, Bno, I don=t think so - - -I think I just sweated it out. Now the priest=s house was very close. Now we weren=t used to running over to the priest=s house to use their phone. But I should have done that to settle my brain. Then there was another person asking for Sally. So the first one, the taxicab, I think got her. Well, I checked as soon as I went home, of course, and they said they had sent the taxicab to get her picked up and I didn=t pretend about the worry, but I was really worried about her. SJ: She had walked home? SMA: No, she went home in one of those things; I forget which one- - the first one that came. SJ: that would frighten you. SMA: Uh huh! SJ: Did you enjoy teaching children? SMA: I was crazy about it! - - -very much loved it! SJ: Would you have had young children, or. . . SMA: All ages up. I think the older ones were easier to teach. Of course, I had a few older ones who were very difficult, people who didn=t care to practice, you know. I think you remember a space like that. SJ: Now, after St. Benedict=s - - I did check to see where some of the missions which you had gone to. SMA: St. Stephen=s was the first one. SJ: See, we don=t have that! The first we have in our file in 1943-48 - - - you were teaching in Pittsburgh at Sacred Heart. SMA: Oh, golly, that=s very late. SJ: Now, you also taught summer school at Seton Hill College, taught piano lessons at summer school, and you taught at Seton Hill in the music program. . .=42 TAPE II SJ: Tape 2 side of a taped oral history with Sister Margaret Anne Hanley, on Friday, June 15, 1984. Sister, when we left off at the first tape, were talking about where you were on mission and I said the first record that we have is you were teaching at Seton Hill summer school >40->43, and then >43 to >48 at Sacred Heart. Now, you remember St. Stephen=s in Hazelwood. SMA: Oh, yes. That was very definitely a mission. I stayed there for 10 years under Mary Paul; I think that=s right. And that was a good ten years, that was >34->44. That would take you up, wouldn=t it? SJ: Maybe 3/30/43. SMA: Yes. SJ: or maybe >32->42. That=s when you taught at Seton Hill. You must have come from St. Stephen=s to Seton Hill and then there was one year at Seton Hill, and then you went out to Sacred Heart. 17 SMA: I don=t remember one year at Seton Hill. I don=t remember a break to Seton Hill. I remember being changed to another mission. SJ: You seemed to stay a long time in places. SMA: Yes, 10 and 7 years. SJ: And then maybe that St. Benedict=s was from about >26->32, maybe 6 years, 6 or 7 years. SMA: I would have said 10 years; I don=t know. SJ: These may not be . . . our records start in >42. SMA: Well, you fix them because I=m not sure at all. SJ: St. Stephen=s. I remember that big beautiful old-fashioned convent, and the piano was in the front room. Is that where you taught? SMA: Where=s this? SJ: St. Stephen=s in Hazelwood. SMA: Oh, yes, yes. SJ: Do you have any recollections there? Did you have some good students? SMA: It was, uh;, singing in the rooms and it was a change. See, I was pretty well adjusted to singing in the rooms and following programs and they were not . . .I don=t know. I didn=t care for my teaching; I didn=t care for the set-up. But I think it was that mostly. The books were different; the teachers were not resigned to seeing somebody walk in to take a half hour of time, and that was what I had been used to. One or two stick our in my mind as being very friendly and glad to see a music teacher. SJ: Was Sr. Mary Paul a good Sister Servant and principal? SMA: Oh, laws, yes! (She had it made? - - just perfect. SJ: Did you ever see Sister Cecilia Ward? She would have lived across the street, I believe. SMA: Yes, I think she did, but we never saw her. SJ: She was going to college, or teaching, maybe, at that time. 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 Anne Hanley Subject The topic of the resource Sister Margaret Anne Hanley Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Margaret Anne Hanley, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1924 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Augustine on June 14, 15, and 17, 1984. Sister Margaret Anne Hanley - born Mary Margaret Hanley on June 26, 1903 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1924. She received a bachelor's degree of English and French from Seton Hill College in 1924 and a bachelor's degree in music, also from Seton Hill, in 1926. She taught music at a number of schools in both Pennsylvania and Arizona. Sister Margaret Anne died on June 20, 1994. 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 1984/06/14 1984/06/15 1984/06/17 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-34 Arizona Pennsylvania Seton Hill College 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 Marie Colette Hanlon Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Seton House Marshfield (Wis.) 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 Marie Colette Hanlon Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marie Colette Hanlon Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marie Colette Hanlon, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1958 until present. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on June 20 and 21, 1987. 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 1987/06/20 1987/06/21 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-100 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/3a40556bfc8c7b49f9abfebb0565f981.mp3 cda535ead810757d93044abbeba18fa1 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/06fb3afa0edadd18c98b967da1277183.mp3 282b929b2548bd020edd90de1b34781f https://scsharchives.com/files/original/74235fb25ec425ec58da09ccce4a3296.mp3 b965d342e6c3e50847f1045a0db4db36 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/09581e80d3030d11d938c9a9dc1370ac.mp3 6a9d3a441ce53180329e5de7bb0289c4 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/d64d02d0829c035a1754aabb52303732.mp3 432ff993a806f9a575cfd858f43a0ec6 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 Germaine Helwig Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Greensburg Faculty House 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 31:35 31:34 31:34 31:36 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. Germaine Helwig Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Germaine Helwig Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Germaine Helwig, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 2010. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 4, 1987. Sister Mary Germaine Helwig - born Mary Elizabeth Helwig on November 29, 1915 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1933. She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Seton Hill College in 1949 and a master's degree in chemistry from Notre Dame in 1959. She taught at several Pittsburgh area schools, most notably at Bishop McCort High School from 1953-1965 and 1966-1980, as well as at Greensburg Central Catholic High School from 1965-1966 and from 1980-1988. Upon retirement, she tutored students at Geibel High School and at Seton Hill College. In 1993, SHC President JoAnne Boyle honored Sister Mary Germaine with a Volunteer of the Year award. Sister Mary Germaine died on March 4, 2010. 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 1987/04/04 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-78 Bishop McCourt High School Geibel Catholic High School Greensburg Central Catholic High School Notre Dame University Seton Hill College 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 Rita Vincent Henderson Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Cathedral School Greensburg (Pa.) 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.) 20:52 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 Rita Vincent Henderson Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rita Vincent Henderson Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Rita Vincent Henderson, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1916 until 1991. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on January 8, 1984. Sister Rita Vincent Henderson - born Ruth Catherine Henderson on March 3, 1901 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1916. She received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1945. She taught at a number of Pittsburgh area schools, including St. Philip School, Our Lady of Mercy School, and at Cathedral School in Greensburg. Sister Rita Vincent died on March 13, 1991. 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 1984/01/08 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-9 Cathedral School Crafton PA Duquesne University Greensburg PA Johnstown PA Our Lady of Mercy School St. Philip's School https://scsharchives.com/files/original/c9439b350b97485b17c2b8041163d8b5.mp3 52c4ffe2cad8a96421405d4599583276 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/d1949a7b45d57ff469ea1a84031991c2.mp3 4613747ec82ab117dfe4959331deb1b4 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 Teresa Martin Henry Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview St. Luke Convent Carnegie (Pa.) 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.) 31:33 08:08 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 Teresa Martin Henry Subject The topic of the resource Sister Teresa Martin Henry Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Teresa Martin Henry, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1931 until 2003. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 14, 1987. Sister Teresa Martin Henry - born Geraldine Roberta Henry on May 5, 1914 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1931. She received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1947 and a master's degree from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame in 1955. She taught social studies and religion at a number of schools including Sacred Heart in Pittsburgh, St. Luke Elementary School, and Bishop Boyle High School. She also served as Dean of Freshman at Seton Hill College from 1949-1951. Sister Teresa Martin died on September 8, 2003. 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 1987/02/14 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-61 Bishop Boyle High School Carnegie PA Duquesne University Sacred Heart School PGH Seton Hill College St. Luke's School St. Mary's College https://scsharchives.com/files/original/a4312bf911bb591bec7806d898e25858.mp3 552b2776475e7144820925077e51e968 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/6da88c60bfaf2feae915fda270ec91f6.mp3 1b6b2ec6760cb266359c50085bfa73eb 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 Mary Estelle Hensler Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Ennis Hall Greensburg (Pa.) 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 09:50 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound 1 OH- 13-1 This is·an oral history tape for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The interviewee is Sister Mary Estelle Hensler. The interviewer is Sr. Virginia Pascaretta. The interview is taking place at Ennis Hall on March seventeenth, nineteen hundred eighty-five. SVP: Sr. Estelle, we asked you to do a little reflection on your personal life as a Sister of Charity. You agreed to do that. So, we will begin today as we said we would. SMEH: Today, March seventeenth, at the age of eighty-four, I have lived for sixty-six years at Seton Hill. I was born on July seventh, nineteen hundred in Carrick, which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. At the age of six months, I was carried by my father to a Midnight Mass at a parish church to ring out the old and bring in the new century. SVP: Sister, what was the parish church? SMEH: I believe it was St. Wendelin's in Carrick My mother's name was Margaret Elizabeth Klein, eldest daughter of Mary and Peter Klein, and one of eleven children. My father's name was Charles Peter Hensler, son of Peter and Elizabeth Hensler. He was the eldest of eleven children. Both my parents were born and reared in Carrick, were baptized and attended school at St. Wendelin's. They were married in St. Wendelin's Church in eighteen ninety-six: I was also baptized in St. Wendelin's Church and give the name of Clara Elizabeth Hensler. My grandparents were German immigrants . They cam-e to America in the eighteen forties to escape political and social unrest in their country. Here in America, they found freedom. Ittook several generations before their children and grandchildren gained economic stability. Here in America, at the same time, the country was being oppressed by the terrible financial Depression following the reconstruction period after the Civil War in eighteen sixty-one and eighteen sixty­ five. My parents' education, and that of their brothers and sisters ended with the eighth grade. As a young boy, my father wanted to study. for the priesthood, but his family could not afford the expense. At the age of twenty, he inarried my mothers He worked as a coal miner, receiving a • small amount daily in wages. My mother said that they saved more the first year of their marriage than the years that followed once the children began to arrive.· My father enrolled in a correspondence course in a stringent mining school to study mining engineering. This qualified him for a position in management in the coal mines of Southwestern Pennsylvania owned by sounded like the H. C. Frick Coal Company. Looking at his text books, I often wondered how he taught himself to work such difficult Math. problems. ·Toe mines were worked mainly by immigrants, brought by Frick from Europe; n9tably Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Ukraine. They lived usually in small, four room, houses. These houses were built and owned by the company. They had no indoor plumbing, electricity, or furnace. One room served as a kitchen. The remaining ones were for sleeping. These small patches of houses were surrounded by farms. The trees were usually·cut down to make posts to buttress the place where the coal would come out. These towns had no doctors, dentists, or policemen and firemen for protection. Also, there usually were no schools or churches. These were at some distance to be reached only by walking or by trolley car. Learnin-g new language, new labor techniques, a new way oflife in a strange country often meant that miners were taken advantage of. They were poorly paid for the 2 dangerous work they had to do. They had long working hours, which began at five AM until five PM in the evening. The management personnel worked the same long hours as the miners. My father often worked overtime. They would come to him during the night for some emergency in the mine. Keeping the water pumps working required constant supervision. If the pumps weren't working, it caused a dangerous situation for the miners. My father' s position was changed often, which caused us to have to move frequently. SVP: Sister, may I ask a question at this point? I'm interested in the geography of the coal mines in relation to the city of Pittsburgh. Were these places relatively close to what we now call Pittsburgh? Were they in the outlying district? SMEH: They were in the outlying places. I can name some of them...Brownsville, Donaldson, Peter's Creek, etc. It was very difficult to hear what she was saying here. She mentions two mines which had the greatest impact on her, but neither was audible. One sounds like Heckla, which is where the family moved in nineteen hundred six. SMEH: When we moved to Heckla in nineteen hundred six, there were four children...Carl, Joseph, Cecilia, and myself. Then came John in 1908, and Mildred in 1911. At the age of seven, I entered first grade in a small, four room school, where I spent three weeks. My oldest brother, Carl, had taught me to read and write, so I was promoted to the second grade. Father O' Donnell, our pastor, came to Heckla every Friday afternoon to instruct us in Catechism. During the week, my mother supervised our assignments. Father O'Donnell was a strict teacher and insisted on our memorizing the Baltimore Catechism. In September of 1910, Carl and I were transferred to St. Joseph's in Mt. Pleasant. We had already received our First Communion. It was the first time children under twelve could receive. One of the things I remember vividly is that the day before we received our first Holy Communion, we met at school in the morning.• Father O'Donnell conducted what we would call a day of reflection. Our confessions were heard in the afternoon. We were instructed to be quiet. That night at supper, Carl and I were served by ourselves. Then , we prayed the litany before the May altar and went to bed. This experience helped us to realize how serious receiving Holy Communion should be. In nineteen hundred eleven, we moved to Standard Shaft, the largest of the· Frick mines. Living here, I made a life long friend, Sarah Jackson, later Sister Angeline Jackson. Every day, we walked to and from school together. On Sundays, we took a walk in the afternoon. Every week, our mothers sent us to a nearby farm to purchase butter. The farm lady always said: "Come right in girls." She would wrap the butter in wax paper, put it into our baskets, and then.co ver it with a sheet of paper, which was a tabloid. Sarah and I would always unwrap the butter and read the sheet which contained horror stories about runaway nuns and priests. Sarah and I would have a good laugh about it. I decided to give one of these sheets to my father, expecting the same reaction. However, he crumbled it up and threw it into the fire. Our growing up years were uneventful. We were a closely knit family. Our lives centered mainly around home, church, and school. With the exception of Sarah, I made few friends. Sometimes we went to a movie. Here, she says something about her brother, Carl, bringing home books in June, which he had from St. Vincent's. It was inaudible. One afternoon, my mother sent me into the kitchen to watch a pot of apple jelly on the stove, while she went out to the garden. I kept one eye on the 3 stove and the other away. Before I knew it, the jelly was running over. As punishment, I had to stand for one hour between the wall and the stove on a hot summer day. My childhood ended in nineteen fourteen with the death of my mother. I did not return to school, but remained at home to help my father hold the family together. With six small children, there was always something to take my time baby sitting or household chore. SVP: Sister, how old were you at the time.of y,o ur mother's death? SMEH: I was fourteen. After her death, I took on more responsibility. My father and I managed to keep the family together. I remained with my family for three years. One day, I received a letter from Sister Patrice McGuire, my seventh grade teacher. The letter said that I must remind my father that I should return to school. The next day, I returned to Seton Hill to register. for the eighth grade in the Fall of nineteen-seventeen. Away from home in a boarding school, I missed family and Sarah Jackson. I didn't make many friends, as·I was shy and three years older than · my classmates. The- daily schedule was much like that of the novitiate. We rose at seven, went. to prayers in the oratory, went for a walk around the building, and ate breakfast. SVP: Sister, you're speaking now of the academy at Seton Hill? Is that where you went to school? That's where yoti received a letter from Sister Patrice? SMEH: Yes. Morning classes began about nine AM. At eleven thirty, we assembled in the recreation hall before going to lunch. Afternoon classes began at one and ended at four. Then we all went for a long walk accompanied by one of the sisters. We never went beyond the statue of the angel at St. Mary's. They were the days! · . ' SVP: What were the classes like? Are you going to develop that idea, or are you just going to tell us the kind of classes you took? SMEH:I took regular eighth grade classes...Math, Spelling, Geography, History, etc. I believe she said that Sister Theodosia Murtha was one of her teachers. At fiv, e o 'd o .ck; we went to supper. We marched in line, in silence, from the recreation hall to the dining.room. We said Grace together, and dinner was served at five-thirty. SVP: Were you permitted to talk during your dinner meal? SMEH: Definitely no. I couldn't hear what all she was saying here. After dinner, we went to Study Hour at.seven o'clock. By eight-thirty, we were back in the dormitory to 'prepare for bed. At nine o'clock we prayed, and nine-fifte.en, it was ·lights out! SVP: Tell me this. What was the nature of the night prayer? SMEH: I would say...the Our Father, the Hail Mary, act of Faith, Hope, and Love. Of course we also said the De Profundis when the bell rang. SMEH: By nineteen-seventeen, the United States had joined our allies in a World War I effort to help our soldiers. The Red Cross had set up centers where articles were collected and·prepared to send to our troops overseas in England and.France. Periodically, we met with the professed sisters and faculty in their community room on Second Administration, where we rolled 4 bandages, knit socks, scarves, etc. for this war effort. Meeting there made me aware of the striking contrast between the peace and quiet there as opposed to the noise and turmoil in the students' residence. In the Spring of that year, nineteen hundred seventeen, we made a sev n day, silent retreat. I began to think about my religious life. I felt more prayerful and wanted to dedicate my life to God. My father supported my choice of vocation. Then on September eighth, nineteen hundred eighteen, I entered the Saint Joseph Novitiate at Seton Hill. Before being eligible to teach school, I learned that you had to be a high school graduate. I was the second candidate to enter on September eighth, nineteen-eighteen. There were six of us: Sister M. Gervase Shields, Sister Marie Dolores Haney, Sister Ann Catherine McDermott, Sister M. Agnes Daugherty, Sister Mary Samuel Klingensmith, and myself. All ofus persevered. Today, only Sister Agnes and I are living. Our days were full from morning until night with duties, such as: making beds, washing dishes, cleaning floors, serving meals, etc. We worked in the laundry on Mondays and · Tuesdays. We also worked at the switchboard. After supper and dishes, we recreated until eight­ fiftee-n, said night prayers, and from there prepared for bed. Lights were out at nine-fifteen. Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers was our first mistress of novices. She taught us to be prayerful, work carefully, and instructed us in the Constitutions and the Praiseworthy Customs of the community. She taught us to be alert, attentive, and responsive. After breakfast-one morning, Sister Rose Xavier Garrity told me to get dressed to be ready to join the sisters who taught at St. Benedict's School, which is now the Cathedral School, to teach the eighth grade. I said: "Just in case you're not aware of my academic standing, I'm going to be a housekeeper." Her answer was:"Get ready for school, and off I went!" As novices, we were not allowed to talk to the professed sisters, nor to the students. We saw them in the chapel and in the dining room. Most meals were taken in silence. In later years, I realized that the senior sisters at that time...Sister Mary Louis Flick, Sister Mary Xavier Farrell, Sister Rosalia Crates and others were the pioneers of the community, and knew Mother Aloysia Lowe and Mother Ann Regina Ennis personally. On December eighth, nineteen hundred eighteen, I received the habit as a white cap, and given the name Sister Mary Estelle Hensler. After that, my father called me his dear little white cap novice. The following September eighth, nineteen-nineteen, I received the black cap. Instead of being missioned, I entered the academy as a high school freshman. My class work was sometimes interrupted by my having to do some substitute teaching. On the afternoon of New Year's Day in nineteen twenty, I packed my suitcase and met with a professed sister who was waiting for me at the front door. After a while in the railway coach, I asked: "Where are we going?" The answer was Sharpsburg, a place I heard of for the first time. I taught fourth grade for several months in Sharpsburg. Then on a Sunday afternoon, I was changed to Holy Innocents in Sheraden to teach second grade. In March of nineteen-twenty, Sister M. Anita McGinness, who taught painting at Seton Hill died. This event helped to change my life. In June of nineteen-twenty, we returned to Seton Hill for suinmer school. In the Fall, I was missioned to teach at St. Benedict's in Greensburg. On Saturday afternoons, I took drawing lessons from Sister M. Evangelist Yah1 in the art studio. From nineteen twenty-two until nineteen twenty-five, I alternated between going to school at Seton Hill, taking both high school and college subjects, and continuing art lessons with Sister M. Evangelist. By nineteen twenty­ four, it became apparent that-the only art courses needed in the college were those required for 5 majors in Music and Home Economics. These courses were dropped by Sister M. Evangelist Yahl. Since the courses did not constitute a major, they were electives and could not create a department. In nineteen twenty-five, I was missioned to teach elementary grades in Pittsburgh, mostly seventh grade. At this time I began to take art education courses on Saturday under Lucy (couldn't hear last name), who was a public school art teacher. During the years from nineteen twenty-five through nineteen thirty-two, I learned the ways ofliving on a local mission. During one of these years; I was relieved a semester to .go from school to school to give demonstration lessons in school art. In nineteen thirty-two, the community accepted the offer of a new mission ...Saints Peter and Paul in Tucson, Arizona. Soon, we were involved in other aspects of church service. Besides school teaching, we taught the deaf and blind children, Sunday School, the Indian, summer catechetical work to Mexican children in (I couldn't hear where this was). SVP: Sister, were you among the first to go the West? SMEH: We were the pioneer group. While in (inaudible) working with the Mexicans the summer of nineteen thirty-seven, a letter from Greensburg came. It read: "Send Sister Estelle home bag and baggage. SVP: Who was the major superior at that time? SMEH: I believe it was Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers. I arrived in Greensburg via train two days after receiving the letter requesting my return. The following Monday morning, I registered for classes in Art History at Columbia University. Before leaving Greensburg however, I learned that Sister Evangelist Yahl had a serious heart problem. Because of my interest in Art, Sister Evangelist requested that I study Art History in preparation for the time when she could no longer teach. After six weeks of summer school, I returned to Seton Hill. On August twenty-second, nineteen thirty-seven, Sister Evangelist Yahl died. Within several days after her funeral, Sister M. Cyril Aaron, the Academic Dean, informed me that I would teach Sister Evangelist's classes. After this time, I tried as I usually did to accept any assignment, but this was different. Academically and technically, not only was I unprepared to teach courses to college students, but these students were paying for very competent teaching. I explained my situation.. My explanation was accepted, and a lay teacher was hired to teach these classes. I then enrolled in college courses for the Fall term. In June of nineteen-forty, I received my undergraduate degree. On commencement night, I boarded a night train for New York. I registered at New York University the morning I arrived. The following year(difficult to hear), I received a Master's degree in Art and returned to Seton Hill for the summer school session. I began my first full year teaching in the college in nineteen forty-one. I taught the required courses in Art, and like. other sisters on the'faculty had other charges. I taught Sunday School classes, monitored students in the dormitories in the evening Monday through Thursday from seven until eleven PM, and helped with college functions. Our places of residence changed from year to year. I lived by the day. During my first years of teaching in the college, the classes were small. As the enrollment became larger, class size increased to about thirty-five. There was also an increase in the number of courses taught. After World War II, campus life changed radically from previous years. There was rebellion and 6 unrest on campuses everywhere. The demands on academic and community life became increasingly difficult. Every aspect of life was changing, and continues to do so. After the first term of teaching in nineteen seventy-six, I realized that my teaching should terminate. This year coincided with the establishment of the Doran Hall Retreat And Renewal Center. Mother Richard Ann Watson appointed Sister Mary Francis Irwin and me to prepar, e the newly purchased Gumberg House, which became the New Generalate residence in nineteen seventy­ seven. After the community elections, Sister Mary Francis and I moved to Doran Hall to direct the transition from Novitiate to Retreat Center. For five years, I did the same kind of work I would have done had I become a housekeeper. SVP: After living at Doran Hall you moved to Ennis, which was the formation house for the Novitiate. Is that right? SMEH: That didn't happen until a few years later. SMEH: By nineteen eighty-two, the bigger part of my life was spent in an institutional set up. Since renewal in religious life began, there has been experimentation in small group community living. I felt it was my duty to participate. Doran Hall began to be used more and more for lay people, so my personal community life style became less possible. In nineteen eighty-two, I moved to Ennis Hall which was occupied by the sisters on the college faculty. After Christmas, Ennis Hall was named the house of formation for the community. I was assigned to work there. This change in residence was very difficult for the college sisters. In the novitiate, I was in charge of the library, and performed other household tasks. Living in the novitiate today is different compared to sixty-five or even twenty years ago. Just as the life style of everyone living in the United States today is changing, what we in religious life have experienced will take many years to understand. SVP: Sister, are there any reflections that you would like to make about your life in community? Perhaps, you might have some comment to make about it. the changes and how you see them affecting the community? SMEH: I remember telling Sister Theodosia Murtha back in nineteen-seventeen that I wanted to enter. All she said was: "Community life is not a bed of roses!" I found this to be true, but I have faith to believe that God acted through those years, and will continue to do so. SVP Sister, thank you for sharing your history with us. I'm sure it will be very helpful...motivating to a lot of young women as they come into the Community. I, in fact always enjoy hearing these histories. They' re very enlivening for me. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed transcribing this oral history of Sister Mary Estelle Hensler on May fifteenth, two thousand twelve. 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 Estelle Hensler Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Estelle Hensler Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Estelle Hensler, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1918 until 1998. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on March 17, 1985. Sister Mary Estelle Hensler - born Clara Elizabeth Hensler on July 7, 1900 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1918. She received a bachelor's degree in art and history from Seton Hill College in 1939 and a master's degree in art from New York University in 1940. She was a professor of art at Seton Hill College from 1943-1977, also serving as the chair of the art department from 1940-1967. She then served as Co-Director and resident artist at the Doran Hall Retreat and Renewal Center from 1977-1987. Along with Sister Mary Francis Irvin, Sister Estelle is remembered for her tireless efforts within Seton Hill's art department. Sister Mary Estelle died on November 23, 1998. 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 1985/03/17 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-13 New York University Professor of Art History Seton Hill College https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7d93882a85698b68961b11080230cdf4.mp3 96262b98ca47514f59527169d70d372c https://scsharchives.com/files/original/a25e1204ae0ac4ea491e068fdfcf42db.mp3 6b0dbf07cc8e67d82ebb5062587e0bff https://scsharchives.com/files/original/6bc9f44b98677480a772254e811172a8.mp3 b6b7e0b726ac3f0c90db229dbeb91e69 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/ecdc47bd7469ac2f59cb5b87d8a79565.mp3 2387b4282188404cd20524014f5d7826 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 Mary Estelle Hensler Sister Mary Francis Irvin Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Ennis Hall Greensburg (Pa.) 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 31:37 31:34 27:52 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 Estelle Hensler and Sister Mary Francis Irvin Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Estelle Hensler Sister Mary Francis Irvin Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Estelle Hensler and Sister Mary Francis Irvin. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on March 24, 1985. Sister Mary Estelle Hensler and Sister Mary Francis Irvin were professors of art at Seton Hill College from the 1940's into the 1970's. Together, they are credited with building the art program at the college into a flourishing major. This oral history concerns their work in the art program. 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 1985/03/24 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-93 Art Artist Professor of Art Seton Hill College https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b169a155990f0cc5f0e0b84fbddf4f35.mp3 ba814adc1e3cbb7b8160904af8822df3 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 Miriam Leah Hickey Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Location The location of the interview Assumption Hall Greensburg (Pa.) 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 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-24 Sr. Mir. Hickey 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 Leah Hickey. The interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. This is being done at Assumption Hall. The date is: October twenty-third, nineteen hundred eighty-four. SMCM: Good morning, Sister Miriam Leah. I'm happy to be with you today to hear some things about your life. Sister, when and where were you born? SMLH: I was born on August 20th in 1906 in Scottdale, Pa. I was baptized at St. John's ...also in Scottdale. My mother was Mary Catherine Murphy Hickey and my father was Michael Hickey. I also attended St. John the Baptist's School up until the second year in high school. At that time, it was a two year high school program. Sister Alice Marie Barron taught me in high school, and Sister Carita Duffy taught me in the eighth grade. SMCM: Sister, did you have siblings? SMLH: Yes, I had two sisters.Marguerite and Brigid. I also had two brothers...James and Regis. Regis was ordained a priest in 19 for the Greensburg diocese. SMCM: How did you come to be a Sister of Charity? SMLH: When Sister Mary Rose from the Mercy Community heard that I was going to enter the Sisters of Charity, she said to my mother: "Mary, why aren't you sending her to the Mercy Order?" My mother's reply was: "I'm not sending her anywhere. This is all her own idea." However, the Charities are the ones she knows. I petitioned on February 14, 1925 without my mother knowing it. When I wasn't home in time for dinner, my mother said to my brother: "James, I wonder where she is today." His reply was: "She's giving her heart to the right guy . today." I entered on June 19, 1925. Sister Marie Elizabeth Leonard entered the same day. SMCM: Who was your Mistress of Novices, Sister Miriam Leah? SMLH: Mother Mary Francis McCullough was. She was a wonderful mistress. The book written by Pope John Paul II contained everything we had in our novitiate. SMCM: Who are some of the sisters who entered with you? SMLH: Sister Marie Elizabeth Leonard entered with me on June 19, 1925. Then there was what we called the "twenty crowd", which came in September. SMCM: Do you remember any particular thing that happened while you were a novice? SMLH: I recall one day that I was humming "Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee" in the novitiate room, not knowing Mother Mary Francis was there until she said: "Who is that doing that humming?" I proudly answered that it was me. She said: "This isn't the place or time·of the day to be doing it." I had very happy days in the novitiate. SMCM: Do you remember where you were fir t missioned? SMLH: My first mission was to St. Jame's in Wilkinsburg. Sister Agnes Marie Reuber was the principal. I believe that I started out in either the fourth or fifth grade. As time went on most of my teaching was at the seventh and eighth grade level. I preferred having the fourth grade because they are young enough to be sociable and can do things for themselves. Eighth graders become too sophisticated. They're a little rambunctious, although I did enjoy them. SMCM: Was St. James a large school, and how long did you stay on that mission? SMLH: There were eight grades with about eighty-five students in each grade. I was missioned to St. James three different times, and loved it every time. I was in charge of the altar boys at most places I was stationed. SMCM: Sister Miriam Leah, how long did you teach school? SMLH: I taught up until 1968 when I came to Assumption Hall. Some of the places where I taught were : St. James, Wilkinsburg, St. John the Evangelist, South Side, St. Stephen, Hazelwood. I think I tried out all the different schools we had. SMCM: Were you always stationed in the Pittsburgh Diocese? SMLH: No, I was at St.Bruno's, Cathedral in Greensburg, Holy Cross School in Youngwood. I was the principal at Holy Cross for six years. I was a teaching principal. SMCM: Are there any experiences in your teaching days that you would like to share with us? SMLH: I would say that my experiences were the same happy ones had by other teachers who enjoyed teaching. SMCM: What did you do during the summers? SMLH: The first couple of years were spent talcing courses to acquire credits to complete my B.S. in Education, which was received from Duquesne University. I also taught students from Greensburg who had failed the eighth grade. I also went out on Sundays to teach Religion. Some of the places where I taught Sunday School were: Murraysville, St. Bruno's in Greensburg, and Holy Cross in Youngwood. During the week, I went to Saltzburg to teach summer school. SMCM: Did you always teach the older children, even in CCD and summer school? SMLH: Yes. SMCM: Would you like to tell us anything else? When did you come to Assumption Hall? SMLH: I came to Assumption Hall on October 31, 1968. I had been in the hospital from August tenth of 1968 until this time. I was recovering from leg surgery.. I was surprised at being discharged from the hospital as I had not been out of bed the entire time. When the doctor told me I was going home, I said: "You must have me mixed up with someone else, because I haven't been out of bed." His reply was: "You're not going to get out of bed, Sister." I told him that the dried blood in my leg was driving me crazy. He said: "That's not dried blood. The reason you're here so long is that we haven't succeeded in getting the bleeding to stop." It was a Sunday afternoon when I came home. Mother Claudia Glenn had died that summer. She had been in room 302. She died in August . No-one had been put in her room. I was the frrst to be put in her room. In three days, the leg stopped bleeding. I'm sure it was due to Mother Claudia. Her brother, Monsignor Glenn, had also died previous to that summer. Monsignor Glenn had made a special petition that we would be blessed with fifty vocations from St. John the Baptist in Scottdale in honor of his fifty years as a priest, even though Monsignor didn't live until the fiftieth, but died after forty-eight years as a priest. SMCM: Sister, do you know how many people in the community have entered from St. John the Baptist in Scottdale? SMLH: At the time that Monsignor Glenn had a novena requesting that there would be fifty who entered from Scottdale, I don't believe that there were fifty. However, there are more than fifty now due to the good example, faith, and encouragement that we had. The day I entered Marguerite and Brigid, my two sisters went with me. Monsignor Glenn was there and said: "Think of the end, honey, and know it's worth it." He was at that time to be ordained in three years. He was ordained in 1929. I entered in 1925. SMCM: What about your time here at Assumption, Sister Miriam Leah? · SMLH: When I first came to Assumption, my sister had bought me a new sewing machine. From a wheel chair, I was able to cut out and sew on the sewing machine, using my hand to operate the machine, the various parts of clowns. Then other sisters stuffed the clowns. I don't know how many of these I did, but it was a good many. It seemed there were a million of them! SMCM: Was that the first project you worked on? SMLH: Yes, it was. SMLH: I was on the fourth floor for a while at Assumption, but then had to be moved to the second floor due to health reasons. I had a number of hospitalizations. I had surgery for breast cancer in 1969 or 1970. Then in 1975, the largest part of my lungs was removed. I've always had what we considered bronchitis all winter long. However, when I was hospitalized, the doctor told me that I had a severe case of emphysema. He said he would love to show me the condition of my lungs, but of course didn't. He asked me if I had ever smoked. I told him that I had a cigarette in my mouth for about five minutes(it wasn't lit) at a party which was for me the night before I entered. At that time, neither my father or my brothers smoked. From that time on it was cancer, cancer, cancer. SMCM: You keep yourself very busy, sister. How do you manage to do that? SMLH: Well, I have an S (have listened three times) on my door. A sister whose name I believe was Sister Mary Leon Bettwy asked me one day what the S meant, and I told her "insane"! Here I am making all of these place mats. It was my second project. She wanted to know how many I had made, and I replied "OODLES" because I wouldn't begin to know how many. On another occasion when we were having retreat, the priest stopped to see me and wanted to know what the place mats were. I told him they were for putting your silverware and dishes on at meal time. Well then, he said: "Do they make the food taste better?" I said:" I don't know about that Father, but they surely do brighten up the room." That's for sure, Sister. It would make the room look a lot different. SMCM: What goes with the place mats? SMLH: Sometimes, coasters for under the glasses. People have had some very creative ideas. On occasion, we use a larger place mat and make a center piece in the middle of the tables. 4 SMCM: How do you feel about people coming to visit with you? Your door is always open. SMLH: People say they enjoy coming to see me because I'm always cheerful and welcoming. SMCM: Sister, would you like to say anything about the major changes in the Community over the past few years? SMLH: My chief complaint is regarding the manner of dress that has taken place. A young woman comes to the Community and wants to be known as "Sister", but the lack of common dress is a deterrent. I believe that's why Korea is doing so much better, as they can be identified by their dress. SMCM: Is there anything else you would like to say? SMLH: No, I believe that I have said enough. SMCM: Thank you Sister Miriam Leah. This will be kept in the archives at Caritas Christi. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: I transcribed this oral history on Sister Miriam Leah Hickey from a cassette type. It was completed on April 15, 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 Miriam Leah Hickey Subject The topic of the resource Sister Miriam Leah Hickey Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Miriam Leah Hickey, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1985. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on October 23, 1984. Sister Miriam Leah Hickey - born Mildred Hickey on August 20, 1906 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in June of 1925. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Duquesne University in 1943. She taught in a number of Pittsburgh area schools and served as principal at Holy Cross School from 1953-1959 and at St. John the Baptist from 1962-1963. Sister Miriam Leah died on June 2, 1985. 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 1984/10/23 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-38 Duquesne University Holy Cross School St. John the Baptist School Teacher Youngwood PA