Oral History: Sister M. Theophane Geary
Dublin Core
Title
Oral History: Sister M. Theophane Geary
Subject
Sister M. Theophane Geary
Description
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
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Publisher
Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Date
1988/05/12
Rights
All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Format
Audio cassette tape
Type
Oral history
Identifier
OH-7
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Sister Virginia Pascaretta
Interviewee
Sister M. Theophane Geary
Location
Assumption Hall
Transcription
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? ยท 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.
Original Format
Audio cassette tape
Duration
31:02
31:02
31:02
Bit Rate/Frequency
96kHz
96kHz
Collection
Tags
Citation
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, “Oral History: Sister M. Theophane Geary,” Collections of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives, accessed April 25, 2024, https://scsharchives.com/items/show/662.
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