Oral History: Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh
Dublin Core
Title
Oral History: Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh
Subject
Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh
Description
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
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Publisher
Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
Date
1986/11/16
Rights
All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Format
Audio cassette tape
Type
Oral history
Identifier
OH-49
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Sister Marie Corona Miller
Interviewee
Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh
Location
Assumption Hall
Transcription
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
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
Original Format
Audio cassette tape
Duration
26:55
Bit Rate/Frequency
96kHz
Collection
Tags
Other Media
Citation
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, “Oral History: Sister Miriam Fidelis Guinagh,” Collections of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Archives, accessed April 26, 2024, https://scsharchives.com/items/show/666.
Item Relations
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