Stories from the Archives
Often, some of the most interesting pieces of history are lost in time. These inviting stories are drawn from the Sisters of Providence Archives and the memories of sisters and friends. They feature the many people and places instrumental in the Sisters of Providence history.
‘Nuns of the Battlefield’
First published in 1927, “Nuns of the Battlefield” was written by Ellen Ryan Jolly. In this book, the author gives a description of the women religious congregations that provided medical aid during the Civil War. Many of these religious congregations…
Tribute to sisters in Vincennes
From time to time, The Vincennes Weekly Sun ran articles on the emergency hospital in that city. Much of the praise for this medical facility was directed toward Sisters St. Felix Buchanan and Sophie Glenn and Dr. Baty, who was…
Vincennes emergency hospital
In addition to their work at the Military Hospital in Indianapolis, the Sisters of Providence also had charge of the emergency hospital in Vincennes, Ind., that was opened in July and August of 1861 and then again on May 29,…
Sisters who served during the Civil War
Sister St. Felix Buchanan Sister Helena Burns Sister Frances Ann Carney Sister Athanasius Fogarty Sister Sophie Glenn Sister Eugenia Gorman Sister Mary Francis Guthneck Sister Henrietta MacKenzie Sister Mary Louise Malone Sister Mary Rose O’Donaghue Sister Matilda Swinley Sisters Mary…
Civil War diary entries
In the Sisters of Providence Archives there is a bound transcription of the diary of General Superior Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly. She served as general superior after the death of Mother Theodore Guerin in 1856 until 1868, covering the turbulent…
Tribute to Sister Athanasius
Sister Athanasius Fogarty, directress of the Military Hospital in Indianapolis during the Civil War, was greatly respected as a sister-nurse. She served at the hospital from May 17, 1861, to August 1865. The necrology (obituary) in the Sisters of Providence…
The Crypt in the Church of the Immaculate Conception
One of the fascinating places in the Church of the Immaculate Conception is referred to as “the crypt”. This is the area below the church. More than twenty years ago it was used extensively by the sisters. It had its…
Treasures from Archives: Sister St. Francis Xavier’s slippers
One day while gathering some information for a blog on the death of Sister St. Francis Xavier Le Fer, I ran across some intriguing information about an artifact belonging to her. I found the information in the capacious first volume…
Treasures from Archives: Father Goossens
In one of my recent forays in the stacks of Archives, I stumbled upon a unique item. In an archival box marked chaplains I discovered a black leather wallet in the file of the late Father Emile J. Goossens. No,…
