Dickinson Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and
Biographical Album of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and
Marion Counties-Sisters of St. Joseph
Portrait and Biographical
Album of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion
Counties
Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1893
SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH. The congregation
of the Sisters of St. Joseph owes its
origin to Bishop Henry De Maupas, who,
at the suggestion of Rev. J. F. Medaille,
established it in the beautiful town of LePuy, in
Velay, France, in the year 1651. This congregation,
at once contemplative, charitable and educational,
was soon afterward placed under the
care of St. Joseph, and in honor of that illustrious
Saint it was called the Congregation of
St. Joseph. Under the auspices of this worthy divine,
it flourished, and like the grain of mustard-
seed spread and overshadowed with its
beneficent branches not only the diocese of Le-
Puy, but numerous others throughout the provinces
of France, where it had been established
through the zealous efforts of its venerable founders.
Such was the success of the chosen members
of this humble institution in the unpruned vineyard
of our Lord, that a more extensive field of
labor was soon opened to their zeal, for the Rt-
Rev. Joseph Rosatti, Bishop of St. Louis, Mo., in
1836, while on a visit to France to obtain co-laborers
in his missionary work, stopped at the
Mother House of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyons,
and earnestly entreated Mother St. John to send to
America a colony of her devoted daughters. She
willingly accepted the new field of labor then
opened to her spiritual children, and began immediately
the preparations necessary to assure its
success.
The little band of missionaries was quickly selected,
and Sister Febronia Fontbonne, niece of
Mother St. John, was appointed Superior by Rev.
Father Challeton, and was prepared to discharge the
duties of her office by the wise advice and instruction
of her Venerable Mother. Upon arriving in
America, they established their first house in Carondelet,
a small village five miles distant from St.
Louis. This house was made the novitiate of the
congregation in the year 1836, and from it houses
hare been established in nearly all the cities of
the United States. In the year 1887, under the
auspices of the Rt.-Rev. Bishop Fink, the order
was established in the flourishing city of Abilene,
by a small number of sisters from Erie, Pa. In
accomplishing their design, these noble women
had many obstacles to contend with, but their zeal
and devotion to the cause rose in proportion
to the obligations of their position, overcoming
all difficulties and surmounting all obstacles. .So
wonderful has been the progress of their work,
that at present, besides the academy, there are
four mission-houses and one parochial school under
their supervision.
The academy, a handsome four-story brick
structure, is conspicuously situated on a small
eminence in the center of a beautiful rolling prairie
two miles north of Abilene. As an institution
of learning it ranks among the best Catholic
schools in the State, and enjoys a reputation
which many of its older contemporaries would
feel proud to possess. In fact, from the ability of
its faculty, the enthusiasm of its students and
thoroughness of its work, the school is recognized
as one of the best of its kind in the West.
The school year is divided into two sections.
The first opens on the first Monday of September,
the second on the first Monday in February. The
academy at present comprises the following departments:
primary, intermediate, preparatory,
academic, art, musical, phonographic and typewriting.
With the exception of the two last named,
each consists of a three-year course in
the branches assigned to that division. In the
primary department the following branches are
taught: catechism, phonetic spelling, object lessons,
elements of geography, oral grammar and
physiology, and exercises in drawing and elocution,
reading and calisthenics are given.
In the intermediate department are taught catechism
of Bible history, orthography, reading, writing,
arithmetic, elementary grammar, penmanship,
composition work, drill in elocution, extracts
from authors, oral physiology, calisthenics.
In the preparatory department, which is designed
to meet the demands of many pupils who
desire a thorough knowledge of the fundamental
or common branches before taking up
the sciences, are taught Bible history, grammar,
high arithmetic, descriptive geography, United
States history, book-keeping, physical geography,
geology, rhetoric, constitution, algebra, Longfellow
and Tennyson, and the pupils are given exercises
in elocution, orthography, drawing, singing, penmanship
and calisthenics.
The academic department includes what is
known as a literary-scientific course, and which
embraces thorough instruction in catechism, ancient
history, mental philosophy, botany, chemistry,
geology, English literature, astronomy, ornamental
penmanship and perspective drawing. The musical
department now offers advantages equal to
many conservatories in the East. It is divided
into three courses, vocal, preparatory and graduating,
and these in turn are separated into grades
of five, four and three respectively.
The work in the fine art department also requires
three years, and embraces the following
branches: drawing (light and shade), theory of
color composition, landscape, marine, still life,
portrait and figure painting, pastel, crayon and
India ink. These are taught as in the academies
of Europe at a rate that defies competition. In
fact, the system of education taught here embraces
every useful and ornamental branch of art and
science suitable for young ladies. Beginning with
the rudiments of each branch, the pupil is taken
through the entire course of study, passing only through
a higher grade or department after having
undergone a satisfactory examination in her
respective classes.
(c) 2009 Sheryl McClure for
Dickinson County KS AHGP