Category Archives: Pius XI

March 9, 2013 · 8:03 am

Canonization of St. Louise de Marillac: Account of March 9, 1934

(From “Chronicle of the American Sisters of the Eastern Province of the Canonization of St. Louise” [1934], used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives)

March 9 [1934]: Feast of St. Frances of Rome … At 9:00 we went to the American College to see Right Reverend Monsignor Breslin, who is Rector pro tem in the absence of Right Reverend Monsignor Burke, the President of the College … Leaving the College we drove out to the Church of St. Frances of Rome, situated on the Palative [sic] Hill. It is near the Forum and the Colisseum [sic]. As it was St. Frances’ feast day Low Mass was being said at two of the altars and elaborate preparations were in progress at the main altar for a Solemn Pontifical Mass to be sung by one of the Cardinals …

This afternoon Sister Visitatrix chose St. Ignatius’ church as our point of interest and the choice was, certainly, worthwhile … The entire ceiling of the middle aisle is covered with a detailed fresco depicting the missionary spirit of St. Ignatia. All the continents are symbolized and, of course, we looked twice at the group representing America. Wonderful old masterpieces in oil hang over the altars in the side chapels and precious marbles are seen on all sides.

The altar of St. Aloysius of Gonzaga is an unusual work of art. A bas-relief of heroic size, but of exquisite grace adorns the space above the altar and marks the place of the room in which he died. Under the table of the altar is an elaborately carved sarcophagus of lapis lazuli which enshrines the remains of the Patron of Youth. Directly opposite this altar is the altar dedicated to St. John Berchmans who, though he was a member of the Jesuit order for a little more than a year, lived a long life in a short while. His remains are enclosed in a similar sarcophagus and an heroic bas-relief tells the triumph of his sanctity. We obtained permission to view the rooms of those two young saints and through the four of us walked up a spiral staircase of at least two hundred steps we felt our efforts rewarded by the edification and the stimuli to sanctity that we received when we reached the goal. The bedrooms of these saints have been remodeled into chapels and are now gems of beauty …

The Western Sisters arrived tonight about 8:30. Our Most Honored Mother went to St. Martha’s.

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March 8, 2013 · 7:40 pm

Canonization of St. Louise de Marillac: Account of March 8, 1934

(From “Chronicle of the American Sisters of the Eastern Province of the Canonization of St. Louise” [1934], used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives)
March 8, [1934]: Our first visit of the day was to the ancient church of Sts Cosmas and Damien … After Mass we made a tour through the Church. It is very small, comparatively speaking but contains an untold number of relics of the martyrs and saints. The main altar resembles our large reliquary for almost everywhere the eye rests, it beholds a relic. The mosaic in the dome, drawn much closer to the sight [sic] because of the several reconstructions of Rome, is in a splendid state of preservation. As a border underneath the mosaic there are circular portraits of saints very unfamiliar to modern generations.

The Church of St. Praxedes was next on our list. It was an exceedingly interesting, devotional, and historical spot. After examining the various chapels, mosaic, paintings, etc., we followed our guide, a young monk, into the crypt, where we saw the sarcophagi containing the relics of St. Praxedes and her cousin, St. Prudentiana … [In] the far end of the church is a niche nearing a long slab of grey and white marble, once used as a bed by St. Praxedes. Above the slab is a beautiful painting showing her asleep on this penitential couch. In the relic room we venerated many relics, and in particular two spines from the Holy Crown of Thorns …

Our third stop of the morning was at the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. This is another of Rome’s earliest Churches, having been built by St. Helena, and its ancient walls enshrine relics of the highest type … Completing the Stations one comes to the sanctuary containing the relics. A young, white-robed monk exposed the relics for our veneration. An aspiration or two in Latin and by the electric lamp held by the monk we saw a large cross in the center of the alter. It contained four large sections of the true cross … [This] church is so rich in relics it would be useless to try to name them all …

This afternoon we went to the Church of St. Susanna … The patroness of the church is not the Susanna of the Old Testament, but Saint Susanna, a Roman maiden who was martyred in 290 A.D. on the site of the present church. Recent excavations have brought to light many evidences of the house of St. Susanna. In one of the side chapels there is an appealing picture of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence.

The visiting Sisters are arriving in large numbers, mainly from various parts of Italy … Our Western Sisters will arrive tomorrow night with our Most Honored Mother.

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March 8, 2013 · 7:38 pm

Canonization of St. Louise de Marillac, 1934: Introduction

On March 15, we celebrate the feast of Louise de Marillac. Louise’s canonization took place on March 11, 1934. We are fortunate to have in our collection detailed first-hand accounts from Sisters who traveled to Rome for St. Louise’s canonization. Over the coming days, we will feature passages from these accounts. Each day, from March 8 through March 15, we will highlight the account from the corresponding day in 1934.

In 1934 there were two American provinces of the Daughters of Charity: the Eastern, or Emmitsburg, Province, and the Western, or St. Louis Province. Both Provinces sent delegations to the canonization, but nearly all of the accounts in our collection come from the Emmitsburg Province. Sisters attending the canonization from the Emmitsburg Province were: Sister Paula Dunn, Sister Gertrude Eiseli, Sister Winifred Kerwin, and Sister Delphine Steele. Sisters attending from the St. Louis Province were Sister Mary Barbara Regan, Sister Gertrude Foley, and Sister Alphonsine Casey.

The Sisters from Emmitsburg sailed from the US on February 15, arriving in Naples on the 22nd. The following days were spent visiting churches and historic sites throughout Italy; they arrived in Rome on the 28th. We don’t know the precise itinerary for the St. Louis Sisters, though they were in Italy by the 9th of March.

The account will begin in the following post with March 8, 1934

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