HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



527 



made the first sacrifice by leaving the home 

 of her childhood to enter the Convent of 

 Mercy, Pittsburg, to prepare herself for 

 the renunciation which comes with the 

 religious profession. 



In May, 1890, Bishop O'Connor died and 

 the new work was placed under the kindly 

 care of the Most Reverend Archbishop 

 Ryan of Philadelphia who generously, and 

 with unwearied patience and with wide em- 

 bracing charity, found room in his large 

 heart to interest himself and to take un- 

 der his direction this new work inaugurated 

 to minister to the needs of the Negro and 

 the Indian. Miss Drexel made her profes- 

 sion of religion, was given the name of 

 Mother Mary Katharine in 1891 and was 

 appointed by the Most Reverend Archbish- 

 op Superioress of the new community. 

 Some few young ladies eager to co-oper- 

 ate with her in the work of this undertak- 

 ing had meanwhile joined her and in 1891 

 there were some twenty or twenty-five 

 members. 



Cornwells, Bucks county, was the spot 

 selected for the erection of the new build- 

 ing which was to be the novitiate where 

 the future Sisters of the Blessed Sacra- 

 ment would prepare themselves for their 

 missionary labors. In July, 1891, the cor- 

 ner stone of this building was laid with 

 the inscription, very appropriate to the 

 ■work to which they were consecrated, 

 "And it shall be in the place where it 

 was said to them. Ye are not my people ; 

 there they shall be called the children of the 

 living God."— (Rom. Chap. IX.) In De- 

 cember, 1893, the building was ready for 

 occupancy, and the little community num- 

 bering not more than twenty-five, entered 

 the new home where they were to prepare 

 themselves for the great missionary work 

 of their order and where they were to 

 show forth in their lives — "That they who 

 love their fellow-men, are loving God the 

 holiest way they can ;" where they were to 

 learn with the poet that 



"It was theirs to cheer the hearts that 

 hopeless grieve 



To follow in the steps of want, its vic- 

 tims to relieve ;" 



where they were to prepare themselves 

 for the vast field of labor which awaited 

 them, for they were not to be confined by 

 any limitations of time or place, their rule 

 pointing out to them the following : "The}' 

 may employ any means most opportune to 

 secure living temples for the Divinity 

 amongst the Indian and Negro faces in 

 whatever country they rvre located ;" so 

 that wherever a Negro or Indian child is to 

 be found it will not be contrary to the rule 

 of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to 

 find some of their representatives there 

 also. 



The work of the Tnst-tnte embraces the 

 charge of schools, orphanages, nursing, 

 visitation of sick, and the instruction of 



adults in the principles of Christian doc- 

 trine. It may not be out of place to men- 

 tion here that their rule admirably points 

 out to them the following: "The Sisters 

 admitted to this Religious Congregation, 

 besides attending particularly to their own 

 perfection, which is the principal aim of 

 all religious orders, shall by an apostolate 

 of prayer and work, zealously endeavor to 

 procure living temples for the Divinity 

 amongst the Indian and Colored races, ac- 

 cording to the words of the great apostle : 

 "Know ye not that you are the temple of 

 God and that the spirit of God dwelleth 

 in you?'" — I Cor., Chap. Ill, Verse 13. 



If this truth- be but effectually realized 

 their morals are elevated, their minds are 

 raised to that higher plane, their hearts 

 are more in harmony with the Unseen 

 Power working within them in "Whom 

 they live and move and have their being." 

 Acts, Chap. XVII, 28 v. It is not wrong 

 to say that if this truth had reached the 

 power of conviction in the great multitude 

 of mankind, the annals of history would 

 record nothing but what was glorious in 

 all creatures. Education then, in both hu- 

 man and divine knowledge is necessary for 

 these people — education which will exer- 

 cise a formative influence — education, not 

 only of the body but of the soul — education 

 which teaches not only of the present, but 

 brings before them their eternal destiny — 

 education which teaches them the knowl- 

 edge of their duty towards God and the 

 consequent result of their first and primal 

 duty — their duty towards their neighbor in 

 order to fulfill the command of God. Much 

 then, depends upon the education of these 

 people, .many considered the outcast of so- 

 ciety, who born under the said heritage of 

 indifference, poverty, and misearble sur- 

 roundings need the help of superior mmds 

 to teach tme to face the problin which con- 

 front their races. Tennyson said : 



"Love took up the harp of life 

 And Smote on all the chords with might ; 

 Smote the chord of self 

 That trembl'ng passed in music out of 

 sight." 



So, in the work of the education of these 

 two races, the highest and holiest love has 

 inspired the hearts of over one hundred 

 young women who are at present engaged 

 in the work, or are preparing for it. The 

 love of God smote v-pm the chords with 

 might, smote the chords of self to trans- 

 form, divinize it and make that music "pas- 

 sing out of sight pass over into the souls 

 of those who know not the Divine Om- 

 nipotence, who know not that they are in 

 truth the temples of the Holy Ghost; chil- 

 dren not of wrath, but of truth, and that 

 the 'truth shall make them free.' " These 

 young women wish to make these poor 

 people catch a glimpse of that glory which 

 they do not always see. 



Attached to the convent by a cloistered 



