The Demands of Rome: Her Own Story of Thirty-One Years as a Sister of Charity in the Order of the Sisters of Charity of Providence of the Roman Catholic ChurchSchoffen, Elizabeth
Religion
The Demands of Rome: Her Own Story of Thirty-One Years as a Sister of Charity in the Order of the Sisters of Charity of Providence of the Roman Catholic Church
Schoffen, Elizabeth
Ex-nuns -- United States -- Biography; Monastic and religious life of women
Sister Paul of the Sacred Heart presented her complaint to her local
superiors, but was utterly ignored. She next addressed herself to
Archbishop Paul Bruchasie of Montreal, who was her ecclesiastical
superior. Archbishop Bruchasie answered her, saying that it was none of
her affairs to be busying herself about these matters and that it would
be better for her if she would say her prayers, be an humble and
obedient religious. That looking after the affairs of the community was
her superior's business and that God would punish her for her
presumption and pride.
She then addressed herself to the Roman Apostolic Delegate at
Washington, D. C., the following being a copy of her statement in behalf
of the sisters of this country:
I, Sister Paul of the Sacred Heart, a member of the Order of the
Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor, most respectfully submit the
following articles to the proper Ecclesiastical Authorities--Subject of
Complaint, involving a right to demand justice by the members of the
Order who are not French or French Canadian. All members of the Order
who are not French or French Canadian are slaves. To prove the above
assertion, I will state facts as follows:
1. All the higher officers of the Order such as Superior General,
Councillors General, Provincial Superior and Councillors, have always,
with the exception of one German Provincial, been French Canadian
Sisters.
2. When rights have been called for, only one provincial councillor was
given in the province, which is manifestly of little practical utility,
she being one among five, four of which being Canadian.
At the last general chapter, one assistant general was elected, and this
only through the interposition of the Archbishop of Montreal. As she was
the one who had filled the office of provincial councillor in the
province of the Sacred Heart, her place in that council was left vacant,
and it was immediately filled by a Canadian sister.
3. The opening clause of No. 200 of our constitution, and all sense of
justice, are flagrantly and officially violated, not only in the ways
above mentioned, but we are not even permitted to have a sufficient
number of representatives in the general chapter, no, nor even one. And
thus superiors are thrust upon us without our consent--and laws of which
we had no voice in the making.
No. 200 of our constitution reads thus: "The spirit of nationality must
be banished as the most dangerous enemy of an institution created to
serve the church in all countries of the earth, without distinction of
people or language, etc."
4. When it was known by the Superior General and her council that
complaints had been made to Ecclesiastical Superiors, a member and
representative of the General Council was sent to the Western provinces,
and she used her utmost endeavors in our provincial house to make the
sisters afraid to address complaints to the ecclesiastical superiors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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