Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America PDF
Preview Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America
Called to Serve This page intentionally left blank Called to Serve A History of Nuns in America Margaret M. McGuinness a NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress.org © 2013 by New York University All rights reserved References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McGuinness, Margaret M. Called to serve : a history of nuns in America / Margaret M. McGuinness. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8147-9556-9 (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8147-2472-9 (e-book) — ISBN 978- 0-8147-8926-1 (e-book) 1. Nuns—United States—History. 2. Monasticism and religious orders for women—United States—History. 3. Monastic and religious life of women—United States—History. 4. United States—Church history. I. Title. BX4220.U6M34 2013 271'.90073—dc23 2012038065 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Bill, Will, Sarah, and Erin, with love This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Organizing to Serve 15 Service to a Growing Catholic Community 41 Serving through Education 66 Serving the Sick 87 Serving Those in Need 111 Praying for the World 137 Redefining Sisterhood 154 Serving Today 180 Notes 201 Select Bibliography 235 Index 253 About the Author 266 vii This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments IT IS A PLEASURE to remember and thank all those who helped to make this book a reality. Administrators at La Salle University in Philadelphia, especially Brother President Michael McGinniss, FSC, Joseph R. Marbach, provost, and Dean Thomas Keagy have been consistently supportive of this project. In addition, I am thankful for a research leave that I received from the University’s Leaves and Grants Committee during the fall of 2010, which allowed me some uninterrupted time to think and write about women religious. The staff at La Salle University’s Connelly Library was unfailingly gracious and pleasant as they tracked down some rather ob- scure sources. I am particularly grateful to Stephen Breedlove for his ability to find every book and article I requested. Yvonne Macolly, administrative assistant in the Religion department, makes my life easier in many ways, and her presence on the second floor of McShain Hall has been a blessing. A number of people read chapters or portions of chapters and offered constructive comments while saving me from a number of embarrassing errors. Joseph Mannard, Anne Butler, Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Bar- bra Mann Wall, Carol K. Coburn, Eileen Flanagan, and Regina Siegfried, ASC, all fine commentators on the history of women religious in their own right, took time away from their work to critique, support, and encour- age. Ellen Pierce, James O’Toole, Regina Bechtle, SC, Patricia Byrne, CSJ, Anne Francis Campbell, OLM, Mada-anne Gell, VHM, Karen Kennelly, CSJ, Joseph Chinnici, OFM, and Cait Kokolous helped me to understand some of the subtleties involved in trying to portray American women reli- gious as accurately as possible. Judith Metz, SC, Mary Ellen Gleason, SC, Peter Schmid, Tom Felton, Anne Schwelm, M. Alan Wurth, ASC, and Pa- tricia Anne, OSC helped to find photographs that accurately represented women religious in the United States. A number of archivists, too numer- ous to name, worked with me to find a suitable photograph for the book’s cover. I am especially grateful to Janet Welsh, OP, who enlisted Dominican archivists far and wide to assist in my search for just the right picture. Any errors, of course, are mine alone. ix
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