UC-NRLF B ^ SOD 5M7 LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Cla&s Q , i (5) J. M. @ bIWERj[UBIIrEE JVlEMORMlr CONVENT OF QUR lADY or TH^^^GRED 4^1jART OAKLAND, GAL. 1868 "1893 or THE UNIVERSITY or 1893" )AN Francisco Printing Company 411 MARKET STREET — Xe( %\) 'kL^ Ai/ ■G^ m^jG)fy.<^Sf^ i^ v9^:^^2^; ip re face This little .Memorial euniniendfs itself to the pupils of the Con- vent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in their moments of pleasant retrospection. Pursuing the paths and by-paths of years, culling liere and there a flower of perfumed memory, it will lend a charm we trust, to their leisure hours, while it cannot fail tt) interest those wlio have seen their Alma Mater's young and vigorous life culminate in a grand Jubilee demonstration. No event of the ])ast is fraught with keener emotions or purer joys than a visit to the old homestead, dim as the dear old relic may appear in the twilight of receding years. So a ramble through our school days is attended with a corresponding degree of pleasure, blurred though our favorite pictures are, by the cares and anxieties of life, or by the shadows of time, which are lengthening and deep- ening. ])Ut lo ! a flash from memory's sun — and the Avhole scene is aglow — radiant with light, color and beauty. There are joys and sorrows, struggles and defeats, high aims and lofty endeavors — here, a wise counsel, which like a golden thread, has woven itself into our years. Xow, a hallowed life, which has set its seal upon our own, again, an influence, whose power for good is aliiding. Friends outside the school circle, of whose names we are justly proud, have come into this memory banquet, and graced the board by their genial sympathy, their beauty of si)eech, and melody of song. We value the contribution, both for its intrinsic worth and for the gracious kindness which suggested it. We leave you, therefore, dear pupils, in communion with this messenger of pleasant souvenirs, trusting to the generosity we have so well known in the i)ast, that you will take it to your hearts in kindly approval, and still more kindly welcome. CoiU'ciit of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, ()ak/aiid, Cal. J-'east of I fir Holy Xaiiie o/'fes/ts, /Sc^j. Ji^trodactiop On October 6, 1811 at St. Antoine on the river ('humbly in Can- ada, a little girl was born to Sir Oliver Durocher. She was baptized the same day and called Eulalia. God had destined this child to be a vessel of election to carry His name and His holy truth to many. From early childhood she heard in the depths of her soul, the whis- perings of the Holy Spirit urging her to consecrate herself to God's service. Faithful to grace and ever anxious to obey these promptings to higher things, she made repeated efforts to enter several different religious Sisterhoods ; but insuperable obstacles always arose to bar her entrance. These disappointments did not dishearten her, nor cool her ardent yearning for self immolation to God's glory. They served rather to increase that lofty aspiration to detach her heart from everything earthly and to purify its affections. God's ways are always wise, though not always obvious to ordi- nary souls : but Eulalia Durocher was not an ordinary soul. All indeed seemed dark, yet like all great minds inspired by God to do great things for Him, she trusted and waited. She believed that the Holy Spirit who filled her heart with such noble desires would in His own time and own way show her how to accomplish them. Having chosen for confessor the Rev. Father Telmont, an Oblate Father of Mary Immaculate, she opened her soul to him ; and under his enlightened direction, she at last learned God's designs toward her. She would indeed consecrate herself to God's service, but, it would be in a Congregation of which she would be the foundress. The Oblate Fathers at Longueuil, were men full of zeal for souls and for the welfare of Holy Church. They gave Missions at this 11 12 SILVEli J TBI LEE MEMOUIAL time throughout Canada ; aiul in their extensive journeys they saw with much pain, the need of a superior teaching body for girls and young women. Many of the poor were very ignorant ; and the ed- ucation given even to the richer chisses was totally insufficient for the rising generation, living among a people either hostile to the Church or totally indifferent to the teachings of religion. These zealous men sought a remedy for this great evil by introducing from France, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Negotiations to this end were opened with the Mother Superior in France ; but they came to nothing. Father Telmont who had wished to send his i)enitent to that congregation, now felt inspired to organize herself and companions, Melodie Dufresne and Henriette Cere, into a religious Community. He did so, and sent them to Longueuil, where Father Honorat was Superior of the Oblates ; and Father Honorat himself became the first Superior, and Father Allard, first Chai)lain and Novice ^Master and teacher of the young Community. Earnestly and faithfully Father Allard trained them to solid virtue and true perfection ; till having been transferred to Ottawa, and later consecrated Bishop, he was sent to Natal, in South Africa. He labored there till old age forced him to seek a rest. Providence called him to Rome, where he greatly aided his early penitents and novices whom he found seeking the approval of the Holy See for those very constitutions and rules in which he had so long instructed them. It was due to him that they were approved so soon. It w^as on Nov. 1, 1843 that Eulalia Durocher, Melodie Dufresne and Henriette Cere were formed into a religious Community by the ])ermission and with the blessing of the Bishop of Montreal. After a year's instruction and probation, they pronounced their first vows, December 8, 1844 ; and in 1846, August loth, they took per- petual vows. Eulalia Durocher became Sister Mary Rose; and when elected Superior, she was called Mother Mary Rose, the title by which we shall henceforth know her. Her companions were named respectively, Sister M. Agnes, and Sister M. Madeleine. iSTllOUUi'TlOS 13 The new Congregation had a lowly beginning, like all great bodies that have done much for the honor of God. Its first years were passed amid trials, difficulties and great tribulations. These were years of poverty, of suffering and of heroic endurance in the face of strong opi)osition, sometimes even from those consecrated to the same cause. The Mother House at Longueuil was very small, one room serving for dormitory, study-hall, work-room and a place of recrea- tion; another was used now as refector}'' and again as parlor. The chapel was 11 x 12 feet ; and its sole ornaments were a crucifix and a statue of the Blessed Virgin. In this house the Sisters kept, l)esides the infant community, seventeen boarders ; and so low were their finances, that in order to give the children enough to eat, th^ Sisters would deny themselves not only every luxury, but often the most ordinary food, their meals being oiiew ox\\y potaloex ami These privations were a source of real joy to the three brave Avomen. A\'as not this the cross stamping their work ? And must not the Cross mark all of God's great works ? They were children of faith ; and they saw^ in these effects of poverty a sign of His love who chose to be born in a manger. Mother Rose knowing how God's children are purified and sanctified Vj}- sufferings, rejoiced in the depths of her great heart ; and throughout all these tribu- lations, she remained calm and happy. She looked beyond the breakers into the great future, and in strong hopeful words of l)rophecy spoke of the final success, spread and triumph of her children. Not the least of the early trials of the Sisters was the death of Mother Rose, five years after her vows ; yet in that short time she had so imparted her spirit to her saintly companions and daughters that the Congregation scarcely felt her loss. She continued to live in Mother Agnes, Mother Madeleine, Mother Veronica and Mother Teresa. They had her strong faith and burning zeal for God's glory and the good of Holy Church. Very humble and mortified, totally forgetful of self, inflamed witli ardent love of Jesus, whom they 14 siLvi.ii .iniiu:]-: mi:m(>i:ial received almost daily in holy Communion, these noble souls carried on the Avork of their Mother. No sacrifice was too great, no labor too difficult when there was question of God's glory, and the salvation of souls. Nothing disheartened, nothing appalled them in their efforts to give a Christian education to those for whom Christ had died. Their hearts like that of Mother Rose went out to the little children of the land. A threefold blessing fell upon this rising Congregation. The first Avas its early poverty and consequent sufferings ; the second, the union of mind and heart between the Foundress and her first com- panions who continued her work in the same spirit of faith and by the same lofty means ; the third, in the enlightened and zealous Spiritual Fathers whom God sent them ; viz : the saintly Bishop Allard, its first Novice Master and life-long friend ; Rt. Rev. Dr. Guigues, Bishop of Ottawa, whose devoted friendship and assistance it long enjoyed; and finally the venerable Archbishop Bourget, who during forty-two years was its father and constant protector. From the day he blessed the beginning of the Congregation in 1843 till his death in 1885, this great and wise prelate watched over all its affairs, gave it advice, assistance, counsel and protection. He Avas, in fact, a second founder. The constitutions and rules received from the Sisters of tlie Holy Names in France AA^ere modified under his supervision so as to meet the wants and fit the circumstances of a new people and a new world ; and out of respect to those Sisters the same beautiful name was retained for this young American Congregation. These constitutions as adopted by Mother Rose's Sisters are a masterpiece of religious legislation, and they display great spirit- ual foresight and an intimate knowledge of the Avants of the people as well as the dangers to be met in supplying those wants. The end proposed to one entering the Congregation is the loftiest possible — God's greater glory and the salvation of souls ; and the means by which this divine end must be ever and untir- • IXTRODUCTfOX 15 ingly sought, are at once most practical and truly wise, securing first the spiritual advancement and perfection of the religious, and yet urging her onward in procuring the salvation of others. They provide for the formation of thorough Christian teachers — heroic women whose time, strength, talents, zeal are all constantly directed to the one grand object. Hence the greatest discretion and prudence is demanded in admitting postulants to the Congregation ; and when admitted, very great care in training them to be ideal teachers, religious, learned, apt. zealous — imbued not only with the true science of the saints, this is a sine qua non ([ualification, but also thoroughly instructed in all branches of learning. If any have tastes and talents for special branches of science or art, they are assisted and urged to cultivate them. A mistress of studies chosen for her talents, learning and experience instructs the young teachers, and supervises their studies and reading ; and tlie rule imposes two hours of daily xtudy upon all. This constant attention to the education of tlie novices and their formation into intelligent and practical religious teachers, re- veals the secret of that marvellous success which has followed the labors of these ladies all over the country. The first teachers in the Congregation were of very superior order and highly cultured in the sciences ; and there have always been among them many gifted souls, eminent not only for virtue but also for their great knowledge and marked success in imparting their learning to cliildren. iMother Rose wished her daughters to strive to excel in all that goes to make a true teacher ; but they must be eminent for their knowledge of the Christian Doctrine and possess tact and skill in imparting it toothers. In her visitations she was wont to impress this upon the minds of all ; and the children would say, " All she tells us is : 'Love God and learn your catechism.'" The Sisters of the Holy Xames must be notonly learned, ])ains- taking teachers, their rules require them to be Apostles ; they must i(i siLViii: .irBiLKE mi:m<)Iual form their pupils into Christian women, into women of enlight- ened faith, of high princi])le, of angelic purity and true Christian charity : they will in the words of the rule, (chapter I, Art. II,) '^inspire children with hatird of vice, desire of virtve and xoith ihe fear and lore of God ; " and lest the good seed sown so lovingly be de- stroyed or bring forth no fruit, the teachers must as far as possible watch with renewed care their pupils after they have left the school and gone forth amid the snares and dangers of the world. Their rule bids them welcome these young souls seeking counsel or sympathy, and when possible to unite them into sodalities, to procure for them good reading and all healthful help and association that may assist to bring to perfection the seed sown in the class-room. They must in the words of the rule, " Assiduously foster the (/roirth of virtue in the souls of their pupils more particularly of those who having left school are engaged in active life." (Chap. II, Sec. 3.) Though the primary object of the Congregation was the Chris- tian education of the children of the poor and middle classes, as is expressly stated in the constitutions; yet from the beginning, the Sisters have directed schools and academies for the higher studies suitable to young ladies, and in these Academies have been given courses in Belles-lettres, the sciences, music, etc., and those accom- plishments usual to a finished female education. In 1863 the saintly Pius IX praised the labors of the Sisters of the Holy Names ; on Sept. 4, 1877, the Congregation was formally approved by the Holy See, and the constitutions, rules, etc., were approved by a Brief of Pope Leo XIII, dated Dec. 22, 1886. Space does not permit us to dwell longer upon these admirable constitutions, nor to speak of the wise form of government they em- body. In reading them and above all in witnessing their applica- tion to the exigencies of the time, one discovers the over shadowing influence of those two master-minds, the gentle Bishop of Geneva, St. Francis de Sales, and the soldier of Loj'ola, St. Ignatius. The early growth of the Congregation was slow and steady, yet M^:^^ MOTHKR MARY ROSE, FOUNDRESS BIRTHPLACE oH MOTHER ROSE, SAINT ANTOINE KOINDATION HOUSE, LONGUEUII., 1'. ij. IXTRODrCTIOX 17 with an energy indicative of iti^ American origin, it pushed at once into the front rank. Beside teaching bodies venerable by their long and successful lal^ors in educating the young, and in its sul)sequent labors throughout the Dominion of Canada and the United States, it has held its place with honor. This is due, after God's blessing upon their work, to the enlightened labors and wise administration of many gifted women whom God called to serve His cause of Christian education in the humble serge of a Sister of the Holy Names. The Mother House and Novitiate at Longueuil were transferred in 1860 to Hochelaga, now a part of the city of Montreal. This is the residence of the Mother General and her assistants, and the chief Convent of this " Pious Congregation " to use the words of the Papal brief of 1886. Since Pius IX blessed their work in 186:'), the increase and spread of the Congregation have been very rapid ; and now it has Convents and Schools thoughout Canada and in many parts of the United States. In Canada it has seventy-four Houses and directs thirty- two parochial schools, whilst in the United States there are seven- teen Houses and twenty-eight parochial schools. The pupils attending their Academies and schools number no less than fifteen thousand, and there are nearly three hundred sodalities under their care and direction. However useful and pleasant it would be to follow the spread of the Congregation and to tell of its great work and triumjihs in the cause of education, the limits assigned me warn me to confine my few words to their labors in our own State ; and from what we shall see accomplished here, we may form a fair judgment of their work in other spots favored by their presence. Twenty-five years ago, on ^Slay 10, six Sisters of the Holy Names arrived in Oakland and took possession of a neat Convent building on Webster Street, and a few days later, they liegan teaching the IS sjLVKj; .7 r/;/ A /•;/•; mkmoihal classes in the parochial school at St. Mary's Church. Only one of that pioneer band remains in Oakland, viz. : Sister M. Celestine who now presides over the school in St. Frances de Sales' parish. On May 31, the first pupil entered the boarding-school on "Web- ster Street ; and this little school of the Convent of our Lady of the Sacred Heart has grown to be one of the finest female educational institutions west of the Rocky Mountains. Besides the great Acad- emy for young ladies, there is a large Novitiate and Convent, and each morning bands of teachers go forth to take charge of three large and flourishing parochial schools. From this Community have been founded the Convent of the Holy Names in St. Joseph's parish, 10th Street, San Francisco, the Academy at Ramona in the South, and that at Spokane Falls in Washington. The six Sisters have increased to be one hundred and five ; and in the interval seventeen have fallen at their posts. Nigh seventeen hundred children are daily under their instruction, whilst all over the State are vast numbers of exemplary Christian maidens and mothers formed by their teaching. With much reason may the citizens of Oakland pride them- selves on the stately Convent by the shore of Lake Merritt — a thing of beauty to the eyes of men, and a place of benediction in the sight of God. Twenty-five years ago this site was in the country, on one side was wild, brush-covered land that formed a cover for rabbit and quail ; on the other the hunter was lured along a silent shore by flocks of duck and snipe, mud hens and rail. When in 1865 Rev. Michael King, Assistant Pastor at St. Rat- rick's in San Francisco, was appointed Pastor of Oakland, the whole population of the city did not exceed three thousand souls ; but the young Pastor with true foresight, divined the great future of the City of Oaks, and with characteristic prudence he at once began to prepare for that future. He wished to have the mothers of his par- ish, educated Christian women, wisely reflecting that if he could accomplish that, his work as pastor would redound to the glory of IXTh'ODCCTIOX 19 God and to the gpreud of tlie Church. Happy tliat Lmd whose mothers are truly Christian. Whilst Assistant Pastor of 8t. Patrick's in San Francisco, Father King met Mother Teresa, Mother General of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. She was on her way to visit her Sisters in Oregon and had with her a number of Sisters going thither to teach. At the request of the late saintly Archbishop Alemany, he made arrangements with the Mother General for the foundation of a Convent of the Holy Names in San Francisco. The Mother General promised to send Sisters ; and they were appointed and pre- l)ared to come, but financial difficulties prevented His Grace from securing the ground for a Convent as he had wished, and hence their coming was postponed until a suitable place and buildings should be i^rocured. Father King, full of plans for his parish now bethought him of these Sisters awaiting the call of the Archbishop ; and he be- sought His Grace to waive his claim to them for San Francisco, and to allow them to go to Oakland. He pleaded so well that his petition was granted. The zealous Pastor at once took means to se- cure a lot suitable for a Convent and school buildings. This was not an easy task when money was wanting, and few shared his own ardent aspirations. Father King had what was better than gold, a stout heart and a strong will with a great confidence in God, and trust in his own fiock. Not a few perhaps thought him over sanguine. Why should such a small parish undertake such an extraordinary and expensive work ? Was not the Pastor asking too much ? "Would not a more modest school do for many years to come ? His Grace full of prudence wished him to buy a plot near the church ; but neither pecuniary difficulties, nor the prudent sugges- tions of the Archbishop, nor the thousand other obstacles that arose could check the ardor or change the broad views of Father King. He ever looked into the Ln-eat future of Oakland : and he would 20 ,s iLviii; .11 11 1/, /■; /•; m /■: mo rial build for that future. Ifis choice of a site for the Convent was truly hap])y ; and it would be difficult to have made a l)etter one. The land having been secured, the Convent building must be erected. It was here that Father King revealed his true character and proved that he knew the hearts of his peoi)le. Having procured picks, shovels and a wheel-barrow, and having secured the co-operation of one of his parishioners, Father King with his friend repaired to the land purchased. They took off their coats and having traced the ground plan for a building 30 x 40, be- gan to dig the foundations of the first Convent of the Sisters of the Holy Names in California. The writer thinks a picture telling the story of this first day's work should adorn the Convent walls. When the Catholics saw their Pastor pick in hand digging away like a common workman, their hearts were stirred and their better nature moved. Father King's Convent was not long building.. His flock, charmed and completely won by his self devotion, soon put into his hands four thousand five hundred dollars ; and l)y i\Iay 1868 he had the building ready to receive Sister M. Salome and lier five companions, the pioneer colony. Every year since has witnessed the increase of that little colony, and widened the circle of their work. Pupils have come in numbers to enjoy the great advantages of their teach- ing ; and God has sent into their ranks many zealous, talented women, eager to serve God and ins.truct God's little ones under the banner of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. This increase in number enabled them to open other Convents and schools. Hence in August, 1871, as Father King in 1865 fore- told Archbishop Alemany, a colony went from Oakland to take possession of the Convent in St. Joseph's parish on 10th Street, San Francisco. Nine years later St. I.awrence parochial school, Temescal , fell under their care ; and on October ."), 1886, Sisters of tlie Holy Names were seen teaching in St. Pvose's jiarochial school, San Fran- cisco. On .Inly 15, 1887, we find them in charge of the parochial /.\Ti:()/)(<'T[<)X 21 school of St. Francis de Sales parish, Oakland. But the most im- portant foundation was tliat of a Convent at Kamona, Los Angeles County. The buildings were erected in 1889, and the Academy- opened to pupils in 1890. Besides this wonderful expansion we must not forget the little colony sent all the way to Spokane Falls, Washington, from Oakland. The little building erected by the zeal of Father King was soon so overcrowded that in 1873 a more commodious structure was built. This also proving inadequate for increasing wants, was so enlarged and repaired in 1885, as to make it one of the best ap- pointed and most elegant Academies west of the Rocky Mountains. In this same j^ear also was completed a large and beautiful Chapel. The increase in the number of members has been so gratifying that in 1892 a large Novitiate building was added to the Convent buildings. AVe must also notice the purchase of a farm near Hay- wards, upon which is a pretty incipient villa, called Our Lady's Nook, a country retreat for the convalescent and the much worked and weary teachers. Hither they go on vacation days to find rest, and new vigor for the long hours in class-rooms. The first Superior, Sr. M. Salome now in Key West, Florida, was succeeded in a few months by Mother M. J. Baptist who governed the Convent of our Lady of the Sacred Heart during nine- teen years, with great ability and wonderful success. Mother Bap- tist was a remarkable woman of superior talents and great powers of administration. Full of the true spirit of her Pious Institute, zealous for God's glory and keenly alive to the importance of a true Catholic education, she threw her whole soul into the work given her Congregation. After God's blessing the great success of the Sisters of the Holy Names in California is due to the energy, good sense and tireless zeal of ^Mother M. J. Baptist. The happy results of her government in California pointed her out as a fit person to govern the whole Congregation ; and in 1886 she was elected Mother General. 22 SIlA'Kn JUlilLKE MEMDUIAL She was followed in the Superiorship of the Convent of our Lady of the Sacred Heart by Mother Michael of the Saints, until the appointment of the present Superior, Mother Elizabeth on June 22, 1888. This excellent lady continued the great work begun by Mother Baptist, in the same spirit and with the same happy results. To her motherly solicitude, her hard working teachers are indebted for Our Lady's Nook. Possessed of fine administrative ability, thorough knowledge of the wants of the country, and a great good heart, she is at once a wise Superior and a tender Mother. With such Superiors who have been seconded by most devoted self-sacrificing Assistants and by teachers of great excellence, and by religious of rare virtue, the progress of the Congregation is no longer a marvel. The Novitiate is most flourishing and is a true nursery of saintly religious and earnest, enlightened teachers — teachers who have before them a great field. The grand work done during the dead twenty-five full years is a pledge of yet greater work to be done. This Congregation has a great future before it in California ; the good done by the Convent on Lake Merritt and its zealous band of teachers will increase a hundred fold. It takes no prophet to say that Ramona yet strug- gling in the South will rival its mother in good deeds, and in turn become mother of many Houses and Schools. At its silver jubilee, the chronicler will record greater things than we have done. Our introduction grows beyond its limits, yet one word more to point out a charming trait of these Sisters, a legacy from their gentle Mother Rose. She would have her daughters thorough teachers and zealous Apostles ; but before all they must be devoted friends and loving mothers to their pupils. Judging from the his- tory of the Congregation, it seems to be a grace of their vocation to be such, and to win and hold the hearts of those who study any length of time under them. This unselfish devotedness of these Sisters begets in their grate- ful children an attachment which is undying and which has a char- IN rii D UC TIOX 23 ncteristic sincerity and strengtli that is as beautiful as it is rare. 'J'lie Avriter has been so charmed by this devotedness in wliich there is no softness, and so struck by this unusual attachment that he deem? it worthy of special mention, revealing as it does the work of the true Christian teacher. AV^e must close — The Congregation of the Ploly Names of Jesus and ^[ary has deserved well of society and of God's Church in Cal- ifornia. During a quarter of a century it has labored earnestly in sanctifying and lifting up thousands of children who have received from its devoted teachers a Christian education; and to-day they are training in California alone, seventeen hundred girls to Christian virtue, and instructing them in all branches of learning. Happy, thrice happy that country which is blessed by such teachers 1 for they who form the ^[others of a nation, shape the des- tiny of that nation. W. E. K., S. .]., Santa C/ara, Cal. As WE advance in life we look onward less and upward more. We say we are less joyous but we are more peaceful. AVhen every outward object has failed us we turn to whatever temple we have erected within, and if the outside structure has not entirely hidden all, thei-e will be bright star-flashes and glorious sunshine struggling down to us. — Kate Knniry. (^ot •^ c)lwwlvv() XiliL ^)t \ X <::?^ -^^ ^ ^-^fiyi/t^' ,..^y^,^^■^:f^^^ ^aO- ^A^it^^-^C^ ,€^y' -^^«!^^«'^^ .fU?-/ of ^^^)^> ii)e (Woven for the Silver Jubilee of the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Oakland, California, and offered with fondest con- gratulations to the Sisters of the Holy Names, founders and faithful guardians of that Sacred Home of Religion and Science.) Thus, from out the Sunset Land Love's celestial message came ! " Consecrated vestal band ! '• Bearers of My Saving Name, — " Twined with hers, to whose blest care " Once her God His Childhood gave, — " Rise I and seek My Vineyard fair Waiting by the Western wave ! " Heeding well that summons sweet On the Master's quest to roam, Left His handmaids lov'd retreat In their far Canadian home. And, where Western hills are crowned With a fadeless purple glow Fitting spot for toil they found, Five and twenty years ago ! By the quiet lake that hid Near a City's throbbing heart. Shrined in calmness, well-nigh 'mid Tumult of that busy mart, 26 SlLVKi: .1 rill LEE mkmoihal Builded they their simi)le home, And, Heav'nward, in the sunny glow, Reared the cross that crowned its dome- Five and twenty years ago I In the Master's service there Have they labored long and well ? Let the ripened harvest fair, Let the laden vineyard tell ! Yes ! by countless treasures won, Favored hearts full gladly show Fadeless fruit of toil begun Five and twenty years ago ! In the worldly desert air Blooming with celestial grace. Or in cloister-gardens fair Finding safest, fittest place — Winners of unfading fame, Grateful meed they well may owe To the guides that hither came, — Five and twenty years ago 1 Guardian of that glorious band ! With thy vowed ones, now, to thee, Daughters of that Golden Land, Dwellers by the Sunset Sea First and fondest tribute pay For the love that bade thee go, — Leading o'er that unknown way, — Five and twenty years ago ! Sower of the earliest seed In this Paradise-parterre I .1 WltKATH OF iniYMK 27 Gather, now, thy labor's meed — Of its bloom and fruitage rare Take thy guerdon, grandly won, — Grateful hearts, where ripened, glow Harvests rich, thy toil begun Five and twenty years ago ! Fitting head of Order blest I * When a (jolden gala-day Shall replace, within the M'est Faded gleam of silrer ray, May'st thou greet its festal sheen, Saying, " Hail ! ]Memento-glow '' Of that blest foundation-scene " Of jifiy glorious years ago ! " Xow, a fadeless wreath of fame ' Bring we, on his brow to place f Who doth wear his royal name, With such meek and Christ-like grace, And, who, at his Lord's behest Called ye, sacred band ! to sow Heavenly seed within the West Five and twenty years ago ! Faithful shepherd I Pastor true ! Serving e'en His "least ones "' needs ! Dauntless hand to dare, and (Jo For the Master, hero-deeds ! ■^' Rev. Mother Baptist, for seventeen years Superior of the Convent, and now INIother-General of the Order. tRev. M. King, Pastor of the Church of the Imniaouhite Conception, Oakland. 28 t^ILVER JVBILEE MEMOUIAL ']Slid his labors grandly wrought, This is crowned with brightest glow: He these vestal toilers brought, Five and twenty years ago ! And he planned their earliest home — Finding rest for Faith Divine, With fair Science, 'neath its dome — And, unto its -simple shrine At his summons, came his Lord Living Manna to bestow, — Love-sent laborers' rich reward, — Five and twenty years ago ! Now, a noble structure stands By the ))right lake's peaceful breast- But his Heavenward-lifted hands. And his Ministrations blest Guides and guided still may claim, Still his care paternal know, E'en as those who hither came Five and twenty years ago! So, a festal garland fair His by sacred right should be — He hath won a worthy share In this Silver jubilee — And its star-like rays serene O'er him shed memento-glow Of that blest foundation-scene Of five and twenty years ago I Fadeless picture I Still complete ! All the band tJien gathered here A WREATH OF lUIYME 2<> Twined in deathless union sweet, Brightly visioned, yet appear — E'en the loved ones, gone before To the bliss ye all shall know, Join the sacred scene once more Of five and twenty years ago. Aye ! enshrined in silv'ry light, Gazing from their home above Sainted faces, pure and bright, Lavish smiles of fadeless love On their Convent home adown, While each saith, in murmurs low, " Sisters! toiling for the crown " By love promised, long ago, "Patience! for a little space! Yours our rich reward shall be — Passing feasts shall yield their place To immortal Jubilee. Then, 'mid gleam of matchless rays Ye shall say : 'How faint the glow Of our earthly festal days. Faded, endless years ago! ' " Harriet M. Skidmore (Marie) May, 1893. 'Tis THE capacity for sorrow that measures the refinement and delicacy of the character. — A'. A'. Bv/Qoty-FiVe ,y®ai^^ Listen to the silvery chime of the Jubilee Bells! borne along the balmy air of May, to the violet -hued mountains of the Coast-Range. The great finger of the Dial of Time points to a quarter of a Century since the Convent of our Lady of the Baered Heart, Oakland, first saw its Portals open and its joyous Pupils flock under its protecting spire. As the rippling laugh of the scholars, old and new, re-echoes far and wide in the flower-decked rooms and in the perfumed grounds ; let us reverently lift the misty veil of time and cast a look at the dear Pioneers of the beloved Sisterhood. What a fair vision meets our view. Jt is the holy hour of Vespers in the Cathedral of the City of Mary, far-famed Montreal. The Bisho}) sits on his throne in the Sanctuary, surrounded by a halo of Priests and Acolytes, l^oud peals the great Organ, and solemnly the deep-toned voices of the Choir chant the thrilling prayers of the King Prophet. The last sounds have died away along the arched vault. Innumerable tapers illumine the grand Altar ; the incense clouds the air; the Bishop kneels in his Benediction Cope. But why, ])efore ascending the steps, does he look up? We follow his gaze and behold, away off, above the Altar, six black-robed Nuns kneeling at the feet of the (iueen of Heaven, in a small Oratory opening into the Church. With solemn prayer the Lord's Minister places them under the care TWKXTY-FIVE VI:AI!S AdD 31 i»f the Virgin, '" Star of the Sea,"' for tliey are going to unfurl the banner of the Holy Names of Je.sus and Mary in the far-away land of the Pacific Slope, and man}' a weary day they shall journey over the Oceans before they reach the Golden Gate of California. This is the eve of their departure, soon shall we see them on their way at the bidding of obedience. Gray dawns the early April day, but in the dim light we can see our dear young pioneers kneeling in the Chapel of their sweet Convent-Home, Hochelaga. Two Missionaries, l>()und for distant parts, are pronouncing their final vows ; one, is now an inhabitant of beautiful, pine-clad Oregon, and the other, the leader of the little band, is dwelling in the shadow of the Palm- trees of the coral isle. Key -West. Not many hours has the day grown older, when on this loth of April, 1868, the tread of many feet is heard in the hitherto silent corridor : 'Tis the numerous ranks of the Sisterhood, who have been warned by the sound of the bell, to come and bid Adieu to the six travellers taking their dei)ar- ture for the far West. It is the loth. The rain is flooding the streets, imparting a dismal look to everything around, but these brave pioneers wend their way to the dark, looming ship that is to bear them over the waters of the Atlantic. The deck of the Ocean Queen is damp and slip- pery, and the weeping skies have turned the azure hue of the Bay into inky blackness. But, lo! the dark clouds roll away, and the sun, darting his million shafts of light around, illuminates the scene. The whistle shrieks, the sails are hoisted, a thrill of life runs through the huge frame, the vessel has left its moorings and is turn- ing her prow seaward. Handkerchiefs are waving sad Adieus. Our Pioneers have commenced their westward journey, they are straining their eyes to catch a last glimpse of the dear Mothers and Sisters who watch the receding ship. I^et us follow them in spirit over the wdde expanse and eagerly listen ! '' The hours and days have come and passed like the foam of the crested wave. We are now at the 2.")th of changeable April. It is 32 N / /. I 'i: li .1 nil I. !■: /■: .1/ /■: .1/ 01:1 m. early moi-n and we sit on deck, looking at a fai'-away sail skirting the horizon. It would seem like a phantom ship, were it not con- verted by the brilliant day-light into a radiant object. What a sight meets our view as we turn our gaze westward : a long sandy shore, gleaming in the distance, tall trees balancing their rich, green foliage against the dazzling skies. The majestic Ocean Qneen advan- ces leisurel}" on the mirrored bosom of the great Atlantic and now, we see a small town nestling among orange -groves, and graceful c;ocoa- nut trees waving in the warm sunshine their plume-like branches. We are in the tropics. Aspinwall next greets us, the whole of the dark population turns out to see the anchoring of the crowded ship. To our northern eyes, their costume is all too scanty, but when we will have felt the overpowering heat a few hours, Ave will wonder at it no longer. We land with umbrellas over our heads, not that it is drizzling but the hot sun permeating everj^thing, gives us too ardent a welcome. Now we are seated in the kindly shade of a veranda whence we can see the dusky people of the Isthmus doing their marketing.- Look at the exuberant piles of the Golden-apple of the South, the luscious bananas hanging in serried ranks on the long stem, the delicious pine-apple with its crown of glory. The merry urchins run about, wearing head -gear made of the fibres of the cocoanut-tree, with green parrots perched on their shoulders, trying to sell them to the passengers going to California. Some of the for- eigners buy the prattlers to make a new addition to the crew. There is a goodly noise of screaming, talking, parrot and monke}' chatter- ing, and guitar-twanging. At last we hear above all that hubbub, the sharp whistle of the locomotive. In haste we board the train and are carried across the isthmus at thundering speed, whirling past dark, luxuriant forests, with immense palm-trees waving lan- guidly in the sultry air their huge l)ranches of leaves, interlaced with long trailing vines, covered with large scarlet blossoms. We rush over the Chagres river, a beautiful little stream of limpid water coming down from these deep tropical shadows, to sparkle in REV. MICHAEL KIXC. Kkctor Church of the Immacui-ate Concei-tiox, Oaki.ano, Cal. rwKxrr-FivE years Aao 33 the clear day-light. On its banks there is a small village whose houses look quite airy, being built on long stakes that makes the whole under part a kind of veranda, where the sleepy inhabitants may rest at leisure. Some of them look up now and seem sur- prised at the great amount of useless activity we display. From the terminus on the shores of the Pacific, we are conveyed in small boats to the Golden Age. Our frail barks dance on the waters and tumble down the foamy waves like mere shells ; it is rather uncomfortable, but we soon reach our steamer and are taken aboard. In the distance the quaint old city of Panama is lost in the glory of the dying day. The Golden Age has managed to secure 1300 inmates for the trip to the Western Emporium. April is waning and we are still on the billowy home of the mariner. Our patiently plodding steamer is taking a short rest. AVe are on the Mexican Coast, right in front of Acapulco, and can hear the chime of silvery-toned Spanish bells. It is the hour of prayer in the old Church on that high white bluff running down to the sea. We seem to be locked in, as all around are mountains at whose base we see plantations of strange looking trees ; their tall naked trunks would be ugly were it not for their glorious tufted heads. The town is small but possesses an old fort, which frowns on us, as if to ask our errand in this " terra caliente " of old Mexico. The smiling month of May has dawned for us on the great Ocean. The Pacific has borne its name well for us ; its waters rip- ple like that of a beautiful lake in a secluded dell. It is already the sixth, in the evening, and we are silently watching the sunset gates swinging on their golden hinges. Violet, pink, and soft sea-green tints spread over the heavens, while gorgeous clouds of trailing light fling the loveliest hues over the tranquil waters. Our ship is fol- lowed by the diaphanous colors and its huge blackness disappears in roseate beauty. By and by Twilight closes her eyes and the Queen of Night steps forth. Lo ! it illumines the mountains of a distant shore. All breathless we look, and behold for the first time the dim outlines of our Promised Land, fair California. 34 SlLVi:n .iriULKE MEMOIUAL It is May the tenth, we have, at last, reached tlie haiUor of the great Metropolis that stands within the portals of the (lolden Gate. Our steamer has stolen in silently, shrouded in the midnight gloom. "What a glorious vision awaits our waking hour ! A large city lies before us and though it is very early, the infant day having barely opened its eyes, there is even then great bustle and confusion. The street-cars are rumbling down to the wharf, carriages whirl past, busy men are banging baggage up and down, and heavy carts are al- ready on their way toward lofty commercial houses. As we ride down the thoroughfares, everything is beautiful to our sea-wearied eyes ; even the dust-covered shrubs b}' the way are an elysian verdui-e to us lone voyagers. Presently, winding up a hill we come to the door of the hospitable Sisters of Mercy, who receive us with open arms. Rev. Father M. King comes to meet and salute the little band that have traveled so far to help him in the arduous labors of his ministry. Never has the great heart of the Pastor failed us in need, and always has he been the Father and Guardian of his religious children. We cross the bay on a little steamer and land at the '' Point,'' a veritable forest of gnarled California oaks. Flowers are nodding their lovely blossoms everywhere and the air is perfumed with their fragrant breath. Our good Pastor's home is literally embowered in roses. Further on by the banks of a smiling lake, back of the lofty mountains on whose top still sparkle last winter's snows, in a verdant valle\' stands the modest little Convent which is to be our future home. We step down and the doors of the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Oakland, open to admit its first inmates ; Sr. M. Salome, Sr. M. Anthony, Sr. M. Marceline, Sr. M. Celestine, Sr. M. Seraphine and Sr. M. Cyril. We exclaim with the Pro})het : " Beautiful is thy tabernacle, O Israel ! here shall we dwell to serve the Lord together." A PlOXKKH. iFe^ f\\/en ho ^e^/. patt^^F ^\uf on t^2^ Qc<^^<^'\on of Iji i^a^-t pay, Jcpt. 29hk), 1868 (after the opemxg of the coxvent) The year is clad in leafy gail) Of crimson bright and mellow gold, As if she mocked the angel death Whose stroke would lay her pale and cold. Now fades the mountain's velvet robe, 'Neath summer's warm and fervent kiss; The warble of the woodland bird, We sadly in the valley miss. The autumn winds e'er sing to all A requiem beautiful and wild, A whisper of the world of rest Awaiting those who've nobly toiled. Though freighted is its perfumed breath With sadness, yet a welcome day Of sunshine does it usher in. Through misty shadows gone astray. Our hearts all filled with love and joy — In gladness we have gather'd here. To lift our voice in childish praise And love, to one, whom all revere. SILVER JVIULKK MEMORIAL But words are empty things at best; But echo feelings of the heart And show unto a careless world, Of what we feel, the weaker part. Father, ne'er can we give thanks For holy work so well begun; For purest training and the best, Of the persuasive tireless nun. Within the sanctuary's pale; Within the chapel hushed and dim, Commingled e'er will be thy name In our sincere thanksgiving hymn. Forgotten, never, in our prayer, Where'er our footsteps chance to roam Will be thy name, O Father, dear, Or our beloved Convent home. And yet 'tis not an abbey old That has escaped the tyrant's grasp, And guiltless are its virgin walls. Of withered ivy's loving clasp; Nor old and mouldering column high, Nor ruined, crumbling, moss-topped arch, In whispers low and mournful speak Of cruel Time's remorseless march. A simple tombstone and a cross O'ershadows now the flowering sod, And tells us that one angel more Now pleads for us in the courts of God. Through infancy we look upon A vista of oncoming years. ADDRESS GIVEN TO REV. FATHER KING And seek through dimness to descry The guerdon which their ending bears. For thine own self, a monument, ]\Iore grand than hero's laureled tomb. Thou rearest crowning it with flowers More fair than valley's richest bloom. But God, in justice can reward So holy and so high a deed; The harvest may'st thou live to see Of what thou sowest now in seed. To see this Convent stately rise Still guided by this Sister band; Its pupils, may'st thou live to see, The gifted, noblest in the land. When thee, the angel death will free. From weary care and crushing strife. Oh! mayst thou greet thy children each, In that, the purer, better life. S. M. I. fe^^ Every day is a syllable ; every month a word to make the sen- tence of a vear. — K. K. iemcmkpanee of |p. i^eptFiisle of bl^e jacp^<^ +leaFt 'Tis the feast of the angel of healing, In the glow of October's late hours, And the day has been vocal with wishes And wreathed with the fairest of flowers. Like the songs and the smiles of the angel Of peace and of joy all the day, From the true hearts of kindred and friendship What sunshine, has Hooded my way. What greetings and prayers, soulful treasures, That are part of the life whence they flow, Tender tokens of selfless remembrance. Blooms too bright for this brief life below. Blooms of kindness so sweet and so fragrant That they thrill me with grateful surprise. For they bear on their exquisite petals, The l)reath of (lod's love from the skies. 'Tis the feast of the angel of healing, Of the angel of Peace and of Love, But I miss in the glow of the sunset The gleam of a snowy- winged dove. llEMEMBIiASCK OF SR. GEirmrDK OF TIFF SACRKD HEART 39 A message that never yet failed me ^^'ith its burden of wishes and prayers, But the sweet Angel-sister that sped it. Has passed from earth's pleasures and cares. Still her mem'ry is bright as the crimson. That flushes the brow of the west, And pure as the pearly haze mantling, The Coast Rangers glorified breast. faithful Friend ! Daughter ! and Sister ! In the glow of God's glory above, 1 feel, that your hands are uplifted, For the Homes that here shared your heart's love. For the Mother and sisters, that treasure Your memory as Love's fairest flower, For the souls to whom Jesus and Mary, Are the glory and joy of each hour. For the teachers and friends of your childhood, A\'hose prayers shall uprise with your song. When the Jubilee bells of your Convent, Shall ring out their glad anthems ere long. M'e shall beg God whose graces and goodness, Their calm quarter century have blest, To crown Avith all joys His Heart's Spouses, In the city of Oaks, of the \\'est. S. A. IJ. Xofre Da))ie, San Jose, Cal. Oap> IVep^ Pay gN^^io^^ How strange is the human heart ! so vast in its capacity for the grand and the beautiful, yet oft times so weak, so earthly in its longings and desires. This little time-piece of our existence strikes off the hours one by one, and though they are fraught with numberless ))lessings, we let them glide on, in our restless eagerness to attain a happiness just beyond our grasp. Life is what we make it ; and if we glance around us, how much cause for real joy do we not find in our every- day-blessings ! Who has not felt the influence of a bright sunny morning ; of the gentle breeze which having playfully stolen the fragrance from the flowers, has wafted it to us as though it knew its power of gratifying ? Who, while viewing the grand panorama of nature, with its gor- geous tints and sombre shadows, has thought for one instant how much there is to be thankful for in the gift of sight ? And coming to the real living world of hearts that surround us, who can say, who can count all the blessings affection has bestowed ? The smile of approval, the smile which encourages, are not these treasures of the soul ? And little acts of kindness coming just at the moment we feel the need of sympathy and of love, do they count for naught ? Ah I no ; though trifling in themselves, they may be the pivot upon which our life's destiny turned, just as the sweet impress of a mother's lips upon the youthful l)row of Benjamin West made him form the resolve of putting upon canvas the noble conceptions of his artistic