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Show 334 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY CATHOLIC ne except by the sacristan, and the only change I noticed an ue he Ene saluted me with apparently ernie than ever. There were only three men from Alburquerque who too part in the rebellion; all the rest were from the Ranchos, or villages oe nds of the rich proprietors. 7 7 eh unt moment ni sii Pie lost all hope of driving me away, and, abandoning the Church, he went into politics. There was no doubt about his talents, and he used them to good effect in his new field, for through them he worked every kind of scheme until _ succeeded in getting himself elected to the Congress of the Unite States as Delegate from the Territory of New Mexico. The great wisdom and ability of Bishop Lamy were now apparent. Twelve times in the interest of the people of his diocese he crossed the plains from Santa Fé to Kansas City and St. Louis. In 1852, he brought back a small colony of the sisters of Loretto, one of whom perished on the journey through the wilderness. The convent and academy of our Lady of Light in Santa Fé, and five other convents and schools have been the fruit of his planting ‘‘amid the tears, afflictions, poverty and exile of this noble sisterhood.’’ 2° The ar261 The mother-house of the first-born sisterhood of the west — the on tines of Kentucky, an order founded in 1812, furnished the first Sisters a: New Mexico. Six were chosen, but only four ever reached Santa Fé. Sic ; ness forced one to return to Loretto and another died en route ; her morta remains were laid away on the border line of western civilization. oe No less than twelve other establishments trace their origin either direc i. or indirectly to the coming of these Sisters. Bishop Lamy and the four w survived the trip reached Santa Fé towards the end of September, 1852. due Bishop Lamy had left Santa Fé in the spring of 1852, to assist at the *j ; plenary council of Baltimore. This was his first crossing of the oe ‘‘American Desert.’’? It was at this council that a petition was made by i fathers to the Holy See to have him appointed titular bishop of Santa a The bulls were not delayed and the bishop of Agathon became bishop of San Fé. ‘On Sunday,’’ says Mother Magdalena, in her Annals of Our Lady es Tight, ‘‘June 27, 1852, after mass, the Sisters destined for Mexico, tat 7 Mother house of Loretto; Mother Mathilda Mills and Sisters Catherine, I ae Magdalen, Monica, Hilaria and Roberta. The same day they arrived at pai town, and on Thursday morning, July 1st, they reached St. Louis, and 4 ae kindly received by Archbishop Kendrick. In the meantime they visite their wi Convent of St. Ferdinand at Florissant, and spent a few days wan As soon as they heard of the Bishop’s return from New Orlea a own Sisters. they joined him at St. Louis, and on the 10th of July left by the steamer ‘Kansas’ which was to convey them as far as Independenc traveled a family and some ‘The e. With t other persons belonging to the Bishop’s suite. Lion: Sisters had accepted the mission in a true spirit of self-abnega th z yet they little dreamed, as the spires of the Providence was going to put their virtue to Some cases of cholera on board, when, on Mother Mathilda was attacked; her sufferings a city receded from view, how . There had already a test. Friday, the 16th, at i A. ihe lasted till about two 0 clock 10 CHURCH IN NEW MEXICO 335 rival in Santa Fé of the four Sisters of Loretto marked an era in the history of the church in New Mexico. Having stopped at the bishop’s ranch, near the present station of Lamy, on the 26th of September, the party left the ranch and started for Santa Fé. The people of the capital, led by Very Rev. Juan Felipe Ortiz and other Mexican priests, met them on the highway several miles from the city. As they entered the ancient city, the crowd increased to such an extent that the carriages could scarcely pass through the narrow streets of the ancient capital. Triumphal arches had been erected, and the bells of the several churches were pealing. They were received at the door of the cathedral, presented with holy water, and led to the foot of the altar. The Te Deum was sung, accompanied by the music of the period, violins, guitars, etc., and the ceremoni es terminated with the episcopal blessing. ?° ‘fternoonafterof having the same day, when she gave her soul into the hands of her Maker, received the sacraments of penance and Extreme Unction at the hands of the Bishop. Two hours later the steamer landed at Todd’s house, 81x miles from Independence. In the meantime Sister contracted the disease, and the landing was truly affecting, Monica had the Sisters fe a The snbepene couch of their dying Sister and the coffin of their dead Mother. r all Owed abitants stood in such dread to enter their houses, and of the cholera that the Sisters were in were therefore obliged to remain warehouse, ’” eg Mathilda was buried in the graveyard at Independence, Mo. 18th (odaving the usual hardships of the journey an : ‘a eptember, 1852, the party reached Las Vegas. across not the the plains, on the The next morning mass the Oe at e private dwelling not far from the town. Father Machebeuf and 8 the i were sent to what was known as the Bishop’s ranch, near the station until +h e of the A. T. & 8. F. Ry., known as Lamy, where they remained 269 Th ollowing Sunday, when they proceeded to Santa Fé. Which + e Sisters did not open the school immediately, as they needed time in Sisters 1 acquire a proper knowledge of the Spanish language. After these Solicited ty been in Santa Fé a short period, others came from Kentucky, b y Bishop Lamy, who had gone to Rome. The property now occupied S acquired a little later. At the time of its purchase there was a structure known as La Casa Americana, because it had a Occupied in ¢ An orchard and grounds were laid out and the new home was Prospered September, 1855. Since that period the Sisters of Loretto have inne: "ie accomplished a great work in New Mexico. The convent of the Was ia 1on, in Mora, was established in 1854, when Archbishop Salpointe ae nae priest. In 1853 the convent of St. Joseph was established in 0 ue oe the care of the Rev. Gabriel Ussel, the parish priest. The convent Wag akon. of Guadalupe was first established in Alburquerque in 1866, but mmaculat Inued in 1869. In the same year was established the convent of the established. Conception, in Las Vegas. In 1870 the Visitation Academy was at that ek Las Cruces, through the generosity of Rt. Rev. J. B. Salpointe, cluded 7 € vicar apostolic of* Arizona, in whose diocese Las Cruces was inin B : : © convent of; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was established in 1875 in Later, in 1879, the convent of Mount Carmel was establishe:l |