Mary Cecilia Bailly

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Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
SuccessorMother Anastasie Brown

Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly, S.P., (June 2, 1815 – August 2, 1898) was the

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. During her time in office, she began rebuilding the Academy (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College)[1] and sent Sisters of Providence to staff military hospitals in Indianapolis and Vincennes, Indiana during the American Civil War
.

She was born Eleanor Cecilia Kinzie Bailly in

Dakota Sioux.[3]
: 128 

A priest named John Guegeuen celebrated Mass at this homestead and directed Eleanor to the Sisters of Providence.

Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies, Queen of France.[3]
: 268–291 

Upon returning, Bailly spent time teaching at the Academy, now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and took full administrative charge of the institute in 1848.[3]: 530, 565 

As Superior General

Bailly became

Indianapolis, Loogootee, Vincennes and Lafayette
.

In 1858, Mother Mary Cecilia secured the services of

consecrated
until 1907.)

By May 1861, Indiana was mired in the

Oliver Morton called upon Mother Mary Cecilia to provide Sisters of Providence as nurses. On May 17, 1861, the Sisters took over administrative duties at Military Hospital in Indianapolis.[5]: 65  The Sisters were in charge of washing, cooking and cleaning, and several Sisters served as nurses.[6] The Sisters of Providence are now honored by a monument in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the Nuns of the Battlefield of the Civil War.[7]

Mother Mary Cecilia became known for her decisiveness and firm leadership, which drew some Sisters to her and caused others to look upon her unfavorably.

dispensation to continue as Superior General and Sister Anastasie Brown
was named instead.

This situation was seen as an insult to Mother Mary Cecilia and caused controversy within the community, some of whom viewed Brown, now known as Mother Anastasie, to be a usurper. For some time, there was talk of creating a new branch of the Sisters of Providence, with Mother Mary Cecilia in charge, on the old Bailly Homestead Porter County, Indiana.[8] However, with the 1874 election of a new Superior General, Mother Mary Ephrem Glenn, these plans ceased and the community returned to a mostly united group.[5]: 172–197  In 1880, Mother Mary Cecilia went to serve at St. Ann's Orphanage in

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
, which was left unfinished at her death in 1898.

Legacy

Bailly is buried in the Sisters of Providence Convent Cemetery at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mary Cecilia Bailly.
  1. ^ Cotter, Anita (1940). "Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly". In God's Acre. 1: 1–36.
  2. ^ Prosen, Anthony (2000). "A Jubilee Year Series: New stories from old Indiana". The Catholic Moment. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Brown, Mary Borromeo (1949). History of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods: Volume I. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Sisters of Providence.
  4. ^ a b Prosen, Anthony (16 July 2000). "Sisters of Providence first with mission in Local Church". The Catholic Moment. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d Logan, Eugenia (1978). History of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods: Volume II. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Sisters of Providence.
  6. Find My Past
    .
  7. ^ Mug, Mary Theodosia (1931). Lest We Forget: The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in Civil War Service. Providence Press.
  8. ISBN 9781592762293
    .
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
General Superior of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

1856 - 1868 		Succeeded by
Educational offices
Preceded by
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
 President of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
1856 - 1868 		Succeeded by
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