SSNDs Arrived in St. Louis 150 Years Ago
By Sister Carol Marie Wildt

In July 1857, Rev. Joseph Patshovsky, SJ, gave a retreat to the German diocesan priests in Milwaukee and visited Mother Caroline. He told her that his heart’s desire was to have a school for the girls of his parish and he wanted the SSNDs to be their teachers. When he arrived home, he began to build. In November 1857, Mother Caroline was accompanying several sisters to New Orleans and they had a stop in St. Louis. She met with Father Patshovsky and plans were approved for a convent/school division of the building under construction. As work progressed, he informed the motherhouse that it would be ready by Easter 1858 and hoped for three sisters.

Mother Caroline Friess, Sister Seraphine von Pronath, Novices Augustina Paulin and Dominica Fromm, and Candidate Cresentia Rosenbauer arrived on April 30, 1858, to establish the first SSND school in St. Louis.

The beginnings in St. Louis were challenging to these pioneers. Upon their arrival, they were confronted by factories and surrounded by smoke as they stood on the banks of the Mississippi River. Winter cold and spring rains had delayed the completion of the building. They were temporarily housed with the Visitation Sisters. They attended mass at the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Although the CSJs were disappointed that the SSNDs were preferred to them to take over the girls' school at St. Joseph Parish, they were friendly and gracious to the new arrivals.

On May 1, Mother Caroline and Sister Seraphine paid their respects to Archbishop Kenrick. He expressed his desire that a motherhouse and novitiate be established in the archdiocese and promised his support. Thirty-seven years would pass before this became a reality.

The SSND directory lists the official date of foundation for St. Joseph as May 3, 1858, and the mission was placed under the patronage of Mary and St. Ignatius.

Bad weather resulted in further delays but the convent/school building was blessed on May 11.
Classes were to begin the next day. However, a severe storm with high winds tore down the fence surrounding the building and flooded the first floor. The temperature turned so cold that the sisters had to gather around the cook stove to keep warm. By the end of the week, school was in session with 200 children registered.

Many of the students had attended other schools and were deficient in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, some of the girls had been instructed by a Sister of Charity who spoke Low German. The SSNDs spoke High German and insisted on discipline and order. For a time the students convinced their parents that the new teachers did not like them and even had an aversion for them because of their language. Eventually, the parents saw the truth and relations between the sisters and parents became more agreeable. The first public examinations were held the following May and the students performed beyond the expectations of the examiners.

In responding to the needs of immigrants in St. Louis, Mother Caroline soon established schools for children of various ethnic ancestries in addition to the German immigrants. The sisters were quickly recognized as excellent teachers. Their contribution to the growth of the parochial school system in St. Louis and rural areas in the archdiocese during the past 150 years has been immeasurable as the sisters continued to live the charism of Theresa and Caroline.

[Source: Chronicle of St. Joseph, St. Louis, MO]

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