C atleolic Educational- E1l{ie011ors
Development 1mder 111 otlter Florence, 1886-1925. Mother General Florence was well qualified for her new position. Trained in the Mother- house of Lorraine, with years of experience as a teacher in the schools of France, and in Texas since 1880, she had served as Superior of St. Joseph's Academy since its establishment. Although the pioneer days were over, there were difficult days ahead through which she steered the Con- gregation safely to new achievements. She tried to follow in the footsteps cf her capable predecessor. Mindful of the value of religious exercises, &he had the old Rule and Constitution, originally printed in 1839 in Strasbourg and revised in 1867 and 1883, translated from French into English and printed in San Antonio in 1887 so that each Sister could have her own individual copy. 60 Being a woman of great foresight, tact, and administrative ability, she immediately realized that to keep Catholic education abreast of the times, the Sisters would have to cooperate and take advantage of the best avail- able teacher training programs offered by county and state educators. Members of the Congregation were allowed and encouraged to attend during the summer months state normals so that the Sisters could secure state certificates. During her administration, she widened the field of service in education into Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, Arkansas, and California, not hesitating to accept schools for Negro children in Louisiana. Tlee Removal to San Antm1io, 1895-1896, a11d the Establislnnent of Our lady of tlee Lake. While the Congregation expanded in all directions from its Motherhouse in Castroville, the little settlement itself was by- passed by railroads and its growth was arrested. San Antonio, however, was becoming a railroad center. With the sanction of Bishop Neraz, prop- erty was acquired in 1894 in San Antonio for the removal of the Mother- house. The location chosen was in a western suburb sufficiently remote from the city to insure a religious atmosphere. Work was soon begun on the new Motherhouse, in connection with which an academy for girls was to be established. The cornerstone of the new edifice, destined to become well known as Our Lady of the Lake, was laid December 10, 1895. Seven months later, in July, 1896, the Motherhouse was removed from Castro- ville to the new quarters in San Antonio. 60 Bri.ef History of the Sisters of Div;ne Providence, No. :?, MS. s. There are two different short histories in the Catholic Archives of Texas in Am.uillo, unsigned and undated, but from the contents one was written about 1930 and the other about 1948. The first will be designated as No. 1, and the second as No. 2, hereafter. See also Sister Mary Genero~a Callahan, C.O.P., n,P. cit.
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