Catholic Educational Endeavors
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The Novitiate, which had been established in New Orleans in 1916, was moved to San Antonio in 1922. Here, amid beautiful and spacious sur- roundings in the shadow of the old Missions, the daughters of St. Teresa carry on their work of teaching today. 1 1' Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colqred People, I916. This order was founded in 1891 to devote itself exclusively to the Christian training of Indians and Negroes, as their name indicates. These Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament came to Texas in 1916 from Philadelphia to talce charge of the small parish school of the Blessed Sacrament in Beau- mont, a four-room affair on the second floor of the new church for Negroes. Shortly afterwards, a modest convent was put up for the Sisters. In 1941 Father James Finnigan built a new church, and in 1944 the Reverend Michael Flaherty, S.S.]., reconstructed the old eight-room school. A year later, with the help of additional Sisters, a high school was begun for Negroes which has made great progress.m A similar school was established in Port Arthur at the Sacred Heart Church in 1926 and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament were asked to take charge of it. Shortly after their arrival in Port Arthur a small convent was built for them. The school has grown rapidly. Today it has six Sisters and four lay teachers. Brothers of the Christian Schools, I925. This old teaching order, founded by St. John Baptiste de la Salle in France in the seventeenth century to help the children of the poor obtain a Christian education, came to the United States in 1845. The Brothers made their first founda- tion in Baltimore, Maryland. This was hailed as marking "a new era in the annals of education and Christian piety" by the United States Catholic Magazine of that year. 116 They did not come to Texas until 1925. They came to take charge of St. Patrick's High School in El Paso at the invita- tion of Bishop A. J. Schuler. The Sisters of Loretto had asked to be relieved of this work and Mother Praxedes had strongly recommended the Brothers, with whose work she was acquainted. Her suggestion was sec- onded by W. H. Fryer, a prominent Catholic layman of El Paso and a Brother's "boy" from Manhattan College. Brothers Charles and Edward arrived in El Paso on September 1, 1925, together with Brother A. Ernest, the first appointed director and prin- m1bid., 32-35. llSDiocese of Galveston, C11ntennial, r847-r947, p. 91. 116 Brothers of the Christian Schools, A C11ntury of Progr1ss, ... Ntr:1J Orl1ans- Stu1ta Fe Provinu [2-3].
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