Beginnings of 150 Years of SSND Presence, Ministry in Iowa
By Carol Marie Wildt, SSND
In her letter to the Louis Mission Society in 1862, Mother Caroline Friess described the first SSND foundation in Iowa.
Fort Madison is situated on a slope near the banks of the mighty Mississippi. It is a pleasing little town of 3,000 inhabitants, among them 500 Catholics of German nationality. With the zeal of a missionary, the Reverend Alexander Hattenberger tried for ten years until he succeeded in founding a Catholic school entrusted to Sisters…150 children attend the school which is still conducted in a rented house. The parish is now building a new church. [St. Mary of the Assumption]. When this is completed, the old church [St. Joseph] will be converted into a convent and classrooms. [Letter # 28]
After a visit to our sisters in St. Louis in 1859, Rev. Hattenberger wrote to Mother Caroline requesting sisters to teach the growing number of children in his parish. Due to a shortage of sisters, the confirmation letter came in August 1860. On September 14, 1860, Sister Mary Calasanctia Ley, Novice Mary Innocentia Kreidler and Candidate Mary Dietrich came from Milwaukee, accompanied by Rev. F. X. Krautbauer, to found the mission in Fort Madison. The SSNDs were the first sisters to teach in Fort Madison.
The pastor met the sisters in Burlington with horse and wagon. “When he saw them stepping out of the train, he eagerly went forward to greet them with tears in his eyes, tears of emotion at the thought of the self-sacrificing sisters.” The SSNDs were given breakfast at the Sisters of Mercy of the B.V.M. in Burlington and then rode 25 miles to Fort Madison. The rented house facing St. Joseph Church had been furnished for them.
The sisters were installed during the mass on September 16 with great celebration. The following day, they began teaching the 130 girls and boys, which quickly rose to 180 students. The two sisters received a salary of $400 per year and free housing. The people generously gave fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, etc. to the sisters. The former teacher resented the sisters and advocated a rival school. Eventually, when he could only get nine students, he gave up the idea. On December 8, 1860, the candidate returned home to her parents and Candidate Catherine Siegler arrived. On October 15, a chapel was readied for the sisters and the Blessed Sacrament reserved.
On September 7, 1861, Sisters Margaret Alacoque Renwick and Hildegardis Schlitzer arrived to take over the high school and music. Mother Caroline visited the sisters in mid-September and brought with her Sister Mary Dygna Hammel to do the housework. The following day, Sister Margaret Alacoque was transferred to Quincy and Sister Fidelis Krueger replaced her in charge of the high school.
The sisters adjusted to the many transitions and challenges they faced as they began their ministry in Iowa. During the next 150 years, SSNDs would minister in Keokuk, Burlington, West Burlington, West Point, Knoxville, Davenport and various small towns throughout Iowa. More than 825 SSNDs have ministered within the state and 77 women from Iowa have entered the congregation. Like many other cities, mergers of parochial schools and churches have occurred in recent times. Today, there are five SSNDs ministering in the state.
[Sources: Brumleve, Barbara, SSND, The Letters of Mother Caroline Friess, 1991; Chronicle of St. Mary, Fort Madison, 1859-1861; “Holy Family Catholic Church (Fort Madison, Iowa),” Wikipedia Encyclopedia, statistics in St. Louis Province Archives]
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