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Monday, November 15, 2021

Preparing for the Feast of Philippine Duchesne


This week we will be celebrating the feast of St. Philippine Duchesne on Thursday. As she is very dear to me, I think I shall be writing a bit about her each day this week. Actually, I am going to use my memories of learning to know and love her and then share some of what others have written about her.

I went to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, the first convent of the Sacred Heart in America, founded in 1818. My grandmother and great aunts had gone there to school and I was thrilled to win a partial scholarship, half tuition and half board for my four years of high school. I had read so many books about boarding schools and was certain that I would love being a weekly boarder. I got to know Philippine my first year. I was only thirteen and fascinated with the story of how Philippine had left France to come to America and the hardships she suffered when she did arrive. The first year at St. Charles was very hard. It was only a log cabin with more doors than windows and it was very cold. That year, 1818, the Missouri river in front of the convent was frozen over and they had to pay to have someone go break the ice to bring water. Philippine loved St. Charles in spite of the poverty and hardships of the first year. 
 

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