THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF ST. ELIZABETH

Compiled by Joan Baron, OSE

In 1910 on the occasion of the bicentenary of their foundation, Mother Pulcheria Wilhelm, the superior general at that time, wished to establish a foundation in America as a perpetual commemoration of their jubilee. Through the instrumentality of Fr. Alexander Berghold, who had spent 40 years in America doing pastoral work, Mother Pulcheria Wilhelm was put in contact with Abbot Bruno Doerfler of Muenster, Sask., prior of the Benedictines.

The negotiations prior to the sisters actual arrival involved many disappointments and setbacks. The Sisters of St. Elizabeth in Klagenfurt were under the authority of the local bishop and lived in strict enclosure. Permission to establish a foundation was required from the local bishop and from Rome. In the midst of these distressing circumstances, Mother Pulcheria Wilhelm maintained her determination to see her dream fulfilled and nothing could dampen her energetic and enterprising spirit.

The beginning of the fulfillment of her dream occurred when three sisters, Augustina Platzer, Philomena Jug and Gabriela Lex, left the motherhouse in Klagenfurt, Austria, on April 30, 1911, accompanied by Father George Trunk, to begin the long journey to the unknown land . The sisters travelled by steamship, embarking at Bremen and arriving in New York. The overland trip from New York to Muenster was by train. When the travel weary missionaries arrived at Muenster May 14, 1911, no one was there to meet them. The telegram announcing the arrival had been delayed. That night they were even to be denied a well deserved night's rest as some uninvited nocturnal visitors (bedbugs) caused them to spend the night out of bed. Abbot Bruno and the people of the district had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the sisters. The day after the arrival, they were whisked off to meet the mayor of Humboldt, O.W. Anderson, to begin negotations for building the hospital. Later that week they were taken to Prince Albert to meet Bishop Albert Pascal, OMI. By the time the plans for the hospital were completed and approved by the government, the summer had passed but the sisters were not idle.

Gradually the sisters did become involved in Dr. Barry's hospital, assisting with operations, caring for the patients 24 hours a day and doing private duty nursing in the homes. The first St. Elizabeth's Hospital was constructed as a result of the partnership with the community. A loan was needed for the construction; however, no lending institution would forward the money. As a result, 12 men put up collateral for the sisters and a loan was arranged through a Benedictine monastery in the United States. Due to financial losses at the motherhouse in Klagenfurt, no financial assistance could be given to assist in the establishment of the hospital at Humboldt. The community in Austria, however, was generous in sending personnel. In the spring of 1912, Abbot Bruno travelled to Europe and upon returning brought with him seven sisters from Klagenfurt: Sisters Euphrasia Weiss, Salesia Scheriou, Clementina Possenig, Helena Karnicer, Xaveria Motchilig, Agatha Loibnegger and a novice, Gertrude Bergles. It was a joyous occasion to welcome their sisters from Klagenfurt, and to receive news from home and gifts from the motherhouse. But the arrival of the new members caused problems in living accommodations. Some sisters went to live temporarily in a house near the hospital. Food too was scarce; the sisters depended on Divine Providence for their daily fare. They had a stove, a primitive table and two rough hewn chairs which Sister Augustine had inherited as a payment for her nursing. Some sisters remained at Muenster and took over the monastery kitchen and laundry upon the request of Abbot Bruno.

Oct. 3, 1912, was a day of rejoicing. Bishop Pascal, OMI, of Prince Albert, presided over the blessing of the new hospital. For the sisters it meant that after a year and a half they finally had a home of their own. They could begin to live a regular religious life and practice their calling as nurses. Later that same year, Aug. 30, the Canadian foundation was declared independent of the motherhouse in Klagenfurt and Mother Pulcheria Wilhelm was canonically elected as first superior general. During these first years young women from the district began to join the small community. The first Canadian to join was Agnes Schmidt of Humboldt, Sister Marianna. Among the other Canadian pioneers were Sisters Elizabeth Lopinski, Benedicta Yungwirth, Theodora Sieben, Aloisia Heisler, Hyacintha Senger and Pulcheria Poth.

Expansion was needed because of the prevalence of contagious diseases, so an isolation house called St. Rochus Hospital was built, as well as a building to serve as laundry, workshop and novitiate. These expansions proved insufficient and in the next couple of years an extension of 18 beds was added to St. Elizabeth's Hospital.With the expansion of the hospital the workload also increased. Mother Walburga Swetlin, superior general in 1919, appealed to Klagenfurt to send more sisters. Four sisters and two candidates arrved in 1920, and two years later another six sisters arrived, bringing the total number of sisters from Austria to 27. The 1920s were punctuated with the establishment of expanded services and institutions. St. Peter's College, Muenster, was opened in 1921. The number of sisters employed was increased to nine and they took charge of the cooking and laundry services. In 1922, the sisters responded to a request to build a hospital in St. Joseph's Colony, at Macklin, Sask. Here, too, the beginnings were small; a house served as a temporary hospital. The sisters went begging for money until there were sufficent funds to build a hospital. St. Elizabeth's Hospital set up a Nurses' Training School in 1923. Dr. H.R. Fleming assisted in this project, which also enabled the early nursing sisters to obtain registration by waiver without exams. Miss Godin was the first director of the School of Nursing. The position was subsequently filled by sisters until its phasing out in 1969.

By 1928, the increased number of patients required further expansion of the hospitals of Humboldt and Macklin. Once again, finances were a big concern, and a loan was needed. The local church authorities reluctantly granted permission. Included in the expansion project for Humboldt was a larger chapel decorated with paintings by Berthold Imhoff. Like the people of the area, the sisters struggled with the economic constraints of the 1930s. Patients were often unable to pay for hospital care. People offered their produce as payment, or members of the family worked for the hospital to pay off their debt. The sisters never turned anyone away, but served everyone equally, whether or not they could pay. The nurses were responsible for total patient care, including the environment. The work was difficult and demanding. The sisters relied on prayer to sustain themselves and to mediate the healing power of God for their patients.

Despite meagre income, the sisters continued in their efforts to provide adequate and efficient services to the sick in their hospitals. Their skillful development of the farm, orchard and garden provided the hospital and the congregation with much of the necessary food and produce. In the midst of hard times, the congregation accepted another request for service, from the Oblates of St. Mary's Province, who had started a minor seminary at Battleford. The sisters agreed to take over the kitchen and laundry services at St. Charles' Scholasticate, Battleford, thus contributing to the education of youth and the training and support of priests.

The single most influential event of the 1940s was the establishment of the Saskatchewan Hospital Services Plan. The Plan greatly influenced the operation of the hospitals belonging to the community. The hospital was ensured a reliable source of income.Government requirements at that time were small in comparison to the benefits for the hospital and the improved services the sisters were able to provide to the patients. The Plan enabled the sisters to employ more lay staff and ease the burden carried by the sisters. As services improved, the sisters were required to take more advanced education to remain qualified for their work.

Tension was mounting as the sisters attempted to be faithful to their service to the sick and still maintain a monastic lifestyle. Planning and progress were seriously hampered because all decisions in financial and administrative matters required the permission of the local ordinary. The breakthrough of these mounting needs came with the election of the first Canadian superior general, Sister Florianne Kohlman, in 1949. Following the approval of the constitutions, an application was submitted to Rome to obtain pontifical status for the congregation. This was a much desired goal, as it removed the congregation from the immediate authority of the local Ordinary in certain internal matters. It was difficult or next to impossible to make plans when these plans were always subject to approval by the local church authority. In order to have greater freedom and authority over their own affairs, it was necessary that the community gain pontifical status.

Upon the invitation of Bishop Francis Klein the community took over the operation of a private nursing home, renamed St. Anne's Home, in Saskatoon. Now there were sisters present in the dioceses of Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and St. Peter's Abbacy. On May 23, 1953, the community received the coveted status of a pontifical congregation. In the apostolic works in the health care field we weathered the Medicare crisis in 1962. Invitations were accepted to administer St. Mary's Villa, the municipal nursing home in Humboldt, as well as a hospital at Hoven, South Dakota. Services were extended to St. Michael's Retreat House in Lumsden, Sask., and for a short while the sisters operated a student residence in Saskatoon. And, in answer to the invitation of Pope John XXIII, two sisters went to the missions in Brazil in 1968. In addition, the sisters helped to establish the Humboldt Co-operative Day Care Program, the Humboldt Home Care Program, the Abbacy Pastoral Care Program and Group Homes for the Handicapped. The vision, faith and leadership of the sisters in Humboldt and district has been constant. The scope of health care broadened to include public health nursing, home care, massage and care of the handicapped. All of these became a part of the work of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth. As sisters were unable to carry on in active nursing in hospitals and nursing homes in order to remain involved in patient care, the focus became spiritual care. Pastoral care became an important and ever evolving work to which many sisters turned their time and energies. The late 1980s were punctuated by the gradual letting go of involvements and places where we had been present for years: St. Ann's Home, Saskatoon; St. Michael's Retreat, Lumsden; St. Peter's College, Muenster; Alverna Home, Humboldt: and the missions in Brazil.