About
School Archives
Archives Antics Articles
List of 35 items.
-
September 2024: The Not So Lazy Days in the Archives
-
June 2024: Facing History and Ourselves
-
April 2024: Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom
-
February 2024: Magnificat Spirit Buttons
-
November 2023: Night in Blue
-
September 2023: Of Archives and Archivists
-
May 2023: The Rise of the Internet
-
March 2023: Early Days of the Computer Age
-
January 2023: Theater at Magnificat
-
November 2022: A Glimpse into the World of Mildred Rose Firestone
-
September 2022: The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same
-
June 2022: Celebrating Mary: Magnificat's Marian Artwork
-
April 2022: Magnificat Material Culture: Gym Suits, 1960-1979
-
February: Magnificat’s Humble Hands Project: A Twenty-Year Tradition of Advent Season Giving
-
November: These are Our Sisters--HM Sisters who Served as Magnificat Principals/Presidents: Sister Mary Patricia Cook, H.M.
-
October: Bishop Pilla, Magnificat Eucharistic Ministers, and Church History: Changing Roles for Laity in the Church
-
September: Summer Sleuthing in the Archives
-
May: A Day of Mirth: The First Big-Little Challenge Cup Competition
-
April: HM Sisters Who Served as Principals/Presidents: Sr. Carolyn Marshall
-
February: HM Sisters Who Served as Principals/Presidents: Sr. Carol Anne Smith
-
December 2020 - Daily Surprises & Mysteries
-
November 2020 - These Are Our Sisters: HM Sisters who served as Magnificat’s Principals/Presidents
-
October 2020: Reminiscences with Sister Helen Jean Novy, H.M.
-
September 2020: Down a Digital Rabbit Hole: Identifying, Managing, and Preserving “Born-Digital” Data
-
August 2020: These Are Our Sisters Part III: H.M. Education Ministry, the Founding of Magnificat, and her First Principals
-
March 2020 - These Are Our Sisters Part III: H.M. Education Ministry, the Founding of Magnificat, and her First Principals
-
February 2020 - These Are Our Sisters Part II: The Sisters of the Humility of Mary’s Healthcare Ministry
-
October 2019 - These Are Our Sisters: Part I: The Founding of a New Religious Order and The Journey to America
Please click here for the digital poster
We cannot speak about Magnificat without also talking about the Sisters of the Humility of Mary who founded our school in 1955 and under whose sponsorship we continue to thrive. The rich faith and service traditions of these women inform and inspire us. But who exactly are the Sisters of the Humility of Mary? Our next three Archives Antics columns will delve into this question. Our exploration will begin with the history of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in France and their earliest days here in the United States. In subsequent columns, we will explore their contributions to healthcare and education, and then we will focus on the Sisters who transformed the lives of Magnificat students.
This month, as we retell the story of the community’s founding and earliest days, we will also explore what was happening in France, in Cleveland’s Catholic community, and in the United States in the 19th century.
Setting the Stage: Dommartin-sous Amance and France in the 1850s
Our story begins in Dommartin-sous-Amance, a village in the district of Nancy in northeastern France. Today, France is organized into 101 departments, and Dommartin-sous-Amance is in the department of Meurthe et Moselle within the region of Lorraine.[1] In 2016, the population of Dommartin-sous-Amance was 273.[2] By comparison, there are over 700 students at Magnificat today.
In the mid-19th century, France, including the town of Dommartin-sous-Amance, was ruled by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon I. Louis-Napoleon had grown up in exile outside of France but returned as an adult to restore Bonapartist rule. In 1848, he was elected as the first president of the Second French Republic. But by 1852, he had garnered enough support to mount a coup d’état and declared himself Napoleon III, Emperor of France. His reign endured until 1870 when he abdicated in shame after suffering a humiliating defeat from the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War.[3]
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte originally allied himself with the Church and promoted Catholicism as the religion of France. For this reason, many French Catholics backed the coup[4] that made Napoleon III the Emperor of France. But by 1858, Napoleon III supported Italian unification over protecting the interests of the Papal States, and this upset Catholics in France[5]. Additionally, since the French Revolution, France had been beset by anti-clericalists[6] who resented and opposed the Church’s sway over families and politics.
The Founding: A New Religious Order is Born[7]
In the 1850s, Father John Joseph Bégel was pastor for the church in Dommartin-sous-Amance, as well as for a church in a neighboring town. He dedicated his life to helping the poor and was particularly interested in providing religious instruction for poor children. For a time, he used the town hall in Dommartin as a classroom for these lessons. But anti-clericals ultimately prevented Father Bégel from using this public space for religious instruction.
Fortunately for Father Bégel, a wealthy, educated parishioner named Antoinette Potier was also interested in helping Dommartin’s poor and offered her home as a school for the children. And so, in 1854, Antoinette Potier, her housekeeper Marie Gaillot, and a lay teacher Julia Claudel began operating an orphanage and school from Antoinette’s home.
By May of 1855, five more young women in the area volunteered to help at the school. And over time, a religious order began to take shape. Early in the school’s operation, Father Bégel gave Antoinette Potier authority to settle disagreements that arose within the group. Soon the women asked Father Bégel for more structured guidelines that would help them operate as a community. In June of 1855, Father Bégel gave the group the Rule of the Society of the Children of Mary.[8] On the Feast of the Assumption in 1855, the women came to the chapel at Dommartin in their new blue wool uniforms with white collars, blue capes, and simple caps.
From 1855-1858, Father Bégel studied the rules of religious orders and drafted a Rule that could apply to this new order born of the partnership between Father Bégel and Antoinette Potier. On August 29, 1858, the Bishop of Nancy approved Father Bégel’s request to formally recognize the association. The group had suggested the order be called “Assumption of Mary,” but the Bishop chose to call them “the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary” (the word “Holy” was removed to simplify the title after Vatican II[9]). Antoinette Potier, the order’s co-founder took the name Mother Madelaine and became its first Mother Superior. Marie-Anne Tabourat, another young woman of the congregation, took the name Sister Anna.
America Part I: History of Catholicism in Cleveland
German and Irish immigrants constituted a good portion of the Catholic community in Cleveland in the 1820s and 1830s. Many came to Cleveland to work on the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canals. The first parish, Our Lady of the Lakes formed in 1826, and was more commonly known as St. Mary’s-of-the-Flats. In its early days, parishioners used other spaces in Cleveland for Mass, and missionaries and visiting priests like Father Stephen Badin, served the area.[10] Father Badin was the first ordained priest in America, and he also donated to the Bishop of Vincennes in Indiana the land that would later be home to the University of Notre Dame.[11]
In 1835, John Dillon became the area’s first permanent priest, and he also began raising funds for the construction of Cleveland’s first Catholic church building which was finally dedicated in 1840. The church closed in 1886, but many west-side parishes were born from St. Mary-on-the-Flats.
While this church no longer stands, the site is currently home to the Foundry, a non-profit organization dedicated sailing and rowing education and outreach programs for children and adults. The Foundry is also home to Magnificat’s rowing team.
The Cleveland Diocese was created on April 27, 1847 to serve the 10,000 Catholics living in what is today the Dioceses of Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown. Right Reverend Amadeus Rappe served as the first bishop of the diocese from 1847-1870. Under his leadership, the first seminary, St. Francis de Sales, opened and ordained Cleveland’s first priests in 1848. Later, the seminary’s name would be changed to St. Mary’s Seminary. Construction of St. John’s Cathedral began in 1848 and was completed and dedication in 1852 (in the same year that Napoleon III became Emperor of France and just two years before Father Bégel and Antoinette Potier began their work in Dommartin-sous-Amance). And when the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary arrived in Cleveland, the diocese was only 17 years old.[12]
As a point of reference for Magnificat High School, the city of Rocky River was originally part of Rockport Township which was created in 1819. Rocky River itself was organized first as a hamlet in 1891. It became a village in 1903 and was incorporated as a city in 1930.[13] Rocky River’s St. Christopher parish was organized in 1922.[14]
Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary Journey to America[15]
In the fall of 1863, when the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary was just nine years old, the Reverend Louis Hoffer, a French priest working as a missionary in the Cleveland diocese, visited the Sisters and asked if three members of their congregation could come to Louisville, Ohio (30 miles southeast of Akron). Four sisters originally volunteered for the assignment, but ultimately, the Sisters decided that the entire congregation would travel to America. The tensions between Napoleon III and the Church as a result of his support for Italian unification had reached a fever pitch, and Napoleon III’s policies toward the Church were increasingly hostile.
The Sisters planned to sell Mother Madelaine’s house and property to finance the trip, but when Mother Madelaine, already sick with tuberculosis, died on March 7, 1864, her property reverted to family members. Despite this financial setback, plans for the move to America continued. By the end of May, Father John Joseph Bégel, Mother Anna Tabourat, eight other sisters, two novices, and four orphans left France for America. They arrived in New York on June 13. Mother Anna Tabourat, who had been named superior after Mother Madelaine’s death, was also now the congregation’s foundress in America.
The Sisters remained in Louisville, while Father Bégel went to Cleveland where Bishop Amadeus Rappe, a French native, welcomed Father Bégel and the Sisters to the Cleveland Diocese. He offered the Sisters a brick home in Cleveland for $8,000, but they were unable to afford the residence. So instead, he offered them a house and 250 acres in New Bedford, Pennsylvania for 2,500.00.[16] Three sisters and one of the orphans remained in Louisville, but the remaining six sisters, two novices, and three orphans went to New Bedford, Pennsylvania and began their ministry in America. The Sisters arrived at their new home on July 25, 1864.
Father Bégel painted a rosy picture for the Sisters about their new home, but, in reality, other communities had abandoned the property.[17] The rocky and swampy grounds made farming difficult, and the property was isolated and difficult to reach. The Sisters had little experience plowing and clearing land, spoke no English, had limited funds, and no outside assistance. Despite these insurmountable hurdles, they forged ahead. But when their first crop – potatoes—failed, Mother Anna knew she needed help. Some of the Sisters and orphans were already sick, and without a reliable food source, the community’s survival was imperiled.
Mother Anna asked Father Bégel for help, but his reassurances that God would provide for the community would not meet their needs. So Mother Anna, Sister Odile, and Sister Mary of the Angels set out for Cleveland to beseech Bishop Rappe for his help. The Sister departed on foot around 5 p.m. for Youngstown. They walked barefoot for most of the twelve-mile trek and reached the train station sometime after 10 p.m. The overnight train took them to Cleveland, and they finally reached the Bishop Rappe’s residence.[18]
They laid their dire situation before the Bishop. According to A Dream Fulfilled, Sister Odile later confessed, “I disgraced the community by sobbing aloud.”[19] And Mother Anna asked that the community be permitted to return to France rather than starve to death in New Bedford. Bishop Rappe gave the women a small amount of money and entreated them to obey and trust in God’s providence. This was enough for Mother Anna who felt the Bishop’s words reflected God’s will for community. [20]
With assistance from Bishop Rappe and Mother Anna’s resolve, the community began to flourish. In addition to farming and growing fruit trees, the community enlarged the convent and built a hospital,[21] a chapel, a sawmill and a brick kiln.[22]
Mother Anna understood that the community needed to integrate into America society in order to accomplish their missionary purposes. She learned English and encouraged the other Sisters to learn as well. Around 1877, Mother Anna had the Villa officially incorporated into the State of Pennsylvania.[23] In 1889, the property had its own U.S. Post Office and from that point on, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary’s motherhouse was known as Villa Maria. By this time, Sister Odile was the community’s mother superior. Mother Anna resigned in 1883 after an illness left her paralyzed and bedridden.
By 1872, the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary served at parishes in the diocese of Cleveland, Pittsburg, and Erie. They opened hospitals, schools, and orphanages. In addition to their work in hospitals and schools, during their first 100 years, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary worked in 69 parishes, served as missionaries in South Dakota and Chile, and also assisted in other diocesan organizations.[24] The community also had Sisters working in St. Joseph, Missouri, although by 1874, the bishop for the Missouri community declared them a separate congregation, The Humility of Mary, because the distance between the two congregations was too far for meaningful association.[25]
America Part II: A Snapshot of the U.S. Circa 1860s-1880s
Earlier in this column, we placed the Sisters of the Humility of Mary’s founding in France and coming to America within the context of French political history and the history of the Catholic Church in Cleveland. But, more generally, what was happening in the United States when the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary arrived in 1864?
In the summer of 1864, as the Sisters were arriving and getting acclimated to life in New Bedford, Pennsylvania, the Civil War between the Union and the Confederacy was raging. The war had begun in 1861 and would continue until 1865. Modern historians suspect that the original death toll numbers were low and that as many as 750,000 people may have died.[26]
The Civil War’s bloodiest battle was fought in Gettysburg (225 miles southeast of the Villa) approximately 11 months before the Sisters arrived in America. After the July 1-3, 1863 battle, 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were dead, missing, or wounded. Using peppermint oil to “mask the horrid stench,[27]” local townspeople cleared dead soldiers (approximately 7,000 died at Gettysburg)[28] and about 5,000 dead horses and mules[29] from the battlefield and buried them.
Other events that coincided with the Sisters’ arrival in the United States include President Abraham’s declaration on October 20, 1864 that Thanksgiving should be a national holiday, and the admittance of Nevada as the 36th state in the Union[30] on October 31, 1864. President Lincoln was also elected to his second term in November 1864. In 1868, four years after the Sisters arrived, Louisa May Alcott published Little Women.[31]
Photography was a rapidly evolving technology in the latter half of the 19th century. The daguerreotype had been invented in France in 1839 by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre[32], and in 1888, George Eastman invented the first Kodak camera.[33] The Magnificat Archives is proud to have reprints of photographs taken of Mother Madelaine, Father Bégel, and Mother Anna. While we do not have specific dates for these photographs, we know that Mother Madelaine’s photograph dates to before 1864 since this was the year of her death.
Construction of the transcontinental railroad began in 1862 and was finally completed in 1869.[34] At the time, it was also called the Pacific Railroad, or the Overland Route, and included 1,912 miles of rail that connected the east and west coasts of the United States for the first time.
Railroad construction in Ohio also increased significantly after the Civil War. By 1900, there were 8,900 miles of track in Ohio, and by 1910, the number rose to more 9,500 miles of track.[35] Notably, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary opened St. Joseph Infirmary, the first hospital in Mahoning County, in 1879 specifically to take care of injured railroad workers.[36]
Nineteenth century U.S. history cannot be fully encapsulated in this space, but the above information about national events and innovations gives us a glimpse of the United States that the Sisters encountered upon their arrival and during their early years in New Bedford.
Conclusion
Today, we barely scratched the historical surface of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary’s founding and immigration to America. More extensive research in our own Archives and in the Villa Archives would provide even more details. The Magnificat Archives is fortunate to have reprints of histories written in the 1950s: A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary and Mother Anna Tabouret. Additionally, our collection includes a 1979 translation of Father Bégel’s 1879 notes about Mother Madelaine and the founding of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. In addition of print materials, the Villa archival collection also includes Mother Anna’s violin and wooden shoes. Both of these items were brought to the United States by Mother Anna in 1864.
We also used some national and local history to put the history of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in context with their surroundings. People do not live in isolation, and so they also cannot truly be understood isolation. As with the history of the Sisters, these ancillary pieces of information scratch only the surface of events and trends in France, in Catholicism, and in the United States.
In the coming months, I hope you will join me as we continue this journey. We will look more specifically at the Sisters’ contributions in healthcare and education. And we will take a much closer look at the Sisters whose lives shaped Magnificat High School. Until then, Happy Fall!Please click here for the digital poster
Bibliography
_____. “10 Quick Facts: Gettysburg.” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed 9/27/2019. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-gettysburg.
_____. “About: Our History.” Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/about/our-history.
_____. “Books that Shaped America: 1850-1900.” The Library of Congress: Exhibitions. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/1850-to-1900.html.
_____. “Catholics, Roman.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/catholics-roman.
_____. A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary. Villa Maria: Villa Maria Convent. 1954.
_____. “Foundry History.” The Foundry. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.clevelandfoundry.org/history-1.
_____. “Gettysburg” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed 9/27/2019. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/gettysburg.
_____. “Historical Events in 1864.” On This Day. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1864?p=2.
_____. “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.” Magnificat High School: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook. Rocky River: Magnificat High School. March 2019.
_____. “Original Kodak Camera, Serial Number 540.” National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institute. Accessed 9/25/2019, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_760118.
_____. “Parish History.” St. Christopher Parish. Accessed 9/28/2019. https://www.stchrisparish.com/history.
_____. “Populations légales 2016: Commune de Dommartin-sous-Amance (54168).” Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économique). Accessed 9/21/2019. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/3681328?geo=COM-54168.
_____. “Railroads.” Ohio History Central. Accessed 9/26/2019. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Railroads.
_____. “Rocky River.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University. Accessed 9/27/2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/r/rocky-river.
_____. “St. Mary’s-on-the-Flats.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/s/st-marys-flats.
_____. “The History of Photography.” Photography School Spéos ("Maisons des illustres"). Accessed 9/25/2019. http://www.photo-museum.org/photography-history/.
_____. “The Transcontinental Railroad.” The Library of Congress. Accessed 9/25/2019. https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-transcontinental-railroad/.
_____. “Town of Dommartin-sous-Amance.” Map-France.com. Accessed 9/21/2019. http://www.map-france.com/Dommartin-sous-Amance-54770/.
Euler, Heinrich Gustav. “Napoleon III: Emperor of France.” Encylopaedia Britannica. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-III-emperor-of-France
Goyau, Georges. "Napoleon III." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 9/17/2019. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10699a.htm.
Gugliotta, Guy. “New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll.” The New York Times. April 2, 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/civil-war-toll-up-by-20-percent-in-new-estimate.html.
Hickey, Cindy. “150 Years of Caring: Humility of Mary Sisters Share Mercy Ministry and Legacy.” Mercy Medical Center. July 8, 2014. https://www.cantonmercy.org/mission-blog/150-years-of-caring-humility-of-mary-sisters-share-mercy-ministry-legacy/
Kenneth, Sister Mary HHM. Mother Anna Tabouret, Reprint from Review for Religious, Vol 18, No 5. 1959.
Marszalek, John F. “Who was Stephen Badin?” Notre Dame Magazine. Summer 1994. https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/who-was-stephen-badin/.
Mockenhaupt, Brian. “The Battle of Gettysburg: A Time When Americans Saw War Firsthand.” The Atlantic. July 3, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/the-battle-of-gettysburg-a-time-when-american-civilians-saw-war-firsthand/277499/.
Zarzecny, Matthew. “Religion in Napoleonic France, Part II: Napoleon III and Religion.” The Napoleon Series. Accessed 9/17/2019. https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/napoleon/c_religion2.html
.
[1] _____,“Town of Dommartin-sous-Amance,” Map-France.com, Accessed 9/21/2019, http://www.map-france.com/Dommartin-sous-Amance-54770/.
[2] _____, “Populations légales 2016: Commune de Dommartin-sous-Amance (54168),” Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économique), Accessed 9/21/2019, https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/3681328?geo=COM-54168.
[3] Heinrich Gustav Euler,“Napoleon III: Emperor of France,” Encylopaedia Britannica, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-III-emperor-of-France.
[4] Matthew Zarzecny, “Religion in Napoleonic France, Part II: Napoleon III and Religion,” The Napoleon Series, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/napoleon/c_religion2.html.
[5] Georges Goyau, "Napoleon III," The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10 (New York: Robert Appleton Company), 1911, Accessed 9/17/2019. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10699a.htm.
[6] Matthew Zarzecny, “Religion in Napoleonic France, Part II: Napoleon III and Religion,” The Napoleon Series, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/napoleon/c_religion2.html.
[7] Where not specifically noted, information throughout this section is drawn from A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary, Mother Anna Tabouret, and the “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary” found in the Magnificat: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook.
[8] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, page 59.
[9] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, page 59.
[10] _____, “Catholics, Roman,” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University), Accessed 9/17/2019, https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/catholics-roman.
[11] John F Marszalek, “Who was Stephen Badin?” Notre Dame Magazine, Summer 1994, https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/who-was-stephen-badin/.
[12] _____, “About: Our History,” Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/about/our-history.
[13] _____, “Rocky River,” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University), Accessed 9/27/2019, https://case.edu/ech/articles/r/rocky-river.
[14] _____, “Parish History,” St. Christopher Parish, Accessed 9/28/2019, https://www.stchrisparish.com/history.
[15]Where not specifically noted, information throughout this section is drawn from A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary, Mother Anna Tabouret, and the “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary” found in the Magnificat: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook.
[16] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat High School: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, 60.
[17] Sister Mary Kenneth, HHM, Mother Anna Tabouret, Reprint from Review for Religious, Vol 18, No 5. 1959, 6.
[18] _____, A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary (Villa Maria: Villa Maria Convent), 1963, 14-16.
[19] Sister Mary Kenneth, HHM, Mother Anna Tabouret, Reprint from Review for Religious, Vol 18, No 5. 1959, 8.
[20] Ibid., 8.
[21] _____, A Dream Fulfilled: The Story of the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary (Villa Maria: Villa Maria Convent), 1963, 19.
[22] Sister Mary Kenneth, HHM, Mother Anna Tabouret, Reprint from Review for Religious, Vol 18, No 5. 1959, 8.
[23] Ibid., 9.
[24] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat High School: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, 61.
[25] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat High School: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, 60.
[26] Guy Gugliotta, “New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll,” The New York Times, April 2, 2012 https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/civil-war-toll-up-by-20-percent-in-new-estimate.html.
[27] Brian Mockenhaupt,“The Battle of Gettysburg: A Time When Americans Saw War Firsthand,” The Atlantic,July 3, 2013, https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/the-battle-of-gettysburg-a-time-when-american-civilians-saw-war-firsthand/277499/.
[28] _____, “Gettysburg” American Battlefield Trust, Accessed 9/27/2019, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/gettysburg.
[29] Brian Mockenhaupt,“The Battle of Gettysburg: A Time When Americans Saw War Firsthand,” The Atlantic,July 3, 2013, https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/the-battle-of-gettysburg-a-time-when-american-civilians-saw-war-firsthand/277499/.
[30] _____,“Historical Events in 1864,” On This Day, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1864?p=2.
[31] _____, “Books that Shaped America: 1850-1900,” The Library of Congress: Exhibitions, Accessed 9/17/2019, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/1850-to-1900.html.
[32] _____, “The History of Photography,” Photography School Spéos ("Maisons des illustres"), Accessed 9/25/2019, http://www.photo-museum.org/photography-history/.
[33] _____, “Original Kodak Camera, Serial Number 540,” National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institute, Accessed 9/25/2019, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_760118.
[34] _____, “The Transcontinental Railroad,” The Library of Congress, Accessed 9/25/2019, https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-transcontinental-railroad/.
[35] _____, “Railroads,” Ohio History Central, Accessed 9/26/2019, https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Railroads.
[36] _____, “History of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary,” Magnificat High School: 2018-2019 Faculty/Staff Handbook (Rocky River: Magnificat High School), March 2019, 60. -
September 2019 - Buried Treasure at Magnificat Part II: The Yearbook Cache
-
June 2019 - Pomp and Circumstance: Graduation Programs Reflect Magnificat History & U.S. Cultural Trends
-
May 2019 - Rock 'n' Roll, Disco, and Stayin' Alive
-
April 2019 - Magnificat Athletics Part III
-
March 2019, "Magnificat Athletics" Part II
-
February 2019, "Magnificat Athletics" Part I
-
January 2019 — Paving the Way for Women: The Scientific Contributions of Sister Joan Acker, H.M.
Statement of Purpose
The Magnificat High School Archives exists to procure, evaluate, preserve, and provide access to materials of enduring historical value to Magnificat High School, thereby enriching scholarship about and appreciation for the school heritage and the living endowment provided by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.
Donations
If you have artifacts you would like to donate to the Magnificat Archives, you can drop them off at the school, or you can mail them to Mary Cay Doherty, Archivist, Magnificat High School, 20770 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River, OH 44116. Please include your contact information such as address, phone number and/or email address.
Contact Mary Cay Doherty, Archivist, at mdoherty@maghs.org or 440.331.1572, ext. 373 if you have questions about donations.
Contact Mary Cay Doherty, Archivist, at mdoherty@maghs.org or 440.331.1572, ext. 373 if you have questions about donations.
School History
A Strong Past, A Bright Future
The Humility of Mary heritage has fostered devotion to Mary as a strong woman and faithful disciple throughout her life, speaking joyfully as well as prophetically in the school prayer, the canticle of the Magnificat. This heritage has also promoted involvement in justice and service supported by the H.M. Community Endowment both for summer immersion experiences as well as tuition assistance and other supporting grants. Magnificat’s emphasis on the holistic development of students has led to the enhancement of the Campus Ministry program in complementary dimensions of service, liturgy/prayer, retreats, and peace and justice as well as co-curricular and athletic programs.List of 6 items.
-
1960s and 1970s
The hallmark of education at Magnificat has always been its reputation for excellence and caring. In the late 1960s, the school adopted a mosaic schedule to address the variety of learning rhythms of both students and teachers. In the early 1970s, reflecting the nature of the student body, Magnificat committed to a fully accredited college-preparatory curriculum, receiving the official State Department of Education designation in 1985. Annually, at least 98 percent of graduates matriculate directly to a four-year college or university.
With the passage of Title IX in 1972 and increased availability of college scholarships for scholar-athletes, Magnificat began to mount competitive teams, which today number 12 sports, most including freshman, JV and varsity levels, and have achieved State Championships in a range of athletic events.
In 1973, Magnificat established the Genesis program, the first of its kind, involving seniors in a two-week community service and career exploration under a mentor in the broader community. -
1980s
In 1985, the school was honored as an “Exemplary Private School,” one of the original 26 non-public schools nationwide so named by the U.S. Department of Education. That same year, the administration embarked upon the school’s first capital campaign, which resulted in a new wing located at the east end of the building housing the Theology and Science Departments. The project also included classroom and office renovations in the main building and an athletic field for softball, soccer, and track and field. Two years later, the Activities Center (Gym) and outdoor tennis courts, both located at the eastern end of the property, were completed.
In 1986, the school was incorporated and a Board of Directors established to assure responsibility for the strategic direction of the corporation and to ensure a philosophy, mission and identity consistent with that of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. The Code of Regulations thus guarantees the forwarding of the institution in an enduring and recognized way. -
1990s
1997 marked the transition to a President-Principal administrative model, facilitating more comprehensive planning for the future while maintaining a strong academic program. Beginning July 1, 2010, Magnificat High School announced a innovative leadership structure with the appointment of two deans, Dean of Faculty and Academics and Dean of Student Life and Formation, holding mutual, comprehensive responsibility for the day-to-day aspects of the school, its students, faculty and programs. The President has overall responsibility for the school community, its Mission, strategic direction, Board, constituent relationships and advancement. Along with the President and Deans, the Leadership Team is comprised of Vice Presidents of Mission, Advancement, and Finance and Administration.
In 1995, the first Named Endowed Scholarship (NES) was established leading to 205 more by 2017. A range of merit and need-based scholarships complement the NES, including Alumnae, Marian, Academic and Lourdes Academy. Today, tuition assistance awarded to students exceeds $1.6 million annually.
Education beyond the classroom has encompassed field trips to theaters, museums, universities, science and nature centers, as well as student cultural exchanges begun in 1999, with visits to schools in Barcelona (1999), Brussels (2004-10) and Grenoble (2012), and most recently, travel to China (2013). In 2000, summer immersion experiences were inaugurated and have included immersion retreats in El Salvador, Ecuador, Immokalee (Florida), Appalachia and Cleveland. -
2000s
In 2004, the Magnificat Center for the Performing Arts opened, providing state-of-the-art facilities for theater, music and dance. Major renovation of the original structure brought a whole new look from classroom windows to lighting. A newly expanded Chapel became the spiritual center of the school community. -
2010s
In 2010, The Rosemary Saas Center for Women of Faith in Leadership was established at Magnificat. It supports initiatives in leadership development, including local and internationally noted speakers, scholarships, alumnae connections—in person and skyped—and the Link Crew upperclass to freshman mentoring program.The Freshman Family Welcome Conferences for incoming students became customary in 2009. The Family Mass Program was inaugurated in 2011 to celebrate the gifts of each class and the call to live Mary’s Magnificat in the world. Pendants are distributed by class: Learn; Serve; Lead; Symbol of Mary with Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum (My soul magnifies the Lord).In 2012, the Theology Department implemented the new Diocesan Theology Curriculum based on the Doctrinal Framework of the USCCB complemented with traditional units on Mary and the Magnificat, identity, history, heritage and Gospel justice.The school-wide recycling program, initiated by students in 2008, was the origin of the comprehensive sustainability approach that has given rise to composting, planting of a prairie, use of sustainable materials in construction, and awareness and advocacy fostering care for God’s creation. In October 2012, Magnificat High School, one of four schools in the nation, was designated a Fair Trade School by Fair Trade USA.In March 2013, the Board of Directors approved a resolution naming the Surround Learning Center as the Humility of Mary Center, the Cafeteria as Marian Commons, and the Chapel as Lourdes Chapel in honor of the history and heritage of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, their sponsorship and enduring contributions to Magnificat High School since its founding.In 2013, the Genesis program was re-conceptualized as a project-based, personally envisioned interdisciplinary experience conducted across junior and senior year. The revised Genesis experience will culminate in an authentic product and/or innovative presentation.In 2018 received a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon and was named a Cleveland Clinic Banner School. -
Our Campus Through the Years
The original classroom building facing Hilliard Boulevard was completed in 1957 and dedicated by the late Archbishop Edward F. Hoban. Population increases in the western suburbs of Cleveland during the 1960s and 1970s were reflected in the enrollment at Magnificat, thus creating a need for additional space.
In 1969, construction began on the spacious Resource Center, a library and educational research area, Large Group Instruction room (LGI) for multidisciplinary experiences and Multipurpose Room (MPR).
In the mid-1980s, classrooms and offices were added, along with an additional gym at the east end of the building and outdoor athletic fields. In 1993, a third building renovation and construction project was completed with the opening of the new West Wing in what had formerly been the Convent, the living quarters of the H.M. Sisters. The first floor was transformed into an innovative art center and gallery. The Math Department was relocated to the second floor of the former convent. Spaces in the main building vacated by those departments were converted to additional science and computer labs and a completely renovated Business Technology Center.
In 2004, the Magnificat Center for the Performing Arts opened, providing state-of-the-art facilities for theater, music and dance. Major renovation of the original structure brought a whole new look from classroom windows to lighting. A newly expanded Chapel became the spiritual center of the school community.
In 2012, the Resource Center was completely transformed into the Humility of Mary Center along with the entrance way and lobby in Phase I of SURROUND LEARNING™ Innovative Education for Global Leading. Today, the area, equipped with WiFi, accommodates a range of electronic devices and promotes ideal environments for 20 learning modalities ranging from independent study to collaborative technologies. WiFi access and online connections to other libraries enable distance learning with museums, NASA, COSI, Taiwan and Ecuador.
In 2013, Phase II of SURROUND LEARNING™ continues the theme of learning anytime, anywhere in a seamless environment with the transformation of the Cafeteria/Kitchen and the incorporation of electronically ready study areas.
In 2017, Magnificat began Phase I, II, and III of the renovation of the athletic spaces around the building. Magnificat is now home to Coyne Tennis Courts and Karnatz Family Field. Magnificat is the only all-girl Catholic school in northeast Ohio to have a synthetic turf field on its campus.
The school’s HVAC system was replaced in the summer of 2019, marking the first time in school history that the entire building was air-conditioned. The new, energy efficient system replaced the old boilers and was an essential first step toward reimagining Magnificat’s science spaces.
During the summer of 2020, Magnificat’s second floor was transformed to create The Sisters of the Humility of Mary Center for Science Exploration & Innovation. With flexible learning spaces that allow for interdisciplinary scientific inquiry, the new science spaces were completed in time for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.
Click here for information on Magnificat's Asbestos Management Plan.
School Leadership
A History of Leadership
Magnificat’s leadership has been open to growth and change and has led Magnificat to its present stature in the community and nationally. Faculty, parents and students live the Mission of Magnificat in educating young women holistically to learn, lead, and serve in the spirit of Mary’s Magnificat. Faculty and staff work together with parents to create the kind of caring environment that fosters spiritual growth and intellectual development.List of 15 items.
-
1955-1961
Sister Bernadette Vetter, H.M. Founding Principal (deceased) -
1961-1967
Sister Honora McAndrew, H.M. Principal (deceased) -
1967-1971
Sister Claire Young, H.M. Principal -
1971-1974
Sister Ann McManamon, H.M. Principal -
1974-1981
Sister Rose Schaffer, H.M. Principal (deceased) -
1981-1988
Sister Carol Anne, Smith, H.M. Principal -
1988-1997
Sister Carolyn Marshall, H.M. Principal -
1997-2007
Sister Carolyn Marshall, H.M. First President -
1997-2009
Sister Mary Pat Cook, H.M. Principal -
2007-2010
Sister Carol Anne Smith, H.M. Principal/President -
2010-2013
Sister Carol Anne Smith, H.M. President -
2013-2015
Mrs. Renata J. Rafferty President -
January-July, 2015
Sister Helen Jean Novy, H.M. Interim President -
July 2015-July 2017
Ms. Jenifer Hebda Halliday '95 President -
2017-Present
Mrs. Moira Clark '77 President
.jpg){kind=logo}
Magnificat High School, a girls' Catholic college-preparatory high school, founded and sponsored by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, educates young women holistically to learn, lead, and serve in the spirit of Mary’s Magnificat.
