Sister DeSales had been a Mission Helper since the 1890s and was intimately involved in the crisis of 1906. As such she played a significant role in aiding Mother Demetrias in her effort to hold an election in November, 1906. Sr. DeSales compiled…
On June 22, 1902, Fr. Slattery gave a controversial sermon, with Cardinal Gibbons present, at the occasion of Father John Dorsey's first celebration of the Mass. Fr. Dorsey was one of the first two African American priests ordained in the United…
Included here are the first several pages of the constitutions which the Mission Helpers drafted for themselves between 1906 and 1912. The General Chapter of the Mission Helpers approved the constitutions in 1912, and then Cardinal Gibbons of…
This document is the first draft of a "cover letter" detailing the Mission Helpers' history which would accompany their application to Rome. This version was sent to Fr. Hector Papi for revision. The notes in pencil are the changes he suggested to…
Included here are three letters from Fr. Hector Papi to the Mission Helpers in 1917, providing the nuns advice on how they are to submit their application to Rome. The forth document is a note made by the Mission Helpers themselves recording which…
Included here are four letters in Italian between the Mission Helpers and Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, the Vatican's Secretary of State, concerning Rome's receipt of the nuns' application.
This document is the English version of the cover letter detailing their history, sent to Rome in 1917. It includes the changes Fr. Papi suggested they make to the earlier version. On reading, one can see that almost all mention of Mother Joseph had…
In this letter of 1920, Fr. Papi writes to Sr. DeSales advising her not to worry too much about how long it had been since they had heard anything from Rome regarding their application. These things take time, he assures her.
On September 10, 1921, Cardinal Gibbons and the Mission Helpers received this letter from the Vatican deferring their papal approval pending revisions to their constitutions.