The Nuns of Sisters' Circle

The Nuns of Sisters' Circle

Written by Angela Gates

On August 11, 1853, Nuns of the Visitation from Montluel (Visitandines as they were often called) first set foot in Keokuk. They were cloistered religious who had agreed to open a school in the early days of Iowa’s existence. In 1852, the diocese of Dubuque and Bishop Mathias Loras had made contact with the nuns by sending Father Baptist Villars to plead the case. Four sisters prepared to make the trip: Mother Marie Nechtilde Pernaud, Sister Mary Anastasia Martin, Sister Mary Agnes Journet, and Sister Marie Therese Bouvard. The sisters' arrival in Keokuk was met with a large assembly at the landing complete with flowers scattered in their path. Bishop Loras and Father Villars accompanied the sisters as they stepped into their new lives.

The first school opened on September 1, 1853 and was able to accommodate only 30 students. Within the next year, they were prepared to relocate to the new monastery at 7th and Timea Streets. With that change, they were able to open their doors to a larger number of children. Many of Keokuk’s society families enrolled children at the school, however free education was offered to those who may not have been able to afford it. The Visitation Academy became highly regarded throughout the area for its excellent standards in education.

One of the initial four sisters to arrive in Keokuk, Sister Mary Agnes Journet died at the age of 39 on March 4, 1861 and was buried at the Catholic Cemetery. Sister Mary Anna Lanigan, age 19, passed away on July 12. In December of the same year, Sister Mary Cecilia Creed and Sister Mary Gabrielle Rice passed away and joined Sister Mary Agnes in rest within the Sisters Circle. Sister Mary Cecilia was raised in Ohio and was the niece of a Keokuk family. Sister Mary Gabrielle’s funeral procession was said to be one of the largest the city had ever seen. These three were among the youngest in the convent at the time of their deaths.

In 1864, death took Sister Mary Aimie Burke on August 31, Sister Mary Louisa Swartz on November 3 and Keokuk native Sister Mary Benedicta McCue on December 22. The following year, 1865, Sister Frances Gonzaga Claggett who had herself been a pupil in the academy and went on to join the sisterhood, passed away and joined the others at Sisters Circle.

The Civil War and the hard economic times which followed brought dramatic change to the school. As a result, the sixteen remaining Keokuk Visitandines departed for a new location near the Seminary of Our Lady of the Angels in Niagara, New York. Mother Josephine Rice was greeted by her brother Father Robert E. V. Rice, the superior of their new residency. There were also two branch establishments, one in Ottumwa and the other in Maysville. Following the Visitandines were the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in 1867. The Sisters of Charity would be a presence in Keokuk until 1996.

Sister Catherine Mahoney of the Sisters of Charity was born March 17, 1849. At the time of her death on November 4, 1880, she had been with the sisters for seven years.

Sister Martina Murphy was born Anne Elizabeth Barry Murphy in New York on August 7, 1854. She was educated at a Sisters of Charity boarding school in Donaldsonville, Louisiana and entered the vocation on September 7, 1870 at the age of sixteen. She took her vows five years and one day later, a vow she maintained for sixty-six years. Sister Martina served in Baltimore, Maryland for thirteen years, Louisiana for seven years, and St. Louis for twelve years before coming to Keokuk in 1897. Here she taught in the St. Vincent’s and St. Peter’s schools. The Gatekeeper annual in 1931 was dedicated to her as an exceptional teacher who was loved by her many students and families within the community. 

To learn more about these organizations, visit the IowaGenWeb page at https://iagenweb.org/lee/church/stpeter-3.htm