Mary Cecilia Bailly
Encyclopedia
Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly, S.P., (June 2, 1815 - August 2, 1898) was the Superior General
of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
, Indiana
from 1856-1868, directly succeeding the congregation's foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
. During her time in office, she began rebuilding the Academy (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
and sent Sisters of Providence to staff military hospitals in Indianapolis
and Vincennes, Indiana
during the American Civil War
.
She was born Eleanor Cecilia Kinzie Bailly in Mackinac County, Michigan
, on June 2, 1815. Her father was Joseph Aubert de Gaspé Bailly de Messein
, a Canadian
fur magnate of French
descent, and her mother was Marie Le Fèvre de la Vigne, a member of the Ottawa
tribe. When Eleanor was seven, the family moved to the Joseph Bailly Homestead
, Porter County, Indiana. This homestead was much traveled by various Native American
tribes, including the Menominee
, Winnebago, Fox and Dakota Sioux.
Eleanor entered the Sisters of Providence on November 25, 1841, at which time she became known as Sister Mary Cecilia. In 1843 she was selected to accompany Mother Theodore on a fundraising trip to France
. The pair left Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on April 26, 1843, and sailed to France, where they spent time with the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir
and met with dignitaries including Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
, Queen of France.
Upon returning, Bailly spent time teaching at the Academy, now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
, and took full administrative charge of the institute in 1848.
of the Sisters of Providence
in 1856 upon the death of Mother Theodore, earning the title of Mother Mary Cecilia. During her administration, she sent Sisters of Providence to staff schools in many Indiana
towns including Washington
, New Albany
, Cannelton
, Fort Wayne
, Indianapolis
, Loogootee
, Vincennes
and Lafayette
.
In 1858 Mother Mary Cecilia secured the services of Diedrich A. Bohlen, an architect from Indianapolis, to construct a new building for the Academy and several other buildings the congregation needed, including a bakehouse and a greenhouse. A small, temporary chapel was also built to fill the Sisters' needs until a more permanent and majestic structure could be built. (The Church of the Immaculate Conception
, this later, permanent structure, was not consecrated until 1907.)
By May of 1861, Indiana was mired in the American Civil War
and the wounded troops were in need of care. Indiana governor Oliver Morton called upon Mother Mary Cecilia to provide Sisters of Providence as nurses. On May 17, 1861, the Sisters took over administrative duties at Military Hospital in Indianapolis. The Sisters were in charge of washing, cooking and cleaning, and several Sisters served as nurses. The Sisters of Providence are now honored by a monument in Washington, D.C.
, dedicated to the Nuns of the Battlefield of the Civil War
.
Mother Mary Cecilia became known for her decisiveness and firm leadership, which drew some Sisters to her and caused others to look upon her unfavorably. In the congregation's elections of 1868, Mother Mary Cecilia did not receive dispensation
to continue as Superior General and Sister Anastasie Brown
was named instead.
This situation was seen as an insult to Mother Mary Cecilia and caused controversy within the community, some of whom viewed Brown, now known as Mother Anastasie, to be a usurper. For some time, there was talk of creating a new branch of the Sisters of Providence, with Mother Mary Cecilia in charge, on the old Bailly Homestead Porter County, Indiana. However, with the 1874 election of a new Superior General, Mother Mary Ephrem Glenn
, these plans ceased and the community returned to a mostly united group.
In 1880 Mother Mary Cecilia went to serve at St. Ann's Orphanage in Terre Haute, Indiana
. She remained there, caring for the orphans, as well as writing a biography of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
, which was left unfinished at her death in 1898.
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from 1856-1868, directly succeeding the congregation's foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
Theodore Guerin
Saint Mother Théodore Guérin , designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, is the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, a congregation of Catholic nuns...
. During her time in office, she began rebuilding the Academy (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a Roman Catholic, four-year liberal arts women's college located northwest of Terre Haute, Indiana, between the Wabash River and the Illinois state line. There is also a small village of the same name located nearby...
and sent Sisters of Providence to staff military hospitals in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
She was born Eleanor Cecilia Kinzie Bailly in Mackinac County, Michigan
Mackinac County, Michigan
-Local Airports:*Mackinac County Airport *Mackinac Island Airport -Airline service:The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are:*Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste...
, on June 2, 1815. Her father was Joseph Aubert de Gaspé Bailly de Messein
Joseph Bailly
Joseph Bailly was a fur trader and a member of an important French Canadian family that included his uncle, Charles-François Bailly de Messein....
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
fur magnate of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
descent, and her mother was Marie Le Fèvre de la Vigne, a member of the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
tribe. When Eleanor was seven, the family moved to the Joseph Bailly Homestead
Joseph Bailly Homestead
The Joseph Bailly Homestead, also known as Joseph Bailly Homestead and Cemetery, in Porter, Indiana, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark....
, Porter County, Indiana. This homestead was much traveled by various Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes, including the Menominee
Menominee
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. The Menominee, along with the Ho-Chunk, are the only tribes that are indigenous to what is now Wisconsin...
, Winnebago, Fox and Dakota Sioux.
Eleanor entered the Sisters of Providence on November 25, 1841, at which time she became known as Sister Mary Cecilia. In 1843 she was selected to accompany Mother Theodore on a fundraising trip to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The pair left Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on April 26, 1843, and sailed to France, where they spent time with the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir
Ruillé-sur-Loir
Ruillé-sur-Loir is a commune in the Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region in north-western France.The village has a medieval and Renaissance parish church but is dominated by the school and the mother house of the order of Sisters of Providence...
and met with dignitaries including Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily sometimes known as Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies was a Princess of Naples and Sicily and later the Queen of the French from 1830–1848, consort to Louis Philippe I....
, Queen of France.
Upon returning, Bailly spent time teaching at the Academy, now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a Roman Catholic, four-year liberal arts women's college located northwest of Terre Haute, Indiana, between the Wabash River and the Illinois state line. There is also a small village of the same name located nearby...
, and took full administrative charge of the institute in 1848.
As Superior General
Bailly became Superior GeneralSuperior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the Sisters of Providence
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840...
in 1856 upon the death of Mother Theodore, earning the title of Mother Mary Cecilia. During her administration, she sent Sisters of Providence to staff schools in many Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
towns including Washington
Washington, Indiana
Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana, United States. The population was 11,509 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County.-History:...
, New Albany
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
, Cannelton
Cannelton, Indiana
Cannelton is a city in Troy Township, Perry County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,209 at the 2000 census. Cannelton, which is the smallest incorporated city in the state, was formerly the county seat of Perry County until the seat was relocated to Tell City...
, Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Loogootee
Loogootee, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,741 people, 1,226 households, and 712 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,750.5 people per square mile . There were 1,337 housing units at an average density of 853.8 per square mile...
, Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
and Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
.
In 1858 Mother Mary Cecilia secured the services of Diedrich A. Bohlen, an architect from Indianapolis, to construct a new building for the Academy and several other buildings the congregation needed, including a bakehouse and a greenhouse. A small, temporary chapel was also built to fill the Sisters' needs until a more permanent and majestic structure could be built. (The Church of the Immaculate Conception
Church of the Immaculate Conception (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana)
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, is on the motherhouse grounds of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods...
, this later, permanent structure, was not consecrated until 1907.)
By May of 1861, Indiana was mired in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the wounded troops were in need of care. Indiana governor Oliver Morton called upon Mother Mary Cecilia to provide Sisters of Providence as nurses. On May 17, 1861, the Sisters took over administrative duties at Military Hospital in Indianapolis. The Sisters were in charge of washing, cooking and cleaning, and several Sisters served as nurses. The Sisters of Providence are now honored by a monument in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, dedicated to the Nuns of the Battlefield of the Civil War
Outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C.
There are many outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. In addition to the capital's most famous monuments and memorials, many figures recognized as national heroes have been posthumously awarded with his or her own statue in a park or public square...
.
Mother Mary Cecilia became known for her decisiveness and firm leadership, which drew some Sisters to her and caused others to look upon her unfavorably. In the congregation's elections of 1868, Mother Mary Cecilia did not receive dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
to continue as Superior General and Sister Anastasie Brown
Anastasie Brown
Mother Anastasie Brown, S.P., , was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1868-74. During her term, the congregation had financial difficulties stemming from the Panic of 1873...
was named instead.
This situation was seen as an insult to Mother Mary Cecilia and caused controversy within the community, some of whom viewed Brown, now known as Mother Anastasie, to be a usurper. For some time, there was talk of creating a new branch of the Sisters of Providence, with Mother Mary Cecilia in charge, on the old Bailly Homestead Porter County, Indiana. However, with the 1874 election of a new Superior General, Mother Mary Ephrem Glenn
Mary Ephrem Glenn
Mother Mary Ephrem Glenn, S.P. , was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1874-83...
, these plans ceased and the community returned to a mostly united group.
In 1880 Mother Mary Cecilia went to serve at St. Ann's Orphanage in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. She remained there, caring for the orphans, as well as writing a biography of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
Theodore Guerin
Saint Mother Théodore Guérin , designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, is the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, a congregation of Catholic nuns...
, which was left unfinished at her death in 1898.