Catholic Nuns and the Making of America

In a bright afternoon in April 1869, Sister Austin Carroll was sailing down the Mississippi on the steamship Mollie Abel with a small group of young sisters. The group of nuns was one of a number heading for new assignments as the order expanded to new cities. Their mission was New Orleans.

In the 1930’s, a chance encounter took place at a hospital in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Bob Smith, a physician recovering from alcoholism, met Sister Mary Ignatia Gavin at St. Thomas Hospital. She helped Dr. Smith and others recovering from alcoholism, and founded Alcoholics Anonymous, probably the most successful rehabilitation program in American history.

In February 1920, the order sent three volunteers to open a new elementary school in Westwago, a working class suburb in New Orleans. Sister Bonaventure Monhollan was the youngest of the group, which endured many hardships in their efforts.