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The building for which Mother
Kathleen is best remembered is the IHM Novitiate. (40) By October
1955, the council minutes reflect Mother Kathleen’s plan
to provide candidates and novices with enlarged space in a new
building. The influx of some forty-five postulants yearly, and
approximately eighty novices in the novitiate at a given time
in the two-year cycle, resulted in extremely crowded conditions
at the motherhouse.
In 1955, the purchase of part of the Apawana Golf Course as
a future site for the new novitiate was discussed. This property
was adjacent on the East to existing Congregation property and
was situated on an elevated knoll above the other campus buildings.
Two years later, on December 17, 1957, after the sale of St.
Agnes Place, Elmhurst, the council minutes refer to the fact
that the money from the sale of St. Agnes Place had been “invested
in the Corn Exchange Bank of New York to purchase land from
the Pennsylvania and Hudson Coal Companies for a new novitiate.”
(41)
Successful negotiating over the next six months ended with the
acquisition of forty-eight acres of land by June 13, 1958. The
total cost of the land was $48,286, which was paid for from
savings. As with any large building project in the Scranton/Dunmore
area, concern arose about underground conditions due to years
of mining activity by the coal companies. Acting on information
that a mine fire was burning underground somewhere in the vicinity,
Mother Kathleen arranged for extensive studies to be done by
professional engineers. Having determined that the area was
protected by thick firewalls underground, the engineers pronounced
the land safe for building. (42)
The plans and cost estimates of several architects were considered.
In March 1959, Mother Kathleen and the council chose the architectural
firm of Valverde and Franco. (43) It was estimated that the
novitiate building would cost approximately $1,500,000. Initial
expenses were met from the Building Fund, but from June 1961
through January 1962, $562,000 was borrowed from Northeastern
Pennsylvania National Bank and Trust of Scranton. An additional
$225,000 was borrowed in February and May 1962. (44)
To help meet the challenge of this financial burden, Mother
Kathleen organized a group of men in 1958 that became known
as the “Fathers and Friends of the Marywood Novitiate.”
At its height, there were three hundred members, most of whom
were fathers of novices or postulants. These men were represented
in twelve states and hundreds of cities, especially in New York
and Pennsylvania. The presidents of the “Fathers and Friends”
up to the time of the dedication of the building included Edward
P. Rock, 1958–1959; Joseph A. Rooney, 1960; William G.
Connolly, 1961; and Aloysius J. Wilson, 1962. The largest annual
project of the association was the Marywood Autumn Fair, held
over three days in October. The IHM Sisters and many friends
donated handmade gifts and baked goods for the booths at the
fair. The novitiate building dedication booklet comments:
Under the well-organized leadership of the Fathers and Friends,
the Autumn Fair constitutes an inspiring and encouraging manifestation
of the generous support of business and professional donors,
as well as thousands of friends who patronize its activities.
(45)
This organization continued until 1974, having sponsored the
Marywood Autumn Fair for ten years, and subsequently conducting
fund drives which featured Guy Lombardo Concerts, IHM Sisters
Musicales, and dinners for the public, for a total contribution
of $891,102. After each of the successful Autumn Fair events
from 1958–1961, Mother Kathleen made known her deep appreciation
of the work of the Fathers and Friends by letter and in her
address at the yearly gratitude banquet. In 1958, for example,
she wrote:
Your fine help in planning, and in executing these plans
resulted in what was a really phenomenal affair. Full well
we know that we of ourselves could never have achieved the
success that your valuable help insured. We are most grateful
to you and will ever hold in loving memory the record of your
generous help . . . Again, permit me to thank you, as I pray
that you who have done so much for our beloved Order will
be abundantly blessed by God. May you and your dear ones reap
God’s abundant reward. (46)
Groundbreaking for the new building took place on May 30,
1960. The dedication booklet describes this event as “a
triumphal day for the Fathers and Friends of the Marywood Novitiate.”
Undoubtedly, that could be said also for Mother Kathleen who,
in spite of the pouring rain, “with undampered spirit
. . . put her hand to the shovel turning the soil with comparative
ease to the unsuppressed amusement of attending clergy and members
of the community council, witnesses to the groundwork done by
His Excellency.” (47)
The architects, Valverde and Franco, must have spent many hours
with Mother Kathleen as every detail of the 103,000 square foot
contemporary, functional novitiate was developed. The spiritual
focus of the novitiate was addressed, as a magnificent chapel
became the dominating element of the “H” form plan.
Features of the chapel included a custom-designed pipe organ
and stained-glass windows portraying biblical events in the
life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as one window depicting
Congregation history. With a seating capacity of four hundred,
the chapel was designed to provide space for large groups attending
receptions and professions of postulants, novices, and junior
professed sisters.
Other dimensions of the life of a postulant and novice were
given attention in well-lighted classrooms and a library; a
well-equipped kitchen where the fine art of cooking for large
groups would be learned; and spacious dining, dormitory, laundry,
and recreational areas.
Mother Kathleen had been closely involved in the planning of
the novitiate, including the communication of her desire that
the dormitories be constructed in such a way that each novice
and postulant would have a window in her sleeping area. And
this was done. What did not occur according to her wish was
the subject of several letters to and from Bishop Hannan regarding
the use of oil instead of coal in heating the new building.
Bishop Hannan, anticipating a negative reaction from area people
if coal were not the fuel of choice, was quite emphatic in his
refusal of support for the use of oil. Mother Kathleen set forth
cogent reasons for the change, chief among which was the initial
and future expense of using coal. She did, however, accede to
the bishop’s wishes after receiving the following statement
from him:
Should you and your council decide on the use of oil instead
of coal and should there be any censure of this action, I
will not hesitate to disavow responsibility for the decision,
even publicly, if the extent of the censure threatens to alienate
a significant number of Catholics. (48)
After Mother Kathleen’s letter of January 16, 1960,
assuring Bishop Hannan of compliance with his wishes, the Bishop
wrote: “This assures that neither I nor your Congregation
will be confronted with the resentment of our Catholic working
people.” (49)
Mother Kathleen, as superior general of a congregation of some
eleven-hundred sisters, having spiritual and temporal responsibilities
of such great magnitude as her life story reveals, demonstrated
the humility of greatness in a situation where her judgment
could well have been upheld and supported. Interestingly enough,
the heating system would have to be converted to natural gas
and oil in subsequent years!
Mother Kathleen made many visits to the site of the new novitiate
as it progressed. But she was not to see the completed fruit
of her efforts. She was hospitalized in October 1961, and while
she continued working from her hospital room until her death
on January 31, 1962, she did not live to participate in the
festive dedication on May 30, 1962 of her favorite project,
the IHM Novitiate. On that occasion Mother Beata Wertz paid
tribute to Mother Kathleen, saying:
. . . we rejoice in the dedication of this splendid building.
It is a monument to our revered Mother M. Kathleen, who devoted
herself wholeheartedly to its planning and construction. Every
detail was of vital interest to her. Always in our memories,
it will express to us the zeal with which she toiled in the
care of our novices and postulants. (50)
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