Miss Gately’s Noble Work, Boston Daily Globe; Aug 16, 1902
St. Agnes’ Industrial School, 1892- a Home for Friendless and Orphan Children
Above the gateway which leads to what was once an old-time estate in Humphrey St., Dorchester, appears the inscription “St. Agnes’ Industrial school.”
What the passerby may see here is not unique; merely an old-fashioned mansion house, much in need of repair, which is approached from the street by a long, shaded avenue, formed by tall, arching elms.
The house, which rests upon a low terraced foundation, which raises it above the level of the ground, is one of those square, frame structures, appearing to contain much room, such as the Boston merchant of 50 years ago built for himself and family when success in business had placed him on the list of affluent toilers.
To the left of the dwelling, as one faces it, there is a conservatory, but no flowers blossom in its windows now, because the practical, strenuous life of the woman who presides over the place admits of small scope for the cultivation of these messengers of beauty.
A little further off from the street close to the rear of the house, there stands a stable which, like all else about the estate, shows the marks of time on its paint-worn frame.
There are spacious and grass-grown grounds in front of the house, which are shaded by trees and cultivated with low shrubbery. The sounds which one hears about the place are the happy voices of children floating out upon the air through the open windows of the rooms.
The children’s voices are the key to all that centers here. Even the place itself, despite its much-worn look seems to possess that distinct half-human utterance which is probably the secret of the charm that holds the passerby.
It is to be hoped that the readers of the Globe will be sufficiently interested to accompany the reporter and be introduced to the woman who is the power that welds the school together.
She is Margaret A. Gately, born in Ireland 68 years ago, but who, since she was 4 years old, has called America her home.
For 50 years Miss Gately has lent herself to the service of humanity, and whether the call has come from helpless and neglected childhood, or whether it has proceeded from wounded men lying upon southern battlefields, it has never, in all of that time, fallen unheeded upon her ear.
Were you to see Miss Gately once you would never forget her. Were you to hear some of the fragments of her story from her own lips you would be deeply impressed by the remarkable life that she has led. It is a life that has been strongly colored by incident and molded by self sacrifice.
There has been a time in this woman’s existence when she wore the garb of a sister of charity. But it is now 20 years since she resumed the garments of the world. The reason for this change is Miss Gately’s own.
It is with the tenderest affection manifest in her voice that she speaks of the order of patient, heroic women to which she once belonged, and of whose numbers she still in her heart, classes herself as one. The soul of the true sister of charity has animated her during all of the years when, alone, she has heroically striven to share with the humanity its burden of suffering and sorrow.
There is a transfiguring pathos in the story that she relates of herself. Not intended to exalt, it nevertheless reaches the sublime in the bravery and fortitude that has made her life a succession of noble deeds. The listener detects the keen sympathy of her nature in every phrase that she utters. He readily finds the mother-heart which has prompted her to become the protector of helpless children, and the nurse of the sick or wounded sufferer.
A vivid interest centers around Miss Gately’s life upon the battlefields of the rebellion where, as a sister of charity, she went in whatever direction duty called her.
It fell to her lot, as one of the community of sisters that was stationed at Richmond during the period of the civil war, to open the first hospital that was established in that city after the battle of Manassas.
She nursed, many of the sufferers who spent miserable days and nights in Libby prison, which with all of the horrors that might have been told of it, was yet not so bad as it was described.
When Vicksburg was scourged with yellow fever she changed the field of her labors to the pestilence-ridden city. Other sisters, too, were there during that fearful time. One little knows what the sister of charity braves in such seasons of peril until he hears the tale from the lips of one of their own number who has passed through the ordeal.
Self is utterly forgotten; weariness is lost sight of; exposure is passed slightingly by, danger is encountered without fear; severe manual toil is undertaken as if it were the lightest task, and the victim of purulent disease is nursed with a devotion that even one’s own would, in many cases, lack the courage to bestow. And yet the sister of charity never makes complaint.
Out of experiences of this character Miss Gately developed the fortitude which afterward has enabled her to bear the weight of the splendid work which she has since done among homeless children.
A woman who, with others of her sex, could take her turn at propelling a handcar for a distance of nine miles in order to reach Vicksburg when help was needed. In a woman who would faint under no task whatever when duty pointed out the way to her.
Yet Miss Gately is a slight woman whose stature is much below the average of women. But in the quaint, old-world figure there exists the iron will of a dauntless soul, whose strongest instinct is to cherish and protect those who are in distress.
Large-hearted to a fault, her spirit is so truly catholic that she knows no differences of creed whenever she is brought face to face with human suffering. There has never been a time since she first opened St. Agnes’ industrial school that there has not been a child of Protestant parents beneath its sheltering roof. All alike are cared for here.
For 12 year this school has been located on Humphrey at Dorchester, not far from Uphams Corner. The estate which it occupies formerly belonged to Thomas Groom, who was once known as a stationer on State St. The house contains 19 rooms, 12 of which are large in size.
The inmates of the school are mostly girls whose ages range from 5 to 15 years. There are, however, a few boys admitted. At times the house has contained as many as 75 children. Just now it shelters 20.
What is the object of this school and how has the money which has been necessary for its support all of these years been raised? The first part of the question is easily answered. Children who are destitute find here a home. Like children elsewhere they are sent to school.
Outside of school hours, they are taught the domestic branches of housework and sewing. It is Miss Gately’s aim to the extent that she can fulfill it to obtain also for these children such training as any special talent that they may possess calls for. Some who have had a taste to care for the sick have been placed in hospitals and trained into nurses.
Others have learned to become dressmakers of else have required some useful vocation by means of which an honest living might be earned.
Then, too the children have their amusements. They have both indoor and outdoor games, which they enjoy as do children everywhere. Occasionally a lawn party is given upon the grounds in front of the house. Such an occurrence is always hailed by the little folks as a red-letter day in their young lives.
But how has this work for helpless little ones been supported? To this question Miss Gately replies with emotion, “God alone knows.”
Then the reminiscent mood comes over her once more and she tells her listener some of the ways in which she has toiled through long hours of the day that she might earn the money with which to purchase food, shelter and clothing for the children, who are as dear to her as if they were her own.
No mother could do more for her offspring than this heroic woman has accomplished for those who are dependent upon her. For years she has worked for the leading families of Dorchester.
There seems to be few things among the domestic arts that this remarkable woman cannot do. Dressmaking, millinery, fine laundry, the care of the sick all these things come within her scope.
Phenomenal as it may appear, Miss Gately has been enabled to carry on her school mainly with the money that she has earned in such ways, aided at times by kind friends and by many among the clergy who have admired and approved of her cause.
Now she has reached the age of 68, and she feels that she is getting past the days when she can toil as she once has.
Yet there is no relaxing of her spirit. Energy and love radiate from her like sunshine. It is with great reluctance that she allows her work to become known to the public but friends have advised her to appeal for aid, and helpless childhood still makes its strong and constant claim upon her heart.
So she has given her story in part to the readers of the Globe. It is the narrative of a life that is filled with self sacrifice entered into for the sake of suffering humanity.
The story of Miss Gately’s life was finished beneath an historic old willow that spreads its huge branches over a part of what was formerly the Groom estate. This tree is the largest willow in the United States, its trunk having a circumference of 54 feet. A book has been written descriptive of its history. Every class of children that has been sent from the school to receive confirmation has been photographed under this tree.
The accompanying picture shows the most recent class of these little ones.
Contributions for St. Agnes’ Industrial school are solicited by S. S. Pierce.
Boston Daily Globe….July 13, 1904
Going to Convent Again
Miss Catherine Gately Will Rejoin the Sisters of Charity (notice the name change)
Friends of Miss Catherine Gately, so well remembered here and through the south as Sister Catherine of the Sisters of Charity, will rejoice with her that the realization of her prayers for 15 years is near. During that period she has giving gratuitously her labors for the poor children of the city in St. Agnes’ Industrial home, and has cared for 1675 children without thought of their creed or nationality.
Some months ago the superiors of the Sisters of Charity arranged for her return to the community, and Miss Gately has been settling up the affairs of the home preparatory to returning to the mother house at Mt. St. Joseph, Md. There were two children yet to be placed and bills to be paid. To place the children in good homes she made a long journey to Buffalo, from which she has just returned.
Before her return to the community there are the bills to be paid, and to settle these Miss Gately will dispose of the household effects of the home at auction on July 16 at the home building, 13 Humphrey St. Dorchester. Beside the ordinary furniture and bedding of a home there are some pieces of rare and antique furniture, contributed by friends in the past and a large quantity of bric-a-brac. If anyone should wish to purchase at private sale some of these articles they may do so after tomorrow morning at the home.