Page 2 - Carrollton 2009
P. 2

Dear  Kathryn,

                    I  appreciate  \our  patience with  me and now  it  is about  to pay o il!  Yesterday 1  returned  to the office  for the  first
                    time alter a 6 week  absence  anil  I  am  now  ’’playing catch-up"  with  my desk. O f course,  yours was one of lire
                    first requests  received after  I  left on  November 25th. so  li  was  very close to the  top of the  pile.

                    After some  thought  I  remembered  Sr. Cooke's great  love and admiration  for Mother Aloysia Hardcy,  so I went
                    there to see  what  I could  find  Mother Hardcy  received  102  letters  from St.  Madeleine Sophie  written  between
                     1856 and  1863 so there  is much  material  from which to choose.  I caine  upon a letter, written in  I860,  just  a  little
                    over  100 years before the  foundation of Carrollton  and  in which Sophie is  referring to 2  requests  for foundations
                    m  Florida:  one  in  Pensacola and one in  (St.)  Augustine!  Could that  not  be more appropriate  for you? Sophie  was
                    thinking of Florida  way  back  then!
                    A  word of explanation about  the  letter:  Sophie  rarely  began  w ith  a salutation; all  the  letters w ere numbered
                    when they were catalogued - this  is #88 of those written  to Mother Hardey.  By the end of her life,  Sophie’s
                    handwriting w as all  but  illegible to any  but  the practiced eye.  Fortunately, about  30 years ago one of our
                    Belgian  sisters  spent several  years transcribing all  14.000 of Sophie’s  letters and  those  transcripts w'crc  then
                    typed.  I  have  included a copy of the typescript  (in  French)  w hich one o f your French teachers may  w ish to
                    translate  for you.  We are hopeful  that  in the  not  too distant  future wc  w ill  have all of these typescripts corrected
                    and  available  in digital  format. That  work  is  nearing completion.

                    1  would be  very  happy  to have a photo of the  finished cover of the yearbook  to see bow the  final  edition  looks.
                    T h is  brings you all  my best  wishes for a very  Happy  New  Year.  Do also give my  love to S rs. Cooke and  Seitz.

                    Margaret  Phelan.  RSCJ
                    General  Archivist



















                                              Margaret Phelan. RSCJ  General Archivist
                                                   Societa del Socro Cuore
                                                     Casa Genearalizio
                                                   Via Tarquinio vipera.  16
                                                     00)52 Romo. Italia
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