Eight Sisters of the Order of Saint Anne

Eight crosses in Ascension Cemetery mark the graves of members of the Episcopal Order of  Saint Anne who had a convent on Broadway at the corner of Orchard Street. The sisters operated an orphanage there for a short while, but then concentrated on caring for young and older women who needed custodial care. Members buried in Ascension Cemetery [information from the Kingston Freeman]

Sister Dorcas, O.S.A. — Sept 2, 1891 - Dec 20, 1940 —Entered into rest Friday, December 20, 1940. Sister Dorcas, O.S.A., (née Mabel Snow), daughter of Dr. Mary A. Snow and the late Dr. William Snow, and sister of Thomas B. Snow, Dr. William Snow and Claude Campbell, Mrs. Herbert Snow, Mrs. Arthur Pease and Mrs. Bryon G. Wooley. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral from St. Ann's convent, 287 Broadway, and move to the Church of the Holy Cross where a high Mass of requiem will be offered for the repose of her soul. Interment in Ascension Cemetery at West Park. Friends may call at the convent at any time and are requested to kindly omit flowers

Sister Mary Angela O.S.A.— July 8, 1862 - Sept 16, 1944— Entered into rest on Saturday, September 16, 1944, at the Convent of Saint Anne, 287 Broadway. Sister Mary Angela O.S.A. née Flora Elsie Hill, sister of Harry C. Hill of Flint, Michigan. Requiem Mass will be offered at the convent chapel on Tuesday morning at 7 o'clock. Interment will be made in Ascension Cemetery, West Park NY at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.

Sister Naomi O.S.A. — Aug 23, 1857 - Sept 3, 1947 — died at the Convent of St. Anne, 287 Broadway, at noon today following a lengthy illness. Before entering the convent she was Mrs. Mary S. Chubb, widow of Thomas Chubb. She is survived by a son, T. A. Chubb of Montreal, Can, a daughter Sister Ruth O.S.A. at Arlington Mass, and a sister Mrs. Alice Longhurst of Ascot, England. Sister Naomi was one of the original members of the Order of S.A. who established the mother house in Kingston about 21 years ago. Relatives and friends are invited to a requiem Mass at the Convent of St. Anne, Friday morning at 7 o'clock. Burial will take place in the Ascension Cemetery, West Park.

Rev. Sister Genevieve O.S.A. —Feb 14, 1879 - June 10, 1954— Entered into rest at Presbyterian Hospital, N.Y.C. Thursday, June 10, 1954. Rev. Sister Genevieve O.S.A. (Minna Annetta Graves). Relatives and friends are invited to attend the requiem Mass at the Chapel of the Convent of St. Anne, 287 Broadway, Kingston, Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Interment will take place in Ascension Cemetery, West Park, N.Y. Friends may call at the convent Friday afternoon and evening.

Sister Louise —Aug 14 1873 - Oct 11, 1960 — of the Order of St. Anne, died at the Convent of St. Anne, 287 Broadway Tuesday evening. Prior to coming to the local convent Sister Louise had served at the Children's Hospital, Albany.  A Mass of requiem will be offered Thursday 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel of the Convent of St. Anne, 287 Broadway. Burial will be in Ascension Cemet ery, West Park, N.Y.

Sister Colette. —Nov 11, 1884 - Apr 9, 1962— Sister Colette, a Sister of charity of the Order of St. Ann, died at the Convent of St. Ann, this city, Monday. A Mass of requiem will be offdred for the repose of her soul Thursday 10:30 a.m at the chapel of the convent. Burial will be in Ascension Cemetery, West Park. Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Sister Margaret —Dec 21, 1873 - May 29, 1965— Sister Margaret of the Order of St. Anne died at Kingston Hospital Saturday, May 29, 1965. She was born Delia S. Prout, daughter of the late Darvis and Hannah Stroughton Prout. She entered the order in 1926 and took her final vows in 1929. She had been assigned to the Kingston convent since that time. A Mass of requiem will be celebrated at the Church of the Holy Cross, Pine Grove Avenue, Wednesday at 12 noon. Friends may call at the convent of St Anne, 287 Broadway this evening 7 to 9 o'clock. Burial will be in Ascension Cemetery, West Park. Funeral arrangements are by the Jenson and Deegan Funeral Home, 15 Downs Street.

Sister Audrey, O.S.A. (from the Kingston death registry office).—Oct 26, 1878  -  Jan 11, 1966— Sister Audrey OSA (Ethel Balrand). Born in Qubecque, died Jan 11, 1966 at Albany Ave Sanitarium. DOB Oct. 26, 1878. Interment Ascension Cemetery. Arrangements Jenson & Deegan.

The most recent and authoritative information about the Sisters of Saint Anne in Kingston was received from Brother Jerome Matthews, CSC, who is the older brother of Brother Joseph L. Matthews, fms, a Marist Brother currently stationed with the Marists in Esopus. Brother Jerome sent the following letter by email in August 2009 but by some mixup it was not received by the editor until April 2010. The Matthews family lived in Kingston NY.

Dear Richard,

I am glad that you decided to contact me about the sisters in Kingston. Joe had told me about your interest in the Esopus area. The sisters you mentioned buried in Ascension churchyard were members of the Order of St. Anne (O.SA) I find it difficult that the monks at West Park [ed. note Holy Cross Episcopal Monastery]  never heard of them!!! There should be some of their membership there who knew of them.  If I remember correctly one of the first Sisters in the Order of St. Helena, the women's branch of OHC was a Sister of St. Anne!

I think they came to Kingston in the 1920s and first settled in a home on Downs St, off mid-town Broadway. When they moved to the address on lower Broadway I do not know. Here is how I got to work for them. A mutual friend, a Presbyterian lady, referred me to them when they were in need of some extra help on their grounds.

This happened in the late 40s. I graduated parish elementary school in 1948. I may have worked for them for two to three years. The convent was located on Broadway between Orchard Street and W. Chestnut St. There was an old mansion there and on a slight incline behind the house to the left was a brick building. Whether they had that building constructed or not I cannot say. In the early years there was a orphanage there, but by the time I came on the scene they were caring for young and older women who needed custodial care. Not a great number. They acquired the Terry Mansion directly to the right of the convent, at the corner of Orchard St and Broadway, probably in the 50's and used that as a Guest House and also for older women who wished to be a part of the life of the Sisters. Both of those properties now are part of Yosman Towers, a senior residence [295 Broadway, Kingston NY 12401]

If I can remember the stories they told me, the Order was founded in Boston in 1910 by a monk of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, popularly called Cowley Fathers from their place of origin in England.  Cowley has a beautiful monastery on Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Each house was independent and had its own novitiate. As one of the Sisters told me "we just grew like Topsey"

Interestingly enough, I continued my friendship with them after I moved on to a different job. At the time I was accepted as a candidate for Holy Cross, there was an older women who became a candidate for the Sisterhood. We became very close and remained so until her death in 1998. I think the superior had suspicions that I might be trying to convert her. Neither of us had any such intention.

Sometime in the 1970s the Sisters left Kingston for Lincoln MA, west of Boston where a new facility had been built for them and the women under their care. I think that within ten years or so they moved to Arlington Heights MA, near Cambridge where they already had a girls academy. This is where they are located at present and run a retreat house. The academy is sponsored by them at this time, I think. At present there are about eight sisters in Arlington Heights. There is also a community in a parish in Chicago. Some years ago there was also a community in Cambridge and an enclosed community in England. Both were assimilated by the Sisterhood in the states.

I hope that this information is helpful to you. These are are names of some of the Sisters that I believe are buried in West Park:   Mother Audrey, Sister Mary, Sister Faith, Sister Clemence, Sister Margaret St. John, Sr. Genevieve, Sr. Caedmon.

You mention the Sisters of the White Cross. This could well be a RC sisterhood as some communities in the 19th century were identified by the locals by the cross they wore. I think a sisterhood of the Assumption had that "popular" name.

Jerry  

[Editor’s note.  Jerry Matthews is the older brother of Brother Joseph Matthews, who is located with the Marist Brothers on the Esopus campus.  Brother Joe pointed me to Brother Jerry as the best source of information about the Sisters of Saint Anne. Besides finding out information about the eight Sisters buried in Ascension cemetery, I had hoped to link them to the Sisters of the White Cross Orphan Asylum which is marked on Ulster County maps dating to 1891.  From what Jerry writes, there would be no connection.  I have written to St. Cabrini Home to see if there is any connection there, as St. Cabrini was founded about 1891 on property belonging to the Jesuit Fathers.  Earlier maps mark it as ‘Manresa’.   Rich Foy 18 Apr 2010]

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