the situation of the Sisters in Olpe more closely and study the controversy with a view of further clarification.
This letter seemed to end the controversy; however, it was not solved until much later. Difficulties from this source repeatedly came to the surface. These continued almost to the end of Mother Maria Theresia’s life and terminated in the year 1900 when the Franciscan Sisters assumed the operation of St. Martin Hospital. One must be acquainted with these difficulties to understand why Sister Clara Pfaender searched for another place to relocate the motherhouse and found one in Salzkotten.
“Difficulties and obstacles will not harm the young congregation. They constitute a trial and bring out the good in the undertaking,” thus the bishop wrote. Difficulties were not wanting. Added to the external problems were those arising within their own ranks. In May 1861, Mother Clara became seriously ill. Sister Antonia Loeser who had nursed her, contracted the same illness, typhus. In the early days of their foundation in Olpe, she had established a close relationship between Mother Clara Pfaender and Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel. At that time, she little thought that the length of her convent days would be a meager five months. Her fellow sisters held her in high esteem for she lived her religious life of prayer and penance very seriously. As a native of Olpe, Sister Antonia rejoiced greatly to see the congregation firmly established in Olpe in 1861. Her happiness was great as they moved into their newly acquired house. She toured it but once and then had to return to bed immediately. The seriously ill Sister kept repeating, “Observe the rules! Observe the rules!”
When on Trinity Sunday the procession with the Blessed Sacrament was passing her window, she raised herself upright in bed with all her remaining strength, and in a weak voice joined in the processional singing, a hymn of praise in preparation for her death. In the afternoon of the same day she sank into a semi-conscious state. Sister Maria Theresia and Sister Francesca remained with her during the following night. In a moment of consciousness, Sister Maria Theresia asked the dying sister to beg our Lord that she also may soon join her in heaven. Sister Antonia in a certain and determined voice answered: “No, you will not die yet. You still have a long way before you.” On the following day she again and again called out: “The virginal crown! The virginal crown!” She must have recalled the exhortation her own sister once gave her. Her sister had entered the convent with the Clemens Sisters in Muenster, and on a visit had counseled her: “Regina, ever preserve the virginal crown.” The words seemed to have made a permanent impression on her for she lived her life accordingly. At the moment of death it must have been a great comfort for her, adorned with the virginal crown received at investiture represented by a circlet of flowers, to meet her eternal Bridegroom. She breathed her last quietly in the arms of the friend of her youth, Sister Maria Theresia Bonzel.
The cross marking the grave of Sister Antonia was not alone for long. On May 3, 1862, Sister Maria Theresia wrote in the chronicles:
Today the new superior, Rev. Schmidt, officiated at the investiture of the following sisters: Sisters Alphonsa, Mechtildis, Thecla, Ottilia, Liboria, Antonia, and several others. Sister Clara accompanied by Sister Maria Theresia and Sister Alphonsa, the latter ailing, traveled to Rosellen. For the interim period Sister Francesca was designated as temporary superior; but shortly before they left, the appointment was changed and Sister Agnes, the half-sister of Sister Clara Pfaender was to act as superior. Sister Clara and Sister Maria Theresia spent the first night of their trip in Cologne and Sister Alphonsa traveled on to Rosellen. His Excellency Bishop Dr. Konrad Martin was in Cologne at the time and from there, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Baudri, he would make his episcopal visit to Rome. Sister Clara and Sister Maria Theresia visited His Excellency from Paderborn in the archbishop’s residence to discuss various matters. Their stay in Cologne was prolonged to several days, and during that time they visited various convents in the city and purchased needed supplies. On Sunday they arrived in Rosellen where Sister Alphonsa awaited them in her parental home.
The superior Sister Clara contracted a cold and had to spend several weeks in bed. A priest, Vicar Adams, who understood the principles of homeopathy, took Sister Clara and Sister Alphonsa under his charge. Sister Maria Theresia became nurse. Sister Alphonsa’s condition worsened daily despite the excellent care she had from all sides. Because of repeated night watches and otherwise overtaxing of strength, Sister Maria Theresia’s strength began to fail. She was not strong physically. The physician-acting priest, Vicar Adams, asked Mother Clara to have another Sister come from the motherhouse to release Sister Maria Theresia to give her some rest.
In the meantime the presence of either the superior or her assistant, Sister Maria Theresia, was mandatory at the motherhouse because of the unbearable behavior of Sister Liboria. Sister Francesca came to relieve Sister Maria Theresia, who left for Olpe on the Friday before Pentecost Sunday. She went by way of Wenden to confer with Rev. Schmidt relative to the conduct of Sister Liboria and arrived at the convent in Olpe at eleven o’clock at night. The next morning at four o’clock she dispossessed Sister Liboria of her religious habit and dismissed her as a trouble maker from the convent.
As the report clearly shows, Vicar Adam, must have sensed tensions in the congregation. He counseled Sister Maria Theresia and also Sister Francesca to seek admission into some other congregation if they were not happy. The chronicles of Mother Maria Theresia continued as follows:
Sister Clara remained in Rosellen with Sister Francesca several weeks longer. After completing the milk diet, she returned to Olpe improved in health. Sister Alphonsa remained in her parental home until fall and then returned to the convent. After several weeks, she received the last anointing, pronounced her religious vows in the arms of her superior, made her Last Will and Testament leaving one thousand dollars to the superior, Clara Pfaender. She died on November 26, 1862, among her Sisters to whom she had been an inspiring example in sickness and in health. Soon thereafter Sister Bernhardine Schamoni died of tuberculosis; the superior had made a recovery trip with her to Paderborn, but to no avail. Our dear Lord called the saintly Sister to himself to give her the crown of faithful perseverance. Also some orphan children died.
Thus the young congregation in its early years stood beneath the cross. It was indeed bitter to see the Sisters die, who with all readiness had dedicated themselves to God to work for the welfare of the needy, to see them snatched from life before they had even begun their active apostolate.
Nevertheless the number of Sisters continued to increase. This enabled the superior to open the first affiliation, in October 1862, in Much in the archdiocese of Cologne. Sister Francesca Boehmer was appointed its first superior. She was assisted by two Sisters and a lay instructor. The daring venture of establishing the first foundation was richly rewarded. Mother Maria Theresia’s chronicle reports: “Soon many postulants entered from Much and the surrounding areas. These were accepted into the congregation.”
Since the existing obstacles to their active apostolate in Olpe did not lessen, Mother Clara determined to centralize the motherhouse in another locality, as the bishop had counseled at various times. Reverend Heissing in Verne, indicated to her that Salzkotten might be a good possibility. Thus accompanied by her assistant, Sister Maria Theresia, Mother Clara traveled to Salzkotten on November 15, 1862. Here she was able to purchase a larger house with barn and garden area in the eastern section of the town. To make it practical to move the motherhouse as early as possible, renovations were begun immediately. In the spring of 1863, all was in readiness. Sister Maria Theresia wrote:
On Easter Monday some of the Sisters left, several days later another group followed, and finally on April 25, Mother Clara and other sisters who were unable to make the trek on foot went by post. The convent in Olpe became an affiliation with Sister Maria Theresia as superior. Stationed with her were Sister Juliana, Sister Ignatia, Sister Ursula, Sister Johanna, Sister Margaretha, Sister Gertrudis, and one postulant, Miss Josepha. Fourteen sisters and fifteen postulants went to Salzkotten.
The situation in Olpe had become fundamentally different through this change of status. “Because of the decrease in [the] number of Sisters, it was impossible to continue
