order of the Poor Clares, the question of an economic basis is not so important although here also it plays a role. But in an active order serving in an educative or in a nursing capacity, a secure economic basis is wise and all-important. Only under such conditions can the congregation follow its apostolate of charity. Under other situations love soon becomes exhausted by the many demands for consolation and encouragement placed upon it. Consequently, there can be no valid objection to the influence the Bonzel family exercised in the decision of 1859, to make the original establishment in Olpe, and again in 1863 to have at least a foundation in Olpe. Considerations for establishing the motherhouse in Elspe were discussed earlier. These were abandoned lest the foundation would not have the economic backing of the Bonzel family and consequently lack a sound economic basis.
The first transfer of abode for the young congregation was from the so-called Schuerholz House. For this, the Sisters were grateful to Mrs. Bonzel. After Easter in 1860, Mrs. Bonzel purchased the Zimmermann House as a dowry, to be divided equally between her two daughters Aline and Emilie. An uncle of Sister Maria Theresia bequeathed an inheritance of real estate and between four and five thousand Reich dollars to his niece. Mrs. Bonzel also purchased the so-called Weber House for a motherhouse in Olpe. To have the diocese of Paderborn purchase the property was under deliberation for a long time. The experience in Italy, however, was fresh in their memories, in which the political unification of Italy with one stroke confiscated all convent and church property. Dean Goerdes in his letter to the bishop dated April 16, 1861, had counseled the bishop not to make it too easy for “rapacious hands” to obtain possession of convent property, if in Germany as now in Italy, the hour of visitation should strike. Did he have a premonition of the Kulturkampf? At all events his counsel was followed by Mrs. Bonzel, for the purchase of real estate and a house was transacted in her name.
The question concerning the inheritance of Sister Maria Theresia Bonzel, especially a suitable gift to the Episcopal See in Paderborn, busily engaged Reverend Schmidt. A long and extended correspondence resulted between him and the General Vicariate. Mrs. Bonzel rightly exercised justice to her second daughter Emilie also.
The fact that Reverend Schmidt assumed the difficulties of negotiating these personal matters manifests his great zeal as spiritual director of the Olpe congregation. He spared no hardship to bring this affair to a successful conclusion. Seemingly, Sister Maria Theresia personally did not enter into any of the deliberations. In the negotiations, there is no trace of her attitude toward the question. That she understood the problem is certain. In all these negotiations no one questioned her in regard to the facts because she remained silent throughout. At that time she was a subject; the reins of authority were in other hands. She took the expression “Poor Franciscan” very seriously. For this reason, Director Schmidt had a poor assistant in her. After the prospective donation to the Episcopal See had been considered and justly approved, difficulties arose between the sisters of Salzkotten and those of Olpe.
Thus Reverend Schmidt was obliged on June 20, 1862, to report the following to the General Vicariate:
Because of a higher mandate, I contacted Mrs. Bonzel in Olpe yesterday concerning the settlement of the donation to the episcopal See. She mentioned that a settlement would be impossible until the confused situation of the Franciscan congregation becomes stabilized and the convent becomes secure. She declared her willingness to place the entire inheritance at the disposition of the bishopric. But since the property is the dowry of her daughter, Sister Maria Theresia, she cannot contract that until there is certainty that the future of her daughter is secure. She begged that the settlement be postponed for the present until the investigation relative to the Franciscan superior be concluded — since her reasons are fundamental, I am not in a position to oppose her views and her explanation.
Only on November 16, 1863, was Revered Schmidt able to inform the bishop that he had again contacted Mrs. Bonzel concerning the donation. On October 4, 1864, the negotiations were finally and definitely closed. By signature Mrs. Bonzel ratified the transaction through which the property of the Olpe orphanage, secured through the dowry of her daughter Aline, now Sister Maria Theresia, was transferred to the Episcopal See in Paderborn. The pastor of St. Martin Church in Olpe, Reverend Hengstebeck, accepted the property in the name of the Episcopal See in recognition of the terms stated in the contract. In substance these terms were: the Episcopal See accepted the gift donation for the foundation of an institution in Olpe for the care of neglected and poor orphaned children. This institution was assigned to the management of the Poor Franciscans. If said congregation should cease to exist, the orphanage was to be reassigned to another Catholic congregation. This gift contract was also licensed by civil authority on March 1, 1865.
One may ask why such a complex negotiation was pursued. The reason is found in the first statute of the congregation in Chapter II, Article 3, which states: “Poverty without property. As daughters of St. Francis the congregation possesses no property and utilizes a house with garden and real estate loaned by the bishop.” These statutes were not approved by the bishop until July 6, 1865. But the provisions for a life of poverty without property had to be set up beforehand. Sister Maria Theresia understood St. Francis of Assisi’s concept of poverty very well. She endeavored to introduce this same idea of poverty into her own congregation, the essence of which is based on the abrogation of all possessions and claims to possession. In Franciscan orders, the Pope possesses the right of all property servicing the order. In the young congregation in Olpe, the Episcopal See in Paderborn possesses the right and exercises proprietorship when the congregation has to testify. Ten years after the so-called Kulturkampf, this very contract was the cause of much sorrow and grief and even occasioned a lawsuit. More on this point later.
The avowal of Franciscan poverty was the only reason in the foregoing of the gift contract. Although Sister Maria Theresia apparently did not enter into the difficult and laborious negotiations, these, however, were necessary because she wished poverty without property. However, this was not the only way that the title “Poor Franciscan” was justified. The first stages after the separation brought day-by-day evidence of actual poverty in Olpe. The Chronicles of the Congregation report concerning these days: “Poor as the life of St. Francis also should be the life of his daughters; and as the ‘poor’ Christ, their life of privation should also resemble that of the poor.” Poor were the accommodations of the convent, poor their hard straw beds, poor their simple table. How often the Sisters lacked even the bare necessities and had to beg bread for the orphans from generous benefactors. Frequently the Sisters had no money whatever on hand. When a Sister was obliged to take a trip they resorted to the poor box. If nothing was found therein, they had to borrow money. Then the Schmidt Brothers, or the Loeser, Bonzel, and Kaufmann families came to the rescue. One or the other of these always gladly helped in every situation. Although the Sisters themselves lived the life of poverty, they were ever solicitous that the orphans were well supplied in all their needs. At this time the bed sheets and other linens were used for the orphans, and only later after nine postulants entered did the congregation obtain sufficient money from their dowries to supply the convent with the needed linens.
Regulations for the Orphanage
In October of the year 1863, the “orphan sisters,” as the people of Olpe called them, cared for forty orphans. These children were their chief concern. From the very beginning they were active in this apostolate for in this sphere of activity they feared no opposition from the other religious congregation. Consequently, it was of special concern to the superior, Sister Maria Theresia, that the orphanage be established on an adequate legal basis. That also, in retrospect, had necessitated the gift contract of Mrs. Bonzel to the Episcopal See. The pivotal point of this gift was that she succeeded in this for the benefit of the orphanage in Olpe. Therefore a suitable statute for the orphanage was an urgent task, and obviously it was framed after the visit of Mother Francis Schervier to Olpe. The document is dated August 1, 1864. Its plan followed that of Reverend Superior Schmidt’s statute for the proposed but relinquished sanatorium. It ensured corporation rights to the Sisters.
