Heroic self-sacrifice of six nuns
San Antonio, 1912
Sadly, there was no shortage of instances of late-nineteenth and early twentieth century urban institutional fires. Much has been written documenting the tragic results — but also the heroic actions occasioned by such events.
One such catastrophe occurred in 1912 when eighty-seven orphans, ranging in age from 2 to 12 were in the care of nine Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word at St. John’s Orphanage in San Antonio. One October night, fire engulfed the building.
“A little fellow named ‘Billy,’ according to a small survivor, awoke with a desire for a drink of water. He saw the fire and smoke and thought he was dreaming. Then he realized what was happening and aroused the Sisters and his little comrades with his screams.
“It was following this that the meek-eyed Sisters of Charity demonstrated what lion hearts beat beneath their somber garb.”1
Three sisters led columns of frightened children to safety, escaping fire, smoke, and falling walls.
After it appeared all were safe, the nuns discovered that three children were missing — the death of each of six sisters, including the superior, resulted from their various efforts to find and rescue those missing children.
The fate of the mother superior, Mother Mary of the Cross, was reported in detail. “She had come down from her room in the orphanage to the chapel on the first floor. There, mustering her little pupils, when the fire broke out, she attempted to count them and learned that Francis O'Brien, a baby, was missing. Without hesitation she went back upstairs, found the boy and struggled to a window with him in her arms. When about to be rescued by firemen who were mounting ladders, she was overcome, fell back and she and the little boy were seen no more.”2
The six sisters and three children who died were3
MOTHER MARY OF THE CROSS, mother superior of the orphanage. She was Mary Rossiter, a native of Wexford, Ireland.
SISTER MONICA MONTEZ, a native of Mexico.
MOTHER FRANCIS PASTEUR, a native of France.
SISTER PETER CLAVER STEVIN, a teacher in a San Fernando school, a native of Dublin. Ireland.
SISTER LEACADIA NOUN, a teacher in San Fernando school, a native of Dublin, Ireland.
SISTER KOSTKA FARRELL.
CHARLES MATHLOW, an orphan.
GEORGE YORK, an orphan.
FRANCIS O’BRIEN, an orphan.
May they rest in peace.
Newport, PA News, Nov. 7, 1912, 2.
Logan County (Oklahoma) News, November 8, 1912, 6.
Ibid.