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Camp Funston, at Fort Riley, Kansas, during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Wikimedia Commons
March 21, 2020
Rick DelVecchio
Catholic San Francisco
With the coronavirus pandemic causing growing suffering throughout the world and calling caregivers to the front lines, many are reminded of the courage of women religious during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Archivists for the Daughters of Charity, one of the orders involved in the effort, shared some of their records from the time with Catholic San Francisco.
"The nationwide influenza epidemic struck in the fall of 1918: San Francisco is not spared,” Marie N. Mahoney writes in “Reflections Mary's Help Hospital and Seton Medical Center, 1893-1985,” published by Seton Medical Center.
“The number of new cases reached 700 per day and by October 2018, there were 6,791 cases,” she writes. “From September through December, there were 445,000 deaths in the United States. The medical and nursing staffs of Mary's Help Hospital [later Seton Hospital] responded to the epidemic. In addition, Archbishop Hanna sent Christian Brothers and Holy Name Sisters to Mary's Help Hospital to help nurse the influenza victims.
“The hospital was licensed for 165 beds, but this number was increased to accommodate more patients,” Mahoney continues. “Every portion of available space was used for the influenza victims. It was said that even the space adjacent to the engine room was utilized for patients. The total number of influenza patients treated in-house was 74, while an additional 100 patients were nursed by Mary's Help Hospital staff in their homes.”
Home care has always been an integral part of the Daughters’ services, Mahoney writes, sharing a letter sent the night of Oct. 10, 1918, to Sister Fidelis, Sister Servant of Mary's Help Hospital on Guerrero Street in San Francisco, from Sister Eugenia Fealy, Visitatrix, asking that Daughters from the hospital be sent to assist with the care of influenza patients in Menlo Park.
“If conditions have not improved at Menlo Park can you not send two sisters and then borrow from other houses to help you out,” the letter states. “Sister Bruen says auto will be sent for sisters every morning and bring them back in every morning. Have sisters wear masks, use spray and gargle.”
The Daughters of Charity of the West Central Province brought their nursing skills to hospitals and Army camps to care for U.S. soldiers in the East, South and Midwest. Many sickened and died in the effort. Private rooms and wards in nearly every Catholic hospital were turned over to the soldier patient, and tent cities were set up when the hospitals ran out of room, according to the provincial archives. Sisters’ letters from the fall of 1918 “indicate the vast amount of good accomplished.” A thank you letter from an Army chaplain was typical of the gratitude expressed after the disaster subsided, and private letters show “the vast contribution of Catholic religious at this trying time.” Here are examples of the correspondence, courtesy Scott Keefer, provincial archivist.
Austin, Texas
“From the Camps and the city of Austin came the worst cases of the flu -- they poured into Seton Infirmary until not only this building was taxed to its uttermost limits, hut tents had to be put up all over their extensive grounds of Seton. … Sisters stood nobly at their overwhelming tasks, like the true hearted heroines giving their strength to the full -- and beyond. … Sister Mary Reilly died like a soldier at the point of duty, never thinking of giving up until exhausted nature could do no more. She died on October 18, 1918.”
New Orleans, Louisiana
Ten sisters for Charity Hospital were on duty day and night with 50 soldiers at Jackson Barracks, at the request of Father J. J. Donovan, SJ, chaplain, 9th French Mortar Battalion. “The sisters furnished the soldiers with tobacco, cakes, ice-cream and brought tonic. … The sisters washed their clothing; kept them supplied with cigarettes and gave them many delicacies, little treats and extra lunches.”
Father Donovan later sent an official letter of thanks.
“When it was impossible to get nurses at any price and my own men dying for want of proper care, Sister Stanislaus at Charity Hospital sent 12 sisters, trained nurses, gratis, and a number of aides for both day and night in our five hospital buildings. Thus was relieved a chaotic condition that had become desperate.”
Boston, Massachusetts
Sept, 29, 2018: “An epidemic of influenza has broken out in Boston, whole families, are down, many dying within six hours of the attack; Cardinal O'Connell called on the Sisters of Carney Hospital, to go and bring succor to the poor stricken families, but very soon their number was insufficient, and His Eminence telegraphed to our dear Mother to send as many Sisters as possible; Mother sent three Sisters from the Central House, and wrote to Sister Raphael to get as many from the houses in Boston, as could be spared. Sister Olympia McCarthy, Sister Isabelle Purcell and Sister Claire Janvier, left this afternoon for Boston. “
Camp Meade, Maryland
Oct. 5: “Our dear Mother hears today, from the Sisters who went to Camp Meade -- the epidemic is very serious, 100 deaths in one day -- 30 deaths the first night our Sisters were on duty, one of the Sisters had the consolation to baptized three soldiers that night … Messages from Washington received this evening, say that 35 cases at the University-Sisters are wanted to nurse there, also. The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception School, were the only available ones, consequently they will take turns.”
Oct.6: Sunday -- We made our monthly retreat today. Father Moloney gave a little sermon at the eight o'clock Mass, exhorted all to pray very fervently for the intentions of the Holy Father Benedict XV -- gave some idea of the situation of the world at the present time … Priests are being killed in the war. Seminaries are closed in Europe. Telegraph and phone messages were received today, from different cities, asking for Sisters and nurses.”
Oct. 7: “Sister Paula, Assistant, left for Baltimore this morning, two young Sisters down with the influenza, at St. Martin's School; a patient at St. Agnes' Hospital, jumped out of the window, in his delirium and was killed. Sister Cornelia De Sarro, falls, the first victim of the influenza, among the Sisters, only four days sick, other Sisters on the missions are sick. At St. Joseph's, nearly all the teachers of the college and 31 pupils, today down with it.”
Oct. 14: “The epidemic is thinning the ranks of our soldiers; everywhere the plague is making numerous victims, and nothing has been found yet, to check its progress. Sister Martha Burke and Sister Clara Clifton left this morning for Baltimore, to help a little, one at St. Agnes' Hospital and the other at St. Mary's Asylum.”
Oct. 16: “Our dear Sister Dolores Martella, who was taken sick, a few days ago, with influenza, a very serious case, on account of a run down condition and weak lungs, was anointed this morning, and received the last sacraments, fully conscious and resigned.
Oct. 17: “The epidemic stage being long passed, at Camp Meade, the Sisters who had been sent there, at the request of our beloved Cardinal, five of our Sisters, included, were discharge. Our Sisters came home, this evening; they have pathetic facts to relate -- some say that the outside world will never know the number of deaths in this Camp.”
Oct. 20: “Sunday, we had our two Masses, a sermon by Father Hayden, no Vespers, the Rosary devotions, followed by Benediction, at three o'clock. News from the Soldiers' Home, Washington, of the edifying death of a young Sister (Gabreilla Mullan?), only a year vocation, another victim of the ‘flu.’”
Oct. 21: “Our dear Sister Dolores Martella died this morning, at six o'clock a good, humble Sister and a very capable one; she could be put at any work; she spent her eleven years of Community life in the Academy, where she made herself most useful, and was much appreciated by the children. Sister was taken with the dreadful flu, after having helped to nurse the children who were down with it, also. The body had to be removed from the house, as soon as possible, for precaution; it was placed in Mother Seton's Monument. The Director, Sisters of the Habit and seminary Sisters accompanied the remains at five o'clock.”
Oct. 22: Father Cribbins sang the Requiem Mass for our dear Sister Dolores. At two o'clock the Community repaired to the graveyard, when our dear departed was placed in her last resting place. Sister was the first one to be buried in that part where several pupils, who died during the Civil War, were buried.”
Oct. 23: “The plague is not decreasing; we are told that whole families are wiped away -- in Pennsylvania the bodies are burnt and in some places trenches are dug to put the bodies -- in other cities coffins are left two and three days in the graveyards before they can be put in the graves; there is no one to dig them. Here our pupils are getting better -- and the two Sisters who have been nursing the sick, at Mount St. Mary's, have been discharged, the sickness is decreasing there -- one Seminarian died, and no soldier; the only camp where no deaths occurred -- a Doctor, [who is Jewish, said that the little medal did it all.”
Dec. 2: “The influenza has broken out among our workmen, nearly all are down; the Sisters had to milk the cows, today, and were delighted to do it.”
Dec. 18: “We heard of two deaths, which occurred yesterday, one, the best and most virtuous Sister Servant in the Province; Sister Gertrude Kerns of St. Mary's, Troy, who having spent herself during the epidemic nursing the most abandoned, fell a victim to the disease, she was sick only four days.”