Remembering St. John’s/St. Mary’s Schools, Cresson, PA

The Archives recently received requests for information on residents of these two schools. Under the direction of Mother Cyril Conway, St. John’s Home for Boys opened in Cresson, PA, in 1909 as an orphanage. In 1908 Bishop Eugene Garvey of the Diocese of Johnstown, informed Mother Cyril that he would buy the beds for the Sisters, as straw mattresses would not do in the mountains of Cresson. St. Mary’s Home for Girls opened in 1917 under Mother Germaine O’Neil. Before the opening of St. Mary’s, girls were housed at St. John’s. Their letters contained some interesting and inspiring notes regarding Sisters Teresina Perse from St. John’s and Sebastian Murphy of St. Mary’s.

On August 27, 1911, Bishop Garvey wrote to Mother Cyril expressing sadness at the death of young Sister Teresina and her beautiful, useful life and Christian death. He said she was childlike in many ways and that she loved children. Mother responded, thanking him for his testimonial on the life of this young sister. She said his visit was one of the brightest joys of Teresina’s last days on earth. Mother stated that one of Sister Teresina’s anxieties was that the next person would not love the motherless little ones as she did. Sister M. Teresina was born Genevieve Perse in Plymouth, PA, on October 13, 1883. She entered in 1902, was received in 1903, and professed in 1905. In 1909 she was sent from Mt. St, Mary’s, Scranton, to St. St. John’s Home for Boys and was one of the first Sisters assigned there. Sadly, Sister Teresina died on August 26, 1911. She is buried in the cemetery on campus at Marywood.

When St. Mary’s Home for Girls was established, Sister Sebastian Murphy was assigned as the first superior. Born Elizabeth on December 19, 1857, in Cherry Ridge, PA, she entered and was received in 1879 and professed in 1881. At some point she was assigned to St. Alphonsus School in Tillamook, OR. On September 1, 1903, she left Scranton for St. Lawrence School in Portland, OR, where she served as superior and taught math. In August of 1917 she was made head of St. Mary’s Home for Girls in Cresson, PA, and superior. She served there from 1917 to 1929. From 1933 to 1934 Sister Sebastian was named as superior for St. Agnes Place in Elmhurst, PA, a home for IHM aged and ill sisters. She continued to reside there until she died on May 29, 1938, after being professed for 60 years.

We have a wonderful example of two sisters, each of whom served God and God’s people in her own way—either by her simple, childlike spirit or by her roles of leadership and administration.