Gertrude Salitrik was 27 years old when she left her family's home in Uniontown, Pa. to join Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters. She had read about the religious order in the Catholic weekly newspaper Our Sunday Visitor and the idea of teaching religion to public school children appealed to her. She wrote to Victory Noll, was accepted, and left home on August 30, 1938. Her brothers August and Elmer and sister Julia drove her to the order's motherhouse in Huntington, Ind. The above photo shows Gertrude in 1938 with the four other women who comprised her class of candidates. From left to right: Betty Keifer, from Chicago; Gertrude Salitrik ; Catherine Ley (later known as Sr. Callista), from Pittsburgh; Leocodia Rutkoski, from Detroit; and Marie Chettle, from Missouri. Click on the photo to enlarge.Thursday, July 8, 2010
Gertrude Enters the Convent, 1938
Gertrude Salitrik was 27 years old when she left her family's home in Uniontown, Pa. to join Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters. She had read about the religious order in the Catholic weekly newspaper Our Sunday Visitor and the idea of teaching religion to public school children appealed to her. She wrote to Victory Noll, was accepted, and left home on August 30, 1938. Her brothers August and Elmer and sister Julia drove her to the order's motherhouse in Huntington, Ind. The above photo shows Gertrude in 1938 with the four other women who comprised her class of candidates. From left to right: Betty Keifer, from Chicago; Gertrude Salitrik ; Catherine Ley (later known as Sr. Callista), from Pittsburgh; Leocodia Rutkoski, from Detroit; and Marie Chettle, from Missouri. Click on the photo to enlarge.
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I think it's interesting that 2 of the women are wearing rosaries around their necks, which is quite a popular look among certain young black men in New Orleans who live dangerously. I have much more to post, but at least this blog is now started.
ReplyDeleteSr. Leo/Gertrude would be amazed that anyone would actually think enough of her to blog her life. I can just hear her famous ,"Oh no". The only regret I have is that I never called her "aunt". When most of us nieces and the nephews too, were born she was already a nun. So respectfully we called her Sr. Leo then Sr. Gertrude. Even recently some of the extended family members , when asking about her called her Sr. Leo. My brother (when younger) use to get a charge out of saying ,"Pass the oLEO" when at the dinner table and Sr. Leo would think someone was calling her. More memories later. Gertrude Ann, NOW the oldest Gertrude!!!
ReplyDeleteToday I will be the "color commentator". The habit for the Victory Noll catechist and sisters was navy blue with the white accents of the collar, cuffs and at the veil. After Vatican II when civilian clothes could be worn Sr. G chose to wear either a navy skirt or jumper with white blouse. Her veil was a shorter version but still the navy and white color combo. For her final visit with folks on earth she wore the navy jumper,white blouse and her veil.
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