Here at the Maryknoll Mission Archives, all of our blog posts go through a rigorous research and confirmation process before anything gets published. We only publish information that we can verify as factual. Any theories, ideas, and personal opinions in our posts are clearly marked as such.
I had a theory about how Julia Ward met and befriended Mother Mary Joseph Rogers. My theory was wrong! I’m very pleased to share the information my coworker discovered, and finally have an answer to a burning question. How did Julia Ward, one of Maryknoll’s original benefactors, become associated with Maryknoll?
You can review the original post on Julia Ward here: https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/the-elusive-miss-julia-ward/
Mother Mary Joseph Rogers at her desk writing, ca. 1946
Portrait of Julia Ward.
Hand writing reads as follows:
“With Gratitude & Love to Mother Mary Joseph dearest. Fondly, Julia”
My Theory: When Julia Met MMJ
Mother Mary Joseph recalls, “I first met her when we were in our little house at Hawthorne…She had taken a fancy to me for some reason or other, and used to ask my advice about her gifts, although I was very much younger than she” (Coleman). I like to imagine that, despite their different backgrounds, Julia saw a kindred spirit in Mother Mary Joseph; another woman of strong moral character who cared deeply for others.
Our records don’t state exactly how these women met, however, I have a theory. We know that the Maryknoll Sisters would visit the Cenacle of St. Regis in West Harlem. They were friendly with the Cenacle Sisters, and would occasionally retreat here for rest and rejuvenation. It wasn’t much of a surprise to discover that Julia Ward was also associated with the Cenacle Sisters. From Mother Mary Joseph:
“She was also interested in the Propagation of the Faith. She gave much to the Cenacle in New York City. When they bought their second house, she it was, who put in the new chapel with all its furnishings. She put roof gardens on schools and gave playgrounds” (Coleman).
I believe Mother Mary Joseph and Julia must have crossed paths here at the Cenacle, sometime between 1912 and 1913. Over time, their mutual friendship blossomed. This would lead to Julia visiting the Maryknoll Sisters at Hawthorne house, becoming involved with the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, and supporting their joint international missions.
Mother Mary Joseph and Julia Ward in Lourdes, France, 1914
Image taken by Fr. Cotta during the construction of the Maryknoll Seminary building, Maryknoll, NY.
What Went Wrong?
During my research, I focused on Julia Ward’s relationship with Mother Mary Joseph. Their decades-long friendship is a particularly inspiring story. Julia cared for MMJ and the Maryknoll Sisters during their time of need, and they cared for her in turn following her health crisis. True friendships stand the tests of time; in sickness and in health. Most of us aspire to have such good friends in our lives. I assumed that Julia was closer to the Maryknoll Sisters, and that she had met them first.
Never make assumptions! Especially not while you’re researching.
I knew that Julia was associated with the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, however, I did not spend enough time reviewing their record collections. I’m grateful to my coworker who discovered and shared a diary entry that discussed Julia’s life. Let my mistake serve as a reminder to check all possible resources before concluding your research.
Facts: How Julia Met Maryknoll
One page in the Maryknoll Center Diary shattered my theory and uncovered the truth. We know Julia donated generously to the New York branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (SPF) during the early 1900’s. She worked directly with Bishop John Joseph Dunn, who was the SPF Director for New York and one of Maryknoll’s earliest supporters. It was Bishop Dunn who introduced her to Fr. James A Walsh, Fr. Thomas F. Price, and their joint vision of Maryknoll. Later, the Fathers would introduce Julia to Mother Mary Joseph and the Maryknoll Sisters.
The complete passage on Miss Julia Ward can be found below.
Miss Julia Ward, the “Lady Bountiful” of the early days when friends and their gifts seemed to count so much for Father Price and Father Walsh, also died this month. She had been introduced to Maryknoll, back in 1912, by Bishop Dunn when he was SPF Director in New York. Employed in a fashionable dressmaking establishment catering to the elite, she had worked her way up and accumulated quite a fortune, practically all of which was lost during the depression. During the later hard times, Mother Mary Joseph was extremely kind to her and gave her hospitality at the Motherhouse for several years. She died at Long Beach, N.Y. In August 1913, Father Walsh wrote in The Field Afar: “About a year ago, we referred in these columns to a Lady Bountiful, a friend of the ‘Uncle’ of Maryknoll, who filled our larder and gave us a check for no less a sum than one thousand dollars. Lady Bountiful took the Albany Post Road not long ago, and mounted our hill in a better looking automobile than we possess. She came on a perfect day, saw our dream of a view and returned convinced, without argument, that we could make good use of another check. A few days later, she told us that when we were reckoning on our addition we should subtract the cost of our chapel and charge it to her account. So Lady Bountiful has secured the chapel. May the Eucharistic God who will occupy it, bless her generous heart!” This refers to the chapel of the Rosary House. She once owned the building at 16 East 48th Street, where she gave us space without charge for our New York procure. R.I.P.
Bishop John Joseph Dunn, 1924.
Original photograph comes from the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress. You can view it here.
Portrait of Father Thomas F. Price, 1918
Portrait of Bishop James A. Walsh
Interested in learning more about Maryknoll? Do you have a relative associated with Maryknoll?
Their records might also be in the Mission Archives. We would love to help you reconnect with your family’s history.
You can contact the Archives at:
Maryknoll Mission Archives
PO Box 305, Maryknoll, New York 10545
Phone: 914-941-7636
Office hours: 8:30 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday
Email: archives@maryknoll.org
Website: www.maryknollmissionarchives.org
References:
Bishop Edward A. McGurkin, MM. Maryknoll Mission Archives. (2014, April 17). https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/deceased-fathers-bro/bishop-edward-a-mcgurkin-mm/
Bishop James A. Walsh. Maryknoll Mission Archives. (2019, July 25). https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/bishop-james-a-walsh/
Cairns, M. (2024, February 7). The elusive miss Julia Ward. Maryknoll Mission Archives. https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/the-elusive-miss-julia-ward/
Coleman, M. M., & Archives Staff. (1982). Continuation of Talks on Maryknoll History, Valley Park, Jan. 21, 1948. In Discourses of Mother Mary Joseph Rogers, M.M. (Vol. IV, pp. 1430–1437). essay, Maryknoll Sisters.
Father Thomas F. Price. Maryknoll Mission Archives. (2019, July 25). https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/father-thomas-f-price/
Harlem World Magazine. (2019, June 10). The Neo-Gothic Cenacle, St. Regis Convent in West Harlem NY 1893-1920s. https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/the-neo-gothic-cenacle-st-regis-convent-in-west-harlem-ny-1893-1920s/
Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers. (n.d.). Mission diaries, 1912-1969. Maryknoll Mission Archives. https://maryknollmissionarchives.libraryhost.com/index.php?p=collections%2Fcontrolcard&id=1&q=diaries
Maryknoll Sisters. (n.d.). Mission diaries, 1912-1968. Maryknoll Mission Archives. https://maryknollmissionarchives.libraryhost.com/index.php?p=collections%2Ffindingaid&id=4&q=diaries&rootcontentid=234527#id234527
Mother Mary Colman Coleman, MM. Maryknoll Mission Archives. (2014, April 16). https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/deceased-sisters/mother-mary-colman-coleman-mm/
Mother Mary Joseph Rogers. Maryknoll Mission Archives. (2019, July 25). https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/mother-mary-joseph-rogers/
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, January 20). John Joseph Dunn. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Joseph_Dunn
