Reverend Mother Michael Therese, Because We Also Teach Charity Here.
Who: Reverend Mother Michael Therese, Eric Of-No-Particular-Importance. When: Evening, December 1940. Where: The School grounds. Rating: PG Status: IM Moniquedelacroix@aol.com or drop an email to same, if you want soup, etc. on this post. Otherwise, closed. Summary: The Sisters Teach Charity by Fasting. The rations with a few additions become bread and soup one time a week for the poor. For previous entry, see This Post
Reverend Mother Michael Therese was not certain how much longer the school could continue with the policy of fasting, and giving overages to the poor, but knew that they would go as long as they could. So far, the students were well-fed enough to give up all but bread for lunch two days a week, and all meat on Fridays, of course.
The nuns and postulants skipped five full meals, fasting entirely on Friday, and skipping lunches with the students. The students were well off, for the most part, their families paid well, and so far, the school had also been able to pick up various and sundry such as milk and vegetables delivered from the countryside, and, of course, donations. New restrictions might threaten that, and Reverend Mother Michael Therese had a habit of planning ahead. Much pickling, canning, and salting had been going on, and there was a certain amount in reserve in the cellars.
Thus, once a week, in the outbuilding near the gate, tables were set, and soup and bread were served to whoever would come in hungry. The students cooked it. The nuns served it in the afternoon, aiming to have the poor and hungry home before curfew. For those with no homes, though so far, only women, they would set down cots and mats after dinner was over.
Thus it was that on this cold winter day, large, steaming kettles of soup were brought from the kitchen in the main building to the smaller outbuilding, set up, and one of the sisters went outside to post the sign, and give admittance through the gate: Soup For The Hungry. More and more seemed to come each time...