"I Want to Thank You Again..." quote from Philippine Duchesne, RSCJ

May 10, 1840 ~ Philippine writes to her sister Euphrosine, Madame Jean-Joseph Jouve: "I want to thank you again for all the pretty things you sent me recently.  The vase is in a gilded case in our parlor here at Florissant and is admired by everyone who sees it.  The percale roses deceive all by their likeness to nature.  They ornament the altar and the parlor on our biggest feast days.  Several ladies have tried to copy in embroidery the bouquet designed on the vase, and we have enjoyed this very much."

Taken from the book: "Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne"

To her cousin Josephine Perier, Baronesse de Savoye-Rollin

The convent at Florissant - for more info

April 15, 1837 ~  Mother Duchesne writes to her cousin, Josephine Perier, Baronesse de Savoye-Rollin, "It seems to me I have outlived myself, and I see the time coming when I shall be good for almost nothing. The children here at Florissant all speak English now; very few know French, and I cannot even teach religion to the little children in the parish school, for although I can read English, it is quite another thing to understand it when it is spoken or to speak it myself."

Taken from the book:  Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

To her sister Amelie, Madame Constans de Mauduit

As seen in the former convent at Old St. Ferdinand in Florissant, MO

December 4, 1836 ~ Mother Duchesne writes to her sister Amelie, "Our first foothold in America was at St. Charles, beyond the Missouri River; our first permanent convent was at St. Ferdinand de Florissant, where I am living now. The second permanent convent in Missouri was at St. Louis on the Mississippi, and the third was a return to St. Charles, where the convent is built near a very pretty Jesuit Church, so spiritual helps are numerous.  As St. Louis is the chief city in the state, that convent is in every way the most important one we have."

Taken from the book: Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

To St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

 Old St. Ferdinand Shrine ~ photo taken June 2011
by Wendy Ann Buckland, AASH Eastern Regional Director 2011-13

October 23, 1819 ~ Philippine Duchesne writes to Madeleine Sophie Barat,  "Our new house in Florissant will not be ready until December. That month is already dear to me and full of memories, for it brought me back to Sainte Marie in 1801, and there I met you for the first time in 1804. And now it becomes dearer because it will see the opening of the first house owned by the Society in the New World."

Taken from the book: Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

MER notes: Would you like to become a member of the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine and help preserve the first house owned by the Society of the Sacred Heart?  If so, please click on this link and donate:  an Individual member for $25.00; Family member for $50.00; or Commercial member for $100.00.  

Mother Duchesne is ill with yellow fever

September 18, 1822 ~ Mother Duchesne, ill with yellow fever, got off the steamboat Hecla on the bank of the Mississippi opposite Natchez, as the town was quarantined against all passengers from New Orleans. She and Therese Pratte were cared for by a Catholic family for about three weeks, then left for St. Louis on the Cincinnati, which ran aground near New Madrid. By December 1 she was back at Florissant. 

Taken from the book: Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

Journal of Mother Duchesne, 1818-1840

 Old South Wing (Convent) of St. Ferdinand was built in 1819

September 3 and 4, 1819 ~  Mother Duchesne and her companions transferred their residence and boarding school from St. Charles to a log cabin on Bishop Du Bourg's farm at Florissant, to live there until December 24, when the new convent would be habitable.

The log cabin at Florissant is composed of a single room, which will serve as the children's dormitory, refectory, parlor, and classroom.  Above is a loft under a leaky roof.  This will be our living quarters night and day, serving as kitchen, refectory, storeroom, and dormitory for the religious.

Taken from the book:  Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

Below info was taken directly from the Old St. Ferdinand website ~  The AASH Board had a personal tour led by Sr. Margaret Munch, RSCJ this past June. I encourage you to learn more about this very special place, to visit it and become a member of the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine.  

Old South Wing (Convent ) of St. Ferdinand was built in 1819 (photo above was taken June 2011). It was originally used as a convent. It was here that Rose Philippine Duchesne stayed before moving to St. Charles.

The convent wing, is one of the few brick buildings of this age and is almost in its original condition. It is considered one of the best examples in brick of the Federal style architecture in the state.

A closet under the stairs in the hallway of the convent was used by Mother Duchesne as a makeshift bedroom. She reportedly slept on a straw mattress with a ragged blanket in the closet to be close to the chapel.

A long upstairs room in the convent was used as a dormitory. One end of the room is now furnished as a schoolroom as it might have been when Mother Duchesne taught there. The other end is set up to depict an infirmary, which was actually in another room on the second floor.

The third floor attic was the Novitiate and the linen room.

The church's original 1820 pews with very narrow seats are on display in the chapel area of the convent.

All of the buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a cultural inventory of our nation's irreplaceable resources, and form St. Ferdinand's Shrine Historic District.

The Shrine is operated and maintained by the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand, a non-profit agency.

To: St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

 Blessed Rose Philippine Duchesne
Co-foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart
in the United States arrived in the village of
St. Ferdinand de Fleurissant
December 21, 1819

July 19, 1824 ~  On this day Philippine writes to Madeleine Sophie Barat, "Here at Florissant we are at least no longer afraid of starving to death, and that is something. If God takes from us the means of doing good, we must accept His Will. Do not worry about us, for not one of us is discouraged."  
Taken from the book: Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne


Margaret Munch, RSCJ  was interviewed by St. Louis television, KMOV - Channel 4 last month prior to our AASH board meeting.  The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine is a very special place indeed!  I encourage those interested to learn more and visit this very historic place.  If you wish to help in the preservation of the  Old St. Ferdinand Shrine click here.

To: St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Space under the stairs where Philippine Duchesne slept ~ Florissant, MO
Today, many visitors leave their special intentions here.

July 5, 1836 ~  Philippine writes to Mother Barat, "If only I could be completely hidden in a corner, so as not to be tempted to worry about things that are really not my business!"   

The above quote was taken from:  Through the Year with Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, canonized July 3, 1988, lived in the convent from 1819 to 1846 in Florissant, MO.  During this time she established a boarding school for wealthy families from St. Louis, a free local school and Indian girls school.  

St. Philippine’s Second Home ~ Florissant, Missouri

Last Saturday morning after a bit of reflection, prayer and a brief history of the Round House, the AASH Board traveled with Sr. Margaret Munch, RSCJ to Florissant, Missouri.  The commute is less than thirty minutes from the Shrine in St. Charles. It is here in Florissant that St. Philippine made her second home in America and spent nearly fifteen years of her life.  This is the first permanent convent-school building in which Philippine lived. It was here that she laid the cornerstone, which read, “My Heart will abide here.”  It was here that she slept in the space under the convent stairs, adjacent to the chapel, where she spent many hours in prayer.

I would highly recommend that anyone interesting in learning more about Philippine's early years come and visit the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine and become a friend of the shrine.


Click here for a news clip featuring Sr. Munch talking about Old St. Ferdinand Shrine on Local News 4.