ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. The French Connection: Founders, Origins, and Early Activities Chapter 2. Creating an American Identity: Survival and Expansion in the American Milieu Chapter 3. Educating the Good Sister: Gender and Religious Identity Chapter 4. Expanding American Catholic Culture: Life in the Trans-Mississippi West Chapter 5. Promulgating the Faith: Parochial Schools and American Catholic Identity Chapter 6. Educating for Catholic Womanhood: Secondary Academies and Women's Colleges Chapter 7. Succoring the Needy: Nursing, Hospitals, and Social Services Epilogue Notes Selected Bibliography Index IllustrationsFirst CSJ convent in Carondelet, Missouri Sister Celestine Pommerel Members of the Ireland family Young postulant dressed as a bride before receiving the habit Irish "recruits" for CSJ communities Young girls feeding the chickens at St.

Joseph's Girls' Home Sister Monica Corrigan and her sister companions CSJs and Native American students at San Xavier del Bac Mission Our Lady of Lourdes School St. Vincent de Paul School, first CSJ parochial school Music class at St. Peter's School Sister Francis Joseph Ivory and her class Senior class, St. Joseph's Institute Physics class, St. Teresa's Academy Latin class at the College of St. Catherine Art class at the College of St. Catherine Horse-drawn ambulance in front of St. Mary's Hospital CSJ nurses and soldiers at the military hospital at Matanzas, Cuba Surgery, St.

Mary's Hospital Immigrant child before and after entering Aemilianum Orphan Asylum Toddlers at lunch, St. Joseph's Infant Home.