Sister Mary Cornella, OSB papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains basic biographical information and personal papers. Biographical information includes a personal data sheet, ministry lists, jubilee worship aids, community obituaries and funeral materials, photographs, a copy of her birth certificate, and prayer cards. Sister's photographs are individual and group pictures of Sister with Benedictine community members, family members, working at the switchboard, and exhibiting handmade items for sale.
Personal papers include correspondence, academic transcripts, news articles and clippings, employment contracts, and family materials. Newspaper articles and clippings feature Sister's ministry, jubilee celebrations, and her crafts and crochet work. Family materials include documents regarding Sister's Italian heritage and family. A highlight of the collection is a letter sent to her grandfather by her grandmother in 1879.
Dates
- Creation: 1878-2010
Creator
- Cornella, Mary, 1910-2010 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Sisters papers are restricted for 50 years after their death. Photographs and previously published materials are unresticted. This collection is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
Sister Mary Cornella, OSB was born Mary Jane on December 5th, 1910 in Graycreek, Colorado to Italian parents. She grew up in Florence, Colorado, and came to know the Benedictine Sisters through religious education classes. She entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago on September 1st, 1931, and was invested on July 11th, 1932, taking the name in religion Sister Clotilde. Sister professed temporary vows on August 16th, 1933 and final vows in August 16th, 1936. She celebrated her silver jubilee in August, 1958, her golden jubilee in June 1983, and her diamond jubilee in August, 1993.
Sister Mary spent 42 years as an elementary teacher in the primary and intermediate grades. She spent a number of years at Saint Scholastica Academy in Canon City, serving as a receptionist and switchboard operator. At Saint Scholastica Monastery in Chicago, Sister Mary took charge of the gift shop, where she displayed many of her own hand-made crocheted items.
On December 2, 2010, Sister died peacefully 3 days before her 100th birthday. Her place of burial is All Saints Cemetery.
Extent
.25 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Italian
Metadata Rights Declarations
- License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons license.
- Title
- A guide to Sister Mary Cornella, OSB papers
- Author
- Mickey Smith; Clara Finkelstein
- Date
- 2024-03-25
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago Archives Repository
Archives
Benedictine Sisters of Chicago
7430 N. Ridge Blvd.
Chicago Illinois 60645 United States
(773) 764-2413 ext. 203
archives@osbchicago.org