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‘Over There’ Exhibit Showcases Daughters’ Work in World War I

Over There
Sister Chrysostum Moynahan, D.C., (center) and nurses from St. Vincent Hospital, Birmingham, Ala., where Sister served prior to her call to Italy. Photo used with permission of the Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise Archives.

The following article was originally posted on The Baltimore Sun website. View the story here.

Over There: Daughters of Charity Service in WWI

The exhibit contains photographs, manuscripts, memorabilia and written diary accounts documenting the service of the Daughters of Charity as part of the Loyola Medical Unit at Base Hospital 102 under the direction of Dr. Joseph Danna of Charity Hospital, New Orleans, La., stationed in Vicenza, Italy, located near the Italian Front, during World War I.

Nine of the 10 Daughters of Charity sent to serve the allies during World War I entered the community of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and attended seminary at the former St. Joseph’s Provincial House in Emmitsburg. Among them was Sister Chrysostum Moynahan, D.C., who was the first registered licensed nurse to practice in the State of Alabama.

Highlighted in the exhibit are portions of the collections of the former St. Louis Province including a set of more than 40 glass plate negatives depicting the Sisters’ World War I service. These negatives include images of the Sisters, the lay nurses who served with them, the hospital where they served, and the fighting along the Italian Front. Because of their format they could be not be studied, and had never been exhibited. They were digitized in 2009 by Digital Preservation of St. Louis. With “Over There,” the World War I images are on display for the first time. Digital images were used to create all the photos used in both the physical exhibit and the companion video. Digital technology will play an important role in future preservation efforts.

A video presentation also is part of the exhibit. It includes images from the glass plate collection and extensive and additional passages from the Daughters’ diaries—all read by Daughters of Charity who are present members of the community.

“Over There” is a free event and can be viewed by the general public at the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday through Oct. 28, 2015. Exhibit hours for Sisters, Associates and Emmitsburg campus volunteers are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Oct. 30.