Anne Blair Lancaster, Joseph B. Lancaster's sister

In my quest to find photos of people mentioned in letters written by Joseph B. and Amanda D. Lancaster, I have been in contact with the Order of Carmelites, Discalced, to find out information about Anne Blair Lancaster, one of Joseph's older sisters.

Joseph's father and mother, William Blair Lancaster and Josephine Morgan Lancaster had four children -- Mary Catherine (Kate) Lancaster (1859-1928), Anne Blair Lancaster (1861-1915), Mary Edith Lancaster (1862-1938), and Joseph (1865-1916). (William Blair outlived Josephine and married twice more, outliving both Mary Ellen Wells Lancaster and Marie Delery Lancaster, with whom he had children.)

Kate was a schoolteacher and principal her entire life and never married. I am in contact with a librarian at the University of New Orleans where the archives of the Orleans Parish School Board are held. In another blog I will relate the serendipitous way I found out that Kate was the principal of McDonogh 11 in the 1920s.

Anne Blair entered the Order of Carmelites, Discalced and took the name Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament, OCD.

Mary Edith married Thomas Wharton Collens, a descendant of the founder of Covington, and had four children with him. I have been in touch with Frances Collins Curtis (note spelling change) about her grandmother, Mary Edith. I will post any information that I receive from Frances.

All that is said to give context to who Anne Blair was. The prioress of the Carmelites in New Orleans, Sister Joan Monkhouse, OCD, sent me an excerpt from the order's Book of Our Deceased Sisters, that gives a beautiful account of Sister St. Pierre's life as a Discalced (barefoot) Carmelite:

Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Heavenly Bridegroom, on Apr. 27, 1915, while the joyous Alleluias were ascending to His throne of love, and during the octave of the Patronage of our glorious Father St. Joseph, came to take another of His brides from our Carmel, to the celestial nuptial feast prepared for her in the mansions of eternal bliss.

Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament, nee Anna Blair Lancaster, was in the 55^th year of her age, and the 27^th of her Religious Profession. She was born Jan. 10, 1861, in New Orleans, La., of pious Christian parents, her Father being William P. Lancaster, and her Mother Josephine Morgan. She was educated at St. Simeon’s select school, by the Sisters of Charity, and ever showed herself deeply grateful for the thorough Catholic training she received there.

She was a very pious child, and at an early age she heard the Divine Master calling her to a life of detachment from all that passes away and of union with Him, which she would find in the holy solitude of Carmel. She was directed by a Reverend Jesuit Father, and on May 18, 1885, in the 25^th year of her age, her holy desires were realized. Owing to circumstances over which Superiors had no control, she did not receive the holy habit until Oct. 21, 1886. Another sacrifice was asked of her because of the same circumstances, and her longing desires to pronounce her holy vows could not be realized until Nov. 21, 1888.

Before she left the Novitiate, the malady which was ultimately to take her from us, manifested itself; yet through all the intervening years, she worked generously for her community, and kept up to all community exercises with admirable and most edifying fidelity. When her failing strength obliged her to lie down, she either wrote or sewed. She was very orderly and remarkably industrious, considering it contrary to holy poverty to lose a minute.

For a time she was Sacristan, and during her entire Religious life she mended the stockings, a charge which she fulfilled with edifying generosity almost to the last day of her life. Gifted with marked literary ability, she was a valuable help to all her Prioresses, in the correspondence, in which duty she showed much prudence and discretion. She helped greatly with the work of the Holy Face, and manifested much zeal in spreading devotion to Sister Teresa of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, “The Little Flower of Jesus,” thus, may we hope, hastening the day of her Beatification.

Sister had a marked devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and a great love for prayer. When she knelt in the Divine Presence, her face was seen visibly to light up, as it were, and she seemed lost in her communings with her Beloved.

Although she had a tender affection for her relatives, yet she manifested a truly supernatural detachment from them, which greatly edified the community.

In May of 1914, our dear Sister’s condition became such as to cause alarm, and she herself realized the end was not far off. Yet she continued to work generously, and to follow community exercises until November of the same year when her heart became weak. For four months longer, she struggled on heroically, keeping up to all the community acts her strength permitted, and working, as ever, incessantly.

In the month of March, 1915, her state became quite serious, although she worked on until her strength failed her utterly. She went to the Choir for Mass the last time, Sunday, Apr. 18^th; our Divine Lord was taken to her the following day; and on the next morning, Tuesday, Apr. 20^th, she received, in full consciousness and edifying fervor, the Last Sacraments. The plenary indulgence in “Articulo Mortis” was imparted; Holy Viaticum that day was her last Communion. She lingered on for a week longer, and on Tuesday morning, Apr. 27^th, at 2 o’clock, her pure soul flew to the bosom of the Divine Spouse for Whom she had given all.

Later in the morning, her holy remains were carried to the Choir, and there exposed until the Requiem Mass the following day. On the evening of Tuesday, the entire Office of the Dead was chanted by the community. The Requiem Mass was sung at 10 o’clock, the Celebrant Rev. Father Cyril, the Deacon, Rev. Father Joseph, and the Sub-deacon, Rev. Father Gabriel, all being Discalced Carmelites. The funeral sermon was preached by our devoted Confessor, Very Rev. Father Columban, O.S.B., who paid a touching tribute to our departed Sister, and urged all present to follow her beautiful example, that they might like her, enjoy a holy and happy death.

After the Last Absolution, her remains were carried to our community tomb in new St. Louis Cemetery. R.I.P.

Sr. Saint Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament – profession, Nov 21, 1888

1888. Profession of Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament, choir-sister.--- This Profession was made in the year of our Lord, 1888, on Wednesday the twenty-first of November, at five o’clock A.M., at the Monastery of St. Joseph and St. Teresa of the Discalceated Carmelite Nuns in New Orleans, Louisiana. Secular name: Anne Blair Lancaster; religious name: St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament; birth-place: New Orleans, Louisiana; her father’s name: William Blair Lancaster; her mother’s name: Josephine Morgan. In the twenty-sixth year of her age, she received the Holy Habit of Carmel on Thursday the twenty-first of October 1886, and made her Profession under the Most Rev. Archbishop Francis Janssens in the hands of Rev. Mother Teresa of Jesus, Prioress of said Monastery, in the Choir before the Blessed Sacrament, the Community being present. Sister St. Pierre made her Profession in the following words written and signed by herself:

“I, Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament, make my Profession and promise Obedience, Chastity and Poverty to God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and to His Grace the Archbishop of New Orleans, the Most Rev. Francis Janssens, and to his successors, representing our Very Rev. Father General of the Congregation of St. Elias of the Discalceated Carmelites, according to the Primitive Rule of the Order, without mitigation until death. I, moreover, do make the Vow of Humility, and promise never directly or indirectly, by myself or by another, to seek for any dignity or office in the Congregation, as is prohibited by our Constitutions. (signed) Sister St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament.”

The said sister made her Profession when she was in the 28^th year of her age.

(signed) Sr. Teresa of Jesus, Prioress, D. C.

Note at end of page: Sr. St. Pierre of the Blessed Sacrament died April 27, 1915.

It is worth noting that three other sisters of Joseph B. Lancaster became nuns. William Blair Lancaster and Mary Ellen Wells had five children: Laura and Marie (Maisey), both of whom died in childhood in the 1870s; William Blair Lancaster Jr. (Willie, 1873-1925), who was married and had three children; Mary Ellen (Nellie) Lancaster (1876-1954), who entered the Daughters of Charity and took the name Sister Apolline; John Robert Lancaster (1879-1945), who was married briefly but had no children.

William Blair Lancaster and Marie Delery Lancaster had five children: Elizabeth Lancaster (1887-1980), who never married; Cecilia (Celie) Lancaster (1890-1977), who entered the Daughters of Charity and took the name Sister Mary Austin; Armantine (Tena) Lancaster (1892-1986), who entered the Daughters of Charity and took the name Sister Vincentine; Armand Delery Lancaster (1894-1968) who married Katherine Denechaud and had five children; John Lancaster (1895), who died at birth.

A Wedding Story

Despite the time that has transpired since the last post, I have continued to conduct research and contact family members, even those that are more than two degrees separated from Joseph B. and Amanda D. Lancaster. One such contact has been with Linda "Burger" Allenburger Vaughan and her brother, Alex Allenburger, the children of Louise Aubert Allenburger and Christian Allenburger, my namesake. They are the grandchildren of Robert Aubert and Bertha "Nan" Doerr Aubert, who many of us know as Uncle Bob and Nan (above, circa 1909).

Both Burger and Alex are very interested in Lancaster family research and will contribute images to Now and Always. Here, in Burger's words, is the story of Nan and Uncle Bob's wedding.

GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDPA’S WEDDING STORY

About 30 years ago my mother, Louise Aubert Allenburger, and my aunt, Marie Aubert Bailey, told me the story of my grandparent’s wedding. They heard the story when they were young girls while eavesdropping during the visit of old maid aunts to their home. Their mother (about whom the story was told) tried to quiet the old ladies but to no avail. This is what was revealed.

Grandmother (Bertha) Aubert had dated Julian Smith for several years before they were to be married in 1906. Julian had purchased part of the square in Covington owned by Great-grandmother Doerr and had built a house for my grandmother right next door to her mother. The day before the wedding, Grandmother and her bridesmaid, Flossie, drove the carriage to the bank in Covington to get money for Grandmother’s wedding trip. While in the bank, the teller, Robbie Aubert, told Grandmother, “Bertha, you cannot marry Julian!” Grandmother replied, “Robbie, I have to.” (Apparently, Bertha and Robbie had met at several parties and liked each other.) So, Bertha and Flossie returned home. Flossie went into the house and, while Grandmother was tying up the horse, a carriage with sides (a cab) came barreling down the street. A boy jumped out and said to Grandmother, “Bertha, Robbie says to get in and come with me.” So, Bertha got in, they picked up Robbie at the bank, and Bertha and Robbie drove to Mandeville and were married that day at David’s Grocery Store. They were married for 60 years. Robbie lived to be 89 years old and Bertha died at the age of 99.

Editor’s Note: The boy was Robbie Aubert’s cousin, Henry Gautreaux, who became a physician and delivered Edith Lancaster Garcia nine years later.

Julian Smith married Rachel Linton. Their daughter Virginia became Edith Lancaster Garcia’s best friend. They often played tennis across the street from Julian and Rachel’s house – the house built and intended for Bertha Aubert. Julian’s brother, Deed Smith, was a very close friend of Joseph B. Lancaster. Deed and Julian are frequently mentioned in the letters written by Joseph B. Lancaster and Amanda Doerr Lancaster.