Martyrs of Memphis
In 1878 the city of Memphis, Tennessee on the Mississippi River was
struck by an epidemic of yellow fever, which so depopulated the area
that the city lost its charter and was not reorganized for fourteen
years. Almost everyone who could afford to do so left the city and fled
to higher ground away from the river. (It was not yet known that the
disease was mosquito-borne, but it was observed that high and dry areas
were safe.) There were in the city several communities of nuns, Anglican
or Roman Catholic, who had the opportunity of leaving, but chose to
stay and nurse the sick. Most of them, thirty-eight in all, were
themselves killed by the fever. One of the first to die (on 9 September
1878) was Constance, head of the (Anglican) Community of St Mary.
Learn more:
Feast Day is September 9:
http://www.lectionarypage.net/LesserFF/Sep/Constance.html
No comments:
Post a Comment