Superior Generals (1941) is the finale book to our class project, "Our Rare Book Room, Our SMC." The particular copy of Superior Generals held in the Cushwa-Leighton Library’s Rare Book Room is important— it sat on the shelf of Sr. M. Madeleva Wolff, arguably the College’s most famous president. Sister Madeleva made such an impact on the College and her community that there is a section in the Rare Book Room dedicated to every book that was graced by her hands. These books sat on the shelf behind her as she served as President. 

In order to understand the importance of this book, it is important to lay the foundation of what this book is about. One might wonder: 1) Who are The Sisters of The Holy Cross? 2) What/who is a Superior General? 3) Who is Sister Madeleva? and 4) What does this book have to do with the myriad of other rare books that are included in this project? This coda will attempt to answer these four questions. 

Who are the Sisters of The Holy Cross? Founded by Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau in Le Mans, France, the Sisters of The Holy Cross were sent to the Michiana area to assist the priests and brothers in the founding of the University of Notre Dame du Lac in the early 1840s. In 1844, the Sisters founded Saint Mary’s Academy prior to establishing Saint Mary’s as a college. At the time, the University of Notre Dame was an all-men’s college, and the Sisters saw a need to educate women, and thus, chose to found of our magical school. Among the Sisters sent from Le Mans, France, was Mother Mary of the Seven Dolors. At  just 17 years old, Mother Mary of the Seven Dolors was the first Superior General of the CSC Sisters. Over time, the Sisters of the Holy Cross gathered or were gifted books that have ended up in our Rare Book Room. The books selected for this project demonstrate the signs of the times that the Sisters so humbly responded to.

Now, why is this book important for this project? As stated above, this copy of Superior Generals sat on the shelf of Sr. Madeleva. Madeleva and four other authors took the job of telling the stories of those who came before them— the stories of the Sisters whose shoulders they were standing upon (Mother Mary of The Seven Dolors, Mother M. Augusta, Mother Annunciata, Mother M. Perpetua, and Mother M. Aquina). These Superior Generals are the reason why Saint Mary’s still stands. They recognized the values and benefits of educating young women at a convent school; these Superior Generals had a compassion that  moved them to reflect on the signs of the times, discern needs, and respond to as many as they could. A poem inserted on the final page Superior Generals says just that.
Who or what is a Superior General? If you grew up going to Catholic school that had nuns in charge, you might recognize a Superior General as a Mother Superior. A Superior General is ​​the executive authority of a particular religious community. In the 21st Century, many religious orders changed the Superior’s title to President— this was to reduce hierarchies in their respective orders (no one is superior to anyone). Today, the Sisters of the Holy Cross refer to their Superior General as the “President” of their order. In modern terms, this text is about the former presidents of the order. 

Who was Sr. Madeleva Wolff? Sr. Madeleva Wolff was the longest reigning president of Saint Mary’s College and is arguable the most famous to have served in that role. Sr. Madeleva built the College up to what it is today. She is the reason that female theologians can be theologians. She was a poet, medievalist, and author of books--and a friend to many. She put Saint Mary’s on the map. Today, she is seen by many as a patron saint of the college, watching over us, ensuring that the legacy of the college lives on. 

Near the end of the book, the authors reflect on the "mystic seven." They write:

"A hundred years ago a young girl knelt in the little chapel of the Covenant of the Good Shepherd in Le Mans, France. She had come to dedicate herself to the work of Christian education. Six other girls in the years since then have knelt at other altars to consecrate their lives to the same work under the same banner. These have been the spiritual leaders, the divinely chosen generals of a great and growing army. Hundreds of the chosen woman-hood of the world march in its ranks. Our Lady of the Seven Swords shines on all their breastplates. The holy rood above crossed anchors gleams from their banners. Seven superior generals in the course of a century complete the mystic cycle of leadership of this army of the Sister of the Holy Cross." (Superior Generals 177)

The Mystic Seven opened a school and taught women to think on their own. They taught them to be curious and to learn about what interested them— a legacy that Saint Mary’s continues today. 

This project is a testament to the education that the Superior Generals intended for the students of Saint Mary’s. By having access to the Rare Book Room, the Digital and Public Humanities students found books that had been donated by donors, former students, and by notable authors, to allow students to see the world from a single book. Additionally, their contributions to our Rare Book Room have allowed students, such as the students in the Digital Humanities Project Lab: The History of The Book, to have access to the global world. Their legacy makes our education one of accessibility; we travel the world from a single room, allowing for our hearts and minds to be transformed, just as their mystic cycle of leadership promised us. Students feel the spirit of the Sisters whose shoulders we stand upon as they flip through the pages of these rare books. Our Superior Generals are the reason why our Saint Mary’s has our own Rare Book Room.

Spes Unica, 
The Digital Humanities Project Lab