12 Days of Christmas in the Archives

Happy holidays! It is once again time for the Heritage Center’s annual “12 Days of Christmas” spree. If you did not follow along on our Facebook page, all of the posts can be viewed below.

“12 Days of Christmas” posts from past years can be viewed here and here.

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.”

While it does not include a bird, we think this fruit basket with pears would have made an excellent Christmas present. This watercolor painting was made by Sr. Teresa Augusta McSoarley (c. 1808-1864) and is one of the earliest pieces of art we have by a Sister of Loretto.

“On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves.”

This pin, featuring two doves representing peace, was brought from Nicaragua by a Sister of Loretto who served as a nurse there in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At the time, Nicaragua was in the midst of a revolution and then the Contra War. Despite this, the Sister who lived there said it was a time of hope that the Sandinista (FSLN) revolutionary party would bring positive changes to the country.

“On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens.”

Since there are currently no chickens being raised at the Motherhouse, the Rakes family brings their own to staff the petting zoo at the Motherhouse Farm’s annual August Ag Bash. This striking bird is from the Polish breed.

“On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me four calling birds.”

The paper birds in this photo are passenger pigeons. They were made by Sr. Roberta Hudlow and her students at Nerinx Hall (Webster Groves, MO) to “flock” the school’s courtyard on April 24, 2014. The “flocking” was both a celebration of Loretto Founder’s Day and a remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the last passenger pigeon.

“On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five golden rings.”

This napkin ring is engraved “SML” for “Sister Mary Loretto.” Historically, this abbreviation was marked on items that were held in common by the Sisters of Loretto rather than used by specific individuals.

“On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese a-laying.”

This egg flashcard was used to teach Chinese characters at one of Loretto’s missions in China. Loretto opened St. Columban’s Mission in Hanyang in 1923 and Loretto School in Shanghai in 1933. Both schools closed in the early 1950s.

“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming.”

Sr. Rose Henry Higdon (1917-2012) painted this picture of a crane and two swans or ducks in 2006.

“On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking.”

The Motherhouse Farm has dozens of cows! All of their milk goes to their growing calves.

“On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing.”

These students at Loretto Academy in Kansas City, MO, are showing off their moves at a dance recital in the late 1930s.

“On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping.”

This little jigsaw puzzle was created from a photograph of students at Loretto Academy in Kansas City, MO.

“On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping.”

These young clarinetists were among the music students at Loretto Academy in El Paso, TX.

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming.”

This image shows a Sister of Loretto teaching a rhythm class at the Webster College Experimental School in St. Louis, MO.