Hidden Gems in Marshall County
There are two really remarkable “hidden” historic and architectural gems in Marshall County. The few paragraphs in this column on either won’t do justice to the depth of history and significance each contribute to our county.
If you’ve never visited the campus of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, where the Ancilla College Campus is located, you need to make this visit. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ trace their roots to Dernbach, Germany where the foundress, Catherine Kasper was born in 1820. On August 15, 1848, Catherine moved into her first house with four companions from the little German village. The house became a center from which the sick of Dernbach were nursed and it also served as a home for a widow and eight orphans. On August 15, 1851, Catherine and her four companions pronounced their vows as the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.
In the aftermath of the Civil War in America, a request came from the diocese of Fort Wayne, Indiana for help in ministering to the many German immigrants who had settled in the area. Eight German sisters were selected from among the two hundred that volunteered for the mission in America. Catherine Kasper continued to send Poor Handmaids to America in the years that followed. The sisters lived Catherine’s vision, journeying into new territories and ministries, building "little hous- es" in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Pennsylvania before the start of the 20th century.
In 1918, the motherhouse in America moved from Fort Wayne to Donaldson with the purchase of the Lake Galbraith Hotel. The new convent and chapel, known on campus as the “mother house” was built in the Gothic Revival style in 1922-1923 in a beautifully wooded, landscaped environment on the north side of Lake Galbraith. The building was designed by Herman and Christian Gaul and constructed by Larson-daniels Construction Company. The sanctuary space is truly inspiring with its great spiraling Gothic arches. The grounds also contain a thought-provoking Stations of the Cross. The Poor Handmaids celebrate their centennial in Marshall