The Dominican Sisters learned of the
legend of El Cobre when they arrived in Cuba in 1901, but they placed their orphanage
under Our
Lady of the Rosary. They taught the orphans to pray the Rosary and appeal to
Our Lady for help. Sadly, by the year’s end it became
clear that neither the local Church nor the Cuban government would contribute
any financial support to the orphanage.
The Bishop who had invited them fell out of favor and was sent to first to the Philippines in 1901 and then to Canada the following year. Mother Loyola wrote many letters to friends of the congregation and family members back in the United States begging for financial support to keep the orphanage going. One of those who responded favorably was Katherine Drexel, the millionaire heiress of Philadelphia, later canonized for her work with Black and Indian children in the United States.
Katherine Drexel had just received her enormous inheritance and was at just beginning to discern her own unique call. Just six months later another group of American sisters who had begun an academy in Vedado, Cuba were forced to withdraw for lack of resources, and the Apostolic Delegate asked Mother Loyola to take it on. Mother Loyola replied that she did not have the financial means or sufficient staff to support both the orphanage and two academies.
In 1902 he advised her to turn over the orphanage to the Sisters of Providence of Baltimore and staff the two academies instead. Despite her special love for the black orphans she had come to Cuba to help, Mother Loyola obeyed and turned over the fledgling orphanage to the Sisters of Providence. They were able to sustain the orphanage with the help of a donation from Katherine Drexel’s inheritance.
The Bishop who had invited them fell out of favor and was sent to first to the Philippines in 1901 and then to Canada the following year. Mother Loyola wrote many letters to friends of the congregation and family members back in the United States begging for financial support to keep the orphanage going. One of those who responded favorably was Katherine Drexel, the millionaire heiress of Philadelphia, later canonized for her work with Black and Indian children in the United States.
Katherine Drexel had just received her enormous inheritance and was at just beginning to discern her own unique call. Just six months later another group of American sisters who had begun an academy in Vedado, Cuba were forced to withdraw for lack of resources, and the Apostolic Delegate asked Mother Loyola to take it on. Mother Loyola replied that she did not have the financial means or sufficient staff to support both the orphanage and two academies.
In 1902 he advised her to turn over the orphanage to the Sisters of Providence of Baltimore and staff the two academies instead. Despite her special love for the black orphans she had come to Cuba to help, Mother Loyola obeyed and turned over the fledgling orphanage to the Sisters of Providence. They were able to sustain the orphanage with the help of a donation from Katherine Drexel’s inheritance.
