Seven Dolors Fraternity's 100-Year History
The life of a fraternity is best expressed in the life of its members. Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fraternity in Nashville, Tenn., has been blessed by many prominent members in the community. Several members have continued on their journey by becoming vowed religious, while still others have impacted
students and parishes.
The Sacred Heart Province in St. Louis, Mo., decided at its congress, July 3–8, 1914, to send Franciscan friars to Nashville. Father Charles Schlueter, OFM, arrived on July 29 and was placed in charge of St. Cecilia Academy. There had been a Third Order of St. Francis fraternity at Assumption Parish circa 1913, but for lack of proper
leadership it met with an untimely end.
On Nov. 28, 1915, Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fraternity was established, with Father Schlueter as the director of the Third Order, and a council was elected. Henrietta Wessel, OFS, president, was considered the best harpist in the South and taught at Ward-Belmont School and St. Cecilia Academy. Mayme Stritch, OFS, secretary, was the biological sister of Cardinal Samuel Stritch, the first American elected to the Roman Curia; and Lulu Caraher, treasurer, was a teacher at Arkansas State Teacher College.
At a meeting on Dec. 5, 1915, 25 postulants presented themselves for reception into the Order. The fraternity grew in membership to 150 members in 1931 (Father Maximus Poppy, OFM, and Paul R. Martin, Survey of a Decade: The Third Order Secular of St. Francis in the United States).
The history of Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fraternity encapsulates the legacies of many tertiaries and provides us examples to emulate on a local level. The following list of names is just a sample: Judge John Killen, OFS; Thomas Geralds, OFS, sexton of St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church in downtown Nashville; and Mary Catherine Schweiss (Strobel), OFS.
Mary Catherine is considered by some to be the Little Theresa of Nashville. She was tireless in helping the poor and was kidnapped and murdered in 1986 by an escaped convict. Today the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are given every year to exceptional charity workers. Her full bio can be read at Hands On Nashville
Several of our members are noteworthy in that they felt a further call and vocation to become vowed religious. Sister M. Ethel, OSF (Florence Goessman), entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., and took her final vows on Aug. 12, 1928. Sister Mary Helen, DC (Helen E. Neuhoff), joined the Daughters of Charity on Dec. 6, 1923, followed by her biological sister, Sister Henrietta, DC (Angela C. Neuhoff), on June 27, 1925, in St. Louis. Sister Mary Magdalen, OP (Mary J. Kearney), entered St. Cecilia Convent in Nashville.
Sister Mary Bernard, RSM (Margaret Fleming), entered the Sisters of Mercy at St. Bernard in Nashville in 1924 and was one of the five sisters who started St. Mary Memorial Hospital in 1930 in Knoxville. Sister Mary Thomas, DC (Mary E. Redd), on March 9, 1926, entered the Vincentian Convent of St. Thomas. James E. Fowlkes, was a Professed friar when he entered a Franciscan seminary; and Brother John P. Brunschwyler, OSB, entered in 1977 and resided at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy members of our fraternity is Frances Brinkley Tate, OFS. Her life is a testament of the depth of forgiveness and suffering. Our record book recalls the story in the following manner with brackets indicating details from the newspaper stories: “Fr. Paulinus Grosskopf, OFM, told us about Frances, the bomb victim. She was almost fatally injured by her estranged husband who [on June 3, 1960] brought a bomb [rigged with dynamite, buckshot, and a firing device in a jewelry box] to her mailbox, wrapped as a baby’s gift, when opened it blew both her hands off, [disfigured her face], blinding her, and severely injuring her internally. Her two school age daughters were also injured but not seriously. [Frances remarked later that “I forgive him… I wish something could be done to help him.”] She was not a Catholic at the time but the two daughters mentioned were baptized because her first husband was a Catholic, he was in jail for burglary at this time. Fr. Paulinus said that although Mrs. Tate was hovering so long near death and so horribly crippled, she lived and forgave her husband. Fr. Paulinus baptized her, later received her into the Third Order and professed her conditionally.”
Another exceptional member, Richard Russo, OFS, served the poor with such devotion and was operating Casey’s Kitchen, a food kitchen and clothing distribution center from a residence in Old Hickory, Tenn., prior to his death on Nov. 8, 2014. His article about this ministry is in the winter 2014 Communio.
We currently have 19 active professed, 2 candidates, and 1 inquirer members in the fraternity.
The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Secular Franciscan Order currently meets typically on every third Saturday of the month at 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at St Philip Catholic Church at 113 Second Ave S, Franklin, TN 37064.
