Did you know Saint Michael Convent and Nursery has a fascinating connection to one of Chicago’s most devastating events? This wasn’t just any fire. It was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Let’s step back in time to October 8, 1871. The School Sisters of Notre Dame staffed three parish schools in Chicago. One of them was Saint Michael Convent and Nursery. On that fateful night, a fire ignited in the O’Leary barn. It quickly spiraled out of control.
At 5 a.m. on October 9, the sisters at Saint Michael Convent and Nursery gathered in the Chapel for Mass. The priest arrived in distress. He warned them of the danger if the winds shifted north. He didn’t celebrate Mass. Instead, he distributed Holy Communion and left with the Blessed Sacrament.
Shortly after, eight Benedictine sisters sought refuge. Their convent had already been destroyed. The Saint Michael Convent and Nursery sisters offered tea. But a messenger arrived, warning them of imminent danger. The Benedictine sisters departed. The School Sisters of Notre Dame prayed for protection.
An unnamed sister wrote that the wind turned northward. The skies brightened. The noise grew louder. By 8 a.m., the sisters packed their belongings. Wagons were impossible to hire at any price. Two neighbors eventually transported them to safety. They traveled four miles outside the city. They arrived at an orphanage run by Poor Handmaids in Rosehill.
By 1 p.m., only Sisters Emmerentia and Eusebia and a candidate named Theresa Meier remained. They tried to save what they could. They buried a sewing machine, books, and groceries. But the surrounding frame structures were engulfed in flames. Their efforts were in vain.
Soon, flames approached. The wind grew hotter. Smoke choked the air. Burning pieces of wood flew everywhere. Sister Emmerentia took one last look. She saw flames consuming building after building. She locked the convent door. She fled through the garden to the monastery wall. The group watched until the smoke and heat forced them to leave. Their hope was gone.
The next day, most sisters went to Milwaukee. Sisters Emmerentia and Arcadia returned with the priest. Everything was demolished. The convent was destroyed. Only a candidate’s trunk of clothes survived. The sisters searched for their buried items for two hours without success.
But their spirit remained strong. Restoration began immediately. The Redemptorist priests built cells along the monastery wall. A temporary church and school were erected. By February 1872, six classrooms opened. On February 19, school reopened with 600 children.
Saint Michael’s School was rebuilt. It served the community for many years. The School Sisters of Notre Dame faithfully served there for 119 years. The school closed in 1981.
So as you stand here, remember the resilience of Saint Michael Convent and Nursery. It rose from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire. It stands as a testament to faith and determination.