Cox, Sister Mary Hilary, Catharine O. P.

Other Events:

• 1860 Census: 1860, Holland, Brown, Wisconsin, USA; Page 173 Line 35
• 1870 Census: 1870, Holland, Brown, Wisconsin, USA; Page 24
• Religious Vows: 4 Aug 1875; Sinsinawa Dominican
• Biography: 4 Apr 1881
• Obituary: 4 Apr 1881; Sinsinawa Archives

Notes:

1860 Census:
1860 Census Holland page 173; John Cox age 34 born Ire, Catherine age 3 5, born Ire, Patrick age 12 born mass. Margarite age 9 born Virg, Cathari ne age 7 born Wis, Thomas age 5 born Wis.

1870 Census:
1870 Census Holland page 24; Listed living with parents age 16, born in Wi sconsin

Religious Vows:
Sister Mary Hilary

Biography:
From the Archives at Sinsinawa in 2002; Baptized name Katie, listed as bo rn in 1854 when she entered the convent at age 21. Received her habit on A ug 4, 1875, professed her vows on August 4, 1876 and died on April 4, 1881 .SISTER MARY HILARY COX - Sister Mary Hilary Cox was received into the comm unity on August 4, 1875. She was everything that one could expect from a g ood religious, earnest, perfectly obedient and always cheerful so, and o ne of the most unselfish of beings. She was remarkable for her great inter est in the Community's welfare, so that she never seemed to be a young Sis ter but rather one who had long indentified herself with the general goo d. Most of her religious life was spent on the mission in Bloomington, Ill inois, where she taught the higher grades in the boy's department. Not on ly her own pupils but all the children in the school loved and revered he r. Her faith in prayer was another charchteristic. All her doubts and diff iculties, the temporal and spiritual needs of her Sisters and her pupils w ere laid before Our Lord in the tabernacle. Towards the end of the four th year of her profession, her health began to decline. After a few mont hs it was manifest that consumption was at work. Sister came home to di e, and for about ten months she bore great suffering with uniform patien ce and resignation. On April 4, 1881, about an hour after receiving the Ho ly Viaticum, she breathed her last, being then twenty-seven years of age.
From the archives at Sinsinawa, Sister Robertine wrote in 1978 that the na me Hilary was given to her Aunt and also to her sister Marjorie's boy, bo th in honor of Sister Mary Hilary Cox (1854-1881). Sister Hilary, O.P., b uried at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.
From the "ANNALS OF THE SISTERS OF THE THIRD ORDER OF SAINT DOMINIC OF T HE CONGREGATION OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY OF SINSINAWA, WISCONSIN" - THE CON VENT OF SAINT JOSEPH, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, DIOCESE OF CHICAGO, ESTABLISH ED IN 1848,
BEGINING MARCH 11, 1876.On the 11th day of March 1876, Sister M. Reginald Kean, Sister M. Gonza ga Doyle, Sister M. Lucina Foy, Sister M. Emerentia Martin and Sist er M. Hilary Cox were, by the Council of Saint Clara Convent, Sinsinawa, W isconsin, sent to be the first Sisters of the Convent of Saint Joseph, Blo omington, Diocese of Chicago.
From the Annuls of Holy Trinity convent Bloomington, IN. "Sister Mary Hila ry Cox taught the boys' school in the old frame building once used as a Me thodist Church. She made the work a marked success-- in the face of many d ifficulties. Sister Hilary's love of truth could surely make her the bann er bearer of the Dominican motto, "Veritas". A pupil of the Sisters (Mi ss Quinn) took Sister's name when she became a member of the Community, af ter Sister Hilary Cox's death. She now (1922) bears the name Sister Mary H ilary Quinn. Sister Hilary Cox died in 1881, from a cold first contract ed while Watching with another Sister by the bier of Rev. Father Murph y. He was for sometime assistant priest at Holy Trinity Church. His dea th was sudden and a great shock to Father McDermot. His remains were tak en to the Church. Here members of the Congregation and some of the Siste rs watched during the night and day."

-----------------------------------------ANNALS OF THE SISTERS OF THE THIRD ORDER OF SAINT DOMINIC OF THE CONGREGAT ION OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY OF SINSINAWA, WISCONSINTHE CONVENT OF SAINT JOSEPH, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, DIOCESE OF CHICAGO, ES TABLISHED IN 1848,
BEGINING MARCH 11, 1876.The diocese of Peoria was established May 1, 1877 under Rt. Rev. John Lanc aster Spalding, a most kind and interested friend of our congregation.In the name of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and of the Bless ed Virgin Mary and of Saint Dominic, our Father and Founder we commence th ese annals of the Convent of Saint Joseph, Bloomington, Illinois, Dioce se of Chicago.On the 11th day of March 1876, Sister M. Reginald Kean, Sister M. Gonza ga Doyle, Sister M. Lucina Foy, Sister M. Emerentia Martin and Sist er M. Hilary Cox were, by the Council of Saint Clara Convent, Sinsinawa, W isconsin, sent to be the first Sisters of the Convent of Saint Joseph, Blo omington, Diocese of Chicago.At this time the basement of what is now Holy Trinity Church was covered o ver and used by the parish for religious services. Their new church, whi ch was nearly completed, was blown down by a windstorm. Some of the windo ws were unfastened during the night. Bloomington and vicinity lie in the o utskirt of cyclone range, hence the accident. In a more recent date the he avy iron cupola of the Court House was taken away by a similar cyclone. T he new church was not insured and in this way a double burden of paying f or it was placed upon the parish. The priest in care of the parish beca me discouraged and returned to the East.When the Rev. Father McDermot was appointed to the Bloomington Paris h, in 1875, he found its financial condition so stringent that he asked t he Sisters of Saint Joseph, then in charge of the school, to depend for th eir salary upon the tuition collected from, their pupils. Their superior w as not prepared to accept those terms and the Sisters withdrew. The Pasto r, Rev. Father McDermot, knew our Sisters in Dixon where he had been assis tant with Father Hodnett. He hoped Mother M. Emily Power would help him co ntinue a Catholic School in Bloomington. He went to the Mound to see Moth er Emily and explained the circumstances of his parish. The application w as favorably considered by Mother and her Council who in a short time se nt the first band of Dominican Sisters to Bloomington. At this time Bloomi ngton formed a part of the Chicago Diocese, but was expected soon to beco me a part of the Peoria Diocese. Many of the Rev. Clergy had been consider ing Bloomington a fit location for the new Cathedral and Bishop's residenc e.On arriving in Bloomington, the Dominican Sister's found Saint Joseph's Co nvent a well built brick structure having two stories besides a basement a nd attic. There was also an addition in the shape of an ell extending sou th from the convent. This was used for schoolrooms in which the girls atte nded. The rooms for the boys of the parish were in an old frame building s aid to have been at one time a Methodist Church. Near this building w as a factory keeping up a ceaseless din and whirr--most trying to the teac hers and pupils in the schoolrooms. Today (1915) it stands with its wal ls almost rusted away, waiting the spring-cleaning to carry it off. The pa vement on Center Street was made from stones once deposited by a glacial d rift. At this time (1877) mules drew the cars over those uneven stones. To day (1917) the electric car whirls over a smooth pavement, and the proper ty on both sides of the street is owned by the Dominican sisters who we re greatly aided by Rev. Fr. Weldon and the people of the parish in securi ng this property. When the old stone pavement was removed to clear the w ay for a new one, the medley of stones removed from the pavement spoke pla inly of their origin from rocks far away to the North. They would gladd en the heart of a geologist. A well of delicious spring water stood betwe en the buildings of the boys' and Girls' schools. Mr. Callallan, our li fe long janitor, complained for many a day over the loss of the fine wate r, when this well was filled up. Over its site a seedling maple took ro ot and finding with its roots the moisture beneath the ground, stands a hu ndred feet, shading the yard from the hot summer sun. In the kitchen the re was a soft water pump which with the springjust mentioned was the only supply of water the Sisters then had. Now a si x-inch water pipe conducted from the new main water pipe running along Cen ter Street stands a faithful guardian in case of fire. At the same time th at the water main was laid along Center Street a large sewer pipe was lai d. This makes it possible to have perfect sanitary conditions in the build ings nearby for without them no plumbing conditions could be of much goo d. Every room in the convent except the Chapel, was heated by a small so ft coal stove. In the Chapel there was a hard coal stove. The soft coal st oves were very small and the legs of some of them were loose and like ly to fallout. Each Sister had the care of a stove and when its shaky l eg fell off, the luckless Sister was in a sad plight.Almost at the first arrival of the Sisters in Saint Joseph's, Rev. Moth er Emily Power came for a short time to Bloomington. Everyone was busy put ting affairs in order. Mother sent Sister Reginald to meet the callers. (S ister Reginald had been appointed superior) while Mother herself direct ed the Sisters in their many tasks of getting the place ready. The Sist er s began their work with characteristic thrift and energy. Before two y ears, there were numbered in the Select School- many pupils from the be st families in the city notably from non-Catholic homes.All the schools prospered and were well attended. The closing exercises pl anned by Sister Reginald were highly entertaining, besides a source of re venue--no small matter in those days.The year 1879 found the Rev. Father McDermot breaking in health under t he heavy labor of erecting Holy Trinity Church and in short time he withdr ew to another appointment made by the Rev. Bishop Spalding. The Rev. Fath er McDermot did not live more than two years from this time. He died sudde nly, but had the consolation of the Sacrament of Penance a few hours befo re his death. The people in Bloomington who knew him best, still spe ak of his remarkable kindness Charity--worn out, long before his time to g o, by his loving zeal for souls.

Obituary:
See Image From the Archives at Sinsinawa