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Source: Sister Ignatia – Rosary Hall Radio Interview (Date Unknown).mp3 File: sister-ignatia-rosary-hall-radio-interview-date-unknown.mp3 Duration: 00:12:00
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Before I present Sister Ignatia to you, I should like to say that every so often in everyone's life, you meet someone who is so dedicated to the cause of humanity that it is a very moving thing. Sometimes, you know, you go on day after day, week after week, and you're aware of people's selfishness about your own selfishness. You're aware of the grief in the world. And then every so often, like a wonderful morning with the sun rising, you'll come across a beautiful personality.
When I'm talking of beauty, I'm not talking of eyelashes or of cosmetics or how much you weigh or how much you do not. I mean that inner beauty that shines through your face. And when you are in the presence of it, you have a certain feeling of reverence and of humility. And this is the way I feel in presenting our guest, Sister Ignatia. Sister Ignatia is known to thousands as the Little Angel. And if your life has been touched by what she has done, you will understand why she is called the Little Angel.
In 1950, the award of Catherine Siena was given to her by the honorary sorority of all the Catholic women's colleges. I want to tell Sister Ignatia, before we start, how grateful we are to her because I know what an ordeal it is for having come here. We're very grateful, Sister. Sister Ignatia, tell us what Rosary Hall really is. Rosary Hall has been established for the alcoholic who really is sincere and wants to do something about his problems.
First of all, he must accept the fact that it has or is becoming a problem in his life. And then he gives it everything. He takes the program without any reservation. Well, the first thing you do, is it not, you give him medical aid, first of all. Oh, yes, we treat them on the three levels. It's a triple illness. They're ill in body, they're ill in mind, and they're ill in soul. And we treat them on the three levels.
Then we have the best known medical science. They get every attention. And after we have withdrawn the alcohol, then the sponsors or these men and women who have been in this program for some time, they're the alcoholics, the only alcoholics may visit them. They come in and talk with them, and there are men who come in who probably have been in this 20 years, haven't had a drink for years. And when they tell them what it has done for them, and the tremendous change has come over them, the alcoholic begins to see what is happening to them.
And I believe that for that reason, we give them every opportunity to find themselves. Are the women who are alcoholics? We don't have much room for women, but we hope to get some expansion for women. Is there any difference in the way they respond? Do men respond more readily, or do women, or is it the same? Oh, no, it's much more difficult to work with a woman. First of all, she's very slow to admit that she has a problem.
There's a certain pride there she doesn't like to admit. If they would only admit it earlier, it would be so much better. Many of them take sedation and things like that, and we have a problem to deal with. Well, sister, is that alcoholism, is this a disease, is it a physical one too? It's an illness. There's some questions about the disease angle. I never go into that. I know it's an illness, definitely, because there's a compulsion sets in.
After they take the first drink, they have willpower until they take the first drink. This is what I don't understand. Why is it that they say it's so dangerous to take one drink? Why? Because it sets up a chain reaction, and it's accompanied by a compulsion. You mean once they start? Yes. Now, when you take them in, you put them to bed and you give them medication? Well, before we take them in, if someone calls and asks how they would contact AA,
[00:05:03]
we give them the number of the district office, which is Cherry 17387. Do the alcoholics anonymous always answer a call if someone says, oh, yes? Well, you know, this is amazing, isn't it? Oh, yes. This is a give program. If they're to continue their sobriety, they must help someone else, because that diverts their attention from getting another drink. They're so interested in helping someone else.
Well, but, you know, what I don't understand is, I'm told that they'll come at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning any time to answer a call. Well, generally we don't call them at any hour like that because the person hasn't just started to drink, and a few hours won't kill them. So generally they call the office, and then there are groups. There are some 150 groups in the area, and each group has someone on call, and they will…
Have you any idea what percentage of people who come to you remain sober? I would say 60 to 65 percent never take another drink. There are some who think probably they can experiment and try it again, but generally they come back and they're very, very sure. That happens sometimes at first 2 or 3 months. You mean they'll try it, and they find they can't do it? They'll try it, and then they call their sponsor or they get in touch with us.
We do try to help that person in that case, treat them as an outpatient, and then they get back in with their group therapy. Generally the reason a person has trouble is because he fails to carry out the principles. He doesn't attend meetings, and he doesn't call on anyone else or try to help anyone. These meetings, you mean they get together and talk over their problems? Well, there are meetings in all the districts around Cleveland.
They usually have a leader, a speaker, sometimes one from out of town, but there are different members who will speak. Sister Ignatia, forgive me for saying it, you're so frail-looking. You can't weigh more than 90 pounds. How did you ever start this most tortuous and difficult assignment? Of course, when we entered a convent, we aren't sure just what we're going to do. We simply give ourselves up to them.
We take a vow of obedience to go just as they do in the army, go where they're sent. However, [unclear] are very careful. I really wasn't selected exactly, only by our Lord himself, I believe, because music was my life's work. And I entered this community of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine because I was interested in the type of work they did, taking care of the poor and the orphans. I thought that would be wonderful.
I was with the orphans for a while, but I found out by now that I had the real orphans because they have left their homes. Sometimes their family doesn't know where they are. How long has this Rosary Hall been functioning? Well, I was transferred from Akron, where Alcoholics Anonymous was founded. Was Alcoholics Anonymous founded here in our own state? In Akron, yes. I didn't know that. Oh, yes. I was assigned to St. Thomas in 1928.
It was there that I met Dr. Bob, but then I didn't know that he had a problem. It was some years later that I learned that he and this New York broker had tried to work out something [unclear]. Someone else. They were both alcoholics. Oh, they both were. And of course, Dr. Bob is dead, but Bill is still in New York. I want to ask you a final question about the women. Once they accept the program that you lay out, are women more inclined to follow it then, or do they rely on you?
No, they're not. They're not? No, unless they have a very good sponsor. The sponsor keeps in touch. I would say that our work at Rosary Hall is much like learning the techniques of golfing. You may know all the answers, but unless you put it into practice, you're not very efficient.
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We did not mention the third and probably the most persuasive of all, and that is the aid to prayer. Pardon? Well, that, the greatest sedative, finest sedative anyone can have is peace of soul. It's not a religious program. It certainly is a spiritual program. And unless they realize that their greatest help is God himself and that he still loves them, and I often say, in fact, a meeting room has a sign [unclear] grace of God.
I feel that grace comes through someone's prayers and sacrifices because how they ever get to accept it as a miracle in itself and then to follow it through is something. Sister Ignatia, it's very difficult to say in words, we think you're wonderful, we think you're dedicated, but it must be some comfort to know the aid that you have given to… Pardon me. Pardon me. I do want to say that I couldn't do this alone.
I know. We have, sometimes we're a bit overcrowded. We have only 16 beds, 14 for men and two for women, but we do have a day bed and a few others. We've had, as many as 19. Now, how would I be able to take care of that group? I say I turn the key to these wonderful people who have dedicated their lives, you might say, and their free time to come in and help others. We have a group visiting there every day.
I'm perfectly willing to share the plaudits with them, but still my great feeling is for you, Sister, and I want you to know I am very much indebted to you. Thank you. Thank you.