By Ade Bethune
Born January 12, 1914
"St. Therese of Lisieux used flowery language of her day to cover the hardness of her teachings. She had the severity with herself of the Spanish mystic." - Dorothy Day
100 years ago today Ade Bethune was born to a noble Belgian family. As an art student she volunteered her illustrations for the Catholic Worker. Much later she designed a church in St. Paul, St. Leo's, now Lumen Christi. Bethune also created the mosaic for the baptistery in the Cathedral of St. Paul, Minnesota. More information on her life may be found here. Ade Bethune died in 2002.
Ade Bethune poses with her mosaic
of the Baptism of Christ in the Cathedral
of St. Paul. - Source
Bonus Here's a thought: Interestingly, Ade Bethune was born Adélaide de Bethune, a Baroness by birth ... but unlike one of her contemporaries, who happened to be a baroness by marriage, and more or less retained the title after her marriage was annulled, Ms. Bethune shunned the title and avoided giving any impression of noble birth ...
What?
Viscount Charles de Foucauld did the same thing. I just read for the first time last night that Blessed Charles used to tell his prospective mistresses before his conversion, "I rent by the day, not my the month." Ouch.
ReplyDeleteIf we need further proof that any one can convert, I also read recently that Peggy Cowley (early feminist and "liberated" woman who slept with lots of famous writers, poets and artists) converted to the faith. Thanks, in part, to Dorothy Day.
I never heard of Cowley - I'll look her up. I want to do a post again on your street ministry - I esp. liked the quote you used from St. Francis Xavier. God bless you Scott!
DeleteI am thinking of Catherine Doherty who had been the Russian Baroness de Hueck. She had married her first cousin at age 15. The marriage fell apart after the Revolution. The reason she kept her title is that after the Revolution she was impoverished and so she earned a living for her child by giving lectures against Communism. Her title of Baroness was the draw. She also wore a traditional Russian headdress. Mothers will go to great lengths to feed their children. At least she did not become a courtesan, or marry a rich American for the money, which is what some Russian princesses did. She earned her own way the only way she knew how, and it was an honorable way.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elena - you always fill in the blanks with the most charitable insights.
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