Embroideries in a Cornfield?
by Connie Lynn Borserine
Originally Published Spring 2004
This year, two groups of NAN Assembly
attendees were privileged to take a bus trip to Clyde, Missouri, (one hour
and forty-five minutes Northeast of Kansas City) to visit the Monastery of
the Benedictine Sisters of
Perpetual Adoration. And what did they find at the end of their ride
into the farmfields of Missouri? They discovered a beautiful Church filled
with gleaming mosaics, the warmth of carved wood and the sparkle of
stained glass windows from Austria.
But beyond the exceptional Chapel and beyond the large collection of
550 documented relies, our ladies were allowed to view and photograph, in
glass cases and some 20 pullout study drawers, some of the finest examples
of late 19th and early 20th century Ecclesiastical Embroidery found
anywhere in the world!
In 1875, five young nuns and their Mother Superior traveled from Mania
Rickenbach in the Swiss Alps (above Lucerne) to Clyde, Missouri to
minister to the German immigrant population. They opened an Academy and
taught and also ran an orphanage and a farm. But one of their other
achievements was the making of liturgical vestments and altar
accoutrements upon which were stitched the most intricate needlework.
Beautiful colors of silk threads were skillfully blended within the
flowers and borders. Discussions are still ongoing regarding the stitch
used to interpret the lamb's wool coat. If only we could have seen the
underside! But by far, the most amazing stitching of all was done in the
faces. Silk, metals and metallic threads were stitched with the highest
artistry to express sorrow, peace or joy. The faces were truly alive -
almost photographic in their rendering. The tiny angels' faces, each with
their own unique personality, were done in surface work that was exquisite
and unforgettable. We all visited their angelic visages again and again.
The nuns were blessed with incredible skill and passed their teaching on
to others who came to join their Order through the years. We were truly
awed by this amazing collection! At a future Assembly we will arrange
another visit to the Monastery so more NAN members can see these
remarkable embroideries. |
