Deaconesses In Europe

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
THE DIACONATE.
Compassion a Christian virtue—Brotherhood of all men in Christ—Foreign Missions—Home Missions—Service of ministering compassion gives rise to the diaconate—Diaconate of women—Its qualities—Field of labor
CHAPTER II.
DEACONESSES IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
Little knowledge of early Church—Pliny’s letter—Apostolic Constitutions—Deaconesses, widows, and virgins—Duties of the deaconess—Chrysostom, Olympias—Deaconesses in Western Church—Decline in importance—Extinction—Influences that led to decay
CHAPTER III.
DEACONESSES FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURIES.
Béguines—Characteristics—Duties—Gerhard Groot—Sisters of the Common Life—Obligations—Duties—Waldenses—Bohemian Brethren—Luther—Calvin—Reformed Church at Wesel—Deaconesses in Amsterdam—Damsels of Charity—Mennonites and Moravians

CHAPTER IV.
FLIEDNER, THE RESTORER OF THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS.
Efforts for the restoration of the office of deaconess made by Klönne—Amalie Sieveking—Von Stein—Count von der Recke—Fliedner—His childhood—Youth—Student life—Pastorate and travels—Marriage—First prison society—Founding of refuge—Need of training schools—Rhenish-Westphalian Deaconess Society
CHAPTER V.
THE INSTITUTIONS AT KAISERSWERTH.
Opening of hospital training-school—Gertrude Reichardt—The Home-life—Normal school—Fliedner’s wife—Publishing house—Orphan asylum—Insane asylum—Dispensary—Farm—“Salem”—House of Evening Rest—Extension of work—Berlin—Foreign lands Jerusalem—Beirut—Smyrna—Bucharest—Florence—Rome
CHAPTER VI.
THE REGULATIONS AT KAISERSWERTH AND THE DUTIES AND SERVICES OF THE DEACONESSES.
Two classes of deaconesses—Nurses—Teachers—Qualifications—Probationers—Duties—Service of consecration—Conferences—Table of results—Instances of work—Duisburg—Schleswig-Holstein war—Austrian war—Franco Prussian war

CHAPTER VII.
OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS ON THE CONTINENT.
House at Strasburg—Mülhausen—Marthashof at Berlin—Neudettelsau—St. Loup—Riehen—Zürich—Gallneukirchen—Characteristics of institutions—Countries where they exist
CHAPTER VIII.
DEACONESSES IN GERMAN METHODISM.
Origin of Bethany Society—House at Frankfort—Hamburg—Berlin—St. Gall—Zürich—Sister Myrtha—House of Rest—“God’s Fidelity”—House regulations—Training—Results
CHAPTER IX.
DEACONESSES IN PARIS.
Deaconess Home on Rue de Reuilly—Situation—School—Hospital—House of Correction—Preparatory school—Instruction—Prison mission—Mademoiselle Dumas—Expenses of house—Its founders—Deaconess house on Rue Bridaine—Character of work—Duties of the Sisters—Their consecration—Importance of parish deaconesses
CHAPTER X.
DEACONESSES IN ENGLAND.
Early beginnings—The Puritans—Cambridge Platform—Southey’s complaint—Mrs. Fry—Fliedner—Florence Nightingale—Agnes Jones—Distinction between “sister” and “deaconess”—Institutions in Church of England—Garb—Ceremonies—Self-denying lives—Dr. Laseron’s institutions and others—Prison mission of Mrs. Meredith—The Sisters of the People
CHAPTER XI.
MILDMAY INSTITUTIONS.
Rev. W. Pennefather—Sketch of his life—Building of hall and deaconess home at Mildmay—Conference hall—Nursing hall—Mission and hospital at Bethnal Green—The deaconesses—Their training—Expense—Expenses of institution
CHAPTER XII.
DEACONESSES IN SCOTLAND.
Church of Scotland—Organization of woman’s work—Report of committees—Scheme—Adoption—Women’s Guild—Women-workers’ Guild—Deaconesses—Training—Syllabus of lectures—Presbyterian Church of England and Ireland
CHAPTER XIII.
THE DEACONESS CAUSE IN AMERICA.
German Lutherans—Fliedner visits America—Philadelphia—Mother-house of Deaconesses—Deaconesses in the Episcopal Church—Among the Presbyterians—The Methodist Episcopal Church—Deaconess-home in Chicago—Action of General Conference—Fields of work
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MEANS OF TRAINING AND THE FIELD OF WORK FOR DEACONESSES IN AMERICA.
Advantages of the Home and Training-school—Field of work—In hospitals—Insane asylums—Infant-schools—Teachers—The Home-mission deaconess—Her work in London—Similar work needed in cities of the United States
CHAPTER XV.
OBJECTIONS MET AND SUGGESTIONS OFFERED.
Objection that deaconesses resemble Catholic nuns—Their influence—Numbers in different orders—Order of Charles—Objection to garb—Its advantages—Objection to the life answered—Opinion of Bryce concerning American women—Women of Methodism—Advice to candidates—Associates—The Church commended by its deeds