Sister Mary Aloysia Shields represented by the palms of martyrdom and St. Aloysius Gonzaga

The East and West doors of the St. Joseph Chapel feature six windows each. The 12 glass panels feature a symbol that represents as Saint in honor of a Sister, Priest or Bishop who was instrumental in the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton. The order was established in 1888 and the Chapel was built in 1957. (Fourth in a series of 12.) 

Even though March Madness is coming to an end and Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA lost in the second round of the tournament this year, it is fitting to remember Sister Mary Aloysia at this time of year.  

Born Marguerite Shields on February 22, 1870, in Loramic, Ohio. She entered the St. Joseph’s Convent on Mill Street in Tipton on July 2, 1893, at 23 years old and took final vows July 2, 1896 choosing the name Sister Mary Aloysia after St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Her window features palms representing martyrdom as Saint Aloysius Gonzaga died as a ‘martyr of charity’ while caring for victims of a serious epidemic. 

Sister Aloysia taught art and English having taken art training at Cincinnati Art Academy and John Herron Institute. She was widely known as an artist with pictures often displayed locally, including at the Tipton Public Library.  

She spent 14 years teaching art in Bend, Oregon where the Sisters of St Joseph of Tipton founded St. Charles Hospital in 1918. She returned to Tipton in 1928 and taught two more years at St. Joseph Academy. 

Sister Aloysia died at age 60 from complications of a tumor operation at Mercy Hospital in Elwood on December 14, 1930. She is buried in the Sisters of St. Joseph Cemetery on the SJRCC campus. She was preceded in death by her only sister and survived by a nephew, John Schmitt, of Portland, Ore. 

Aloysius Gonzaga was born near Mantua, Italy, in 1568. He was in line to inherit his father's title of Marquis. However, he grew up amid the violence of Renaissance Italy and witnessed the murder of two of his brothers. After traveling to Spain with his parents, Aloysius wanted to join the newly founded religious order, The Society of Jesus. While his father initially resisted his decision, Aloysius entered on November 25, 1585. He contracted the plague after caring for victims in the streets of Rome and died in 1591 at the age of 23. He was six years shy of his ordination. Aloysius was known for his love of prayer and fasting. Pope Benedict XIII canonized him in 1726 and declared him to be the patron of youth in the Catholic Church in 1729. This honor was confirmed by Pope Pius XI in 1926. 

To see the St. Joseph Chapel door stained glass images along with pictures of the people who inspired the image, follow this link https://www.stjosephretreat.org/chapel-doors