Mt. Adams, Cincinnati: 1930s
by Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P.
The Passionist Archives of Holy Cross Province is located in Chicago, Illinois. The Chronicles of Holy Cross Monastery (Sept 1920-1950) offers a glimpse into Passionist life inside the monastery and in the life of the people on Mt. Adams during the Depression.
Increased poverty was evident as seen by this entry written in the summer of 1930 by the Passionist scribe in the monastery: "All during the winter months food had been given to the needy who begged for it at the kitchen door. They numbered about three or four a day. But due to the prevailing labor conditions their numbers during the months of May, June & July have increased to forty or fifty, morning, noon & night. It is well to note that only a few of these unfortunates are real 'tramps.' The rest are honest men, unable to find employment." In 1931 was written: "Bread line continues during summer months. Meals over one hundred and twenty each day."
Another source from the Chicago archives shows that local Passionists living at Holy Cross Monastery decided the following at a "local chapter" community meeting on July 11, 1938: "Permission of the Chapter was asked to make a donation of $125.00 to the Good Samaritan Hospital in token appreciation for their kindness toward our community. The good Sisters of the hospital have exercised their charity toward our sick brethren in a superlative degree during the past six months! Seven of our community have been in the hospital-some for protracted periods. The fact was mentioned that the Hospital is now obliged to charge everybody; but the good Sisters have made an exception in favor of Holy Cross Monastery-charging it only 'bare expenses.' Because of the many patients of Holy Cross during the past six months it was suggested that the proposed donation of $250.00-and, after some discussion in favor of the larger donation-the chapter cast its vote eight to one in favor of giving the hospital $250.00."
As was the custom, in August 1930 ten Passionist students were sent to continue studies in Detroit. In September eleven new students came from Louisville. During November 1930 some rooms were painted in the monastery and in February a new communion railing was installed in the monastery-a gift of Miss Ryan. Later on, a hired man washed the corridor. In October 1931 "four showers were put in the basement and four rooms partitioned on the third floor porch or 'cloister'-for, and by, the students."
During the autumn of 1932 "the property was beautified by the planting of many evergreens and some poplars around the Monastery and Church. The house was thoroughly cleaned and some pictures in [the] Refectory and secular rooms replaced. A notable improvement was the rebuilding of the stone walls from the front of Holy Cross Church and the corner of St. Paul Pl & Monastery St. The drain at the side of the property toward Celestial street was completed as the soil from the property was being washed down into the back yards along that boundary."
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