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Science and History Museum displays Ursuline historical items

Items illustrating the earliest history of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are now on display at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History, 122 E. Second St., in downtown Owensboro. It is part of the celebration of 150 years since the Ursuline Sisters arrived in Daviess County in 1874.

Desks belonging to Father Paul Joseph Volk, Mother Augustine Bloemer and Mother Aloysius Willett are on display, as well as other furnishings from the late 19th century. Father Volk is the priest who brought the Ursuline Sisters from Louisville to open Mount Saint Joseph Academy in 1874. Mother Augustine was the local superior who helped to develop the Academy, increase the number of Ursuline Sisters, and grow the campus through the generosity of her parents.

Mother Aloysius led the community to independence from the Louisville Ursulines and was elected three times as the first mother superior. Trunks and other personal items from the three vital pioneers were once on display in the Mount Museum, but now are available for the public through at least the end of 2024.

The display is next to the Mammoth Lobby, one of the most prominent spaces in the Science and History Museum. The museum is just a block away from the RiverPark Center, which brings in traveling Broadway shows and other performances. It is just a few blocks east of the Owensboro Convention Center and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, both major draws for tourists and residents.

The Science and History Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and major holidays. Admission is $5.

Edward Wilson, archivist for the Ursuline Sisters, places a description on the desk of Mother Augustine Bloemer. Mother Augustine was the local superior in the late 19th century. She died in 1906.
A cardboard cutout of Father Paul Joseph Volk overlooks his desk and trunk. Father Volk invited the Ursuline Sisters to open Mount Saint Joseph Academy in 1874 and was a lifelong friend to the Sisters. He died in 1919 and is buried at the Mount Cemetery.
Mother Aloysius Willett’s desk, trunk, and portrait. She became local superior in 1905, and mother superior to the newly independent community in 1912. She died while in office on Oct. 1, 1920.
Edward Wilson, archivist for the Ursuline Sisters, places a placard in front of one of the wheels of the “Old Jersey Wagon,” which was used to take the Sisters to and from Owensboro.
This mannequin depicts a habit similar to what the early Ursuline Sisters wore at Maple Mount. The banners are full of history about how the Ursuline Sisters have ministered during their 150 years at Maple Mount.
Personal items of Father Volk – which were displayed earlier this year in the Motherhouse Chapel – are now on display in the museum. They include the rosary he wore, and the crucifix used as he was dying; his hat, cincture, and a piece of his cassock; and photos of the clergy who celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest, and one of Father Volk visiting his mother’s grave.
This trunk is one of the oldest items in the Mount archives. It belonged to Ursuline Sister of Louisville Wendelina Leipold, who returned to Louisville prior to the separation of the two communities.
This double desk with a raised top was typical of the desks in the original Mount Saint Joseph Academy.
The display is next to the Mammoth Lobby in the Science and History Museum.
The exhibit takes up the full area next to the lobby.

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