Sister Ellen Murphy Papers, 1904-2002

Sister Ellen Murphy Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Sister Ellen Murphy Papers, 1904-2002

ID: OGLMC512

Primary Creator: Murphy, Ellen (1916-2004)

Extent: 16.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 06/19/1979. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Literary - Poetry, Religion - Catholic Church, Women's History

Languages: English

Abstract

Contains the personal correspondence, diaries, and other materials pertaining to Sister Ellen Murphy, a Catholic nun and educator.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Sister Ellen Murphy Papers have been divided into six series:

Series 1: Diaries, 1931-1934 and 1962-1998

Series 2: Publications, 1934-1997

Series 3: Correspondence, 1930-2002

Series 4: Personal Materials

Series 5: Murphy Family Records

Series 6: Photographs

Collection Historical Note

Ellen Murphy was born February 16, 1916, at the family homestead near Niagara, North Dakota, in Agnes Township, Grand Forks County. She was the second child of Charles J. and Helen Normand Murphy. She began her education at Dominican Convent School in Grafton, North Dakota, in September 1922. Ellen attended various schools and graduated from eighth grade in May 1930 from a one-room schoolhouse in District 102 of Agnes Township. In June 1934, she received her high school diploma from St. James Academy in Grand Forks.

A few months later, Ellen entered the Novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a candidate for the Sisterhood, she attended the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul and received her religious vows on March 19, 1937, at St. Joseph's Novitiate, also in St. Paul. Sister Ellen attended several colleges and universities including the University of Notre Dame, the University of North Dakota and DePaul University. Her primary fields of study were elementary education, religion and literature. Sister Ellen contributed to these fields by writing educational articles, poetry, and short stories, many of which have been published. She taught at several schools, including St. Michael's Catholic School in Grand Forks, as well as teaching catechism in Thompson, North Dakota.

She died April 16, 2004, at Bethany Convent, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Subject/Index Terms

Literary - Poetry
Religion - Catholic Church
Women's History

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals:

Sister Ellen Murphy donated additional material on December 29, 1993 (93-1932), in May 1995 (95-2001), in August 1996 (96-2085 and 96-2086), and on November 4, 1997 (98-2215).

Additional material was also donated by Father Robert Mullins, UND, on January 27, 1982 (82-956) and December 20, 1982 (82-1051), as well as by Sister Mary Louise Matt, St. Cloud, Minnesota, on June 23, 2004 (2004-2678).

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Sister Ellen Murphy

Acquisition Method: Donation; 78-548

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Sister Ellen Murphy Papers. OGLMC 512, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in October 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Diaries, 1931-1934 and 1962-1998],
[Series 2: Publications, 1934-1997],
[Series 3: Correspondence, 1930-2002],
[Series 4: Personal Materials],
[Series 5: Murphy Family Records],
[Series 6: Photographs],
[All]

Series 2: Publications, 1934-1997

The second series contains Sister Ellen's publications, including both her poetry and short stories.

Box 2

Folder 9: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1938-1943
Folder 10: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1943-1949
Folder 11: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1950-1951
Folder 12: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1952-1959
Folder 13: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1960-1964
Folder 14: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1965-1967
Folder 15: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1968-1975
Folder 16: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1975

Box 3

Folder 1: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1976.

Folder 2: Publications Poetry, Short Stories--1976-1978.

Folder 3: Other Publications.

Folder 4: Publications containing Sister Ellen's work 1947-1976.

Folder 5: Newspapers: Beginnings, Catherine Wheel, Marscot.

Folder 6: Books: This Narrow World, John Moffitt.

Item 1: Body of Time, Sister Ellen Murphy C.S.J.

Folder 7: Books: Helmets, James Dickey.

Item 1: A Good Man IS Hard to Find, Flannery O'Connor.

Folder 8: Books: The Violent Bear It Away, Flannery O'Connor.

Folder 9: Poetry 1934-1940-1944-1954.

Folder 10: Spiritual Notes 1934-1937.

Folder 11: Notebooks: 1954-1959 Literature and Spiritual Notes.

Item 1: 1954-1964 Literature and Spiritual Notes.

Folder 12: Poems for Christmas Issue, Body of Time.

Folder 13: Poetry

Folder 14: Poetry

Folder 15: Poetry

Folder 16: Early Poems--Children.

Folder 17: Early Poems--Religious (General).

Folder 18: Early Poems--Saints.

Folder 19: Early Poems--The Virgin Mary.

Folder 20: Early Poems--Miscellaneous.

Folder 21: Short Stories: "The Boston Fern", "The Voyage."

Folder 22: Papers written for literature and poetry courses.

Box 6

Folder 9: Short Story-- "The Calling of Sister Roberta".

Folder 10: Poetry 1970-1982:

Item 1: "The Stems of Flowers Are the Pillars of the World"
Item 2: "Falling Silent"
Item 3: "The Marvelous: for Robert"
Item 4: "Sentience"
Item 5: "From a Book of Prairie Hours"
Item 6: "John Paul I"
Item 7: "Vocation"
Item 8: "A Poem of Bulbs in February"
Item 9: "Bulbs"
Item 10: "Transplanted"
Item 11: "Tuition"
Item 12: "Letter From a Farm in North Dakota"
Item 13: "The Measure; On Coming Home From Abroad"
Item 14: "Sabbatical Study at the Fogg Museum, Boston Instruction from Montier-Saint-Jean, XII Century"
Item 15: "Sabbatical Studies; Crosby Hall, London Instruction from the Thames"
Item 16: "Elan''
Item 17: "Time Among the Flowers"
Item 18: "The World at Hand Imagined, Given Back"
Item 19: "The Law of Light, the Image Seen, Unseen"
Item 20: "Chrysanthemums: Between All Saints and All Souls Day"

Folder 11: Miscellaneous Enclosures

Folder 24: Sister Ellen's poetry Bulbs: March 1979

Box 10

Folder 7: Poetry book: 1940-1958
Folder 8: "Elegy for Sister Angèle" published in America: 1963
Folder 9: The Calling of Sister Roberta draft: written in 1963
Folder 10: The Calling of Sister Roberta draft
Folder 11: The Calling of Sister Marta draft
Folder 12: "To Stop the Rose" published in America: 1967
Folder 13: "At the Burial: Time Keeps What is Its Own" by Sister Ellen Murphy: 1969
Folder 14: "Flourishes for a Friend Absent in Time" by Sister Ellen & published in Commonwealth: 1975
Folder 15: "Elm Tree & Other Shadows" by Sister Ellen & published in Commonwealth: 1979
Folder 16: "Transplanted" Original and revised by Sister Ellen: 1979
Folder 17: "The Voyage" written by Sister Ellen published in Sign Magazine
Folder 18: Wedding by Sister Ellen
Folder 19: To the LAND of Sky Blue Waters by Sister Ellen
Folder 20: The Gods No Longer Thunder by Sister Ellen
Folder 21: Beauty is Where it Belongs by Sister Ellen

Box 11

Folder 66: "The Boston Fern"–Original by Sister Ellen
Folder 67: "Elegy" by Sister Ellen--Published in Sign: June 1959
Folder 68: Of Time and Eternity: Early and Late Poems (Section I to III) by Sister Ellen
Folder 69: Of Time and Eternity: Early and Late Poems (Section IV to end) by Sister Ellen
Folder 70: "The Piano" by Sister Ellen (two drafts)
Folder 71: Published Poetry
Folder 72: "Rest time: Fields-into-Prairie, and Then...": 1987
Folder 73: Original and draft of "The Voyage" by Sister Ellen Murphy
Folder 74: "Who We Are and Why We Do Not Die" by Sister Ellen. Published in Justice News: 1993
Folder 75: Correspondence regarding Sister Ellen's poem "Tuition" & drafts of "Tuition": 1979

Box 12

Folder 22: Arctic Wings by Father William A. Leising, OMI
Folder 23: Charles J. Murphy's Catholics Pocket Manual
Folder 24: Give This Man Place by Hugh F. Blunt, LL.D. (Given to father from Sister Ellen): 1934
Folder 25: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas À Kempis: 1940
Folder 26: Sister Ellen Murphy's mom's Maryknoll Missal: 1964
Folder 27: No Other Way by RP de la Chevasnerie, SJ: 1940
Folder 28: North Dakota Farmer's Institute: October 1904

Box 14

Folder 16: Poetry by Sister Ellen

Item 1: "After A Winter Visit: Lines for a Host of Blessings": December 1986 (final draft)
Item 2: "As Anniversaries Go": September 29, 1985 (first version)
Item 3: "As Anniversaries Go": September 29, 1985 (copy)
Item 4: "Austerity: Its Grace in Time in Autumn in Minnesota": August 19, 1984
Item 5: "A Bethany Psalm": January 12, 1997
Item 6: "A Bethany Psalm": January 12, 1997 (copy)
Item 7: "A Bethany Psalm": January 12, 1997 (copy)
Item 8: "Between All Saints and All Souls": November 5, 1990
Item 9: "Between All Souls and Easter": April 1991 (Easter poem revised a bit)
Item 10: "Bonheur": April 15, 1986
Item 11: "Bread and Butter Note: For a Host of Blessings": December 1986
Item 12: "Connections and Messengers": March 6, 1986
Item 13: "Connections and Messengers": March 6, 1986 (copy)
Item 14: "Creation–A Christmas Poem in Ordinary Time": January 21, 1990
Item 15: "Dusk": Spring 1961
Item 16: "Earth Cloud and Lasting City": March 7, 1988
Item 17: "Earth Cloud and Lasting City": March 7, 1988 (copy)
Item 18: "Evergreens After a Year of Drought": December 11, 1988
Item 19: "For John": October 7, 1991
Item 20: "For the Returning Ones": September 1984
Item 21: "For the Time Being: The Grecian Windflowers, the Ageratum, the Breath of Life, and then: 'This fully personal accomplishment...' Boros": August 8, 1983 (first version)
Item 22: "For the Time Being: The Grecian Windflowers, the Ageratum, the Breath of Life, and then: 'This fully personal accomplishment...' Boros": August 8, 1983 & revised August 11, 1983
Item 23: "From Easter-tide to All Souls Day Through Ordinary Time": August 28, 1991
Item 24: "The Happiness": September 4, 1989
Item 25: "The Happiness": September 4, 1989
Item 26: "The Happiness": revised April 1990
Item 27: "Heritage"
Item 28: "Inside-Out and Outside-In": August 20, 1984
Item 29: "Is": November 1985
Item 30: "Is": November 1985
Item 31: "Letting Go: A Bethany Psalm" (Sr. Ellen's final poem)
Item 32: "Light Parable II: For Robert": May 6, 1985 (first draft)
Item 33: "A New Name": April 1987
Item 34: "A New Name": April 6, 1987 (first version)
Item 35: "Presence": April 1986
Item 36: "The Poem of the Rose": For our gardener, Eileen: September 1995
Item 37: "The Quiet Eye: Three Poems For a Host": August 4, 1986
Item 38: "The Quiet Eye: Three Poems For a Host"
Item 39: "Rest Home: Fields-into-Prairie, and Then...": October 16, 1987 (first version)
Item 40: "In Saint Catherine's Woods": 1947
Item 41: "Saint Catherine's Wood–Reflections On an Autumn Scene": September 30, 1994
Item 42: "Three: The Boundless Grace of the Caring": July 1986 (first version)
Item 43: "Tuition": February 2, 1995 (revision of 1979 version)
Item 44: "Views of a Guest": November 1986 (first version)
Item 45: "Weathering": February 2, 1996
Item 46: "Weathering": February 2, 1996
Item 47: "What You Hear": September 8, 1984
Item 48: "Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy": July 5, 1992 (first version)
Item 49: "Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy": August 4, 1992 (slightly revised)
Item 50: "Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy": August 4, 1992
Item 51: "Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy": August 1992
Item 52: Untitled poem (first draft)

Folder 17: "Sister Minnewawa's Mission" by Sister Immacula

Department of Special Collections
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