Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch telling him about a French woman who had given her a gift as a "pretext" for being considered as a lay sister in the Ursuline Convent. She also asks the Bishop to speak to their sister-in-law, Henrietta, about "her neglect of duty as a wife and housekeeper" for staying in Charleston so long instead of her home in Cheraw. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning two boxes shipped to the Bishop from New York containing statuary for the Ursulines. 2p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch enclosed in her letter of April 8, 1859. Madame Baptiste writes about a controversy concerning a parish priest's insistence that communion be received at the parish church only and not in the chapel of the Ursulines. 2p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch informing him of the news of the Ursuline Convent and academy in Columbia including that she is in "good humor" after receiving $1000 for tuition and board from a Mrs. Gaffney. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about his upcoming trip to visit the Ursulines in Columbia for the confirmation of the students. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about a young boy who "despite the contradictions of a stepmother, and the labors of a blacksmith, thinks of becoming a priest." She also writes at length about a candidate for lay sister for the convent claiming, "I do not know what to think of her." 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the arrival of a new sister, "our little Cincinnati postulant," and the scolding letter she had to write to their brother, John, about his drinking. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch describing the elaborate preparations made by the noviciates and sisters for her namesake feast day. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch discussing a visit from their siblings, John, Hugh and Anna, and the arrangements being made for the Ursuline academy's upcoming Distribution Day. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch asking him to procure newspapers from Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and New York so the sisters can read about Distribution Days and exhibits from other Catholic academies. She laments that the South Carolinian newspaper did not publish their recent events and jokingly comments that it's "a very good index that they fear our power." 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch discussing the Ursuline sisters' opinions on purchasing the American Hotel for their new convent versus buying another place or building from scratch. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the Bishop's purchase of the American Hotel in order to relocate the academy and convent there. A petition had been taken up by persons in Columbia to dissuade the establishment of the convent there claiming it would "injure the mercantile interest of the city." Madame Baptiste believes "prejudice rather than pecuniary interest" are behind the petition and suggests selling it to them for a profit and building a new place elsewhere. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch about the end of the Ursulines' annual retreat, the renovation of their vows and the ongoing controversy concerning the possible relocation of the convent and academy to the American Hotel. 2p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning news at the Ursuline Convent and Academy. Madame Baptiste is worried about the number of teachers she has compared to other academies claiming she is "the best English and Music teacher but am exhausted and unfit for other duties." 4p.