Georgia Lydia Stevens was born in Boston, 8 MAY 1870, to Henry James Stevens (a prosperous lawyer) and Helen Granger – both staunch New England Protestants. Georgia was the "middle" daughter in a family of five girls. As Henry was hoping for a boy, he called the "middle" daughter "George"! The father-daughter relationship between Henry and "George" was nothing short of amazing and a special bond grew between Henry and "George."
Georgia grew up on an estate in North Andover, MA, nicknamed "The Farm" by the Stevens family. The estate encompassed many acres and the girls had all of the advantages of the country life.
As a child, Georgia spent two years in the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Elmhurst, NY, and 4 years at Miss Gilliat's School, Newport, RI. While at school Georgia showed remarkable musical promise. When she was 18, Georgia spent two years at the Hoch Conservatorium, Frankfurt-am-Main, honing her skills on the violin.
On 16 OCT 1894, Georgia was received into the Roman Catholic Church. Mother Stevens attributed her conversion to an incident that occurred at Elmhurst. In the words of Bee Hargrove from Two Manhattanville Nuns (New York, 1946): "It was during Benediction one day that the realization of the True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament struck her with the swiftness and force of a bolt of lightning. Overcome by the power of the revelation, she rushed from the chapel, weeping uncontrollably. A few days later, it was announced to all at Elmhurst that she had decided to embrace the Faith." She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood on 23 DEC 1906, and received the habit on 20 APR 1907. In February 1909, the young nun was sent to Roehampton to continue her noviceship. At Roehampton, Georgia developed a great friendship with Reverend Mother Janet Erskine Stuart – a friendship that would last until the latter's death in 1914.
In March 1914, Georgia went to the Motherhouse in Ixelles, Belgium for her probation and in September of 1914 set sail for the United States and Manhattanville, where she would spend the rest of her life. In response to the Motu Proprio of Pius X on sacred music, Mother Stevens established the Pius X School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in 1916. From 1916 until her sudden death in 1946, Mother Stevens directed all aspects of the School. The Pius X School was responsible for producing the Pius X Hymnal and several recordings; the School flourished for fifty years and produced hundreds of pastoral musicians. Mother Stevens also wrote several books on Gregorian Chant and sacred music.
By all accounts Mother Stevens had an infectious sense of humor that at times seemed to boil over, and to her music was the highest of the Arts. Again to quote Bee Hargrove: "Every facet of Mother Stevens' powerful love for God was manifest in her music. Music was her offering to Him, and she would offer Him none but the best. Anything less was a desecration of her ideal."
Requiescat in pace!
Copyright 2016 © Steven Keller. All Rights Reserved.
Georgia grew up on an estate in North Andover, MA, nicknamed "The Farm" by the Stevens family. The estate encompassed many acres and the girls had all of the advantages of the country life.
As a child, Georgia spent two years in the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Elmhurst, NY, and 4 years at Miss Gilliat's School, Newport, RI. While at school Georgia showed remarkable musical promise. When she was 18, Georgia spent two years at the Hoch Conservatorium, Frankfurt-am-Main, honing her skills on the violin.
On 16 OCT 1894, Georgia was received into the Roman Catholic Church. Mother Stevens attributed her conversion to an incident that occurred at Elmhurst. In the words of Bee Hargrove from Two Manhattanville Nuns (New York, 1946): "It was during Benediction one day that the realization of the True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament struck her with the swiftness and force of a bolt of lightning. Overcome by the power of the revelation, she rushed from the chapel, weeping uncontrollably. A few days later, it was announced to all at Elmhurst that she had decided to embrace the Faith." She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood on 23 DEC 1906, and received the habit on 20 APR 1907. In February 1909, the young nun was sent to Roehampton to continue her noviceship. At Roehampton, Georgia developed a great friendship with Reverend Mother Janet Erskine Stuart – a friendship that would last until the latter's death in 1914.
In March 1914, Georgia went to the Motherhouse in Ixelles, Belgium for her probation and in September of 1914 set sail for the United States and Manhattanville, where she would spend the rest of her life. In response to the Motu Proprio of Pius X on sacred music, Mother Stevens established the Pius X School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in 1916. From 1916 until her sudden death in 1946, Mother Stevens directed all aspects of the School. The Pius X School was responsible for producing the Pius X Hymnal and several recordings; the School flourished for fifty years and produced hundreds of pastoral musicians. Mother Stevens also wrote several books on Gregorian Chant and sacred music.
By all accounts Mother Stevens had an infectious sense of humor that at times seemed to boil over, and to her music was the highest of the Arts. Again to quote Bee Hargrove: "Every facet of Mother Stevens' powerful love for God was manifest in her music. Music was her offering to Him, and she would offer Him none but the best. Anything less was a desecration of her ideal."
Requiescat in pace!
Copyright 2016 © Steven Keller. All Rights Reserved.
Georgia Lydia Stevens was born in Boston, 8 MAY 1870, to Henry James Stevens (a prosperous lawyer) and Helen Granger – both staunch New England Protestants. Georgia was the "middle" daughter in a family of five girls. As Henry was hoping for a boy, he called the "middle" daughter "George"! The father-daughter relationship between Henry and "George" was nothing short of amazing and a special bond grew between Henry and "George."
Georgia grew up on an estate in North Andover, MA, nicknamed "The Farm" by the Stevens family. The estate encompassed many acres and the girls had all of the advantages of the country life.
As a child, Georgia spent two years in the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Elmhurst, NY, and 4 years at Miss Gilliat's School, Newport, RI. While at school Georgia showed remarkable musical promise. When she was 18, Georgia spent two years at the Hoch Conservatorium, Frankfurt-am-Main, honing her skills on the violin.
On 16 OCT 1894, Georgia was received into the Roman Catholic Church. Mother Stevens attributed her conversion to an incident that occurred at Elmhurst. In the words of Bee Hargrove from Two Manhattanville Nuns (New York, 1946): "It was during Benediction one day that the realization of the True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament struck her with the swiftness and force of a bolt of lightning. Overcome by the power of the revelation, she rushed from the chapel, weeping uncontrollably. A few days later, it was announced to all at Elmhurst that she had decided to embrace the Faith." She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood on 23 DEC 1906, and received the habit on 20 APR 1907. In February 1909, the young nun was sent to Roehampton to continue her noviceship. At Roehampton, Georgia developed a great friendship with Reverend Mother Janet Erskine Stuart – a friendship that would last until the latter's death in 1914.
In March 1914, Georgia went to the Motherhouse in Ixelles, Belgium for her probation and in September of 1914 set sail for the United States and Manhattanville, where she would spend the rest of her life. In response to the Motu Proprio of Pius X on sacred music, Mother Stevens established the Pius X School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in 1916. From 1916 until her sudden death in 1946, Mother Stevens directed all aspects of the School. The Pius X School was responsible for producing the Pius X Hymnal and several recordings; the School flourished for fifty years and produced hundreds of pastoral musicians. Mother Stevens also wrote several books on Gregorian Chant and sacred music.
By all accounts Mother Stevens had an infectious sense of humor that at times seemed to boil over, and to her music was the highest of the Arts. Again to quote Bee Hargrove: "Every facet of Mother Stevens' powerful love for God was manifest in her music. Music was her offering to Him, and she would offer Him none but the best. Anything less was a desecration of her ideal."
Requiescat in pace!
Copyright 2016 © Steven Keller. All Rights Reserved.
Georgia grew up on an estate in North Andover, MA, nicknamed "The Farm" by the Stevens family. The estate encompassed many acres and the girls had all of the advantages of the country life.
As a child, Georgia spent two years in the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Elmhurst, NY, and 4 years at Miss Gilliat's School, Newport, RI. While at school Georgia showed remarkable musical promise. When she was 18, Georgia spent two years at the Hoch Conservatorium, Frankfurt-am-Main, honing her skills on the violin.
On 16 OCT 1894, Georgia was received into the Roman Catholic Church. Mother Stevens attributed her conversion to an incident that occurred at Elmhurst. In the words of Bee Hargrove from Two Manhattanville Nuns (New York, 1946): "It was during Benediction one day that the realization of the True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament struck her with the swiftness and force of a bolt of lightning. Overcome by the power of the revelation, she rushed from the chapel, weeping uncontrollably. A few days later, it was announced to all at Elmhurst that she had decided to embrace the Faith." She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood on 23 DEC 1906, and received the habit on 20 APR 1907. In February 1909, the young nun was sent to Roehampton to continue her noviceship. At Roehampton, Georgia developed a great friendship with Reverend Mother Janet Erskine Stuart – a friendship that would last until the latter's death in 1914.
In March 1914, Georgia went to the Motherhouse in Ixelles, Belgium for her probation and in September of 1914 set sail for the United States and Manhattanville, where she would spend the rest of her life. In response to the Motu Proprio of Pius X on sacred music, Mother Stevens established the Pius X School of Liturgical Music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in 1916. From 1916 until her sudden death in 1946, Mother Stevens directed all aspects of the School. The Pius X School was responsible for producing the Pius X Hymnal and several recordings; the School flourished for fifty years and produced hundreds of pastoral musicians. Mother Stevens also wrote several books on Gregorian Chant and sacred music.
By all accounts Mother Stevens had an infectious sense of humor that at times seemed to boil over, and to her music was the highest of the Arts. Again to quote Bee Hargrove: "Every facet of Mother Stevens' powerful love for God was manifest in her music. Music was her offering to Him, and she would offer Him none but the best. Anything less was a desecration of her ideal."
Requiescat in pace!
Copyright 2016 © Steven Keller. All Rights Reserved.
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