The Women in John Lancaster Spalding's Life

Late in his life, Bishop John Lancaster Spalding of Peoria, Illinois (1840-1916), was acclaimed as one of the few Catholic dignitaries who promoted women's rights, including suffrage and higher education. But Spalding was not always so supportive of women's issues. Early in his career, Spalding had emphasized the differences between the sexes, relegating women to domestic chores and men to the public realm. Spalding's slave nanny, Lucinda, had modeled for him the perfect woman. But such a submissive domestic, according to women's rights advocate, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was the product of an oppressive Christian Church. Stanton's interpretation caused Spalding to question his previously held views. In Mother Caroline Friess of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Spalding found the answer. Friess' broad promotion of the education of women led Spalding to believe that women need not be limited to household activity, but instead, must be given the opportunity to develop whatever gifts God had bestowed on them. In essence, Spalding's progressive thought was the result of his willingness to dialogue with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mother Caroline Friess, and other women.