Some twenty-five miles southwest of Chicago in a very handsome, undulating part of Du Page County, surrounded by deep forests, green meadows, and picturesque rural scenery, lies the little community of Lisle, Illinois. This small settlement might have remained forever without any significance if it were not for the Chicago Bohemian Order of Benedictines. It was they who made a community of it now known throughout Bohemian-America--a community which, it may be justly said, should, for all non-Catholic Bohemians in America, serve as a splendid example of enterprising spirit, kindness, and self-sacrificing helpfulness. These qualities can be appreciated more thoroughly because here they are devoted to scholastic purposes, to the building of Bohemian young men--our future leaders in this country--and finally to the benefit of our orphans and old people.

How was this accomplished in Lisle? By establishing the College of St. Procopius, which is the only Bohemian institution of higher learning in the United States; and by building a large orphanage and old people's home which was endowed with a huge tract of fertile soil. Little wonder that these two institutions put life into Lisle! Both the College and the orphanage prospered right from the start, and soon it became necessary to build an addition to the College in order to accommodate the steadily growing number of students who are being sent to Lisle from Bohemian and Slovak settlements all over the United States.

The original College building was paid for by the Chicago Bohemian Order of Benedictines with the help of contributions from Bohemian citizens of Chicago and Bohemian Catholics in the whole country. The addition was paid for by the Order alone, just as the Order alone paid for the building of the Sacred Heart Convent in Lisle, which is the first Bohemian nunnery of Benedictine sisters in the United States. The initiative for the building of the Convent, which now has sixty sisters, was taken by Abbot Jaeger 3of Chicago, now the head and moving spirit of all three institutions in Lisle. The abbess of the nunnery is his own sister, Mother Superior Kepomucena Jaeger. The principal purpose of the convent is to educate teachers for all Bohemian Catholic schools under the supervision of the Benedictine Order, and to train nurses for the orphanage and the old people's home.

The building of the convent and the addition to the College was completed a short while ago, and, after a solemn dedication, both were opened yesterday. A large number of people from the whole district came to Lisle to attend this double celebration, and Catholic Bohemians of Chicago went so far as to organize a special expedition in which over eleven hundred people took part. If it is remembered that there were more than five hundred participants from the vicinity of Lisle, it is easy to understand that the normally quiet and peaceful community witnessed a day of unusual activity.

A special train left Chicago Union Station around 9:30 A. M.

It consisted of twelve cars and took additional passengers at the 16th Street and Western Avenue station and also in Hawthorne. There were no official delegations of organized bodies, but many Chicago societies were well represented by individual members. Likewise the members of Catholic organizations of Lisle participated in large numbers. The main body of visitors arrived at Lisle at 11 A. M., some of them walking, some driving the additional two miles to the convent. The visitors passed through one festive, beautifully decorated gate placed at the depot at Lisle and another such gate in front of the College. Shortly after their arrival, the first ritual, the dedication of the nunnery, took place. It was performed by His Grace J. Ed. Quigley, the Archbishop of Chicago, with the assistance of a large number of priests of lesser rank. After the dedication, a mass was celebrated by Reverend Gerl, at which the sermon was delivered by the most Reverend Jos. Koudelka the first Bohemian-American bishop, who was recently elevated to this post. After the mass the audience was addressed in English by Archbishop Quigley.

The convent itself is a four-story brick and stone building harmonizing in style with the older structures. It is divided into several sections, all the rooms of which are spacious, light, and airy. An enclosed passage connects the main building with an addition housing the laundry and engine room, from which the convent is supplied with heat and light. All appointments in the building are modern and practical. The convent stands in the midst of a large garden, and, as the reader will see from the picture, it makes a very pleasant impression. The building cost approximately $65,000. It includes a chapel, the main altar of which was donated by Mrs. Siroky.

After the dedication ceremonies, a pleasant lunch was served in the large dining room and the visitors were given a rest until 3 P. M., when the dedication of the addition to St. Procopius College started. By that time the addition was filled with people who had attended the morning ceremonies. The solemn procession started from the old building, and the ceremony took 6place on the top floor of the addition, which how houses the College chapel. The chapel has one have, and its main altar is situated in a vaulted apse. The altar was made by the Benedictine monks themselves from drawings by Reverend Nouza. There are two side altars and two more to the left of the entrance, with the confessionals on the right. In front of the main altar there is a pulpit and four rows of pews for the clergy. The pews were donated by Mr. Vaclav Lalla. The murals were done by Brother Josef Pondelicek of the Order, the pews in the have by our countryman, Mr. Svoboda of Wisconsin.

The dedication of the addition in general and the consecration of the chapel was also performed by Archbishop quigley, assisted by a large number of clergymen. After the ceremonies a sermon was preached by monseignear Fr. Tichy of Silver Lake, Minnesota, who stressed the fine and eminently successful work of the College, as a result of which it had been necessary to erect the addition, and he also paid his compliments to Abbot Jaeger on this achievement.

After the sermon Archbishop Quigley pronounced the benediction which concluded the ceremony.

The benediction was followed by a reception given by Archbishop Quigley for the clergy who were present. It was his special purpose to meet the Bohemian clergymen, whose number, in addition to those already mentioned, included almost all Bohemian Catholic priests of Chicago. Of these we would like to mention a few chosen at random: The Reverend Fathers Kohlbeck, Neuzil, Rebec, Mergl, and Jedlicka. There were many priests from rural districts who came to Lisle also for the purpose of attending the convention of Bohemian Catholic clergy which will last until Friday.

No doubt our readers will be interested in the two photographs which grace our article. One of them shows the addition, which is almost as large as the main college building itself. Its plan and elevation was made by 8Architect Layer, and the contractor's work, which was started by J. Strnad, who died recently, was finished by his son. The addition cost approximately $85,000, which raises the total cost of the St. Procopius College to almost $250,000. The addition is built in the same style as the old structure and contains classrooms, lecture halls, dormitories, and refectories. The College will now be able to house 250 students.

Chicago visitors remained at Lisle until 7 P. M., at which time they boarded their special train and returned home. The priests, of course, stayed in Lisle where they will remain until Friday, by which time it is expected that the convention will have finished with its work.