Poems



Odes & Fancies

Poems by Mother Germaine

In addition to her work as IHM Superior General and running Marywood College, Mother Germaine was also an accomplished poet. The following poems represent her complete collection Odes and Fancies, published in 1928. Many of them praise the Virgin Mary, noting especially the wisdom, power, and compassion of Christ’s mother. Some of the poems celebrate IHM accomplishments and history, or commemorate the deeds of individual saints. Others reflect on the glories of nature throughout the seasons. The collection concludes with two lengthy poems; one, a series of six “films,” as Mother Germaine calls them, on Pope Leo saving Rome from Attila the Hun; the other, a twelve canto recounting of the story of St. Bernadette and our Lady of Lourdes. Some of these songs are still sung by the IHM sisters today.