
Drawing of The Church
In 1861, as the country entered into civil war, the union army established a military training and hospital in Camp Dennison. Since it was right in the middle of the camp, the church took on a new role.

Sister Anthony O'Connell
A group of Sisters of Charity, led by Sister Anthony O’Connell, came to the camp to nurse and cook for the sick soldiers.
The Sisters took up residence in the church. Another member of the group, Sister Bernadine, described how they had used the pulpit for a storeroom, boards for tables and the floor for rest.

Drawing of the Union Army Camp
Sister O'Connell and her group went on to care for injured soldiers in the field for both the Union and the confederacy.