As the Japanese army closed in on Kaifeng, the whole univeristy packed up and retreated southward on foot with all the laboratory equipment and the whole library. Of course the Fathers and Sisters did not go. Instead we prepared for the fall of Kaifeng, first by helping to take care of 50,000 wounded soldiers on their way from the battle area to base hospitals in the south.

Fig. 8 Wounded Chinese solders on train at Kaifeng.

I'll never forget the anguish of those days and the terribly wounded young soldiers, most of them farm boys who didn't know what the war was all about. I can still see their patient, hopeful eyes and remember their wonderful endurance for pain. When this period was over, we turned to the organizing of refugee work for the people of Kaifeng and for others retreating ahead of the Japanese army. Several big refugee camps were set up, and we Benedictine Sisters had charge of one

In our camp we had about 2000 woman and girls and small children who would not be safe when the Japanese took over the city. Since the United States was not yet in the war, we Americans hoped we could protect these refugees. Father Ildephonse, the oldest Benedictine priest in Kaifeng, together with Sister Annelda and I were in charge.

The few months of refugee camp work were desparately hard. The tramp of heavy boots and the imperious pounding on the gate filled us with dread. We had to open the door to groups of rough looking Japanese soldiers (all looked rough to us!) Some we could keep out with our large American flag and our white faces - all the whiter now with fear; but some pushed by us we could only follow along protesting and praying while the young girls scattered like flocks of frightened chickens to hide under beds and behind cupboards. Fig. 8 Refugee camp in Kaifeng China. Camp was planned for 500, but received over 2000. How good God was! With nothing at all to really protect us, never once did anything tragic happen.

After the situation was stabilized and Kaifeng settled down under the army of occupation, we could go back to our mission work. We opened a poor school for a couple of hundred children who were too poor and ragged to attend a regular school. I had charge and enjoyed the lively children. During this time, we built our own convent, the first we had been able to construct in all our years in China. Of course we did not know it then, but we were to enjoy our beautiful home for only a year and three months of freedom, and then more than two years of house arrest until we were taken to the concentration camp in Shantung for five months and then on to Peiping until the end of the 2nd World War.

Fig. 9 Convent in Kaifeng. Now (2023) is the Kaifeng Hotel.

During our absence, the Japanese took over our convent and used it for offices, living quarters for their officers, and whatever they pleased. After V.J. Day when Sister Wibora went back to claim our property, she found everything in deplorable condition, and practically stripped of all furnishings. She had to go from shop to shop and buy back our belongings. It took her a whole year to get our convent in shape to live in once more. In the meantime, Sisters Francetta, Regia and I waited in Peking for on opportunity to get back to our Kaifeng mission. Traveling was by no means safe.