Sister Christine

Religious apprenticeship in the United States

Lectures in Detroit In 1894, Christine was attending a series of lectures in Detroit with her friend Mary Funke. Swami Vivekananda was in Detroit early that year for six weeks; he delivered several lectures while there. On 24 February 1894, Christine attended a lecture by Vivekananda. Never have I heard such a voice, so flexible, so sonorous. It was the voice of God to me! That range of emotion, that silvery music—I have never heard in any other. It was sheer music... It was the mind that made the first great appeal, that amazing mind! What can one say that will give even a faint idea of its majesty, its splendour? It was a mind so far transcending other minds, even of those who rank as geniuses... Its ideas were so clear, so powerful, so transcendental that it seemed incredible that they could have emanated from the intellect of a limited human being.

Christine also said that she started loving India after attending Vivekananda's lectures: Our love for India came to birth, I think, when we first heard [Swami Vivekananda] say the word, "India", in that marvellous voice of his. It seems incredible that so much could have been put into one small word of five letters. There was love, passion, pride, longing, adoration, tragedy, chivalry, heimweh, and again love. Whole volumes could not have produced such a feeling in others. It had the magic power of creating love in those who heard it. Ever after, India became the land of heart's desire.

Meeting at Thousand Island Park Swami Vivekananda in New York in 1895. That year, he initiated Sister Christine into Brahmacharya at Thousand Island Park. After Vivekananda left Detroit, contact between him and the two young women ceased for a time. Vivekananda warmly welcomed them. Funke later recalled the incident saying, "He greeted us so sweetly, it was like a benediction."

Vows of Brahmacharya During the lectures, Christine became one of the chosen and favourite students of Vivekananda. He gave five disciples vows of Brahmacharya (lifelong celibacy), and Christine was one of them. Vivekananda dedicated her to the Divine Mother and reserved her for his Indian works. Christine and Funke continued to attend Vivekananda's lectures until he left for New York on 7 August 1895. He had written in one of his letters to her, when he announced his plan to visit London, "It will be such a pleasure to see you" and closed with the blessing, "Mother knows best. I dedicate you to her forever. What more can I do? This is the highest, the best, and loveliest."

She stayed in India until March 1928, when she decided to go back to the U.S. because of deteriorating health. She stayed in Detroit for some time and then moved to New York. In New York, she fell seriously ill and was admitted to a nursing home of her friend, where she died on 27 March 1930.