September 10, 1877, Mother Maddalena wrote to her sister regarding founding an American monastery, and of the necessity of knowing English. Even though her use of the English language was poor, she insisted on its being used in her monasteries: English was spoken even by the many Germans who were there. That is why I said … that English religious are much better, because the country is English whether we will it or nil it. The endeavor to found a German monastery is unsound and will help nothing, because, if they find any vocations here, fifty years from now, these will be English or German, but with this difference, that these Germans will of necessity know the English language of the country, whereas an … American vocation will surely not care to know the German language; hence to have books for (spiritual) reading, or other books, in German in this country, is folly. It will, however, be necessary for the Germans that will arrive (from across the ocean); but they too will cease coming. This passage is interesting when we keep in mind the change as to the use of the German language in the United States and the limitations of immigrants from Germany by reason of the immigration acts of 1924 and l927, just fifty years after Mother Maddalena had made this statement.