Swift was a teacher in
Morristown, New Jersey, 1883–84. sailed for Europe with a view to writing magazine articles, for both had decided to devote their lives to literary work. She labored and lectured for the Salvation Army for 12 years. Swift wrote hundreds of stories and poems for Salvation Army publications. She was the first American woman to attain the rank of
Major in the Salvation Army. Swift decided to become a Roman Catholic, and, although she was strongly opposed by General Booth, went to the
Paulist Fathers for instruction. On March 4, 1896, Swift converted to Catholicism. From March 1897 to August 1898, she served as assistant editor of the
Catholic World Magazine and editor of the
Young Catholic. Swift left her position as Brigadier in the Salvation Army, entered religious work on August 23, 1897, and in 1898, she entered the
novitiate of the
Dominican Sisters, as Sister M. Imelda Teresa, Albany. When she entered the order, she gave the care of her adopted daughter, Christobel, to Mrs. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, Sister Rose, head of the Home for Incurables. Swift took the white and finally the
black veil. She served as a director of an
orphanage in
Havana, Cuba, 1900–02. She was the director of the Dominican College of Our Lady Help of Christians, Havana, Cuba, between June 1901 and October 1902, and again April 1902 to June 1909. From April 1904 to April 1905, she served as
novice mistress of the
Dominican congregation of St. Catherine di Ricci, of
Albany, New York. She was later associated with a convent in
Newport, Rhode Island. She continued writing stories, poems, and articles in periodicals of different countries, including the
Sunday Companion. Some of these works included,
First Annual Report,
Darkest England,
Social Work, as well as chapters in
City of Peace and
Some Roads to Rome in America. ==Death==