The Sisters of Mercy, Auckland

New Zealand Tablet, 21 April 1910, Page 613

The Sisters of Mercy, Auckland

(From our own correspondent.) On April 9, 1850, sixty years ago, Bishop Pompallier, with seven Sisters of Mercy, under the guidance of the saintly Rev. Mother Cecilia Maher, landed in : the fair city of Auckland, which is described by her in one of her letters as ‘ a singular-looking town, partly in a valley and partly straggling up a hill; wooden houses, streets marked, grass everywhere.’ The enterprising band of Sisters left Dublin on August 8, 1849, for London, thence to Antwerp, from which place they embarked on August 27 in the ship Oceanica. After a long and perilous voyage they landed in Sydney, where they received the paternal greeting of Archbishop Folding, and were the guests for several days of the Benedictine Nuns at Subiaco. An uneventful voyage of some weeks brought our travellers to Auckland, which they sighted on April 7. On the 9th the Sisters bade adieu to the Oceanica and landed on the beach, where all the inhabitants came to welcome them to New Zealand. A procession was formed to the church, where the Magnificat’ and 1 Te Deum ’ were sung, the organ being played by Mr. Culpan. At the convent the Sisters were received by their future pupils, who had refreshments awaiting them. The Sisters of Mercy date from the birth of the Colony. They have shared ,in the joys and sorrows of their fellowcitizens' of all denominations, in the up-hill struggles of those early days, and now rejoice in the prosperity of this fair Dominion. The subsequent works of the Sisters of Mercy in Auckland are well known. There are fourteen houses in the diocese, including an orphanage for girls in Waitemata street, Ponsonby, and an orphanage for boys at Takapuna. The Mater Misericordiae Hospital at Mt. Eden has been some years in existence. The Sisters in charge of the nursing department were trained and received their certificates from St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. The excellence of the nursing is well attested by the numerous patients who flock to it. The parent house, St. Mary’s Convent, New street, Ponsonby, takes its place among the educational establishments of the Dominion. It was built in iB6O, Mr. E. Mahoney being the architect. I am pleased to hear that a new building is in contemplation, and the Diamond Jubilee bazaar, which is to take place at the end of the year, will be well patronised, no doubt, by the friends and well-wishers of the Sisters of Mercy. Mass was celebrated on the diamond jubilee anniversary at St. Mary’s Convent at 7.30 o’clock, which was followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In the afternoon the children from the Star of the Sea Orphanage were regaled with afternoon tea, cake, etc. About 102 children were present, the Sisters and boarders entertaining the little visitors until the sound of the Angelus bell dispersed the merry little band.