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RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY |
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| HISTORY | FOUNDATIONS |
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| HISTORY |
| IN 1883 SIX PROFESSED SISTERS, ONE NOVICE AND TWO POSTULANTS DEPARTED THE CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY IN BERMONDSEY ENGLAND BOUND FOR THE NORTH COAST OF NSW. THERE DESTINATION WAS THE TOWN OF GRAFTON, SLATED TO BE THE BISHOP'S SEAT OF A NEW DIOCESE IN JUST FOUR YEARS TIME. ON JANUARY 20 1884 THEY ARRIVED IN THE TOWN AND FOUNDED THE FIRST CONVENT OF THE NEW CONGREGATION, ST MARY'S STAR OF THE SEA. NEW FOUNDATIONS WERE SOON MADE FROM GRAFTON AT CASINO (1887) AND COWPER (1892) FOLLOWED BY OTHER BRANCH CONVENTS THROUGHOUT THE DIOCESE. THE HOUSES AT CASINO (1907) AND COWPER (1909) LATER REJOINED THE MOTHER HOUSE CREATING A SINGLE CONGREGATION. THE WORK OF THE SISTERS IN LISMORE DIOCESE WAS PRIMARILY EDUCATIONAL BUT EXTENDED ALSO TO VISITATION AND THE CARE OF ORPHANS THROUGH THE WELL-KNOWN ST JOSEPH'S ORPHANAGE AT COWPER FOUNDED IN 1914. TODAY, DESPITE THE DECLINE IN NUMBERS NECESSITATING A WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EDUCATIONAL APOSTOLATE, THE GRAFTON SISTERS OF MERCY HOLD TO THE CHARISM OF THEIR FOUNDRESS AND CONTINUE THE WORKS OF CHARITY TO THE DISADVANTAGED BEGUN BY HER. |
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| FOUNDATIONS | ||||||
THE FIRST TWO FOUNDATIONS MADE FROM GRAFTON, CASINO AND COWPER, WERE AUTONOMOUS IN THE TRADITION OF THE MERCY SISTERS. OTHER FOUNDATIONS WERE BRANCH CONVENTS. THE COWPER AND CASINO CONVENTS WITH THEIR BRANCH HOUSES LATER REJOINED THE GRAFTON CONVENT. THE FOLLOWING LISTS ALL FOUNDATIONS MADE BY THE GRAFTON SISTERS OF MERCY. | ||||||
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ALSTONVILLE |
BANGALOW |
CASINO |
COWPER |
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EVANS HEAD |
GRAFTON |
HARWOOD |
KYOGLE |
LENNOX HEAD |
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MACLEAN |
MALLANGANEE |
SOUTH CASINO |
SOUTH GRAFTON |
STANMORE | ||
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STRATHFIELD |
TATHAM |
TENTERFIELD |
ULMARRA |
WARDELL |
YAMBA | |
