IN 1865 MOTHER M IGNATIUS McQUOIN, A SISTER AND A NOVICE LEFT THE CONVENT OF MERCY IN LIVERPOOL ENGLAND BOUND FOR THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED DIOCESE OF BATHURST. ON ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY THEY FOUND THEY HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED AND ANOTHER GROUP OF SISTERS OF MERCY WAS DUE TO BEGIN WORK IN BATHURST. ARCHBISHOP POLDING ACCORDINGLY ASKED MOTHER IGNATIUS TO MAKE HER FOUNDATION IN SYDNEY INSTEAD. THE EARLY YEARS WERE VERY HARD AND IT WAS ONLY THE DEDICATION OF MOTHER IGNATIUS THAT SAW THE FLEDGLING CONGREGATION THROUGH ITS TIME OF TRIAL. SOON HOWEVER IT BEGAN TO PROSPER AND FROM ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDATION AT CHURCH HILL IT SPREAD INTO INNER SYDNEY AND LATER TO THE NORTH SHORE. THE CONGREGATION'S APOSTOLATE WAS PRINCIPALLY IN EDUCATION AND IT ESTABLISHED SEVERAL SCHOOLS WHICH SOON WON A FINE REPUTATION. IN ADDITION TO THESE EDUCATIONAL WORKS A HOSPITAL AND TWO CHILDREN'S HOMES WERE FOUNDED BY THE CONGREGATION. TODAY THE NORTH SYDNEY SISTERS OF MERCY CONTINUE THE WORK NOT ONLY OF THE FOUNDER OF THEIR ORDER BUT OF THEIR CONGREGATIONAL FOUNDRESS, M. IGNATIUS, WITH THE SAME ZEAL AND DEDICATION.

LIKE THE SINGLETON MERCY SISTERS, THE MERCYS OF NORTH SYDNEY MAINTAINED THEIR UNITY THROUGHOUT THEIR HISTORY WITH ALL BRANCH HOUSES BEING DEPENDANT ON THE MOTHER HOUSE. ALL FOUNDATIONS WERE MADE ORIGINALLY WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF SYDNEY BUT WITH THE ERECTION OF BROKEN BAY IN 1986 SEVERAL FOUND THEMSELVES WITHIN THE NEW DIOCESE THOUGH STILL IN THE CONGREGATION. THE FOLLOWING LISTS ALL FOUNDATIONS MADE BY THE NORTH SYDNEY MERCY SISTERS.

ASQUITH
1969

BROOKLYN
1907

CHATSWOOD

CHURCH HILL
1865

CROWS NEST

ERSKINEVILLE

LINDFIELD

MOSMAN

NORTH SYDNEY

PYMBLE

REDFERN

ROSEBERY

WAITARA

WATERLOO

WATSONS BAY

WILLOUGHBY

WOLLSTONECRAFT