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RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY |
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| HISTORY | FOUNDATIONS |
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| HISTORY |
| IN 1874 DR MATTHEW QUINN, BISHOP OF BATHURST WAS ON A VISIT TO IRELAND WHEN HE WAS COMMISSIONED BY HIS FELLOW BISHOP AND COUSIN, DR MURRAY, BISHOP OF MAITLAND TO PROCURE FOR HIS DIOCESE A COMMUNITY OF SISTERS TO WORK IN SINGLETON AND, HAPPENING TO VISIT THE CONVENT OF MERCY AT ENNIS TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, HE WAS GRATIFIED TO HAVE THREE STUDENTS FROM ST MARY'S SCHOOL VOLUNTEER ALONG WITH SEVEN PROFESSED SISTERS. UNDER THE FIRM LEADERSHIP OF M. M. STANISLAUS THESE TEN ARRIVED IN SINGLETON ON 31 AUGUST, 1875 TO A GREAT WELCOME FROM THE INHABITANTS AND ESPECIALLY THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF THE TOWN. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE MOTHER HOUSE OF THE NEW CONGREGATION AT SINGLETON THE SISTERS SOON PROSPERED AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE DIOCESE. SO SUCCESSFUL WERE THEIR VOCATIONS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE SISTERS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CONGREGATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND AS WELL AS FOR THE DIOCESES OF ARMIDALE AND WILCANNIA-FORBES. AFTER EIGHTY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE DIOCESE AS AN INDEPENDANT CONGREGATION THE SISTERS VOTED IN 1954 TO GIVE UP THEIR AUTONOMY AND JOIN THE UNION OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY. LATER WHEN THE UNION WAS DISSOLVED IN 1981 THEY AGAIN BECAME AUTONOMOUS, THIS TIME AS PART OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY OF AUSTRALIA. TODAY, DESPITE THE REDUCTION IN THEIR NUMBER THEY CONTINUE THEIR WORK AMONG THE DISADVANTAGED OF THE DIOCESE IN THE SPIRIT OF THEIR GREAT FOUNDRESS, MOTHER CATHERINE McAULEY. |
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| FOUNDATIONS | ||||||
THE SINGLETON MERCY CONGREGATION IS UNUSUAL AMONG THE VARIOUS AUSTRALIAN CONGREGATIONS OF MERCY SISTERS IN HAVING MAINTAINED ITS UNITY THROUGHOUT ITS 130 YEAR HISTORY, KNOWING NEITHER SEPARATION NOR AMALGAMATION. ALL THE CONVENTS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF MAITLAND WERE BRANCH CONVENTS OF THE SINGLETON MOTHER HOUSE AND WERE SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE SINGLETON SUPERIOR (LATER CONGREGATIONAL LEADER). THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS, APART FROM THE FOUNDATIONS OUTSIDE THE DIOCESE IN NEW ZEALAND AND WILCANNIA-FORBES, WAS THE FOUNDATION IN GUNNEDAH WHICH BECAME AUTONOMOUS ON THE TRANSFER OF THAT PARISH TO ARMIDALE IN 1887. THE FOLLOWING LISTS ALL FOUNDATIONS WHICH WERE MADE FROM SINGLETON OTHER THAN THOSE WHICH BECAME CONGREGATIONS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. | ||||||
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BRANXTON |
EAST MAITLAND |
GLENDALE |
MAITLAND | |||
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MORPETH |
MURRURUNDI |
MUSWELLBROOK |
NELSON BAY |
RAYMOND TERRACE |
SCONE | |
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SINGLETON |
STOCKTON |
TIGHES HILL |
TORONTO |
WALLSEND |
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