A LETTER HOME

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

As tomorrow, 21^st November, is Presentation Day I wanted to do something special for this day that had so much meaning for us in our school days.   I was thinking hard about what to post and, while browsing the Internet, I unexpectedly came upon something which, I think, is very special!  It was an article written by Jim Corley in Blessington.info History Articles.  If you want to, you can find the article on http://blessington.info/history/historypage17.htm  

 

Mr Corley tells of finding a letter in a grubby old book which he purchased at an Auction in Kells, County Meath, Ireland.  And how does a letter in an old book in Ireland tie in with Presentation Day?  More to the point, how does it tie in with us? 


Well, this letter was headed:

“PRESENTATION CONVENT,

ST JOHN’S N.F.L,

JAN 12^th 1923”.  

It was written by Sr Xavier O’Malley to her niece, Lizzie, in Ireland.  In the letter, Sr Xavier told Lizzie that she was ill in bed, felt very weak and did not expect to live for much longer.  The poor soul also commented on the weather, the cold being too severe to permit her getting up!  It seems a lady called Josephine had asked for her family history and she gives what she knows of it.  Sr Xavier wrote:

“Firstly, my grandfather was Owen O’Malley of Burrishoole, Newport, Co Mayo.  He had three brothers namely: first Joseph who was executed as a rebel: second Austin who escaped to France on one of the French ships sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to pick up all the Irishmen they could get to enter his army as they had gained the name of being great fighters and indeed they were fighters but the poor fellows gained but little for their courage.  Uncle Austin married in France and had two sons.  His eldest son Auguste entered the French army and rose to be Colonel.  Through his bravery Uncle Austin’s sight became impaired and he returned to Ireland when my mother was young, and he lived with my grandfather.  His wife was dead and his eldest son was an officer in the French army.  He had his second son with him, Alexander, but this poor boy had met with an accident at school and was quite deaf.  The French government kindly paid him a yearly pension even after his father’s death.  He died in Dublin some years ago.  Alexander’s brother Auguste O’Malley rose to be general in the French Army.  At the siege of Algeria in the north of Africa only two men were left alive of one particular regiment.  They were Uncle Austin’s son Auguste and a private soldier.  Auguste was made a captain and the soldier a lieutenant.  During a visit which I paid to the French Nuns near here on the island of St Pierre I met a lay sister who had been acquainted with General O’Malley when she was a nurse in a military hospital.”

 

Sr Xavier ended her letter by asking Lizzie to pray for her when she hears of her death and sent her regards to Lizzie’s husband and little ones.

 

Now Mr Corley’s interest had been tweaked, as I hope yours is too, so he wrote to Presentation Convent in St John’s.  He was rewarded with a reply from then Presentation Archivist, *Sr Perpetua Kennedy.   Thanks to Sr Perpetua, Mr Corley and we learned more of Sr Xavier’s story.

 

Sr Xavier was born in Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland in 1842 to Austin and Mary O’Malley.   She was baptised Mary Jane.   In 1866 Mary Jane O’Malley said good bye to home, parents, family, friends and all that she held dear.   The courageous young lady set out on a perilous journey to a strange and distant country, Newfoundland.  Like so many other intrepid souls, she would never see her homeland again.

 

On 21^st February 1866, Mary Jane O’Malley entered the Presentation Convent, St John’s.  On 15^th January 1867, 25 year old Miss Mary Jane O’Malley was received into the Order and given the name Sr Mary Xavier Joseph O’Malley.   Here are Sr Xavier’s vows:

 

“I, Sister Mary Jane O’Malley called in Religion Mary Xavier Joseph, do vow and promise to God poverty, chastity and obedience, and to persevere until the end of my life in this Institute for the charitable Instruction of poor girls in this Enclosure, according to the Rules and Constitution of this Order of the Presentation of Our Blessed Lady, approved of and confirmed by the Apostolical Authority of Our Holy Father Pope Pius VII under the authority, and in the presence of you, Revd Edward O’Keefe V G and of our Revd Mother, Margaret O’Shaughnessy, called in Religion Mary Magdalen Superioress of this Convent of the Presentation – in the year of Our Lord Oct 23^rd 1867.

Signed: Mary Jane O’Malley in religion Mary Xavier Joseph

Superioress Margaret O’Shaughnessy

Assistant M de Pazzi Mullock”

 

Sr Xavier was Professed at Presentation Convent, Cathedral Square on 8^th November 1869.  On 8^th November 1923, exactly 54 years after being Professed and just months after writing to her niece Lizzie in Ireland, Sr Xavier O’Malley died at Presentation Convent, Cathedral Square, St John’s.   She is buried in the Convent Cemetery.

Ending his article, Jim Corley urges us to “Spare a thought for those many long-forgotten Irish missionaries like the noble Sr Xavier.”  On this Presentation Day, let us indeed spare a thought and a prayer for all the valiant young Irish ladies who came to our shores and, as Presentation Sisters, spent their talents and their lives instructing the children of Newfoundland.  Let’s prove Mr Corley wrong and make certain that they are never forgotten! 

 

*Sr M Perpetua Kennedy, Presentation Archivist for 20 years, passed away at St Clare’s Mercy Hospital on 7^th May 2013, aged 90 years.  She too is buried in Presentation Cemetery, Cathedral Square.    

FROM A 1920s NEWSPAPER

Here is a little item I came across in a very old scrapbook. The clipping was from a St John’s newspaper published in March 1920. It will, I hope, be of interest to all St Patrick’s girls but especially to those who were ‘Children of Mary’! I knew that the Sisters & students of St Patrick’s were leaders!

“There passed away at the Presentation Convent, St Patrick’s, on Wednesday last at 4:45 a.m. the venerable Mother M Caulfield, a well known and highly esteemed member of the Presentation Order.

The deceased, who was born in Limerick City, entered the Presentation Convent, Cathedral Square, in 1851. She made her Profession there in 1854. A few years afterwards she was sent to the recently established foundation at Riverhead, where she zealously laboured for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the many souls committed to her care during her long religious life of sixty-nine years.

In 1876 she, with Rev Dean Ryan and Sr M Patrick Kielly, was instrumental in establishing the Sodality of the Children of Mary at St Patrick’s (the first Sodality of G. de M. in this Island). In 1884 she, with Rev Father Palmer (then stationed at St Patrick’s) established the Confraternity of St Anne of which she was Directress till her death.”

The article continues with a report of the death of another Sister at St Patrick’s. (More about that at a later date.) 

The report concludes with “We have loved them in life, let us not be unmindful of them in death.”

I was unable to turn up any details of the funeral but, just by chance, I saw Sister’s headstone in the little cemetery at St Patrick’s. Also, just by chance, I had my camera with me. So, of course, I took a picture of the grave. I don’t profess to be a photographer so please make allowances for the quality of the photo and just enjoy this little bit of St Patrick’s history.

Grave of Sr M Aloysius Caulfield

MOTHER BERNARD KIRWAN'S GALWAY CONVENT

My good friend, Ed O'Neill, is an artist of the first water.  His videos of various parts of the beautiful Southern Shore are a delight and ensure a great feeling of homesickness & pride in all of us exiles.  Anyway, Ed, being the generous man that he is, has given me permission to post this video on our St Patrick's blog.

As you are aware, Mother Bernard Kirwan was the Superior of the little band of Presentation Sisters who came out to Newfoundland from Galway in 1833 to establish the first Presentation Convent outside Ireland.  Mother Bernard is therefore the foundress of the Presentation Congregation in Newfoundland.

Mother Bernard now rests in the peaceful soil of Port Kirwan, Fermeuse.  Her grave is lovingly tended by the kind and generous people of that beautiful community. 

Port Kirwan was formerly known as 'Admiral's Cove'.  In his article 'Early Years' in the Port Kirwan Book, 'Kind Hearts and Gentle People' Ed tells us; 

"Father Thomas J Moakler was behind the new name for Admiral's Cove, a change that took place during his tenure as our parish priest (1958-1963)."    Ed goes on to quote Fr Moakler.  "I renamed Admiral's Cove when the Federal Post Office complained there were too many 'Admirals this and that' all over Newfoundland and Labrador, and we would have to get a new name or lose our post office in the Cove.  The community was renamed in honour of Sister Bernard Kirwan, who founded the convent in Admiral's Cove in 1853, the third convent of the Order in Newfoundland."

Now have a look at Ed's great video and see the heritage that, as St Patrick's girls, is ours.    You would also be doing yourself a great favour if you took a trip up the Shore and paid a visit to Mother Bernard's grave.  There is no spot on God's good earth more beautiful that Port Kirwan, Fermeuse.

Once again, Ed, many thanks for your generosity.