HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today, 10th January 2025, marks the 169th Anniversary of the founding of St Patrick's Convent.  

On 10th January 1856, four Presentation Sisters came from the Community at Cathedral Square to establish a convent at Riverhead in the Westend of St John's. They were Srs M Clare Waldron, M Ignatius Quinlan, M Regis Halpin and M Rose Mullally.  Sr Clare was appointed Superior.  

Three of the Sisters were courageous Irish Women. Their foundress, Nano Nagle, had said "If I could be of service in saving souls in any part of the globe, I would be willing to do all in my power."  True to Nano's ethos, the three had left kith and kin and crossed the Atlantic to do just that. However one sister, Sr M Rose Mullally, was different!

Grave of first Newfoundlander to become a Presentation Sister

Sr Rose made history on Presentation Day, 21st November 1851, when she joined the Presentation Sisters at Cathedral Square.  Born Catherine Mullally in 1824 at beautiful Bonavista, she was the first Newfoundlander to become a Presentation Sister.  Sr Rose died at Renews on 3rd March 1903.  She rests in the Presentation Cemetery in Renews.

On a cold, windy day, two staunch St Patrick's girls pay their
respects at the grave of one of the foundresses of
St Patrick's Convent

I think that on this anniversary we should be thankful for the four young women who dedicated their lives to the children of Newfoundland.  Thankful that they gave us the opportunity and happy privilege of being St Patrick's Girls, I wish all of you, in whatever part of the globe you are, a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.

☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘

WHAT THEY DID! WHAT CAN WE DO?

By now you are all aware that our beautiful, historic, St Patrick's Church is under threat and (too horrible to contemplate) might have to be sold! To save this beautiful Parish Church which has been the spiritual home of so many of us, much help and inspiration is needed. What can we do? 

ST PATRICK'S CHURCH

Have a look at some of the things our tenacious ancestors did to bring the dream of St Patrick's to fruition.

On 8 February 1864, it was reported in 'The Newfoundlander' "The people of the city had made a beginning to the vast amount of work necessary by hauling the stone needed for the foundations of the church." 

"During the last week the Catholic people of this place have been employed every day in large numbers bringing stone from various neighboring quarries for the new stone church about to be erected at St Patrick's, Riverhead.  Some of the blocks of stone were of colossal size, weighing many tons each, hundreds of men being engaged in drawing them to their destination. The people, as usual, were full of zeal and energy and a work so begun cannot fail of being successfully carried out in a short period." 

Bishop Mullock was impressed, finding the enthusiasm of the people "most extraordinary".

"A portion of the large amount of money required for the construction was raised in a Grand Bazaar in aid of St Patrick's held in the upper room of Fishermen's Hall on Queen Street."  Having paid their admission of 15 pence, patrons were treated to music provided by various bands of the day, a sale of work, and a Grand Lottery.  The Bazaar was quite a success and raised the sum of £1354, a staggering amount in those days.

FORMER FISHERMEN'S HALL

On 14 August 1864, Bishop Mullock "called on the people of St John's area to fish for St Patrick's Church tomorrow". The Bishop even put on a special Mass in the Cathedral at 4 a m "for the people going to fish".  

The following year, 1865, the good Bishop once again announced that the day's fishery for the church on 15 August, both in St John's and on the Labrador, would be applied to St Patrick's.  He also announced that he intended to introduce a penny a week collection as a means of support.  We certainly owe Bishop John Thomas Mullock our thanks.  He was indeed a determined champion of St Patrick's Church.

I have no proof of it, but I feel sure that while all this activity was going on, there was also much prayer being sent up to heaven for the success of the venture.  If we can do nothing else, maybe we too could do a spot of praying.  St Joseph is a wonderful Saint to turn to in any situation but, since he is the Patron of the Universal Church, he would be the ideal saint to come to our help now.

STATUE OF ST JOSEPH IN
ST PATRICK'S CHURCH

ST JOSEPH PRAY FOR US

Quotes are from the book, 

St Patrick's Church, One Hundred Years,

1881 - 1981

A PRESENTATION FACT FOR 10th JANUARY

We have an important fact for today, 10^th January. This is a special day for us because it marks the beginning of St Patrick’s Convent Schools.

Early days, St Patrick's Convent, (Presentation Archives)

The Convent Annals say “On the tenth day of January eighteen hundred and fifty six, Sister Mary Clare Waldron, Sister Mary Ignatius Quinlan, Sister Mary Rose Mullally and Sister Mary Regis Halpin (Novice), religious of the Presentation Order, came from the Motherhouse to establish another house of the Order at Riverhead in this town, under the authority of the Most Reverend Dr Mullock, Bishop of St John’s”.  Sr  Mary Clare was appointed Superior. 

The first School, 1856

Thus it was that St Patrick’s Convent came into being and generations benefited from the ministrations of the daughters of Nano Nagle.  

For  160 years, "Riverhead" was blessed with the presence of the Presentation Sisters.     Regrettably, the Sisters left in 2016 but their influence remains.  We are sad they are gone but so grateful they came.

SISTER M PATRICK WADDEN PBVM

While perusing an old scrapbook, which belonged to my late Aunt, I came across this clipping from a 1920's newspaper. The writing certainly differs from today's reporting style and the degree of respect is also quite evident. 

The article very respectfully announces the death of a member of the St Patrick's Convent Community, Sr M Patrick Wadden.  A native of County Wexford, Sr Patrick left her native Ireland to enter the Presentation Congregation at Riverhead (St Patrick's) in 1883.   

THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING FROM MARCH 1920

The newspaper does not give any details of Sr Patrick's funeral but I did find her resting place. She is buried in the little St Patrick's Convent Cemetery which is nestled between the Convent and St Patrick's Church.

THE RESTING PLACE OF SR  M PATRICK WADDEN

As you probably noticed, there is a discrepancy between the day of death reported in the newspaper article and on the headstone.  If, as the article states, Sr Patrick died on a Saturday, then the date on the headstone is incorrect because 6th March 1920 was actually a Saturday.  On the other hand, if the newspaper got the day wrong then it is possible that Sr Patrick died on 8th March, which was a Monday, and the headstone indeed carries the correct date.

A little mystery for us to solve perhaps? In any case, because today could be the anniversary of Sr Patrick's death, let's just give thanks for her courage, her faith and her work among the people of St Patrick's.  May she rest in peace. 

ST PATRICK'S DEANERY

This post has been prompted by an email and a photograph which we received several months ago from Enid O’Brien.  The photo is of St Patrick’s Deanery.  Enid thought that it might be of interest to former students and parishioners who are living away from home.  I quite agree with Enid!  Enid’s sister worked at the Deanery around 1955, operating the switchboard.  Her sister was still attending school and worked there after school and on weekends.  Enid observed that it is hard to believe that they would have been busy enough to need a switchboard operator.  Good point Enid!

 



Historic St Patrick's Deanery

It was the dream and the firm intention of Bishop John Thomas Mullock to establish at Riverhead in the west end of St John’s a fine Church to minister to the spiritual needs of the people of that area.  His Lordship determined that this Church would be dedicated to St Patrick, the Apostle of their “ancestral land”.  The Bishop recorded in his diary for 23^rd March 1852 that he had “Paid Mr Little £341 for land at Riverhead for church, schools, and a convent”.  On a rainy 17th September 1855, as part of the celebrations for the consecration of the Cathedral, the foundation stone for the new church was laid by Archbishop John Hughes of New York.

 

For various reasons, it was quite a few years before the actual construction of the church could begin.  So, in 1860, Bishop Mullock decided to build a temporary church until the more fitting edifice could be erected.  No time was lost in building the wooden church that would serve the Catholics of Riverhead for more than twenty years.  On Sunday, 9^th September 1860, the first St Patrick’s Church was dedicated to the glory of God.  This time the ceremonies were carried out in brilliant sunshine! 
 

This ‘temporary’ Church stood where St Patrick’s Deanery stands today and it served the people well until our beautiful and long awaited St Patrick’s Church was dedicated in August 1881.   St Patrick’s Deanery was erected in 1884. It is a Registered Heritage Structure.  To learn more about the  designation of St Patrick's Deanery, click here.

 

Our thanks go to Enid for once again providing us with material for an informative post about our St Patrick’s Parish.

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

THE PRESENTATION SISTERS COME TO RIVERHEAD

“Ah! Must –Designer Infinite! –

Ah! Must Thou char the wood

ere Thou canst limn with it?"

(The Hound of Heaven,

by Francis Thompson)

After their arrival in St John’s in 1833, the Presentation Sisters immediately and wholeheartedly began their work among the poor Irish Catholics of the port.

The “Designer Infinite” did indeed “char the wood” for, despite the solicitous care of Bishop Fleming, the Sisters’ early years in St John’s were beset with difficulties. Nevertheless, their efforts on behalf of the people were blessed and the girls of the town flocked to their school.

The four founding Sisters, Sr Bernard Kirwan, Sr Magdalen O’Shaughnessy, Sr Xaverius Lynch and Sr Xavier Maloney, were joined in 1843 by two Postulants from Ireland. That year, on the Feast of the Assumption, Bishop Fleming received Catherine Phelan (Sr M Ignatius Aloysius) and Amelia Shanley (Sr M Antonio Magdalen) into the Presentation Congregation in St John’s. In his excellent book, “Fire Upon the Earth”, Brother J B Darcy tells us that a lay Sister was also received that day but, unfortunately, he does not give her name.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for just six Sisters to cope with the more than 1,000 pupils who daily came to the school. Accordingly, the good Bishop once again appealed to the Galway Presentation Convent for more Sisters. In 1846, having received the consent of Bishop O’Donnell of Galway, Sr M Josephine French and Sr M DeSales Lovelock accompanied Bishop Fleming to their new home in St John’s. True to the spirit of Nano Nagle, and in the full knowledge of the tragic fire that had just reduced St John’s to a pile of blackened rubble, these selfless and courageous ladies generously volunteered to forsake their home, family and friends.

Gradually the Presentation Community grew as the Sisters were joined by recruits from Ireland and Newfoundland and the Sisters began to establish new Convents in the Colony. Their first new House was opened in Harbour Grace in July 1851. By 1855 there were five Presentation Convents in Newfoundland.

The Old St Patrick's Convent
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

On 10th January 1856, four Presentation Sisters came from the Community at Cathedral Square to establish a Convent at Riverhead, in the West End of St John’s. Sr M Clare Waldron was appointed Superior. The next day, Fr Kieran Walsh celebrated Mass in the Convent Chapel. This house was cold and damp so in March 1880 the Foundation Stone was laid for a new building to better serve the needs of the Sisters and their charges. On the Feast of Corpus Christi 1882, Bishop Thomas Joseph Power solemnly blessed the new St Patrick’s Convent and celebrated the first Mass in its Chapel.



In the beginning, the Sisters taught both boys and girls in their school. However, St Patrick’s eventually became an all girls’ school. The enrolment increased steadily and, 65 years after the Sisters opened their first school, a new school was opened. In 1921 a new St Patrick’s Convent School, erected as a Memorial to the men of the Parish who died in WWI, opened on Deanery Avenue.

By the 1950s, it was realized that the current buildings were unable to adequately meet increasing educational needs. On 2nd October 1953, His Grace Most Reverend Patrick James Skinner blessed the cornerstone of the new St Patrick’s School on Patrick St. On 4th January 1954 Archbishop Skinner celebrated Mass on the main corridor of the new school and blessed the building.

Sadly, St Patrick’s Convent School is no more. In 1999 St Patrick’s closed its doors for the last time. The building is now a private school. Fortunately, the Presentation Sisters remain a presence in St Patrick’s Parish and the oft renovated and improved Convent which was opened in 1882 is still their home.

LINKS TO THIS POST:
THE LADY WITH THE LANTERN
FIRST PRESENTATION CONVENT OUTSIDE IRELAND