Today, July 15 is the 167th anniversary of the death of our Newfoundland Mercy founder, Sister M. Francis Creedon.
She died at the age of 44, having been professed as a Sister of Mercy for fourteen years. A woman of great fortitude, zeal for mission and commitment to the ideals of Mercy instilled in her by Catherine McAuley, Francis gave her all to the Newfoundland mission.
She faced many trials and hardships both in community and ministry, but the urgency of the mission and her conviction of the loving Providence of God at work in her life impelled her ever onward. Four young women had joined her since the death of her faithful companion, Sister M. Joseph Nugent in 1847.
The last to enter was Anastasia Tarrahan, the first native Newfoundlander, whom she received into the novitiate on July 2, less than two weeks before her death. Following that ceremony, she responded to a call to visit a dying person in the town and upon her return to Mercy Convent from that visitation she was confined to bed until her death.
The following notice was written in Bishop Mullock’s diary on July 15:
Mrs. Creedon, Superioress of the Convent of Mercy died this morning, a victim of overwork for the poor and the sick.
- Read more Sisters stories documenting our Newfoundland Mercy Story
Hoy, 15 de julio, es el 167 aniversario de la muerte de nuestra fundadora de la Misericordia de Terranova, la Hermana M. Francis Creedon.
Murió a la edad de 44 años, habiendo profesado como Hermana de la Misericordia durante catorce años. Mujer de gran fortaleza, celo por la misión y compromiso con los ideales de la Misericordia que le inculcó Catalina McAuley, Francis lo dio todo por la misión de Terranova.
Se enfrentó a muchas pruebas y dificultades tanto en la comunidad como en el ministerio, pero la urgencia de la misión y su convicción de la amorosa Providencia de Dios actuando en su vida la impulsaron a seguir adelante. Cuatro jóvenes se habían unido a ella desde la muerte de su fiel compañera, la Hermana M. Joseph Nugent en 1847.
La última en ingresar fue Anastasia Tarrahan, la primera nativa de Terranova, a quien recibió en el noviciado el 2 de julio, menos de dos semanas antes de su muerte. Después de esa ceremonia, respondió a una llamada para visitar a un moribundo en la ciudad y a su regreso al Convento de la Misericordia de esa visita fue confinada a la cama hasta su muerte.
La siguiente noticia fue escrita en el diario del obispo Mullock el 15 de julio:
La Sra. Creedon, Superiora del Convento de la Misericordia murió esta mañana, víctima del exceso de trabajo para los pobres y los enfermos.
- Leer más historias de Hermanas que documentan nuestra Historia de la Misericordia de Terranova
Persistent efforts by Burin’s zealous pastor, Father Michael Berney, for whom the education of the children of his parish was of prime importance, finally convinced Mother Xavier Bernard to make a positive response to his entreaties. St. Anne’s Convent (pictured at right) opened on July 12, 1863. The founding sisters were: Irish-born Sister M. Liguori Carmody; Sister M. Xavier Tarrahan, a Newfoundlander; Sister M. Charles McKenna, also Irish; Mary McAuliffe, a postulant.
The Assembly was the culmination of our charism journey over the past year wherein we as individuals, communities and/or circles entered into a theological reflection process to explore and deepen our sense of the Mercy charism.
Each area opened with three voices speaking to the issue – the voice of Scripture, the voice of Catherine McAuley and the voice of contemporary experience – and following a time of quiet reflection and dialogue in small and large groups, we attempted to discern what these voices were saying to us as a Congregation and what is the new place to which we are being called.
To assist us in our exploration we were very fortunate to have had with us Sister Mary Sullivan, RSM of Rochester, New York, who was the voice of Catherine; and Sister Carmelita Murphy, OP as facilitator for the whole assembly. Prior to the assembly, we were privileged to have Sister Mary Sullivan share with us, our Associates, friends and family members on the life and spirit of Catherine.
This date marks both the establishment of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland and of the first community of the Sisters of Mercy in the New World. Read more about those first Mercy Sisters (and the 57 young Irish women who went from Ireland to join the Newfoundland Congregation between 1842 and 1907) in the book “
On Sunday, 22 May, 2022, 
Two images, one from the logo and one from the motto, now invite us into the living out of our Chapter Statement. In the logo, the simple panes of the side panels (not the ornate decoration of the earlier drafts) remind us of a time in Catherine’s life when she was uncertain, seemingly out of her depth and without the security of her faith tradition. We are told that, denied the right to have access to any Catholic symbols or rituals, in her ingenuity she found the Cross in the window panes and door panels and the intersecting branches of trees on the lawn. I see six such crosses in the side panels of our logo – how many do you see? In a postmodern world, in what familiar yet unexpected places will we find the Creating One, the Risen One and the Spirit of peace and justice?
