The Sisters of Mercy have provided ministry in Conception Harbour for over 150 years.
On Tuesday May 21 about thirty of us attended a grand celebration in the parish of Eucharist followed by a hot roast beef dinner. Sister Roisin Gannon represented the Presentation Sisters. Bishop Anthony Daniels surrounded by seven priests of the Grand Falls Diocese celebrated Eucharist in St. Anne’s Church with participation of the sisters and parishioners in readings, music and other moments in the liturgy. The church was sparkling and beautifully decorated with roses. A large banner hung in the church acknowledging the 150 years’ anniversary – Our Journey Together! At the end of Mass, a plaque was presented to the Congregation which will be placed in the church to commemorate the anniversary. In his homily Bishop Daniels connected the call and ministry of the sisters to that of the early disciples of Jesus and gratefully commended their life and ministry among the people of Conception Harbour and surrounding area.
Almost 180 friends and parishioners were seated at the banquet tables in St. Anne’s Hall and were served a delicious meal catered by Tiny’s Restaurant. Mrs. Agnes (O’Driscoll) Richard recounted her memories of going to school to the sisters and told wonderful and humorous stories of her experiences in the various grade levels. Sister Elizabeth Davis responded with a little of the history of the foundation and proud commendation of the support and collaboration of the people during all those years and up to the present. She included a remembrance of the five sisters who are buried in the convent garden and in the receptive soil of Conception Harbour. The Mayor presented Sister Geraldine with a plaque to commemorate the anniversary. A huge cake baked and decorated by the niece of Sister M. Damien Morrissey was served to the crowd at the end of the dinner. (The small statue of Mary on the cake was salvaged from St. Anne’s School when it closed! The baker told me she couldn’t find a ’nun’ statue!)
Congratulations to the Sisters who currently live and minister in Conception Harbour, Sisters Geraldine Mason, Ruth Beresford and Ellen Marie Sullivan!
Congratulations to the Sisters of Mercy especially those who ministered there, and to the generous, faithful and loving people and church of Conception Harbour! Congratulations and thanks to all who prepared the details of the celebration! Congratulations on this 150th anniversary celebration!
Messages to: Sisters of Mercy Newfoundland
Las Hermanas de la Misericordia llevan más de 150 años ejerciendo su ministerio en Conception Harbour.
El martes 21 de mayo una treintena de nosotras asistimos a una gran celebración en la parroquia de la Eucaristía seguida de una cena caliente de carne asada. La Hermana Roisin Gannon representó a las Hermanas de la Presentación. El obispo Anthony Daniels rodeado de siete sacerdotes de la diócesis de Grand Falls celebró la Eucaristía en la iglesia de Santa Ana con la participación de las hermanas y los feligreses en las lecturas, la música y otros momentos de la liturgia. La iglesia estaba resplandeciente y bellamente decorada con rosas. En la iglesia colgaba una gran pancarta en reconocimiento del 150 aniversario: ¡Nuestro viaje juntos! Al final de la misa, se entregó a la Congregación una placa que se colocará en la iglesia para conmemorar el aniversario. En su homilía, el obispo Daniels relacionó la llamada y el ministerio de las hermanas con el de los primeros discípulos de Jesús y elogió con gratitud su vida y su ministerio entre la gente de Conception Harbour y alrededores.
Casi 180 amigos y feligreses se sentaron a las mesas del banquete en la Sala de Santa Ana y se les sirvió una deliciosa comida servida por el Restaurante Tiny’s. La Sra. Agnes (O’Driscoll) Richard relató a las hermanas sus recuerdos de cuando iba a la escuela y contó historias maravillosas y llenas de humor de sus experiencias en los distintos grados. La hermana Elizabeth Davis respondió con un poco de la historia de la fundación y elogió con orgullo el apoyo y la colaboración de la gente durante todos esos años y hasta el presente. Incluyó un recuerdo de las cinco hermanas que están enterradas en el jardín del convento y en el suelo receptivo de Conception Harbour. El alcalde entregó a la hermana Geraldine una placa conmemorativa del aniversario. Al final de la cena se sirvió a los asistentes una enorme tarta horneada y decorada por la sobrina de la hermana M. Damien Morrissey. (¡La pequeña estatua de María de la tarta fue rescatada del colegio Santa Ana cuando cerró! La pastelera me dijo que no pudo encontrar una estatua de “monja”).
Felicidades a las Hermanas que actualmente viven y ejercen su ministerio en Conception Harbour, las Hermanas Geraldine Mason, Ruth Beresford y Ellen Marie Sullivan.
Felicidades a las Hermanas de la Misericordia, especialmente a las que ejercen su ministerio allí, y a la generosa, fiel y cariñosa gente e iglesia de Conception Harbour. ¡Felicidades y gracias a todos los que prepararon los detalles de la celebración! ¡Felicidades por esta celebración del 150 aniversario!
Mensajes para: Hermanas de la Misericordia de Terranova
By this time, the Sisters had been in Newfoundland for almost a year, a year in which they devoted themselves to the visitation and care of the poor and the sick of the town, traversing the narrow streets and visiting the rude shacks in which many of the Irish Catholics lived. Forty-two pupils were enrolled when the school opened, and in the following year fifty-five students were in attendance.
O’Murchu set the context of our reflection and discussion by outlining the throes of change that mark our time, noting that there is a paradigm shift of global impact. In searching for a faith to sustain us today, home-coming is the key – coming home to our cosmic and planetary identity, to our spiritual story, to our people of soul, to our relational individuation, to our need for ritual, to the wisdom of the feminine ( the feminine is not exclusive to women). Most importantly, he says, it is necessary to reclaim a sense of the cosmic Christ as well as the historical Jesus, the central role of the Kingdom of God, the radical inclusiveness of Jesus, the concept of Jesus as suffering servant, the relational understanding of personhood.
During the evening, four young choristers were awarded apprenticeships, named in honor of four Mercy and Presentation Sisters. Tribute was paid to Sister Kathrine Bellamy, rsm, for her outstanding work in music and she was given the honour of presenting a member of the choir with an apprenticeship; a second one was presented in honor of Sister Mary Baptist McDermott, rsm, who was one of the first Newfoundlanders to be awarded an Associate Diploma from Trinity College of Music. Ms. Knight sees the apprenticeships as being a way of carrying on a chain of mentoring that began with the Mercy and Presentation Sisters.
The focus of the event was the presentation of Millennium Development Goals, which were central to the 2-day event.
Pope Francis’ Lenten message to the world for 2023 was presented on Friday, February 17. The theme is Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey. “We need to listen to Jesus he said, “through the Scriptures and through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need…Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us.”