In October 1906, Dean Flynn, P.P. Ballybricken, requested Mother de Sales, Dunmore, for sisters to staff a proposed new school in Philip St., Waterford. The sisters, Alphonsus, Evangelist, Xavier, Francis, Peter, Ita, Antonio, and Gertrude, started in St. Otteran’s school in 1900. They commuted daily from Dunmore until the new convent was ready for occupation on September 24th , 1906. Waterford now became the Mother House, with John’s Hill and Dunmore as branches. The following year the General Novitiate for the diocese was set up in Waterford. From 1910 to 1918 evening classes for girls were established. There was special emphasis on Music, Art, Speech and Drama. The annual exhibition in the school playground with every pupil participating, was a particular feature of the school. This lasted until 1980.
In 1917, the Mason Method of Education was introduced and in March 1920, Montessori lessons were begun by Miss E. Gibbon. In 1925 the ground floor of St. Brigid’s was erected plus a Lace Room. In 1926, W.B. Yeats. Poet, senator, Commissioner for Education, Nobel Prize winner, visited the school and the next year there was a visit from Dr. Maria Montessori.
‘Nazareth’ Yellow Road was purchased in 1932 for sleeping accommodation for the novices. In 1935, St. Brigid’s became a Secondary Top where all pupils could have free secondary education. Summerland House and grounds were purchased in 1938 by the parish for the erection of a new church which never materialised , so the sisters bought the property as a new central novitiate. The novices moved in there the following year and Nazareth became a Commercial School. In 1957, a large field behind the novitiate, St. Joseph’s, Summerland, was donated by the Corporation for housing development for the poor. A new Primary School, Holy Family School, on military Road, was begun in 1959, and was ready for the pupils on December 12th, 1961. An extension and extra bedrooms were added to the convent between 1963 and 1965.At this time, the Secondary Top scheme ended with the O’Malley Plan, but the Secondary Top pupils remained in the new Holy Family school, until a large modern Secondary School was built and opened in 1977.
In 1966, the convent entrance was changed from Yellow Road to Military Road, which gave access more easily to the schools. On February 2nd 1968, the Inauguration of the Federation of the communities of the diocese took place in the convent chapel in the presence of Bishop M. Russell, Dean Barron, Colm Leahy P.P. and Rev. J. Shine. The Federation Council now had charge of running the Central novitiate which soon began to accept novices from outside the diocese. Boards of Management for Primary Schools and Parents’ Councils for Secondary Schools became a feature of the seventies. There were further extensions required in the Secondary School in order to accommodate the number of pupils – a gym –extra classrooms, computer room and audio visual facilities.
In 1980, the central novitiate closed and from then on the novices went to Cobh. The buildings and grounds were leased to the V.E.C. as an adult Education Centre which is still in operation. In 1985, Sr. Maria McGuinness took over St. Brigid’s School and set up St. Brigid’s Social Services Centre there. This centre catered for an ever growing need in the city and it’s services increased and diversified over the years. In 1994, in order to facilitate further expansion and to ensure the future life of St. Brigid’s, the premises, plus some adjoining land, was leased to a group of committed lay people who had worked very closely with St. Brigid’s. this group, many of whom were business people in the city, set up a Company Limited by Guarantee which will take responsibility for the future running of St. Brigid’s. This handing over ensures that the good work will continue and the Mercy sisters will be very much part of it while there are sisters available to work there. In October 1991, a Board of Management was established in the Secondary School and on March 14th, 1994, a lay principal was appointed to Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School.
In 1985 all the Mercy Communities in Waterford and Lismore amalgamated to form one unit. Sr. Mary Jo Sheehy was elected as the first Superior General of the New Congregation. The Generalate was set up in Kilmacthomas. In 1991 Sr. Anne O’Connor was elected the second Superior General of the diocese.
Since Diocesan Union was set up, a number of small communities have been formed ; Heywood Heights, Clonmel, 31/32 Willow Park, Clonmel, 10 Ash Park and Ash Park Village, Carrig-an-Suir, 2 Chesnut Grove, Waterford.
In almost all the communities of the diocese, the Sisters are involved in many activities apart from the traditional ministries ; Home-school Liaison, Day care Centres, Diocesan Seminary, Clubs for Senior Citizens, Response Housing Scheme, Hostels for the homeless, Scope for the mentally ill, Shelters for battered wives, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Prayer groups, Bible study groups, Siol Retreats, Faith Friends, Growing in Faith together programmes.
This is our story. Some dates associated with specific events have given the story direction. But the real story of deep involvement in people’s lives defies chronological analysis.
Southern Province 