Locations and History
The way we strive to live our lives as Religious
Sisters of Charity can be defined through our motto and
our 4th vow. Our Motto 'The charity of Christ urges us
onwards' and our 4th vow of 'Service of the Poor'
enable us to discern where we should be and what we
should be doing. Our purpose in doing this is to bring
about the reign of God in the places where we minister
and to the people we are living and working with.
Since the first sisters came to England in 1840 and to
Scotland in 1948, our sisters have been involved in an
extraordinary range and variety of ministries. The
following gives a brief history of our Province and our
ministries':
Preston: 1840 - 1848
Because Ireland was Mary Aikenhead's first concern, and
the needs of the Irish poor were far from satisfied,
she hesitated a long time before giving her consent to
establishing a foundation outside Ireland. After five
years of negotiation, she finally undertook a
foundation in Preston, England where the Sisters of
Charity went to educate poor children in day schools.
Things did not work out well for the sisters there. In
addition to financial difficulties, some of the sisters
suffered ill health because of overwork, and in 1848
she decided that the sisters should return to Ireland.
Rock
Ferry, Merseyside: 1890 - 2004
In 1890, the sisters felt capable once again of
responding to needs further afield, and established St
Margaret's Home, Rockferry in 1890. Here, the sisters
were involved in residential care of the elderly,
parish visiting, State agency work, an Irish Welfare
Centre and work with the Union of Catholic Mothers. The
sisters moved from St. Margaret's in 2004 and the
residential home closed. One sister still remains
living in the area.
Birkenhead, Merseyside: 1900
-
The Sisters moved into Claughton Road in February 1900
and for nearly 70 years St. Elizabeth's was the hub of
a vibrant ministry in Birkenhead and beyond. The Guild
Room attached to the Convent provided a Centre for the
spiritual, social and recreational life of girls and
young women from all over the town, as well as
families.
Sisters began teaching in St. Winifred’s
Secondary Modern School in 1956.
Today there are 7 sisters living in Birkenhead, 4
sisters are each working in different parishes. This
involves working with individuals, families, groups,
schools: caring for their needs through home visits,
counselling, catechesis, Sacramental Programmes and
working with young people. Care of older people is an
area of continuing growth as those needing Nursing Home
care continues to grow. In addition to the above one
sister is employed as a Prison Chaplain, one is a
voluntary worker in a Luncheon Club for the elderly,
and one sister who is retired prays for the work of the
house.
Hackney,
London: 1900 -
Five Religious Sisters of Charity arrived in Hackney,
in the east end of London on 2nd July 1900. They had
come to England through the efforts of Father Gallwey,
a distinguished Jesuit who was familiar with their work
in Ireland. He was instrumental in obtaining St
Joseph's Hospice (the sisters had originally settled in
King Edward's Road but the house soon proved to be too
small) The sisters moved to 6 Cambridge Villas and
within two years the Sisters (through an anonymous
donation of £10,000) came into possession of
surrounding villas and a lodge. The donor, a woman who
remained anonymous, asked that the property be used as
a Hospice of the dying. The endless demand for beds at
the hospice resulted in repeated extensions to the
hospice over the years. The Sisters also engaged in
domiciliary nursing and social work. This work and
their teaching in local schools kept the sister in
intimate daily contact with people in their home, and
this in turn, had immense value for the work they did
at St Joseph's. Beside the care of the very ill and
terminally ill people, St Joseph's also provided care
for older people in St Patrick's wing. Poor men and
women came daily for food and clothes were also
provided if they wished to have them. Jumble sales,
bazaars and summer fetes were a wonderful opportunity
for local people to come and buy excellent clothes,
furniture, toys and crockery at a very reasonable
cost.
Over the past 100 years the hospice has grown and
developed and now provides a full range of community
and inpatient services to the people of Hackney, City
of London, Newham and Tower Hamlets, as well as
inpatient care for people in Camden, Enfield,
Harringey, Islington, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.
Hammersmith London: 1920 -
1998
For many years, St Brigid's convent in Hammersmith was
the centre of the London mission of the Sisters of
Charity. The Sisters visited the sick and the needy in
six surrounding parishes. They also ran guilds and
sodalities and instructed converts. Later they moved to
Mater Dei, Hammersmith Grove from where they ran an
Irish Welfare Centre which arranged accommodation for
homeless people, gave advice and referred clients to
other agencies. They were also involved in the
Westminster Crusade of Rescue and other social work.
This convent was closed in 1998 when the Sisters
transferred to Acton. Similar ministries continued in
Acton i.e. hospital chaplaincy, day care for homeless
people. In addition a sister worked with families in
the Catholic Rescue Society. A sister was nursing in a
home for older people. One sister taught in a school
for underprivileged people and a sister worked with
women involved with prostitution.
Walthamstow, London: 1920 -
2006
St Mary's Convent Walthamstow was founded as a
Missionary centre in 1921. The sisters visited the
sick, organised Guilds and Sodalities for boys and
girls. In 1929 the sisters accepted the charge of a
Residential school containing 200 children. In 1931 the
Parish school was re-organised and St. Mary's became
the Primary school for the Residential children and
children of the Parish. In the 1980's trends in Child
Care caused the Sisters to look at where they were
going as many children were now being fostered and not
placed in residential care. The decision was taken to
close St Mary's Children's home and a smaller house was
purchased. Sisters were also involved in pastoral work
in St George's Parish, and they were involved in local
schools including: - St Helen's infants, St Mary's
Primary and Corpus Christi. Basingstoke, Hampshire:
1927 - 1964 The Convent of the Holy Ghost was founded
in 1927 chiefly for the instruction and guidance of the
women, girls and children of the parish. In 1950 a
school was opened and the Sisters had the religious
instruction of children attending the council schools.
Basingstoke: 1927 - 1964
The Convent of The Holy Ghost opened in Basingstoke in
March 1927 chiefly for the religious instruction and
guidance of children and adults. The sisters also
organised Sodalities and the Mothers’ Guild in
the local parish. In 1930 a small Primary School was
opened in Bolton Lodge which grew to quite a
considerable size. Due to a lack of financial support
the school had to close and the last sister left the
Convent in 1964.
Bath: 1934 - 1996
The Sisters of Charity founded St Catherine's Convent
in Bath in 1934 and worked in the various parishes in
the town visiting homes, instructing Catholic children
and conducting the Mothers' Guilds (UCM) etc. In the
early days the sisters also visited three hospitals. On
26th August 1939, St. Joseph’s Hospice in
Hackney, London was taken over as an Air Raid Casualty
Station so it was decided to move the patients of the
Hospice to Bath. Two additional houses were bought to
accommodate the numbers arriving from Hackney and thus
began the foundation of a Nursing Home in Bath. For
over 50 years the Nursing Home was under the care of
the sisters until, due to shortage of personnel it was
sold. The Convent was maintained until 1996 when the
last sister left Bath having spent the previous year
living in community with a group of young adults and
one other sister.
Walmer, Kent: 1936 -
1940
The convent in Walmer was opened in response to the
invitation of Fr James O’Connell, who wanted
Sisters to work with a mining community in his parish
in Kent. He wanted them to visit the families of the
miners and to start a school for the children, and
undertook to provide them with a rent-free house and
daily Mass. He made this appeal in 1933, but the
convent was not opened until 1936. The community in
Walmer was evacuated in 1940 and the convent was
occupied by the military.
Bristol:
1937 -
The Sisters of Charity established the Convent of Our
Lady of Lourdes, Knowle, Bristol in 1937 as a mission
centre for the new building estate of Filwood Park. The
sisters taught at the local primary school, visited
homes and organised guilds and sodalities in the local
parishes. The sisters ministries have grown, developed
and continued over the past 70 years. Today, the
sisters also work closely with the other Christian
churches on the estate and with community based
projects that work towards alleviating some of the
poverty that still exists on the estate. The Sisters
are engaged in the Mission of the local Parish Church
of Christ the King. Sisters also work in Hospital
Chaplaincy in the large City hospital and some City -
Wide run projects for vulnerable people.
Birmingham: 1937 -
The Sisters of Charity founded St. Anne’s convent
Saltley in 1937 and took charge of the junior and
infant section of the Rosary schools. They also taught
senior pupils in the secondary school, visited homes,
conducted Union of Catholic Mothers, Children of Mary,
junior sodalities, youth clubs and instructed
converts.
The community moved to Acocks Green in July 1995 from
where the sisters continued to work in local parishes,
hospital chaplaincy and projects supporting women
vulnerable to prostitution. After extensive
refurbishment of the house, the present community moved
in early 2006. The sisters are now involved in the
local parish in the Legion of Mary and the prayer
group, volunteer support for the local hospice, working
with asylum seekers and refugees, anti trafficking
campaigning and community organising through Birmingham
Citizens.
Clydebank, Scotland: 1948
-
The Sisters of Charity began their work in Scotland in
Glasgow. In 1950 they opened a hospice at St
Margaret's, Clydebank, and two years later acquired an
adjoining house. In 1969 a new hospice was opened to
accommodate sixty patients. In 1989 the Appeal Fund was
launched for the re-development and upgrading of the
hospice and in 1993 the floor was opened and also a new
Day Care Centre. In 1998 the new Education Centre was
opened followed by a new Hydrotherapy pool on 2000. The
Sisters are now responding to need by building a
purpose built thirty bedded unit for patients, giving
more choice and comfort at a difficult time in their
lives. Today the Sisters continue this work of caring
for the sick, Parish work and visiting older and
housebound people in their homes.
Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire: 1953 -
1998
The Sisters of Charity founded the Convent of the
Sacred Heart in Sowerby in 1953 and started a private
independent infant and junior school because there was
no Catholic school in the parish. They also visited the
poor, took charge of the mothers' guild, COM etc and
gave religious instruction to the senior children
attending non-Catholic schools, and converts. The
convent closed in 1998 due to lack of personnel but he
sisters maintained a presence in Yorkshire by working
in both Leeds and Mytholmroyd.
Basildon,
Essex: 1957 - 1996
The Sisters of Charity founded St Teresa's Convent in
Basildon, Essex in 1957. At the time, Basildon was a
new, rapidly expanding town, built to accommodate
people from the overcrowded districts of East and
Central London. The congregation built a primary school
and convent and engaged in social work.
Airdrie, Scotland: 1957 -
The Sisters of Charity arrived in Airdrie, Lanarkshire
in 1957 and they opened Assumption House, a Nursing
Home for 16 elderly people. They were also involved in
parish visiting, the U.C.M., Sodalities, instructing
converts and other parish activities as the need
arose.
In 1986 the sisters moved from Assumption House to a
new purpose built convent and Hospice in Henderson
Street with the new name of St. Andrew’s Hospice,
the only hospice in Lanarkshire. The Hospice provided
22 Specialist Palliative Care beds, 10 bed for care of
the Elderly, a Day Hospice, Home Care, Out Patients
Clinic for pain control, Out Patients appointments for
Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Home Assessments,
Bereavement Services, a Drop-In for bereaved children,
social and spiritual care. The sisters are also
involved in parish ministry and hospital
chaplaincy.
On the feast of St. Andrew 2006 a new extension
providing an Education Centre, administration and
appeals offices, were blessed and officially opened.
Chester, Cheshire: 1958 -
1982
In 1958 the Sisters of Charity took possession of the
Convent in Chester which had been built and occupied by
the Little Sisters of the Assumption. Their primary
task was the visitation of people in their homes, both
in St. Werburgh’s parish and in the Lache area of
Chester where many disadvantaged families lived. Two
sisters were sent to teach in the local Primary School
and in the Secondary School. Later another sister
became Head of the Infant School. In 1966 a Secondary
Modern School was opened in Ellesmere Port and a Sister
of Charity was appointed Head of R.E. She was joined by
another sister in 1968. It was with great reluctance
and sadness that it was decided to close the convent in
1982 due to lack of personnel. However, one sister
continued to teach in the Primary School until 1995,
commuting from the convent in Rock Ferry.
Witney, Oxfordshire: 1959 -
1990
In 1956 the Parish Priest of Our Lady and St Hugh in
Witney went to Ireland to ask for Sisters help to teach
in the parish school and work among the people in the
area. The parish was in a new town with many young
families and no Catholic school. Five Sisters came,
three to teach and two to work in the parish. The
Sisters also collected children from outlying areas to
take them to school. Some of the Sisters taught
catechism to the children in the R.A.F Base in Brize
Norton and later a Sister worked full time at the Base
with the service men and their families. The sisters
left Witney in 1990 due to shortage of personnel.
Ollerton:
1960 - 1988
Following many requests and much negotiation the
Convent was finally opened in a mining community in
Nottingham. The sisters arrived to take up residence on
July 26th 1960. There were two Sisters in the
Community, these were supported and helped in every way
by the members of the Parish and the guidance of the
Parish Priest. The Sisters established a parish school
in the Convent on September 12th 1960 with 23 pupils.
Eventually a new school was built in the village at a
cost of £22,000 using specialist materials which
would counteract 'subsidence' the bane of miners lives!
The school opened on august 27th 1962 with 100 children
enrolled. There were many Apostolates undertaken by the
Sisters including: Home Visiting, Catechesis, U.C.M
Children's groups. The Sisters left Ollerton on
December 12th 1986. However two of the Sisters moved to
Nottingham to continue their work, Social Work and
Catechetics, another Sister joined the small group in
Nottingham. This small group was attached to the
Convent in Yorkshire. The Sisters left Nottingham on
September 26th 1988.
Macclesfield, Cheshire: 1961
-
Sutton Hall was the home of Miss May Lomas when she
offered it to the Diocese of Shrewsbury. It was an
historic house, a place where the Mass had been
celebrated and the Blessed Sacrament reserved during
hundreds of years. The chapel was disguised to resemble
a barn from the outside, a necessary safeguard until
the repeal of the Penal Laws came with Catholic
Emancipation in 1829. Wishing to continue the tradition
she asked Bishop Grazer to find a community of
religious for Sutton Hall.
On Saturday, 26th August 1961, a community of five took
up residence and at once the work began. Two sisters
served in St Alban's school, two began visiting homes
in the parishes of St Alban and St Edward the
Confessor, while the fifth facilitated all by the
essential service of home-making. And there we lived
for twelve years.
However, Sutton Hall was not very close to the town, so
in April 1973 Bishop Brewer spoke with to the community
about the possibility that the Diocese might wish to
reclaim the house. Eventually the decision was taken
and the sisters purchased a house in St Alban's parish
from which we continue to serve. Prison visiting began
in 1990 and together with parish work continues today.
Langley, Buckinghamshire: 1962
- 1988
On 27th April 1962 the Sisters of Charity arrived in
Langley, where a new housing estate had been built on
the outskirts of Slough. Sisters were involved in
pastoral ministry in the parish and were instrumental
in the opening of the parish schools. The sisters were
very much part of the life of the parish as it grew and
developed during the following years. They visited
homes, started the Union of Catholic Mothers, Children
of Mary, junior sodalities, and instructed converts. On
10th January 1988 after 26 years of the sisters’
presence in Langley the last 2 sisters living in the
house moved to new ministries.
Chiswick, London: 1984
-
It was decided to move the Sister's headquarters from
Hackney to Chiswick in 1984. This is a centre for
administering the affairs of the Order and the Sisters
in England and Scotland. It gives more space and has
easy access to transport. For many years a Sister
worked in pastoral care in the local male prison and
was involved in parish activities and bereavement
counselling.
Leeds: 1988 -
In 1988 a Sister of Charity was missioned to Leeds to
see how people struggling with homelessness and
addiction could best be served. She realised that even
more that housing they needed the experience of
belonging to a supportive, life-giving community. After
eight years she moved into a ground floor flat near the
city centre and for some years this became the focal
point for a loose-knit non-residential community.
In 2004/5 both the middle and top floor flats became
vacant. Leeds City Council offered the tenancies to the
Sisters of Charity so that the whole house would be
under their management. There are now two Sisters
living there. A partnership was formed between Catholic
Care, the Simon Community, Leeds Irish Health and Homes
and the Sisters of Charity to provide a welcoming space
on the ground floor for support groups to meet.
Shepherd's Bush, London: 1990
-
In 1989 it was felt there was a need for another house
in London and a house in Shepherd's Bush was eventually
purchased to meet this need. The house was officially
opened on the 15th October 1990. Three Sisters were
missioned to live and establish a community in the
parish of Our Lady of Fatima, White City, which
ministered to a large multi cultural population housed
in high rise flats. One sister was engaged in
Metamorphic Technique - Holistic Healing. Another, as
Vocation Co-ordinator and Retreat Director. The third
sister was engaged in Sixth Form College Education.
Over the years the house experienced many changes in
ministries such as: Co-ordinator in the Catholic
Children’s Society, Bible Study, Director of
Education in the Province/Ministry to Religious
Programme/On-Going Formation, Provincial Bursar,
Pastoral Ministry, Administration and Health Visitor in
Middlesex. Shepherd’s Bush was also a central
base for sisters studying in Heythrop College and
London University.
Canning Town London: 1990
-
On October 1st 1990 two Sisters moved into a terrace
house in Canning Town which is in the East End of
London. The house is in St Margaret's Parish which is
part of the Brentwood Diocese. The purpose of the
ministry was for the Sisters to be available to the
local community and this they did in a variety of ways:
working alongside statutory agencies, supporting young
mothers, parenting classes and after schools clubs,
befriending and supporting refugees and immigrants,
giving English classes in the house. Presently one
Sister works as a parish visitor, people from the
parish join the community to pray and reflect on the
Scriptures during Advent and Lent.
Chingford Estate, London: 1993
- 1998
On 19th February 1993 a Sister of Charity and a Sister
of Mercy took up residence in a rented flat. This was
the beginning of a collaborative mission between the
two Congregations - a collaborative enterprise that
involved both living in community together and
ministering on the estate. The vision was that the
Sisters home would be among the people and be part of
the life of the estate - part of the visible Christian
community at the service of the people. The Sisters
felt drawn to a simper open life-style. To help them
realise their vision they formulated four aims:
- To enable the people living on the estate to define for themselves their needs and how these could be met
- To open the lines of communication with various helping agencies
- To provide immediate practical help and intervention
- To contribute to the understanding of the experience of living on a high estate
Cumbernauld, Scotland: 1994 -
1998
On June 22nd 1994, two sisters moved into a house in a
housing estate in Cumbernauld, on the outskirts of
Glasgow. For almost 3 years prior to this one of the
sisters had already been working in St. Lucy’s
Parish as full-time Pastoral Assistant, commuting from
Airdrie on a daily basis.
The primary ministry in Cumbernauld was Pastoral Work
as well as working with various groups such as the
RCIA, Parenting Programmes, Assertiveness Programmes,
Small Faith-Sharing Groups, a Eucharistic Prayer Group
and a group of Associates.
From 1997, due to a change in personnel the main
function of the sisters was to be a presence in the
parish and to fill in wherever the need arose. A
process then began regarding the feasibility of the
house and after some prayer and discernment a decision
was taken to close the house on 7th March 1998.
Queensgate Villas, London:
1996 -
In June 1996 a second house opened in Hackney near
Victoria Park and just a mile from the Hospice
Community. This is a much smaller community than at the
Hospice. For a short time four Sisters lived in this
house, but usually it is a community of three Sisters.
The Sisters who live there or who have lived there have
been involved in a variety of ministries, including
voluntary work, care of older people, chaplaincy at the
Hospice and Vocations work.
Acton, London: 1998
-
Five sisters moved from the house in Hammersmith on
September 8th 1998 to a house in Acton more suitable
for the sisters and their ministries. In Acton they
continued many of the ministries started in Hammersmith
- working with children, hospital chaplaincy, volunteer
work at a day centre for homeless people, nursing,
prison chaplaincy, volunteer work in school,
housekeeping and working with women vulnerable to
prostitution.
Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire: 2006
-
The parish of the Good Shepherd, Mytholmroyd covers
some 98 sq. miles, mainly sheep grazing hillsides,
farms and moorland. The sisters association with the
parish began in 1968 when a sister, began working as
the parish sister, travelling each day from Sowerby
Bridge. When this sister was transferred to another
part of the Province in 1996 our association with this
part of Yorkshire ceased for 8 years. Then from
2004-2006 a sister commuted from Leeds each day to work
in the parish. However in 2006 a flat was rented in
Mytholmroyd and a sister began to live in the parish.
The work of the parish sister includes visiting the
sick and elderly and working with young people.