Early History
In 1831, four Franciscan Tertiaries, women who had been spending their days in Ireland, rented a small cottage and began an experiment in community living. Before long, the original four—Mary Frances Clarke, Margaret Mann, Rose O’Toole, and Eliza Kelly—were joined by another, Catherine Byrne. Together, these five opened a school, Miss Clarke’s Seminary, for young girls on North Anne Street in Dublin. In 1833, they met Patrick Costello, a Catholic priest from Philadelphia, who was convalescing in Dublin. From him the five learned about the plight of the Irish Catholic immigrants in America. After prayerful consideration and Fr. Costello's agreement to make arrangements for their arrival in the United States, the fellowship of women, except for Rose O'Toole (who remained in Dublin long enough to settle a family estate) decided to leave their homeland to teach in Philadelphia. They arrived in New York in September, 1833.
During their time at sea, the women had entrusted their money to Eliza Kelly. As she was climbing down a rope ladder to depart the ship, the money purse accidentally fell into the harbor. In addition to this setback, the women soon discovered that Fr. Costello had done nothing to prepare for their arrival, and that he himself was nowhere to be found. When they finally arrived in Philadelphia, they were taken in by Margaret McDonough, who found lodging, and directed them to a young priest, Fr. Terence James Donaghoe, who had just been named pastor of the yet-to-be-built parish of St. Michael’s. After meeting the women, Fr. Donaghoe invited them to teach in his parish school, as soon as it was completed. In the interim, the women decided to open a school of their own, which they named Sacred Heart.
On November 1, 1833, the group, while still in Ireland, made an act of consecration as the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin. In this act, the band of women took one more step in becoming a formal community of women religious sisters within the Roman Catholic tradition. Fr. Donaghoe became father director, while Mary Frances Clarke was named mother superior. For the next ten years, the sisters continued to teach as well as gain new members.
Read more about this topic: Sisters Of Charity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary
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