175 years of Sisters of Mercy in New Zealand celebrated

Some 3000 students from Carmel College, McAuley High School and St Mary’s College gathered for a combined schools Mass at the Victory Centre in Auckland earlier this month. Carmel College principal Sarah Kemble welcomed students, staff and Sisters of Mercy to the Mass, saying that “Mercy is a story of hope”.

“From the hope Catherine McAuley held in her heart when she opened the first house of Mercy in Dublin, to the hope of the Māori women who asked Bishop Pompallier to bring holy women to serve in Aotearoa, to Bishop Pompallier, visiting the convent in Carlow, Ireland, where a group of Sisters of Mercy said ‘yes’ to the call to come to Auckland.

“And, finally, to the hope Cecilia Maher must have held in her heart when the sisters arrived in Auckland, not too far from where we are today. . . . Hope is saying ‘yes’. ‘Yes’ to making a difference and trusting in God to accomplish great things,” Ms Kemble said.

“To all our students, you are the hope of today,” Ms Kemble added. “Hope is being realised in you as you embrace the circle of Mercy and walk the path marked out by Jesus to become the women who bring mercy to our world.

“At our eucharistic celebration today, we give thanks for 175 years of invitations extended to each of us from those who have gone before to be part of the circle of Mercy and to be the face of hope now and into the future.”

In the homily, Msgr Bernard Kiely recalled the words of the late historian Fr Ernest Simmons, who wrote that the Church in Auckland was only established because of the Sisters of Mercy.

Msgr Kiely noted the courage and faith of the sisters who left Ireland to work in New Zealand. He said many of these sisters were not much older than the students in the Victory Centre congregation.

Msgr Kiely encouraged the students at the Mass to live so that they would be known for their mercy and to continue to dream and have compassion as those first sisters did.

Other community celebrations took place at St Mary’s College over Labour Weekend, including a high tea, a cocktail evening, a past pupils association jubilee dinner, a jubilee Mass and a family fun afternoon.

FULL STORY

175 Years of Mercy Education Combined Schools Mass (St Mary’s College/YouTube)

175 years of Mercy in Aotearoa (Carmel College)

175-Celebrations (St Mary’s College)