Though most people know of the enormous contribution to our people’s development made by the Sisters of Mercy, it is a reasonable bet that very few are aware of the local Sisters’ contribution in the far-off Southern State of Alabama, USA.
Yet the Sisters who travelled there in August 1961 were first and foremost nuns of our local Mercy Convent, and indeed the five pioneers who set off then may well be known to many of our older citizens from before that date!
Let’s just test your memory: Reverend Mother Angela Rafferty chose (with the express consent of Bishop Eugene O’Doherty) five sisters for this mission, Sr Bridget became Superior, Sr Loretto was named as School Principal, and they were accompanied by Sr M. Aloysius McConville, Sr Kathleen O’Connor (Finbarr) and Sr M Emmanuel McConville.
The story of their