The History of the Sisters of Mercy

Most Rev. Michael O’Connor, first Bishop of Pittsburgh, on his return from Rome after his consecration, went to Ireland hoping to secure help for his young diocese. His burning words of zeal drew to our shores five Sisters headed by the great Mother M. Zavier Ward, the foundress of the Mercy Order in America.

On March 28, 1869 six Sisters of Mercy arrived at New Orleans to begin work in Louisiana. They traveled down the Mississippi aboard the packet, Mollie Able.

Sister Mary Catherine Grant was the Superior of the group. She was assisted by Sister Mary Austin Carroll and four others. Within less than three years of this founding, two of these Sisters had died of yellow fever, one of tuberculosis and two went on to other foundations. Only Mother Mary Austin Carroll was left of the original group. She was the guiding spirit for the next two years as the works of mercy spread in Louisiana and neighboring areas.

The history of the Sisters of Mercy in the Mobile Diocese begins when Mother Mary Austin Carroll Superior of the New Orleans community, and a companion who traveled aboard the Amite and arrived in Pensacola on June 29, 1877, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

Mercy responds to need. And it was the crying needs of people in this land that first prompted a man named John, Bishop John Quinlan, in 1877 to lead the Sisters of Mercy to this diocese of Mobile to minister. It seemed to be his dream to colonize his diocese with Sisters of Mercy, for he applied for the Sisters to the New Orleans Convent time and time again for various places under his jurisdiction, among them Pensacola, Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, and St. Patrick’s, Mobile. Before his death in 1883, Bishop Quinlan had opened arrangements which after his death were completed by Reverend John Winkelreid, S.J., in early 1884. On August 30, 1884, Most Reverend Dominic Mauncy, the new Bishop of Mobile arrived in his See city accompanied by the Mercies from New Orleans assigned to Saint Joseph Parish there. These Sisters were: Sister Mary Clare Fitzpatrick, Winifred Carr, Margaret Mary Killelea, and Clement Anderson, who were aided by Mother Mary Austin Carroll, Sisters M. Philomena and Teresa Gourrier. Here too, as on the other missions the community promptly inaugurated the social works of Mercy visiting the sick in their homes, the destitute in the Poor House and the imprisoned in the jails besides instruction in schools and sacramental preparation given to adults in the convent.

By 1895, the motherhouse was moved to Convent of Mercy, Mobile and branch houses were in Pensacola, Warrington, Florida and Selma, Alabama. Foundations were made in Apalachicola, Birmingham, Bessemer, Huntsville and Ensley and the early years as the community grew and Mercy reached out to serve the needs of the poor, the sick, and the uneducated. Mother Mary Austin Carroll continued to guide these Sisters through the trials and vicissitudes of new foundations. Through the funds from her many publications the Sisters managed to purchase property for convents and meet travel expenses for the Sisters on these foundations. Usually music and fine arts were taught to private pupils. The monies from these special lessons were also used to help the Sisters reach out to the poor.

The Sisters of Mercy purchased the grounds of the Convent on St. Francis and Bayou Streets in July 1884. On September of the same year the Sisters took charge of St. Joseph’s School whose enrollment was then 180. Reverend Mother Mary Dominica McGowan, R.S.M., was known as Reverend Mother Superior of the Mobile, Convent of Mercy. She frequently called St. Joseph’s School, Convent of Mercy as the primary grades of St. Joseph School were taught in five frame buildings, one in which the Sisters lived. A wide open ditch was around St. Joseph’s School. In 1926 a new St. Joseph’s School was constructed. Nearly 300 children filled the attractive building, an up-to-date model school in every respect. A few pupils were privately tutored in the Convent and were know to have graduated as students of the Convent of Mercy after the new school was constructed.

On September 8, 1908 the Rt. Reverend Bishop P. Allen and other members of the clergy assembled at St. Joseph’s School for the ceremony of the blessing and laying of the cornerstone of the new building of Convent of Mercy at St. Francis and Bayou Street. Donned in their regalia they marched over to the new building which would become the Convent of Mercy. Leading the procession was Gilbert Lebaron carrying the cross and John Donnelly carrying the bishop’s crosier. Following him were alter boys John F. Yeend, Potter Yeend, Frederick McGuire, Willard Andrews, Nester Guiteras and Joseph Cazalas. Next came the Bishop and the priests who had come from local Catholic churches. Fathers Twellmeyer, Wageman and Stritch of Springhill College were also in attendance. The cornerstone placed in the new structure contained a number of coins, copies of local papers and full lists of clergy, names of Sisters of Mercy and other religious orders. Reverend Father Twellmeyer, S.J. President of Springhill College, was orator for the occasion.

In 1908 the beautiful Convent was completed and an academy opened with an enrollment of 10. In 1927, this nucleus had grown to such an extent that a building was a real need so the year following, the student body of 250, took possession of the handsome, modern-equipped school where every scholastic, athletic and aesthetic advantage was offered. The Convent of Mercy Academy was an accredited high school whose graduates were eligible for entrance into any college.

Although the high school was for girls only the lower grades were co-ed until 1949. Kindergarten and first grade were taught by Sister Mary Eucharia. In the afternoons she taught art, sewing, French, basketry and English. Intermediate grades and high school were taught by Sisters Mary Paul and Clotilde. Sister Mary Angela assisted in the afternoons. Also Sister Mary Paul was principal. The first freshman class in the high school had attended St. Joseph’s School and later graduated in the chapel of the Convent on May 27,1911. This was the last class to graduate in three years when requirements changed from Convent of Mercy Academy to Mercy High School. Around 1300 young ladies had the honor of graduating from the Convent of Mercy and Mercy High School.

In addition to teaching at Mercy High School the Sisters taught at St. Mary’s, St. Joan of Arc, Corpus Christi, St. Ignatius and St. Joseph’s. Blessed Martin de Porres and Villa Mercy Convalescent Home were owned and operated by nursing Sisters of Mercy. Mercy High School students merged with Toolen High students in 1968 when Mercy High closed. Mercy nuns joined the Toolen faculty and helped with the transition. Sister Mary Alda Balthrop R.S.M. provided leadership for the merged McGill-Toolen High School and served as its first principal.

In 1969, the Sisters moved en masse from Convent of Mercy on St. Francis Street to the new Convent of Mercy on Wimbledon Drive which is a home for retired Sisters and also for some Sisters who still actively render service to others in some form of ministry. The new convent was built by the community with generous help of benefactors on property given to the Sisters by Mrs. Louise Hirs.