Sligo Mercy Foundations In California
This article was first published in Mercy Live in June 2004. The author of this article Josephine Breen stayed in the US engaging in ministries from education to formation and died on September 7th, 2019. Her ashes were brought back to Ireland on October 17th. Noreen O’Connor still resides and ministers in the US.
There was excitement in the air, a sense of adventure in every heart. Sligo Mercy had stretched its horizons and, responding to a call from Bishop Buddy of San Diego, had missioned nine Sisters to that faraway diocese.
On June 28th, 1956, we arrived at San Diego airport, having survived such experiences as the ‘leak in the plane’ which happened to be sprinkles of holy water from our fearless leader Mother Regis Glance, and also our swollen feet that refused to accept back our shoes!
Priests and parishioners from Holy Spirit Parish, San Diego and Blessed Sacrament Parish, 29 Palms welcomed us enthusiastically. American Sisters of Mercy from the local Mercy Hospital were also there to greet us. All nine of us spent that summer in San Diego, being entertained and taken on tour by hospitable parishioners. Sisters from different congregations were most helpful in orienting us to the operation of schools in the United States.
On August 22nd, all nine of us set out for 29 Palms. With sand to the door and all around and with temperatures well over 100F we, in our traditional serge habits, wondered how all this could fit together. Five of us remained in the desert community of 29 Palms while four returned to Holy Spirit Parish, San Diego. School opened in September and quickly ushered us into the American way of life.
Each summer and each Christmas we spent together in San Diego, taking courses at the University of San Diego and enjoying the beautiful climate. Thanksgiving and Easter were spent in 29 Palms when we explored the uniqueness of the Mojave Desert.
We had scarcely planted our roots when a request came for Sisters to staff a school, yet to be born, in the city of San Bernardino. Mother Regis buried a medal at the site, and in September 1958, the new school opened its doors with four Sisters of Mercy. From the beginning we loved the American children. Their sense of wonder, often at us, and their openness, curiosity and initiative captivated us. Parents showed great appreciation for the quality of our teaching and involved themselves in activities that helped in a variety of ways.
The 1960’s continued the expansion of the Sligo Mercy presence in the diocese of San Diego. In 1963, we again accepted an invitation to staff another school. St. Columba, San Diego opened its doors with three Sisters who commuted from Holy Spirit until their convent was ready. The new convent, with additional rooms and a swimming pool, offered many blessings to all of us summer after summer.
In 1965, Saint James School in Perris was opened. This was a very different scene. Perris is located south of San Bernardino and Riverside. It afforded a half way stop in travelling to our different foundations. Saint James Parish had a culturally diverse population and many of the parishioners were struggling financially. This mission provided a fertile field for the daughters of Catherine McAuley. Here, a strong school board assumed financial responsibility for the school, and in so doing, provided excellent facilities for the many catechetical ministries which were conducted both in English and Spanish.
Franciscan Sisters withdrew from Saint Anthony’s School in downtown San Bernardino in 1967. Sligo Mercy rose to the challenge and saved the situation with four Sisters moving into the area. In this African American and Mexican community, the school became, and still is, a beacon of light for the entire area.
In the spirit of the second Vatican Council, we discerned our need to form ourselves into a region of the home diocese. In 1970, a region was formed and Sr. Noreen O’Connor was our first Regional Superior.
In 1971, it was decided to withdraw from Blessed Sacrament School, 29 Palms because of declining enrolment and financial problems. Then we were in a position to commit ourselves to Saint Michael School, Poway, which had been staffed by Sisters of Saint Clare. In 1983, we withdrew from Saint Columba School and a decade later, 1994, Holy Spirit School closed its doors due to low enrolment and financial problems.
With the passage of time, some Sisters were called to assume responsibility for parish religious education, some to ministry at diocesan level and others to spiritual or social ministries. A few Sisters chose to return to Ireland while a few others left Religious Life. Three Sisters, Rose Shanagher, Croi Naofa Finerty and Anne Murray died, and are buried in Southern California.
Journeys ended, journeys begun! Today, the former Sligo Mercy is proud to be numbered among the many Mercy groups that comprise the Province of the Sisters of Mercy of Ireland in the United States.
Josephine Breen lives and works in San Diego, California, US
