A Story of 150 Years
Sesquicentenary of St Mary’s School, Warwick
This year at St Mary’s School, Warwick we celebrate a special part of our story – one hundred and fifty years of our story!
One hundred and fifty years ago there was a small school that was starting to grow with a teacher, Miss O’Mara, under the guidance of a priest, Fr O’Reilly in the St Mary’s First Church. She was assisted by Miss O’Brien, later Mrs Coman, and Miss Minnie McEvoy, later Mrs Oxenham. This small school was attended by both boys and girls and met the needs of Warwick’s Catholic children. Over the past seven years it had grown so much that a new direction was needed and on the 29th October 1874 the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Warwick.
Sister Mary Magdalen Rooney, first superior, along with Sister M Regis Quirke and Sister M Colman D’Alton, nurtured the humble beginnings of St Mary’s School. The story grew over one hundred and fifty years, and special people are remembered.
It is the dedicated sisters like Mother Mary Kevin O’Brien who served the people of Warwick for forty-four years. There was a brief time she was sent to All Hallows but the Warwick people petitioned to have her return.
It is the 202 Sisters of Mercy listed as having served at St Mary’s School. They taught the three Rs – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic but also what made it distinct was the fourth R – Religion and the life lessons about the love of God.
It is the carriage driver, Rody, and his horse patience, who brought the sisters from the convent down to school each day and the little boys and girls who remember running out to bring in the Sisters’ port.
It is the Christian Brothers who came to share the load and teach the boys. Father Michael Potter (later Monsignor Potter) built the current school office for the Brothers’ residence and the current Years One and Two classrooms for the boys to learn in.
It is the parish priest, Fr Hal Ranger, who started a ‘Bobbies and Bushies’ football game to enliven a much loved festival to provide much needed funds to continue the school.
It is the mum, Mrs Rosie Corney, whose own mother, Santina LoGuidice, worked at St Mary’s for sixteen years, who sent her two sons to her school. Who still has her Year One port with many special memories of her school days inside.
It is the four and five generation families who have entrusted their families with the school to educate them and care for them. Names you may know – Bradfield, Byrne, Collins, Connolly, Cross, Dwan, Ekerick, King, Nolan, Murphy, O’Brien.
It is the Sisters of Mercy still invested today. Sister Veronica Ekerick, a past student and Sister Brigid Frawley, a past Year One teacher (1975-1977) throughout the year mentoring staff and teaching students of the work of the Sisters of Mercy.
It is the little boy, Matthew Hagley, who still remembers the love of his Grade One teacher, Sister Veronica Ekerick.
It is the school visits to the Abbey Boutique Hotel, which was built by for the Sisters of Mercy to live and teach in.
It is the three current Year One students inspired to aspire to become a Sister of Mercy and dream of going to Africa to help the poor.
It is the staff that has reflected on the significance of this milestone and we pray that we can continue the journey and dedicate ourselves so that we can be known as the Sisters were described in 1890, in the Warwick Examiner and Times, “the several members of the staff are diligent, painstaking, faithful, and efficient teachers, abundant evidence of which is found in the high results obtained by the different classes.”
It is the school community gathered in prayer to give thanks with Bishop Ken for the dedication of the Sisters of Mercy to love and grow our school.
It is the little boy, Jamie Collins, fifty years ago who celebrated one hundred years of the Sisters of Mercy to grow up and become a priest like so many others from Warwick who were inspired by the priests, sisters and brothers. Father Jamie joined us to once again cut the cake at a special St Mary’s celebration.
It is the many volunteers and sponsors who came together to recreate the magic of the St Mary’s Festival.
It is the people gathered to celebrate our great school.
It is the friends that still keep in touch after going to school together at St Mary’s.
It is the one hundred and fifty buddies of current students still inspired by the Charism of the Sisters of Mercy.
It is the new student who begins school today and has much to learn about the St Mary’s Way. As we nurture him to ‘Seek the Truth’ and always RISE UP.
It is the hope that the strength of the last one hundred and fifty years has built the foundation for the next one hundred and fifty years.
