A Calling to Mercy

Mary "Sister Catherine" SMYTH (1878-1960)

Mary Smyth was the eldest child and only daughter of James Smyth and Catherine Mulvaney. James had arrived in South Australia from County Westmeath, Ireland in 1864. Catherine, also Irish from County Cavan, arrived in South Australia in 1875. Catherine and James were married just two years later.

Mary, their first child, was enrolled at Alma South School, South Australia, on the last day in October 1887 at 9 and half years old and the register informs us that she had not attended a school prior to this date. She lived 3 miles from the school and at enrolment she joined the junior class. There is no attendance record for Mary there in 1888 or 1889 until she is re-enrolled at the end of 1889 with a note that she had come from a school at Plympton. From then onwards she remained at Alma South until the upper limit of the school's retention age in 1893.

1889 enrolment at Alma South

Mary would have grown up hearing stories about her now deceased uncle, John Smyth, who had been the Vicar General of the Catholic church in Adelaide. At age 15, now she had left school, the influence of those stories and her parent's fervent practice of Catholicism, steered Mary to consider a religious life.

Making a commitment

When Mary was 19 she was recruited with other young women to join the Mercy nuns in Western Australia. This newspaper article describes Mary's reception into the convent in West Perth at St Brigid's on 9 May 1897.

The favoured persons who were present at St. Brigid's at 4 o'clock on last Sunday afternoon had the happiness of witnessing the very pleasing and edifying ceremony of the giving or white veils to four postulants, who thereby became novices of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. ..................The young ladies who received the White Veil were — Miss Ryan (now Sister M. Joseph), daughter of. Mr. Patrick Ryan, of Sydney, and the King's Co., Ireland ; Miss Smyth (daughter of Mr. Jas. Smyth, of Alma Plains, South Australia), who took the name of Sister M. Catherine; Miss Keys — in religion Sister M. Magdalene — daughter of Mr. Michael Keys, of Ballarat, Victoria; and Miss Buckley — in religion Sister M. Paul of the Cross — daughter of the late Mr. Denis Buckley, of Murchison, W.A. [1]

The postulants were dressed as brides and at the end of the religious ceremony a bride's cake was cut. Due to limited space only the priests got to sit down while the others and friends gathered for refreshments in a "makeshift manner." At this stage there were 14 women living in a small residence while the new St Brigid's was nearing completion. The new building cost 4000 pounds of which 300 had been sourced. Those attending the ceremony were urged to contribute to the ongoing costs.

Mercy West Perth, founded as a branch house of the Mercy Order of nuns in 1888, became independent in 1896 and so the postulants were received there as well as in the original branch established in Victoria Square, Perth. This was one of the principles that the founder of the Mercy order, Catherine McAuley had espoused, each convent should be independent rather than answering to a central authority.

St Brigid’s Convent, West Perth

The convent was completed at the end of 1897 and this description of the work of the sisters and the building was published as it was completed.

St Brigid's West Perth, built 1897

St. Brigid's Convent. — The Sisters of Mercy at St. Brigid's, West Perth, have long been favorably known, for their excellent school, and the number of pupils during the last 12 months increased so rapidly that it became imperative to extend the buildings. This work has just been completed, and the Sisters have now a convent affording accommodation equal to their requirements. The convent is entered through a spacious hall, with reception-rooms opening off and containing the principal staircase. On the ground floor are refectories and kitchen offices, &c, novitiates' rooms, infirmary, two reception-rooms, fourteen cells, and three music rooms, and the upper floor comprises a community-room, twelve cells, and a large oratory. The oratory has a coved wooden ceiling, and is well ventilated with harmoniously-colored windows, and can be approached from the street without entering the convent. Ample verandahs and balconies are provided at the back and front. The front verandahs and balconies are arcaded, and with the projecting bays present a handsome facade in late Domestic Gothic. The work has been carried out by Mr. Alfred Lee, contractor, from the designs and under the supervision of Messrs. M. F. Cavanagh, A.R.I.B.A., and J. C. Cavanagh, architects, of Perth and Fremantle.[2]

And so it was in this building that Mary took her final vows on 11th August 1900.[3] 

Here she toiled for many years.

2021 view of the restored Convent https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Brigid%27s_Convent,_Perth,_January_2021_02.jpg

The obituary

This obituary published in 1960 provides a brief view into her work as a Mercy nun. Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Mercy order emphasised the need for working with the poor and providing education for women.

Sr. M. Catherine Dies, 64 years a nun

Death has taken yet another highly esteemed member of the community of the Sisters of Mercy at St. Brigid's, West Perth, in the person of Sr. M. Catherine Smyth, who died on May 8 at St. John of God Hospital, Subiaco, after a prolonged illness.

Of Irish parentage, born in Alma, South Australia, the late sister entered St Brigid's after leaving school, and spent almost sixty four years in the religious life; her diamond jubilee of profession would have been on August 11 of this year.

She was proverbial for her kindly charity and her never-failing thought for others- especially the sick. Utter unselfishness was the keynote of all her activity. She has gone to her master her hands laden with good works in the interest of others.

The late parish priest of Thebarton, South Australia, Father F. Smyth, was a brother of Sr. M. Catherine, and Canon Smyth of Adelaide her uncle. It was through the friendship of the latter with Mgr. Anselm Bourke V.G., formerly of Perth that Sister chose West Perth as the field of her religious zeal.

Sr. M. Patricia of St Mary's Convent, Leederville and Sr. M. Oliver of Sisters of St John of God are cousins, as is also Rev. E. Smyth of Willunga, South Australia and Sr M. Rose and M. Marcella Byrne of the Sisters of St Joseph, S.A.

Requiem Mass for the repose of her soul was celebrated at St Brigid's Church on May 10. His Lordship Bishop Rafferty presided, right Rev. Monsignor E. Sullivan was the celebrant of the Mass, with Rev. D Brunetti as Deacon, and Rev. F. Dillon as Subdeacon.

A good Sister of Mercy, it thus stood to reason, is always active, engaged in care for others. Catherine's saying was influential in forming attitudes: a Sister of Mercy looks for rest only in Heaven. [4]

Mary was my grandmother Elizabeth Smyth's 1st cousin, so for my generation a first cousin twice removed.

SOURCES

[1]1897 'VESTING OF FOUR NOVICES AT ST. BRIGID'S, NORTH PERTH.', The W.A. Record (Perth, WA : 1888 - 1922), 15 May, p. 9. ,https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211621709

[2]1897 'GENERAL NEWS.', The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 - 1901), 17 December, p. 9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66690836/6590376#

[3]1900 'DIOCESAN NEWS.', The W.A. Record (Perth, WA : 1888 - 1922), 18 August, p. 8. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212342690

[4]1992 Ann McLay: Women out of their Sphere: History of the Sisters of Mercy in Western Australia p. 42 https://institute.mercy.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Women-Out-of-Their-Sphere.compressed.pdf

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin