Cross and passion Sisters

Sisters of the Cross and Passion

PASSIONIST SISTERS

Fortunately the Williamfield estate came onto the market at this time. Canon Hogan could not buy it, nor could the diocese, but while he was in Auchinleck Canon Hogan had worked with the Sisters of the Cross and Passion who had schools in Waterside, Birnieknowe and Ayr. On 29 September, 1920, the feast of St. Michael, Canon Hogan went over to Birnieknowe and asked Mother Malachy, the Superior, to approach Reverend Mother General about the possibility of buying the Williamfield estate for the purpose of building and staffing two schools, a primary and a secondary. As a result, in October, 1920 the Congregation bought Williamfield. The convent opened officially on 5 April, 1921 and on the same day the Passionist Sisters began to teach in the primary school. Mother Malachy was the headmistress and Sister Alphonsus, Sister Mary Labre and Miss Mary T. Quinn, already on the staff since 1918 (and on it until her retiral in 1945), were her assistants.

The secondary school, St. Michael's, opened in the convent on 7 November, 1921. Its first Principal was Sister Mechtilde Joseph. She remained Head until 1950 and continued to live in Irvine until her death in 1960. Her assistants were Sister Peter Mary, here until 1952, and Sister Frances, who taught in school until 1957 and continued to work in the parish from then until her death in 1971. At the same time several other Sisters joined the community to work in the parish. Father Keane's dreams of a school on Kilwinning Road had been realised in a way that far surpassed his expectations. In August, 1923, the new St. Michael's building was ready on the Williamfield estate and five years later, 1928, a new primary school was also built there. Sister Malachy continued to be its Head but when she retired in 1933 St. Mary's primary school became the junior department of St. Michael's. Sister Alphonsus however had special responsibility for the primary department until her death in 1940. In the meantime Sister Eugenius had come to Irvine in 1933 and from 1940 she had special care for the primary department until 1951, when she moved into the secondary. She remained there until her death in 1971. The Cross and Passion community, for fifty years comprising 15 to 20 sisters, made a substantial contribution to upgrading Catholic education and entrance to the professions.

Promoting the Cause for the Beatification/Cannonisation of Mother Mary Prout, Foundress of the order.

You can join the movement to promote this cause by seeking favours in the name of Mary Prout using the prayer card below…