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Sisters will leave a long legacy behind

20/ 2/2008

AN ORDER of nuns who have brought education to thousands of Stockport children over the last 132 years are set to leave the borough.

The Sisters of the holy Family arrived in Stockport in 1876 and began helping deprived children and families in the community, providing aid similar to that of an early social services.

The sisters taught Sunday School and gave evening classes to poor children who had to go out to work in the mills to support their families.

But after over 100 years ministry in Stockport and with only four nuns remaining, the sisters feel their work here is complete.

Sister Patricia, who lives at the Sisters of the Holy Family convent in Davenport, said: "People’s lifestyles are changing and there are less and less people who want to take on a life like ours.

"Our numbers have decreased over the years but even though we’re older we never retire.

"We must carry on working and go where we are needed. We find now that our work in Stockport is done and it’s time to move on."

When the Holy Family Sisters moved to the area they began teaching at St Joseph’s on St Petersgate. They later set up the Convent High School on Buxton Road, now part of Stockport Grammar School.

By 1936 there were 150 girls on the roll at the Convent High School and eight years later the school grew further and split into primary and grammar departments.

The sisters have actively taken part in fund raising events within the community and in 1969 raised over £80,000 for a swimming pool at the school on Buxton Road.

In 1977, the school closed to make way for Stockport Grammar. The sisters moved to a convent in Davenport where they continued their work within the community, helping the poor and visiting the sick.

There had been up to 24 Sisters of the Holy Family in Stockport at any one time, but today just four nuns continue to visit the sick and hold masses in the community.

The sisters must now sell the convent and take on new duties in other parts of the country later this year.

Sister Patricia, 77, who still goes out into the community visiting the sick said: "We have been in Stockport for such a long time, the people that we have helped are telling us that they will miss us and we are sad to leave too.

"The Sisters of the Holy Family have worked with deprived children and families since we came to Stockport. All the sisters were highly trained and had degrees so we taught everything from languages to maths to the sciences.

"Teaching girls was always important to us. Years ago they used to have to go and work in the mills in the afternoon but we wanted to make sure they still got a good standard of education so we taught on Sundays and in the evenings.

"The legacy we are leaving behind us is an important one." The Sisters of the Holy Family have Lay Associates who live with their families but still help in the community and attend masses with the sisters.

When the convent in Davenport is sold, Sister Patricia will move to Wrexham to care for elderly nuns. She said: "Our Lay Associates do excellent work within the community helping those in need while still living their own family lives.

"We wish them every success for the future and hope that they will increase in number.

"We would like to thank everyone in Stockport for their support and kindness over the years and we are very sorry to be leaving them."

Father Vincent Wheelan of Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Shaw Heath, will invite sisters past and present to a special farewell mass to celebrate their contribution to life in Stockport.

Father Vincent said: "We will be holding a Mass of thanks-giving for all the work that the sisters have done in Stockport over the years.

"The Mass will take place at the church on Saturday June 21 at 12pm. All the sisters who have worked in Stockport will be invited as well as any parishioners who remember the sisters and want to say thanks.

"They have done so much for the community and helped so many people, it will be sad to see them go."

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