Nuns formally transfer convent to school

 

There was something of an air of poignancy around a special ceremony at St Joseph’s in Rochfortbridge on Friday evening: the formal handover of the convent and its gardens to the school.
While it has been some years since the last remaining Sisters of Mercy moved out of a convent that was built to accommodate a community of up to 30, there was still a touch of sadness at the finality of Friday’s action.
On the other hand, what is welcome was the additional capacity the building affords to what is a thriving co-ed secondary school drawing in pupils from an area that even extends well into the neighbouring county of Offaly, Eileen Alford, principal of St Joseph’s Secondary School, told the gathering.

 

 

 

Among those present were members of the Mercy Order, as well as representatives from the teaching staff, the student body, Ceist, the bord of management and the local parish.
Prayers were recited, and an account of the sisters’ 150-year contribution was given by historian Danny Dunne, while Ms Alford, praised the sisters for their foresight and dedication.
Prior to the formal handover, the school had been given use of the property, and reconfiguration works have been carried out at ground floor level, to create a number of classrooms and a learning support room.
“We have also converted the sisters’ chapel into a prayer room for the pupils,” said Mrs Alford.
Because it is such a large building, the complete “integration” of the building to school use will take time, and funds will be required for further conversion works to the upper areas of the convent, as these portions were mainly the sisters’ living quarters.
The convent is a listed building, which is something that has to be borne in mind as the revamp progresses.
An area of the gardens surrounding the convent has been transformed into a seating area for the use of the pupils.