Celebrating 90 Years At St James' - Biography Of Our School - Part Two
“The origins of St. James’ can be traced back to 1896 and the South African Congregation of Sisters who originated in the city of Newcastle , Natal, now known as KwaZulu-Natal Province. But again later, more of those origins …...”
Allow me to take up thread from my previous article and recount , albeit briefly and much redacted, he origins of the Religious Order that founded St. James’ in 1934. The origins begin with a young South African woman named Agnes Niland. Agnes was born on Saturday 21st. July 1860 and was the seventh of eight children born to Thomas and Mary Niland.
The two formative ,main , influences in Agnes’ upbringing were her close, staunchly catholic family and the Irish Dominican Sisters who educated Agnes up to the age of eighteen years . The maxim ,“ Give me the child and I will give you the wo(man),” comes to mind. Agnes’ long association with the Dominican Sisters nourished in her the desire to become a Dominican Sister herself, and this cherished desire was realised on Wednesday 25th. January 1882 when Agnes dedicated her life to God at the Final Profession of her Religious Vows. Agnes’ new name, as a Religious, was Sister Mary Rose O.P and Sister Rose , as she would be known ,was but twenty-one years of age.
The picture, the description , that we have of Sister Rose Niland comes from her encounter with others and from her own activities and achievements . In appearance she was small of stature , swift in movement and light on her feet. She spoke clearly with a soft South African accent. Sister Rose, we are told, was a woman of exceptional ability . Not only was she very able and a very good teacher but also an exceptional organiser and administrator. Her qualities of leadership were recognised and acknowledged from very early on in her life as a Dominican Sister. Her character was suffused with the steel of her pioneer ancestors who despite much suffering manifested their courage , endurance, fortitude, strength in adversity to overcome great, great odds. One description referred to Sister Rose as an Atlas, the titan of Greek mythology.
Omitting an enormous amount of the detail, The Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, was founded by Sister Rose in 1896 in the city of Newcastle in South Africa.
Order of Preachers (O.P.). The followers of St. Dominic are known as the Order of Preachers – hence the reason why a Dominican Sister, Brother or Priest has the letters or post nominals (to use a grander term) O.P. after their name . However, more familiarly , the followers of St. Dominic are known as Dominicans . The familiar colours of the Dominican habit - black and white – are reflected in the uniform of St James’, as is the logo – a black and white cross – and the Dominican Latin motto “Veritas” (Truth).
Sister Rose or Mother Rose, as she later became known , was elected as the Superior General and remained as such until January 1947 when Mother Bruno O’Grady was elected as Superior General in her place. Mother Rose celebrated the Diamond Jubilee (sixty years) of her profession as a Religious on the 25th. January 1942, when she was eighty-two years of age. Mother Rose died at Rosary priory , Bushey, on Saturday(the same day on which she was born) March 8th. 1947 and is buried in a specially designed chapel within the Priory.
“Saturday’s child works hard for a living”.
To be continued...
Kevin McSharry
Headteacher Emeritus
