March 2025 brought the 20th anniversary of the re-opening of St Mary’s convent. The re-opening happened after extensive renovations and re-imagining how the convent would function. Consultation with the Sisters in the late 1990s over the future of St Mary’s led to the building works beginning in 2002. St Mary’s would now be a Heritage, Retreat and Spirituality Centre, whilst remaining a lived-in Convent.
The reopening of the convent happened with great fanfare on Thursday 3rd March 2005, and many Sisters of Mercy and other guests travelled from convents across the country. Archbishop Vincent Nichols presided and preached at the special Mass in the convent chapel. After the Mass he blessed the statues which had been unveiled by Sister Mary Leonard who first entered St Mary’s in 1942 and had been there for the years of the renovations.
Since 2005, St Mary’s has welcomed countless people for spiritual time, retreats, heritage tours and assistance in many ways.
May this wonderful building continue to be blessed over the next 20 years to carry out Mercy work for the 21st century.
