History

Franciscan Missionary Sisters of

Littlehampton

Sister Mary Patrick Brennan

Mother Patrick

Like Francis, our Congregation (founded in 1911 by Mary Patrick Brennan - pictured here) inherits his charisma and makes GOSPEL LIVING a simple reality, through community living in Sisterhood, sharing and working together for the spread of God's Kingdom in and through the Church. The Sisters bring a Franciscan dimension to the area in which they are placed and hope to our world.

Origin

We are a group of Sisters who were founded in Littlehampton West Sussex, but were part of the Third Order Tertiary Group linked to Hampstead and Rochdale. This Third Order Group wished to live a Regular Fransciscan life, therefore their Constitutions were approved by Cardinal Vaughan on 8 December 1895.

This new Religious Community was then able to accept new members. On 13 January 1896 fourteen Sisters were present – nine made temporary vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience and five made final vows. They were known as Missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis for Home Missions. Cardinal Vaughan announced then that the “Sisters duties would be to work for others, to care for orphans and destitute children, to visit houses of the sick and destitute, and generally to engage in any work which the clergy might find for them to do”. (FMSL Archives)
Canon Purcell, their guide at the time, died in 1900 and the Sisters found they were unable to meet the financial demands surrounding them so the mission was closed and the Sisters moved to other Congregations.

Holly Place, Hampstead

Our first Sisters headed by Mother Patrick Brennan Moved to No. 1 New Road (Littlehampton) on 24 November 1880. When the children and sister numbers grew they moved to 18 Clifton Road where nineteen children were cared for. From 1894 they lived at Acme House, Pier Road where thirty nine children were cared for. This place had the added garden space for a play area and a small holding where there were pigs, cows, chickens and fresh home-grown vegetables. The children attended the local Parish school and Sisters and children were involved in Parish activities and were helping the poor; the sick and the elderly in the neighbourhood.

In 1897 the Sisters were looking for larger premises and bought the former Jesuit Seminary 41 East Street and eight Sisters, forty three boys and nine girls moved there in August 1898. They worked to clear the debt and the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in the chapel from 23 February 1900. Father D W Morrissey became their first resident chaplain on 1 December 1927 and remained until his death in 1963. Mother Patrick died on 13 March 1924 and is buried in Littlehampton cemetery where the congregation have two plots. By 1919 the Sisters cared for one hundred and ten boys and fifty five girls. Extensions were added for accommodation and all debts were paid off by 1927.

World War I and World War II brought their own challenges and headaches. The children had to be moved for safety to Burgess Hill, Copthorne and Sunningdale, when a bomb fell near the building in 1942 and caused severe damage. The Sisters who remained turned to looking after the sick that needed twenty four hours care and so the Nursing concept came into being. After the war the children returned to St Joseph’s and St Francis was opened as a Nursing Home.

Because of the damage to the building and the legislation brought in by the Government the Sisters decided to end their history of care for children and rebuild St Joseph’s as a Nursing Home, with Convent and Novitiate in three phases. Phase one 1964 the present Nursing Home. Phase two (the main kitchen refectory accommodation for patients and Sisters was completed by 1970.) Phase three (the chapel Novitiate building and hall was completed in1971.)

St Joseph's Franciscan Convent today

Change of Title

The Congregation’s General Chapter in 1978 agreed to change their title to the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Littlehampton (FMSL) and to open a Mission in Lima, Peru, South America. In 1980 Sister Anne McLaughlin left her teaching post in Bradford for a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima. She was joined by the then Matron of St Joseph’s Nursing Home, Sister Ignatius Foley. In 1982 Bishop Noriego S.J. (Auxiliary Bishop of Lima) asked the congregation to accept work in Santa Rosa, Puente Piedra, 30 Kilometres north of Lima and so the two Sisters began work in Santa Rosa. They were later joined by Sister Barbara Black.

The Franciscan Missionary Sisters and the reverened clergy recall a grace day of joy and Divine favour: 24th November 1990 - centenary of the Littlehampton foundation

The Generalate was officially established in St Joseph’s. New legislation and requirements demanded more administration. The Sisters had gone further afield. They were in Peru and about to open a house in Knock as well as the Mission House in Hampstead and Bishops House Newcastle (both of these houses closed in 1992).

The nature of life is one of adaptation and as a congregation we must always assess and re-value what we are about. This is done through the tri-annual General Chapters when major decisions are made and are then implemented by the Mother General and Council appointed as trustees to oversee the administration until the next General Chapter……..….and so the story goes on.

	Sister Mary Patrick Brennan		Mother Patrick Like Francis, our Congregation (founded in 1911 by Mary Patrick Brennan - pictured here) inherits his charisma and makes GOSPEL LIVING a simple reality, through community living in Sisterhood, sharing and working together for the spread of God's Kingdom in and through the Church. The Sisters bring a Franciscan dimension to the area in which they are placed and hope to our world.

	Origin We are a group of Sisters who were founded in Littlehampton West Sussex, but were part of the Third Order Tertiary Group linked to Hampstead and Rochdale. This Third Order Group wished to live a Regular Fransciscan life, therefore their Constitutions were approved by Cardinal Vaughan on 8 December 1895. This new Religious Community was then able to accept new members. On 13 January 1896 fourteen Sisters were present – nine made temporary vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience and five made final vows. They were known as Missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis for Home Missions. Cardinal Vaughan announced then that the “Sisters duties would be to work for others, to care for orphans and destitute children, to visit houses of the sick and destitute, and generally to engage in any work which the clergy might find for them to do”. (FMSL Archives) Canon Purcell, their guide at the time, died in 1900 and the Sisters found they were unable to meet the financial demands surrounding them so the mission was closed and the Sisters moved to other Congregations.		Holly Place, Hampstead
	Canon Arthur Dillon Purcell		Foundation in Littlehampton In 1890 Sister Patrick (one of those five early Sisters) while still a tertiary had been asked by Cannon Neave, the then Parish Priest of St Catherine’s, Littlehampton, to begin a mission in this small seaside town, looking after children. The Sisters had £5.00 to start work and in 1895 the Littlehampton Community also became known as the Missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis for Home Missions and became a separate Religious Congregation in 1911 and were then known as the Franciscan Sisters for Home Missions. Mother Patrick lived to see “the work become a vital Franciscan presence of love and service to the poor sick, and those in want of the Gospel truths”. (History of FMSL 1992). A home for children was established.
	Our first Sisters headed by Mother Patrick Brennan Moved to No. 1 New Road (Littlehampton) on 24 November 1880. When the children and sister numbers grew they moved to 18 Clifton Road where nineteen children were cared for. From 1894 they lived at Acme House, Pier Road where thirty nine children were cared for. This place had the added garden space for a play area and a small holding where there were pigs, cows, chickens and fresh home-grown vegetables. The children attended the local Parish school and Sisters and children were involved in Parish activities and were helping the poor; the sick and the elderly in the neighbourhood.		St. Joseph's Franciscan Convent circa 1900


	St Joseph's Franciscan Convent today		Change of Title The Congregation’s General Chapter in 1978 agreed to change their title to the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Littlehampton (FMSL) and to open a Mission in Lima, Peru, South America. In 1980 Sister Anne McLaughlin left her teaching post in Bradford for a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima. She was joined by the then Matron of St Joseph’s Nursing Home, Sister Ignatius Foley. In 1982 Bishop Noriego S.J. (Auxiliary Bishop of Lima) asked the congregation to accept work in Santa Rosa, Puente Piedra, 30 Kilometres north of Lima and so the two Sisters began work in Santa Rosa. They were later joined by Sister Barbara Black.