Brigidine Sisters
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The Brigidine Sisters (also known as the Brigidine Order, or simply the Brigidines) are a global
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...
, founded by
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
Daniel Delany Daniel Delany DD (February 1747, in Paddock, Mountrath, Laois, Ireland – 9 July 1814, in Tullow, County Carlow) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Educated at the Irish College in Paris, he taught at thEnglish Boys Coll ...
in
Tullow Tullow (; ), formerly Tullowphelim (), is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 5,138. Tullowphelim is the name of both a townland and civ ...
, Ireland on 1 February 1807. The sisters' apostolate is education.


Background

In 1783, Daniel Delany, coadjutor to James Keeffe, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, established at Tullow, the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. Two years later, he founded the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) is an association established in Rome in 1562 for the purpose of providing religious education. In modern usage, it refers to the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., which owns the copyright on t ...
. In 1788, Delany succeeded Keeffe as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Keenly aware of the lamentable state to which religion had been reduced by the Penal Laws, he sought to remedy the situation by applying himself to secure the proper observance of the Lord's Day, and the religious instruction of the children and adult women of his parish and diocese. To inaugurate his work there he formed catechism and reading classes to be held in the church on Sundays, and drew his catechists from the two confraternities. Delany traveled to Cork to invite the
Presentation Sisters The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The sisters of the congregation use th ...
to his diocese, but they had no sisters to spare.Minehan csb, Rita. "From the Acorn to the Oak"
/ref>


History

The Institute of the Brigidines was established by Daniel Delaney, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, at Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland, in 1807. An earlier congregation linked to
Saint Brigid Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland (; Classical Irish: ''Brighid''; ; ) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish ...
had been founded in the fifth century AD, and had lasted until the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
; Bishop Delany considered the establishment of this new congregation to be merely a refounding of the original one. In order to demonstrate this continuity, he brought an oak sapling with him from
Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...
and planted it in the grounds of the new convent in
Tullow Tullow (; ), formerly Tullowphelim (), is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 5,138. Tullowphelim is the name of both a townland and civ ...
,
County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...
. The sisters were: Eleanor Tallon, Margaret Kinsella, Eleanor Dawson, Judith Whelan, Bridget Brien and Catherine Doyle. Bishop Delany allowed them to make vows, and thus laid the foundation of the Brigidine Institute, one of the first of the kind founded in Ireland since the Reformation.Fennelly, Mother de Chantal. "Institute of the Brigidines." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 16 (Index). New York: The Encyclopedia Press, 1914. 20 January 2019
Delany gave them a rule based on that of
St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
. The sisters immediately opened schools for the poorer and higher classes of children in the neighbourhood. This work proving successful, a building was erected for the accommodation of boarders who presented themselves, but who had until then to lodge in the town. Soon many came to avail themselves of the advantages of religious and secular education afforded by the Brigidine Sisters. In April 1809, he sent three of the sisters from the mother house at Tullow to
Mountrath Mountrath () is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. The town lies on the R445 midway between Dublin and Limerick, exactly 96.5 km (60 mi) from both cities. The town was bypassed by the M7 motorway in 2010, leading to a significant ...
in
County Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...
, where they founded a convent. The sisters were employed in education. The Brigidine Convent school closed in June 2009. In September 2009 it amalgamated with nearby Patrician College Ballyfin to form Mountrath Community School. In 1824, the sisters began a button factory in Tullow to raise the funds for a new school building. In 1842, another house was established in
Abbeyleix Abbeyleix (; ) is a town in County Laois, Ireland, located around south of the county town of Portlaoise. Abbelyleix is in a civil parish of the same name. Abbeyleix was formerly located on the N8, the main road from Dublin to Cork. At one p ...
, also in County Laois. Then, in 1858 a layman in
Goresbridge Goresbridge () is a small village located in the east of County Kilkenny, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. Goresbridge is named after a 1756 bridge, built by Colonel Ralph Gore, which provides a crossing of the River Barrow between County ...
,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
offered to help finance a foundation in his parish. The
Paulstown Paulstown () (also known as Poulstown or Polestown) is a small village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. Paulstown is located at the (northern) junction of the N9 and N10 National primary roads. It is 21 km south of Carlow and 19 km ...
foundation soon followed. The Sisters came to the village of Ballyroan in 1877. Three sisters from the Abbeyleix Community took up residence in their newly built convent on 25 September of that year. The convent and school closed in 1974. In 1883, in answer to a request from a
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, six sisters from Mountrath went to Australia. They founded their first establishment in
Coonamble, New South Wales Coonamble is a town on the central-western plains of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Castlereagh Highway north-west of Gilgandra. At the 2016 Australian census, 2016 census, Coonamble had a population of 2,750. It is the regional hub ...
. From there branches quickly spread to the dioceses of
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Bathurst, Canberra-Goulburn,
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
as well as to the Archdiocese of Wellington,
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, in 1898. The institute, although several times approved by the Holy See, continued a diocesan congregation until 1892, when
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...
, on being solicited to place all the houses of the institute under a mother-general, issued a Decree approving of change in government for five years by way of experiment, and in 1907
Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...
confirmed, in perpetuity, the constitution of the new regime. In 1923 it was opened the first house of the New Brigidine Order in
Djursholm Djursholm () is one of four suburban districts in, and the seat of Danderyd Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. Djursholm is included in the multi-municipal Stockholm urban area. Djursholm is divided into a number of different areas: Djursho ...
, near Stockholm. The Sisters returned to the British Isles and founded the first two convents in the UK: St Brigid's School (1939) in
Denbigh Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and Brigidine Convent (1948) in
Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The archive of the Brigidine Sisters is stored in the Delany Archive in Carlow College.


Mission and ethos

The Brigidine motto is ''Fortiter et Suaviter'', which is
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "Strength and Kindliness". Its mission is the education and evangelisation of youth.


Schools


Australia

;New South Wales * Brigidine College, Randwick *
Brigidine College, St Ives Brigidine College is an independent Catholic secondary day school for girls located in St Ives, on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1954 by the Brigidine Sisters, Brigidine has a non-selective enrolment ...
;Queensland *
Brigidine College, Indooroopilly Brigidine College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the suburb of Indooroopilly less than from the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1929 by the Congregation of the Siste ...
;South Australia * Kildare College ;Victoria * Clonard College *
Kilbreda College Kilbreda College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1904 by the Brigidine Sisters and is governed by Kildare Ministries. Origin ...
* Kildare College, Malvern (closed) *
Killester College Killester College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the Melbourne suburb of Springvale, Victoria, Australia. Killester was founded by the Brigidine Sisters. Today, Killester College works under the go ...
* Kilmaire Ladies' College, Riversdale Road, Hawthorn (closed) * Marian College, Ararat * Marian College, Sunshine West * St Augustine's College, Kyabram *
St Joseph's College, Echuca St Joseph's College is an independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day school, located in Echuca, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1886, St. Joseph's works under the governance of the Brigidine Sisters. Notable former students * ...
;Western Australia * Brigidine College, Floreat (absorbed by Newman College)


New Zealand

*St Bride's College for Girls (merged to become
Chanel College, Masterton Chanel College, Masterton is a Catholic secondary school situated in Masterton, New Zealand. The school is named after St Peter Chanel, who was a French Marist priest killed on the Pacific island of Futuna in 1841. The school was establishe ...
)


United Kingdom

*
Brigidine School Queensmead School Windsor was a Catholic non-selective Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for boys and girls aged 5 to 16 in Windsor, Berkshire, England, located at the edge of Windsor Great Park. Despite its religious aff ...
(closed 31 January 2019) *St Brigid's School


See also

* List of Brigidine schools *
Catholic religious order In the Catholic Church, a religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows. They are classed as a type of Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute. Subcategories of religious orders are: * can ...
*
List of Catholic religious institutes The following is a list of current Catholic religious institutes. Most are Latin Catholic; however, Eastern Catholic institutes are also included. The list given here includes not only examples of pontifical right institutes but also some that ...


References


External links


The Brigidine Sisters: Our beginnings - Australian Website

Delaney Archive - Brigidine Sisters Archive

Solas Bhríde
* {{Authority control Catholic teaching orders Catholic female orders and societies Religious organizations established in 1807 Catholic religious institutes established in the 19th century 1807 establishments in Ireland