In
1840 Mother Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, was
asked to found a Convent in Birr, Co. Offaly. For eight years the town
had been bitterly divided by a schism due to a dispute between the
Bishop of Killaloe and a curate Fr. Michael Crotty. The Sisters presence
and work, it was hoped, would bring the people back to the Church.
In
1842 Marianne Beckett presented herself to the Birr Convent as a
candidate for the sisterhood. She had been born an Anglican in Enville
Hall, Staffordshire in 1814. By 1836, with her parents dead, she was
having difficulties with her religion and approached Fr. George Spencer.
He brought her to a house near Oscott College where he was Spiritual
Director. Under his guidance she was received into the Church and in
1840 joined the Mercy Sisters in Baggot St. Dublin.
Assailed
by doubts she left the convent and went to Cork and then to England and
for help to Fr. George. With his guidance she recovered her peace and
decided to enter the convent again and presented herself at Birr. She
was received into the Mercy Sisters on 16th August 1842
taking the name Sister Anastasia. Fr. George Spencer came over to Birr
to preach at the ceremony. They
kept up a regular correspondence. By 1848 Fr. George had entered the
Passionist Congregation and taken the name Ignatius.
In
1852 a Mission was planned for Birr with a view to a healing of the
people caught up in the schism. The Passionists, not yet arrived in
Ireland, were invited to give the mission. Fr. Vincent Grotti C.P., Fr.
Martin Payne C.P. and Fr. Ambrose Courtney C.P. formed the Mission team.
The Mission ran from 22nd August to the 12th
September and was considered a great success with 20,000 communicants
during the Mission.
Fr.
Vincent Grotti was very anxious to found the Congregation in Ireland but
up to this had had no success. On leaving Italy he had brought with him
a Mission Cross used by St. Paul of the Cross.
He was probably prompted to do this being aware of St. Paul’s
desire to work for the conversion of England. This Mission Cross was
brought to Birr by him for this great Mission of Healing. At the end of
the Mission he gave the Mission Cross to the Birr Convent. Maybe a
reason for doing this was to leave behind a reminder of the great work
of reconciliation done during the Mission. When the Birr Convent closed
in 1999 the Mission Cross was given to Mount Argus.
Mother
Anastasia was to live until her 91st year and die in 1905.
She had ruled the convent for 37 years, built the Pugin style Convent in
Birr, founded convents at Tulla and Borrisokane and had sisters in the
workhouses in Birr and Nenagh. The Passionist influence continued in the
Convent with different Passionists conducting retreats for the sisters
over the years.
