Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mother Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons |
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|---|---|
| Religion | Christian |
| Order | Sisters of the Good Samaritan |
| Personal | |
| Born | c. 1817 Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 15 October 1901 (aged 85) Five Dock, New South Wales, Australia |
Mother Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons (born around 1817 – died 1901) was an amazing Irish-Australian nun. She was the founder and first leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, a special group of nuns. Her work helped many people in Australia.
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Early Life in Ireland and Australia
Geraldine Henrietta Gibbons was born in 1817 in Kinsale, Ireland. Her parents were Gerald and Mary Gibbons. She went to school in Cork. In 1834, when Geraldine was about 17, her family moved all the way to Australia.
Becoming a Nun
Geraldine and her older sister decided to become nuns. They joined a group called the Sisters of Charity in Parramatta, New South Wales. The leader of the church in Sydney, Archbishop Bede Polding, really wanted more nuns in Australia. He made it possible for the Gibbons sisters to join, even though their father could not pay the usual fee.
Geraldine became a nun on 17 July 1847, taking the name Mary Scholastica. She worked at a special place for women in Parramatta. This place helped women who needed support.
Leading the Sisters
In 1853, Archbishop Polding chose Sister Scholastica to be the new leader of the nuns. This was a surprise because she had only been a nun for five years. Some of the older nuns expected someone else to be chosen. This caused some disagreements within the group.
Because of these challenges, Archbishop Polding decided to start a new Australian group of nuns. On 2 February 1857, he asked Sister Scholastica to lead this new group. It combined her nuns with another group of women. They were later named the Community of the Good Samaritan, or the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
Sister Scholastica was the leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan until 1876. After that, she returned to the Sisters of Charity. She worked with people in need in Hobart until 1885. Later, she came back to the Good Samaritans in Sydney.
Later Years and Death
Mother Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons passed away on 15 October 1901. She was 85 years old. She was first buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. Later, in 1945, her remains were moved to Rosebank College in Sydney. Her legacy as a founder and leader of a new religious order in Australia continues to be important.
