Mary Vincent Conway facts for kids

Mary Vincent Conway was an important Sister of Charity and a dedicated educator. She was born around June 18, 1815, and passed away on May 27, 1892. Her original name was Honoria.

Early Life and Family

Honoria Conway was born in Dover Castle, England. Her father, Michael Conway, was a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Her mother was Eleanor McCarthy. The family did not have much money.

Later, her family moved to Ballinasloe, County Galway, in Ireland. Honoria and her two brothers and sisters went to a private Catholic school there.

Moving to Canada

Honoria's two uncles, James and Charles McCarthy, moved to Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1831, Honoria's older sister, Margaret, married Hugh Donnelly. He was a successful businessman.

In 1833, Hugh Donnelly moved to Saint John, Canada. He did well in business and brought his family over in 1837. Honoria and her mother, who was now a widow, joined them.

However, Hugh Donnelly's business later faced problems. In 1838, he retired and moved to Nova Scotia. Honoria and her mother lived with her uncle Charles McCarthy near Meteghan. Her mother passed away there in 1845. The Donnelly family then moved to Rhode Island in 1848. During these years, Honoria likely helped Catholic groups who were assisting many Irish people arriving in the area.

Becoming a Sister of Charity

In 1854, Honoria decided to become a Sister of Charity in New York. She took her vows and chose the name Mary Vincent. She was one of four Sisters who volunteered to go to Saint John, Canada. Bishop Thomas Louis Connolly asked them to come.

Sister Mary Vincent was chosen to be the "mother general" of the new group of Sisters in Saint John. This meant she was in charge of the community.

Building Schools and Helping Others

Sister Mary Vincent had a big job. She needed to help the new religious community grow. She also had to run an orphanage and start schools. The orphanage was already there, but the Sisters took over running it.

Starting New Schools

The Sisters opened their first free school in Saint John in 1854. This school was for the daughters of poor Irish immigrant families. They also opened another school in 1858 called St. Vincent's Select School for Girls. This school charged fees. The idea was that the money from the fee-paying school would help pay for the free school.

By 1859, there were 27 Sisters. They were running five schools in total:

• Two schools in Saint John
• One school in nearby Portland
• One school in Fredericton
• One school in the Acadian area of Saint-Basile-de-Madawaska. This school was successful even though it taught in English.

Sister Mary Vincent Conway played a key role in setting up these important schools and helping many children in Canada.