Noddfa is 70

     

 

 

 

Noddfa’s celebration of 70 years of RSHM

in Tan-Y-Foel, Penmaenmawr.

 

 

 

 

We thought it would

be good to celebrate

our 70 years in

Tan y Foel/Noddfa,

to thank God for all

that has happened

here and to pray for

all who come here. 

 

 

 

 

Cheers to 70 years

of service in Noddfa

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to celebrate this anniversary at our usual parish Mass on a Thursday, when many of those who support us in our work are present. The actual anniversary was on the 8th December in 1937, when Sisters Rosalie, Hilary, Camillus, Marcella and Rose came to stay for a short time.  We were a bit late, having our celebration on 20th December.  

 

 

 

 

    

       SHM sisters and friends of Noddfa

 

             enjoy the celebrations

 

   We were delighted to welcome

   six sisters from our Liverpool and

   Preston communities, as well as

   our friends from Pen and around,

   some of whom remembered the

   sisters who were here about 60

   years ago.

 

 

 

After the Gospel, Pauline gave a short history of the house, which is below in an abbreviated form. We enjoyed our party afterwards and it was good that the RSHM who came were able to stay the night and so prolong the festive mood till the next day.

 

 

noddfa
noddfa  

Tan-Y-Foel was built in 1861 by the Gladstone family and the RSHM bought it in 1937.  On the 8th December 1937 Sisters Rosalie Mulrennan, Hilary O’Leary, Camillus Mulcahy, Marcella McGrath and Rose Coogan walked the short distance from Fernbrook Road where they stayed for holidays, to Tan-Y-Foel and settled in without any formal celebration. This group of sisters stayed until shortly before Christmas and then returned to Seafield.  Mr and Mrs Wilson and their daughter Joyce who lived in the coach house looked after the house as if it was their own.  The retired sisters from Seafield used to go down in April were joined by the younger ones during the summer months.

 

 

In 1939 with the advent of war the elderly sisters from Seafield moved permanently to North Wales.  Now with a settled community and despite their age the sisters began the work of Catechesis and visiting in the local community. 

 

The children came to the convent for their instruction and are remembered today by a couple of the parishioners in Penmaenmawr.  Sr Providence O’Donovan is a name that springs to mind, who although very deaf, continued to pass on the word of God.  Sr Sebastian O’Gorman, who arrived from Ireland as a comparatively young sister, played the organ in church.

 

 

  If anyone wants to add to this history, please get in touch with Noddfa.  (Jan 2008)

 

    

 

Visit the Noddfa website at  :  http://www.noddfa.org.uk