Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in New Zealand - UC Research ...

20
( 1 ) 11 re is a specimen of a Maori pupil; 11
'One of our native girls has returned to her tribe.
She is eight·een, very modest, religious, and edifying in
her conduct. She is very talented. After learnin~ to read
and write her own language she was taught English, which
she speaks nicely, but with a lisp. She reads and writes
English well, went through with Arithmetic, and has a good
idea geography. At examinations she was often asked to
point out remarkable places on the rnap; her knowledge of
the equator, zones, etc., would surprise you.
iron, knit stoclcings, crotchet, n~alce
dresses.
She can wash,
and bake bread, cut out
She helped to malce a rochet for the bishop; can
scrub a house and put it in order.
is regarded with admiration· by all.
thirty of her· country girls (in the Bush).
go to her'. 1 '
As you may suppose, she
She has a school of
.
Some Europeans
As a result of Mother Cecilia's earnest entreaties
Carlow Convent opened a novitiate for Auckland and from
time to time sent out reinforcements. (2) In 1857 a band
of five Sisters about to embark at Chelsea, were visited
and encoUJX:lged by Cardinal Wiseman, who was deeply interested
in New Zealand.
(3) Of the next contingent which
arrived in 1860, one member, Mother Bernard, the daughter of
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1. Ibid Page 615.
2. uLeaves from the Annals. 11 Vol. 11. p. 603.
3. Seventy-fifth Anniversary. 11 (Dr. Cleary) p. ·24.