It’s early August, and, while horses may be celebrating birthdays here and there, here at Kilbreda we have reason to celebrate too. As it was on the 7^th of August 1904 that Archbishop Carr came by steam train to open and bless the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Mentone. The annalist wrote that “His Grace’s words on that occasion were an abiding source of inspiration to the sisters whose difficulties lay ahead.” The Archbishop said a great deal that day, but I believe the words which inspired the sisters so, were from St Matthew’s Gospel: “Going, therefore, teach all nations…and behold I am with you all days.” It is worth noting that the annals from Mentone’s early days were written retrospectively, and, while a contemporary writer may have foreseen hurdles in their way, the difficulties to which Mother Vincent referred were much later.

Among many groups welcoming the sisters that day, and probably staying on for the cup of tea in the ‘commodious dining room’ later, were various members of my family. The HACBS (Hibernians) “mustered a strong force” Mr JH Sheedy, its esteemed President, James Hallinan (treasurer) who gave his cousin, my great-grandmother, away at her wedding and Frank Kelly (guardian) her brother-in-law. “The good sisters of St.Brigid looked to the parents to send their children to the convent school. The only crown and reward they looked for was the future holy lives of the children committed to their care.”

So it was on the following day, two schools opened their doors to those students: St Patrick’s Mentone to 25 pupils and St Brigid’s High School Mentone to three. One of those, Marian Nunan is the distant relative of staff member David McKail and the other two, my own second cousins, Vera Ryan and Eileen Dempsey. Vera played the organ at St Brigid’s in Mordialloc until her untimely death aged 27 in 1918. Eileen, on the other hand, lived a full life of 96 years, dying two years after I came here. I spoke to her a number of times, but sadly, not often about Kilbreda. She lived opposite St Brigid’s Mordialloc, was full of beans and loved to exclaim, “Fancy!” when told some item of news. In the days that followed, the aforementioned JH Sheedy’s daughter, Theresa (our first Brigidine, Mother Genevieve) started, as did one of Kilbreda’s more famous daughters, Annette Kellerman, who is one of a handful of people credited with inventing synchronised swimming. On our recent trip to Alice Springs, we noted a large display on Annette at the Pioneer Women’s Museum, Annette being the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel.

The annals also record, 77 years later, that the sisters woke up in the Convent on August 8, but moved to 10 Mitchell Street, Mentone, later that day. “1981 was again a momentous year for the Sisters of the Brigidine Convent, 118 Mentone Parade. During the year the Community was divided and new convents were built at 10 Mitchell Street Mentone and at 510 Main Street, Mordialloc.”

Damian Smith
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