History

The century-long history of the Salesian Sisters in Great Britain has been one of courage, vision and readiness to undertake whatever was needed to turn that vision into reality. The changing world of society and, therefore, of young people has meant that the Sisters’ response to them has never been a static one but has demanded adaptation, flexibility in recognising and embracing new challenges in new environments and a willingness to try new methods and technologies while not abandoning the principles that have made them a force for good for many children and young people.

On their arrival in Battersea-London in 1902 in what was then a very deprived area of the capital, only one of the first group of Salesian Sisters could speak English. Unperturbed, they set to in their role supporting the educational work of the Salesians, supervising the domestic arrangements for the community and the pupils. Alongside this humdrum, tiring work, they found time to undertake some informal education by running an out-of-school club for the disadvantaged children of the area. This was the first of many such clubs that continue to be run by the Sisters up and down the country.

A year later, the Bishop of Southwark, Francis Bourne, who had known Don Bosco personally, invited the Sisters to Chertsey, another needy town, to open a school and establish a noviciate for the training of local candidates to the order. Chertsey was to become the hub of the congregation in Britain for the best past of ninety years. From there, other communities would be established in the south of England, mostly in places of particular need, be it material, spiritual or moral. – in Chertsey, Farnborough, Cowley-Oxford, Dovercourt, London-Soho, Windlesham, Henley-on-Thames, Hastings, and eventually two more in London - operating schools, homes for children at risk, a flourishing hostel for young women, many of immigrant families. Everywhere the Sisters also worked in the parishes, teaching catechism and supporting families and promoting associations of committed lay Catholics.

World War II brought to an end the work in Dovercourt and London-Soho where the premises of both houses were so badly damaged as to render them uninhabitable. As needs changed, moreover, some of the above communities closed, freeing personnel to serve elsewhere. In other cases lay persons were trained to take over the responsibilities formerly undertaken by the Sisters.

In 1959, the Salesian Sisters finally moved northwards, to Liverpool-Gillmoss where they ran the infant school and taught catechism and organised out-of-school activities for the older children and moved the pre-noviciate training programmes for young women wishing to enter the congregation. From the convent in Gillmoss, the Sisters could see the site of their second community in Liverpool, at Croxteth, where the Archbishop had invited them to open a secondary school for girls. Mary Help of Christians High School was opened in 1965.

Further communities were opened in the north-west each involved in the typical Salesian works for children and young people, voluntary aided infant and primary schools, secondary schools, youth clubs, parish catechetics, volunteering and summer activities for children: Colne in Lancashire, Bromley Cross, Nelson and ‘Brettargh Holt’ near Kendal in Cumbria which is home to a thriving pastoral centre for young people.

At last, to the joy of our Scottish sisters, a community was opened in Ferguslie Park in 19 , the first of several centres, the others being the Milton, Easterhouse, Newmains and Nitshill. Some of these have since been closed but the work in Scotland continues in Easterhouse and Newmains.

While the communities in England and Scotland have kept alive and developed the Salesian charism in their various activities for children and young people, they have also made every effort to answer the call of the Church to evangelize by providing personnel for the overseas missions. Right from the very early years of the Sisters’ presence in Britain, Sisters have been missioned to many English speaking countries.

It was not enough, though, to send Sisters to join missionary provinces abroad; the province undertook its own missionary presence in South Africa in 19...., first at Bellville near Cape Town and then in Paarl followed by Johannesburgh. The mission developed well and has since become an autonomous province.

The past one hundred years have witnessed a great flexibility among the Salesian Sisters in reaching out to young people; such an attitude holds hope and promise for the future.