Our Living History
A journey from the shores of Scotland to the heart of Jamaica.
The seed of our foundation was sown in the soil of poverty. On November 5, 1857, four sisters—Mother Veronica, Sister Paula, Sister Philomena, and Sister DeSales—disembarked at Kingston from Glasgow, Scotland. They arrived with only 2/6 (two shillings and sixpence) in their possession, but a wealth of faith in their hearts.
Through the generosity of local benefactors like Hon. Richard O’Reilly and Mr. Henry Vendryes, they established their first convent on East Queen Street, opening the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in January 1858.
From “Morengo Park” to “Alvernia”
In an act of noble sacrifice, two sisters of the D’Aquin family joined the mission. Their father, Mr. Henry D’Aquin, gifted the 25-acre “Pen” known as Morengo Park as their dowry. The Sisters renamed it “Alvernia,” though it was affectionately known to locals as “Nuns’ Pen.”
By the 1870s, the mission faced a turning point. Mother Veronica had returned to France due to ill health, and the Scottish Motherhouse could no longer sustain the mission. An urgent appeal was made to Reverend Mother Teresa of Allegany, New York.
In January 1879, Sisters M. Dominica, M. Veronica, and M. Raphael set sail from New York harbor. With this voyage, the Allegany Franciscans made history as the first group of American Sisters to undertake a foundation on foreign soil.