Founded as a nursing order, Saint Margarets Convent began in 1855. Reverend John Mason Neale wanted to care for the poor and ill in Sussex England. They also taught and evangelized. This work drew many to support the Sisterhood.
Let’s step back to 1873. The Sisters of St. Margaret arrived in Boston. They acted as superintendents at Children’s Hospital. The Sisters established a School of Embroidery. They ran an Altar Bread Department. Also the Sisters started a Parochial School linked to the Church of the Advent. From the start the Sisters visited the sick and poor. They served the hungry from the Church of the Advent’s soup kitchen.
Saint Margarets Convent expanded its reach. In 1881, they began long-term work in Montreal during a smallpox epidemic. Over time, they established works in Washington DC. The Sisters also worked in Philadelphia PA, and Newark NJ. They also served in Bracebridge Ontario, Lexington KY, and Port-au-Prince Haiti.
In 1883, Saint Margarets Convent moved to Louisburg Square on Beacon Hill in Boston. The location served many purposes. It was a convent. It became a small private hospital. The space offered retreats and spiritual guidance. Daily Office and Eucharist services were in their chapel.
Now consider St. Monica’s Home. It was a nursing home for Black women and children. Saint Margarets Convent ran it on Joy Street. Later it moved to Roxbury. It operated until 1988. The Sisters were asked to work in Haiti. Two Sisters visited Haiti in March 1926. In 1927, Mother Susanna promised they would come the next autumn. Sisters moved into their new convent on December 1 1928.
Work grew quickly at Saint Margarets Convent. In 1928, the Sisters took charge of L’Ecole de la Cathedrale de la Sainte Trinite or Holy Trinity School. There were many in Haiti with physical disabilities. Nothing was being done for them. In 1944, Sister Joan opened La Crèche. It was a day nursery for blind deaf and crippled children under five. Soon there were twenty children. La Crèche moved to larger quarters. It took in older children. The work became St. Vincent’s School for the Handicapped. The sisters also started a music program. In 1958, the orchestra gave its first concert. The Holy Trinity Orchestra toured the United States in 1973.
The United Thank Offering gave a grant. This helped to build a home for elderly women in Port-au-Prince. Six life-long church members could stay as long as needed. It was close to Notre Dame parish church. It was known as the Foyer Notre Dame. The building was dedicated on April 29 1962.
When St. Monica’s Home closed in 1988, the community made a change. They moved the Mother House from Beacon Hill to Roxbury. The former St. Monica’s was adapted for its new use. It became the Sister’s center of operations. A new modern chapel was built. The community moved in 1992.
The 2010 earthquake in Haiti destroyed the Convent. It badly damaged the Foyer Notre Dame. This made the Sisters reevaluate their mission. They wanted enough resources to respond to needs in Haiti. The Sisters sold the Roxbury Convent to Emmanuel College in August 2012. The property was too large. Resources could be used elsewhere. They relocated the center of operations to Duxbury. The Society of St. Margaret purchased the property in 1903. A new smaller green Convent was built in Duxbury. It houses the Sisters and welcomes guests.
Duxbury became the Mother House. Several Sisters still live in Boston. They maintain urban ministries with St. Stephens Church. They also work with the Be Safe program. There are mission houses in New York City Manhattan and Port-au-Prince Haiti. The legacy of Saint Margarets Convent continues to touch lives. Their dedication to service remains a beacon of hope.