The discovery of gold in the 1860s led to an influx of Irish miners on the West Coast of the South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The parish priest of Reefton was eager to have a community of Sisters of Mercy assist with the development of the mission there. He was advised to apply to the Sisters of Mercy in Singleton, Australia, where there was a strong missionary spirit. 

Mother M. Regis Murray, the foundress, along with three sisters, a postulant, and Mother M. Stanislaus, Superior of Singleton, accompanied by a sister companion, embarked on a perilous journey to Reefton in late 1890. They arrived on January 19, 1891. In a short amount of time, the sisters were teaching at two primary schools.

Bridget Murray was born to Michael and Harriet Murray in Maitland, Australia, into a family that had four members join the Sisters of Mercy and two join the Marist Brothers. On April 28, 1886, she took the name Regis when she made her vows.

For many years after its establishment, Mother M. Regis suffered from ill health, but she courageously faced each difficulty with dedication and courage.

The convent was surrounded by a large amount of land. A school for boys and a school for girls were constructed. Subsequently, a high school was constructed.

Teaching children in schools, coordinating catechism classes, and visiting the sick were important activities for the sisters in Reefton and the surrounding district. Additionally, the sisters provided music and painting lessons to children of all denominations as a source of income.

In 1894, at the request of the parish priest of Westport, the sisters opened a branch house and took over the primary school. They also taught catechism classes in the wider region. The link to Singleton sustained both communities. In 1902, after the completion of the Westport Convent, it was decided to make Westport the motherhouse.

The death of a young sister in 1893 as a result of a travelling accident while returning to Reefton from teaching in Ikamatua highlighted the challenges of travel and severe weather conditions.

The sisters would frequently visit Australia, whether it was for health reasons or to be with their parents in their final moments.

When the communities in Reefton or Westport were under pressure, a sister from Singleton was temporarily lent to assist. Many of the Irish sisters had connections to one another through Ennis, Ireland, as well as with the sisters in Greymouth and Hokitika, located further south, and also with those in Dunedin.

Mother M. Regis Murray died at the age of fifty-three on April 30, 1917, and was laid to rest in Reefton. After her passing, some of the women in Reefton raised funds to help cover the funeral costs. With the remaining money, they erected a headstone in her memory. The headstone acknowledges Mother M. Regis Murray as the foundress.

The Sisters of Mercy in Reefton and Westport were highly respected, which led to the Sisters of Mercy in Westport being invited to manage the newly established O'Conor Home in 1918. This aged care facility was not owned by the church but was run by a trust, with a chapel built for the resident Sisters of Mercy community.

As vocations declined between the two world wars, the sisters residing in the Wellington Archdiocese joined the Sisters of Mercy Wellington in 1927.

The congregation became part of Ngā Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand. In 2023, the New Zealand Sisters of Mercy launched Whānau Mercy Ministries, which is a “Ministerial Public Juridic Person (MPJP) of Pontifical Right” that owns and oversees incorporated ministries established by the sisters.

“Mercy an Evolving Story” https://www.sistersofmercy.org.nz/ko-wai-matou-who-we-are/mercy-an-evolving-story/the-works-of-mercy/ (Retrieved 9 June 2024)

Mary de Porres Flannigan RSM, “Like A Mustard Seed. The History of the Sisters of Mercy Wellington.” © Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand, 2009.

Colleen Kelly RSM, “A Journey… Through Light and Shadow: Sisters of Mercy Singleton 1875-1995” © 1997, published by the Sisters of Mercy, Singleton, Australia.