Scottish Catholic Observer

Bishop Stephen Robson celebrated the Mass at the cathedral after celebrating Mass for the sisters in the chapel of the Wellburn Convent last Sunday.

Last October it was announced that the Little Sisters would be leaving Dunkeld Diocese due to a lack of new nuns and would be unable to continue their mission at the Wellburn Care Home. In March, Bishop Robson announced that the diocese would take over the running of the home, saving it from closure.

“The decision to leave Wellburn after 152 Years, as you may imagine, was a very painful one for us, but with the decline of vocations and other major factors we felt after much Prayer and reflection that this was the hard decision we had to make,” Mother Provincial, Mother Joseph, said. “What softened the blow for us a little was the fact that Bishop Stephen and his management team in the diocese wanted to keep Wellburn going and we are very happy to know that our residents and staff will remain in the home.

The Little Sisters—four sister and two novices—came to the Dundee in 1863, 24 years after St Jeanne Jugan founded the religious congregation in France in the winter of 1839. Sr Emmanuel, the first English

During his homily at the Mass in the Wellburn Convent, Bishop Robson said he worked out with Mother Joseph of the order that there were around 19 or 20 superiors at Wellburn over the 152 years.

“What a record of sisters’ dedication,” he said. “Goodness knows how many sisters have passed through the doors with thousands of fragile and grateful elderly. How many of them are now saints we shall never know until we ourselves, who aspire to sainthood find out perhaps for ourselves.”

The bishop said that while the structures of social security systems have ‘done away with much of the misery of Jeanne Jugan’s time, still her daughters come across great need among the elderly in many different countries today.’

Pic: Eddie Mahoney

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—This story ran in full in the July 31 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.