Ursuline Sisters Who Came From the Bathurst Diocese

by Sr Colleen Foley osu, Province Archivist

Mother Ignatius Frecklington, Sister Gerard White, Mother Leonard Ryan, Sister Janet Seale 

There were plenty of other religious congregations in the area so why did these sisters join the Ursulines? How did they learn about the Ursulines?

In September, 2015, I was in Wellington with Sister Anita, (an Indonesian sister visiting Australia) and having dinner with Joanna, Marj and the parish priest, Fr Carl Mackander. Father is a local priest and is most interested in the history of the Bathurst Diocese. From our discussion we learned something of the why and how young women learned about the Ursulines and subsequently joined them. About this time I had also received a request from a relative of Sister Gerard White requesting some information and photo of her.

Father Carl knew about Mother Ignatius Frecklington, who came from Bowen Park, near Cargo in the Canowindra Parish, Sister Gerard came from Wyagdon which is on the Sofala Road out from Bathurst, and Mother Leonard Ryan came from Canowindra. Sister Janet Seale, was a niece of Mother Ignatius and came from Cargo. She was the only one of the four sisters to be educated by the Ursulines in Armidale at St. Ursula's College in the 1950's.

So, we have four Ursulines coming from the Central West of the State of NSW. Sister Peg Gallen recalls the young women had been recommended to the Ursulines by one of the priests. From Father Carl's research we know Mother Ignatius and Sister Gerard were received at the same time, becoming novices in 1919 and Mother Leonard in 1920.

Father Carl also researched the priests who were active in Wyagdon and in Canowindra about that time. Rev Archdeacon Patrick Doran was in Sofala Parish, 1889-1895, and Fr R.Corbett was there 1906-1922. Maybe Sr Gerard White knew these two priests? Wyagdon is close to Wattle Flat and Sofala. In the Canowindra Parish we find Rev Archdeacon P.Doran 1910-1925 and Fr J.B. Howard 1910, 1914-1917. Mother Ignatius and Mother Leonard would have known these two priests. Of the four priests mentioned it is most likely that the suggestion for the Ursulines would have come from Fr P.Doran. Before he joined the seminary he was engaged in the postal service at Muswellbrook and Glen Innes for some years. He received the tonsure from Rt Rev Dr Murray, Bishop of Maitland in 1883. The Ursulines had established their Convent in Armidale in 1882, so Fr Doran would likely have heard of them, one way or another. Fr Doran was the first Parish Priest of Canowindra which, in 1910 included Eugowra, Cargo and Cudal. He was an enthusiastic and loved leader. Canowindra has "produced" the most priests of any parish in the Bathurst Diocese for its small size. Maybe Fr Doran inspired dedication in young men and women. From the entire Canowindra parish, (not just the area based on St Edward's Church,) a total of 21 young women entered with the Perthville Josephites, 10 with the Brigidine sisters and 19 with one of nine other congregations. This includes the Ursulines!

Fr Doran died in 1925 and is buried in St Edward's Church near the sanctuary. The stained glass window above his grave features St Leonard of Port Maurice, a monk, so maybe, that is why Mother Leonard took that name. Another fact is that in the same church is a stained glass window of the Virgin Mary, in memory of the parents of E.J and D. Ryan (1914). Are these Ryans related to Mother Leonard?

Like any stories questions arise from the facts and present a picture for us to interpret and continue to explore.
We thank Fr Carl Mackander for his interest in our history and for providing us with the results of his research.

Images above from left:  M Ignatius Frecklington, Sr Gerard White, M Leonard Ryan, Sr Janet Seale