Wickham

It was in 1866 that four Franciscan Sisters of St. Mary of the Angels from France, first came to Southampton to work in a Parish. They were invited by the local Bishop of Portsmouth.
They lodged in a neighboring house near the Parish while their Convent was being renovated. It was named, Convent of our Lady of Mt. Carmel. The Diocese eventually sold the Convent premises to a private company in 1938 and today it has become the Offices of the Red Funnel Ferries in Southampton. Our Sisters moved to Maryland.
The second Convent opened in Milford on Sea (Maryland) in 1938, to care for sea faring Chaplains to and from their voyages on the steam ships. The Sisters also saw to the laundry – getting all the sacred linen of the Chaplains washed, ironed and ready for the next voyage. Some of the sisters taught Catechism in the Parish and visited the sick. The Sisters continued here until 1967. In 1960, there was a brief response to an Invitation by the Bishop in London where Mother M. Francis, Sr. M. Louise and Sr. Jean Vianney worked for a few months. By then they felt that it was not their place. Just then they saw an advert in the Catholic Newspaper of a Convent in Wickham, Hampshire that was closing and was looking for a Religious Congregation to continue the school run originally by the Sisters of St. Martin of Tours. So, our FSMA Sisters took over the school in 1960 and continued to run it until 1967 along with a few Indian Sisters.
In 1968, with the approval of Bishop Derek Worlock, the sisters converted the School to a Pastoral Centre. It was during this time, through the Vision of Mother M. Francis Hans Von Balthasar, a new Chapel was built along with a new accommodation block called the Thomas More Wing.
In 1982 the ageing Community of European Sisters returned to France and the Centre passed on into the care of their India branch who have successively run the Centre until now.
At present there is a small Community of six Indian Sisters who continue to care for the spiritual needs of the people in Europe at the Centre. May the Lord continue to bless the Mission.
Sr. Juliette
Coordinator of England.