In 1857 a small group of Sisters of Mercy made their way from the West Riding of Yorkshire to Hull and established themselves in a small house near the town centre. They had come at the request of the then Bishop of Beverley to establish schools for the poor. From these humble beginnings the work of the Sisters spread to schools throughout the town including the formation of St Mary’s Grammar School, which is now St Mary’s College.

In those 150 years they also established a teacher training college at Endsleigh from which Catholic teachers worked not only throughout Hull and the Middlesbrough Diocese but also across England, Wales and beyond.

It is appropriate therefore that St Mary’s College welcomed back the Sisters to celebrate their 150 years in the now City of Hull. On 27th September there was a celebration Mass in the School with Mgr Kevin Coughlan, former Vicar General of the Diocese, as chief concelebrant and joined by priests from across the City. The pupils supplied the music, the readings and the bidding prayers, and the School choir led the singing and sang the Ecce Panis immediately after Holy Communion.

The final hymn of the Mass was the Salve Regina which the choir led and the congregation joined in wholeheartedly. Mr Gerard Fitzpatrick, the Headteacher, thanked the Sisters on behalf of the School and the City, and presentations were made to them by two of the pupils. After Mass the guests were invited to an exhibition of the work of the Sisters and then to an excellent buffet accompanied by yet more music performed by the pupils.

On Friday 28th September the celebrations continued with two Masses for the whole School.