This book was created and published on StoryJumper™

©2014 StoryJumper, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Publish your own children's book: 

www.storyjumper.com

On the 5th of October 

1816 in Dublin, Ireland, 

Clara Frayne was born to 

businessman Robert 

Frayne and his wife 

Bridget. 

Little is known about her 

childhood, however she 

grew up in an Irish 

Catholic home and decided 

to enter the Institute of 

Mercy in 1834. 

Once trained by the 

official founder of the 

Mercy tradition, Catherine 

McAuley, at the Baggot 

Street Convent...

...her initiation as a nun was held on 

the 25th of January 1837. At this 

ceremony, she took the name Ursula 

to replace her birth name and began a 

new life in God. 

Frayne had already established a Mercy missionary in 

Newfoundland, Canada, when newly consecrated 

Bishop John Brady realised her potential to help his 

parish in Perth, Western Australia.

This would be through the form of 

establishing schools and missions 

for underprivileged residents. 

Frayne was inspired by her passion 

to care for neglected orphans and 

new immigrant girls. 

“living in community deepens our relationship with 

God, strengthens our mission, and continually 

inspires us in our call to serve others….

Ours is a life of contemplation and action, prayer 

and service…we see Jesus in the most marginalised 

people and take a vow of service to perform works 

of mercy that alleviate suffering. 

We strive to follow Jesus’ example in all that we 

do.”

Ursula Frayne was inspired by the teachings created 

by the Mercy Sisters and Catherine McAuley. Although 

the journey was long and ‘no pleasure cruise’, she 

decided to take up the offer to continue the Mercy 

spirit abroad. 

“The spiritual and corporal works 

of Mercy which draw religious from a life of contemplation, 

so 

far from separating them from the love of God, unite them 

more closely to Him and render them more valuable in His 

holy service.” - Catherine McAuley

Frayne departed from Ireland in 1845 

after having 21 days to leave 

familiarity behind, with 5 other 

sisters, 1 postulant (a candidate for 

religious order), European 

missionaries, and Irish priest and 7 

Irish catechists (people who promote 

religion through example).

Their ship, the ‘Elizabeth’, arrived at 

their destination on the 8th of January 

1846, after 113 days on the sea. 

Elizabeth

However, they were unexpected and this 

caused them to not have sleeping quarters 

prepared. “We stood in the wilds of 

Australia on that mid-Summer night, and 

we could truly say with our Divine Model, 

we have nowhere to rest our heads.” – 

Ursula Frayne. 

A difficulty the 

sisters faced was the 

non-Catholics in 

Australia did not 

understand the Mercy 

practices and values. 

The Catholic 

population was not 

largely established, 

government aid was 

unavailable, and 

Bishop Brady was 

extremely close to 

bankruptcy; he could 

not be relied on for 

support. 

However, Frayne’s strength showed when they 

opened the first school in Australia, under the 

guidance of the Mercy Sisters.

Opening was officially celebrated on the 2nd of 

February 1846, with classrooms filled with 

bricks, planks and packing cases to use a 

furniture.

However, only one child came to school, 

instead of Bishop Brady’s promise of 4000.

Even so, Ursula persevered, roaming the streets in search of 

children to attend her school, and funds to assist her work.

Soon after this, she began allowing students from the country 

to board at her establishment. However, this became 

crowded; Frayne built a convent in 1847. The Mercy Sisters 

took it over on the 2nd of May 1848.

You've previewed 19 of 29 pages.

To read more: