Holy Trinity RC Church, Newark.
Sisters

Canon Farmer with two of the Poor Clare Sisters soon after
their arrival at Newark.

Twenty-five years ago, the Sisters of St Clare came to Newark. In a special way they were linking past and present for Franciscan friars had lived and worked in Newark up to 1534. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1954 witnessed the foundation of Our Lady of Victories St Clare’s Convent in Newark. It had been the wish of Canon Farmer, then parish priest, for two years previous to this to buy Park House, the property of Miss Robinson and Lady Simnor, for a convent school. Though herself a non-Catholic, Miss Robinson was anxious that the house should be used as a Catholic school and urged the parish priest to buy it for that purpose.

In his turn Canon Farmer pleaded, though at first unsuccessfully, with Bishop Edward Ellis who, at the time, could not see his way to giving his consent. Meanwhile the Canon contacted the Rev Mother Abbess General of the Poor Clare’s of the Immaculate Conception and in July, 1953, went to see her at Gainsborough during her visitation there with a view to getting sisters to teach in Holy Trinity School, Newark.

In August, 1953, a member of the Gainsborough community was appointed to the staff of Holy Trinity and soon after negotiations were re-opened with Lady Sim nor and the Bishop finally consented to the purchase of the house. The Mother Abbess General eventually agreed to send two sisters. It was on the Feast of Our Lady of Victories on October 7th that negotiations were put in hand and the sisters took possession on November 14th. On December 13th the first Mass was celebrated by Father Ronald Hudson and Bishop Ellis blessed the Convent on February 15th, 1955. In September that year the Convent school opened and about the same time one of the sisters Mary Ignatius O’Brien became headmistress of Holy Trinity. The next 14 years were fruitful ones and the sisters achieved a good academic and moral standard. In 1967 due to lack of personnel the senior department had to close and two years later the junior department also closed because the new parish school in Boundary Road was due to open.

The house was sold as an annexe to the Magnus Grammar School. The sisters bought 1 Elm Close and on December 12th Bishop Ellis blessed the house and celebrated Mass. The Guardian of the Franciscan Friary at Nottingham erected the Stations of the Cross. In addition to their apostolate in the schools, the sisters have served the parish in whatever ways they were needed.