Margaret
Jennings was the daughter of Charles Jennings [1780-1855], Monaghan Street, Newry, County Down,
and his wife, Sophia Corley daughter of Patrick Corley of Clones, County Monaghan.
She was baptised in Newry in 1824.
Margaret
Jennings Dr. (daughter) to Charles. Sponsor
brother(s). £2.2 [1]
Margaret
and her younger sister Letitia became Sisters of Mercy.
Margaret had
first applied to join the Presentation Order in 1862, where her sister
Elizabeth was Reverend Mother Superior.
1796.06/26/1862 Letter from Sister M
Magdalen, Presentation, Youghal, to Bishop Keane, requesting permission to
admit Revd. Mother's sister, Miss Margaret Jennings, into the convent. Includes
an account of her character, 24 April 1862.[2]
Margaret
appears to have then become ill but she applied again in 1864.
1796.06/30/1864 Letter
from Sister M Magdalen, Presentation Convent, Youghal, to Bishop W Keane. 2
years ago he gave them permission to receive a Miss Jennings. She waited until
she was completely free of an ailment and now wishes to join. She asks the
Bishop if they may still receive her. 25 April 1864.[3]
Margaret, for whatever reason, chose instead to become a Sister
of Mercy.
Margaret Jennings,
the daughter of Charles and Sophia Jennings of Newry Co. Down, was born in
1824, entered the Convent of Mercy in Charleville, County Cork on 31 July 1867,
took the name Sr Mary Alacoque and professed her vows as a Sister of Mercy on
18 March 1870. In May 1887, she was elected by the Charleville community as
Mistress of Novices and re-elected to that post in May 1880. The Mistress of
Novices was in charge of the novices or trainee nuns who joined the community
with a view to becoming Sisters of Mercy. In 1879, the Charleville community
established a branch convent in New Inn, County Tipperary.
Mother Alacoque was the first superior of the community and when her term of
office expired in 1884, she returned to Charleville. She died in Charleville on
19 December 1901 and is buried in the convent cemetery.[4]
The Charleville Annals noted her passing:
On 19th Dec 1901
Sr. M. Alacoque Jennings died, sweetly and peacefully as she had lived. She was
distinguished in the community by her refined and elegant manners, her charming
frankness and simplicity and by her spirit of prayer.
Her death
was also reported in a Newry paper:
Death of a Sister of Mercy. Recently there died
at the Convent, Charleville, a venerable member of the Community, Sister Mary
Alacoque Jennings. The deceased lady belonged to a very old Newry family, being
the daughter of the late Mr. Charles Jennings, an extensive and highly respected
merchant, who carried on business on Merchants’ Quay his residence being the
house now occupied by Mr. McCrink at the corner of Monaghan Street.
Other lady members of the same family embraced the religious life, two of whom
are still living – one in the Convent, Warrenpoint, and the other in the
Convent, Youghal, of which she is the Reverend Mother Superioress.[5]
[1] Parochial records of Newry, 1818-1827.
[2] NAI
Formno: 1764 Repository: Cloyne Diocesan Archive
Access: Restricted Collection: Bishop W Keane Main reference: Box U Century: 19th.
[3] NAI .Form no:
12224
Repository:
Cloyne Diocesan Archive Access:
Restricted Collection: Bishop W
Keane Main reference: Box BBCentury: 19th)
[4] Archivist Mercy Congregational Archives
[5] Newry Reporter 24 Dec 1901
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