Belvedere Orphanage

Belvedere Catholic Girls Orphanage

As it was operated

The Sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland, Canada

On or about Sept. 09^th, 1870

Bishop Thomas Power on his first visit to Belvedere on or about Sept. 9, 1870 the day of his arrival in Newfoundland. Since he landed at Shea's Wharf at 3:00 pm this is probably the next day. The Sisters in the photograph are most likely:

Front - Sr. M. Clare Tarahin (Superior)
Second Row - Novice, Sr. M. Vincent Nugent (Novice Mistress); Novice, St. M. Ignatius Guinane.
Near Door - Sr. M. Alexius Tobin; Sr. M. Vincent O'Donoghue

The ten priests are probably:

Very Rev. Dean Cleary Very Rev. Vicar General Conway Revs J. O'Donnell " J. Ryan
" T. McGrath " Dr. Doyle " " P. Delaney " J. Roche " J. Scott

[the gentleman in the splendid hat is probably Bishop Thomas Power]

Belvedere Orphanage for Girls in St. John's, Newfoundland operated from 1950-1969 by the Sisters of Mercy Catholic nuns. Allegations of physical abuse in February, 1997 launched criminal investigations. [CAN]

(This is a quote I've taken from the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland-the part about 'The Sisters of Mercy Catholic nuns operating Belvedere Orphanage from 1950 to 1969 ' but I'm sure it is a typo because my mom and her sister were in Belvedere in 1922 and it was run by the Sisters of Mercy at that time as well my research shows the nuns were in charge from approximately 1859).

Anyway allow me please to introduce myself, I am Patrick Williams a product of the Newfoundland Child Welfare System and an orphan from Mount Cashel Orphanage in the same city of St. John's, Newfoundland. As I stated earlier my mother and her sister both survived Belvedere Catholic Girls Orphanage and did not have one good word to say for their ten years of physical and emotional abuse.

However there have been ladies who said some of the nuns treated them well; so in the spirit of fairness and as this is not my story but my mom's and her sister Vera's and yours I open this site to you for your comments and dedicate the pages to all of you. Besides the photos and personal commentary you and others might provide I feel I should include much of the past history going back to the 1850's right through to the 1950's.

It is only by knowing the gradual progression or regression of an organization that we can begin to understand why and how it became what it did. Enjoy.

Table of Contents

(Click on highlighted pages)

Page one History of the Belvedere Site.htm

Page two A short history of The Sisters of Mercy_NL.htm

Page three more images for you who are up away.htm

The pictures below are from the Newfoundland Heritage collection

The photo on the left would be of the orphanage and the Sisters Residence.

The picture on the right would probably be of the shut down nuns residence.

This shot would be of the Orphanage showing

Some of the workmanship and detail of the upper exterior.

Another view of the four floors above ground and the infamous tower.

Another long distance shot of the two main buildings.

Again some more detail work 100 years after original construction.

public_html\Page four photos of girls and some activities.htm

page five some human interest stories.htm

Page six comments and feedback.htm

Following the funds
Finance Revenue Canada website tracks charitable works
BARB SWEET
The Telegram

Decades after people donated to the former Belvedere Orphanage, a fund continues to disburse money to orphans and semi-orphans.

The fund's principal stands at $848,000, untouched since donors gave the money to the facility before it closed its doors, said Sister Helen Harding, congregational leader of the local Sisters of Mercy, which once operated the girls' orphanage.

From the obscure to multimillion-dollar operations, Belvedere Orphanage Fund is one of 1,185 registered Newfoundland and Labrador charities, private and public foundations whose tax filings can be found on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

Harding herself was not involved with the orphanage, but is proud the fund is doing good work.

The fund, administered by outside directors, helped 55 girls under the age of 19 in 2006, 67 in 2005 and 71 in 2004 in amounts of between $400 and $700.

The yearly amounts to be disbursed vary, depending on the interest rates and the number of applicants.

The principal is never touched, meaning the fund should be paying out for many decades to come.

"It will be there when we are gone," said Harding of the fund.

It was decided when the orphanage was closed the money, instead of being disbursed immediately, should be put into trust, Harding said.

Families must apply for the money and the child or children must be female and either orphans or have one deceased parent.

The cheques are usually sent out around Christmas time.

Harding hopes the fund is seen in a positive light and would rather not see it linked with the controversy surrounding the the orphanage.

The orphanage is the subject of a civil suit involving 20 victims who allege physical abuse at the hands of now deceased sisters who ran the St. John's facility.

St. John's lawyer Richard Rogers represents most of the clients and the matter is in the document exchange phase, years after being launched.

Financial details are accessible on every church in every corner of Newfoundland, on every scholarship fund, on all the hospital funds as well as big charities such as the cancer society and Janeway foundation. The public can also scrutinize the details of the Williams Family Foundation, which administers the premier's salary.

page seven Nuns of the past.htm

page eight photos from different time periods.htm

I hope you've been enjoying your visit so far now I want to refer to the written material of Katherine Bellamy RSN a writer who details other aspects of Belvedere Orphanage.

This is an excerpt from "Weavers of Tapestry":

On the 8th of this month a House of Refuge for females of good character, out of employment, was opened at Belvedere under the guardianship of the Sisters of Mercy who superintend the Female orphanage. This valuable institution was much needed in a town like St. John's, where there are many dangers to persons so circumstanced as those for whom it provides. Many girls after returning from the fishery or leaving the places they have served in, cannot easily or in a short time find other situations.

Their small earnings are then spent and they are left totally destitute. This institution opens to such a home and a refuge where, under the care of the Nuns, they can remain until they are able to secure a suitable occupation.

The time they spend there will be most advantageous to themselves, as they will be engaged in industrial employment, under constant instruction, and will learn many things most useful in any position they may obtain.

Again quoting from Weavers of Tapestry:

This however was one ministry the sisters had to abandon because there were too few applicants to justify the expense of the upkeep. The actual length of time it was in existence is unknown, but it was still in existence in 1865. It was mentioned in one of the newspapers: "The Sisters of Mercy of St. Michael's Convent, Belvedere, gratefully acknowledge receipt of 10 pounds from the Chief Justice, Sir Francis Brady for the orphanage and The House of Mercy.

Eventually, The House of Mercy became part of the orphanage, and about the same time, a two story building was added that supplied more classroom space. Up to this time the children had been taught in two or three small rooms. The change from the overcrowded, ill-lighted into big and airy surroundings was a welcome change for the sisters and the students

(Editors note: Prior to 1859 and the opening of Belvedere on what became Belvedere Road and Bonaventure Ave the orphanage run by the Sisters of Mercy was known as The Immaculate Conception and was operating from Mercy Convent. With the increased number of girls growing from thirty five or forty to fifty then sixty eventually reaching seventy five girls the move was made to Belvedere on Belvedere Road in 1859. This would seem to be at least a two hundred per cent increase in children in barely two years,

The previous Immaculate Conception Orphanage at Mercy Convent building was made into a boarding school for young women from the out ports. Young women who had come to St. John's to continue their education. It was now called St. Clair's Boarding School. It opened on June 3rd 1861. So with the Immaculate Conception Orphanage preceding Belvedere prior to 1859 it was probably there at St. Clair's that the two epidemics of 1854 and 1856 broke out. At least two children died of typhoid fever and certainly one Nun.

Four of those Nuns worked tirelessly to care for these little girls to the detriment of their own health. Bishop Mullock permitted the organizing of picnics, garden parties even a special mass at Belvedere cemetery where in excess of four thousand people gathered and offerings were made to support Belvedere

An orphan is an orphan but sometimes children can end up in an orphanage without being an actual orphan, nevertheless while often times abandoned by their own families these children did have shelter and a home such as it might be and it was the Mercy Nuns who ran it).

At the top I showed Belvedere at its grand opening in its infancy below we have it circa 1972 closed and abandoned. One hundred and ten years of history; appreciation, condemnation, happiness and sorrow and sadly pain of abuse upon Newfoundland's most defenseless, its children.

The building brings to mind Oscar Wilde's infamous story "The Portrait of Dorian Gray". The artist always wanted to remain young and handsome while living a life of mean spiritedness and cruelty; and he did live like an immortal young, handsome but his painting which hung in his attic aged and showed the evilness of his life.

Such seems to be reflected in the current neglect of this institution. Maybe its shabby appearance is the canvas of the pain and suffering of thousands of little girls who grew up crippled by abuse. There are always two sides to every story.

nuns accused of abusing girls at Belvedere Orphanage.rtf

Nuns Abuses.htm

Nuns priests sexual abuse Sisseton Orphanage.htm

Nun Pleads No Contest in Sex Abuse.htm

Mercy Nun accused of sexual assault.rtf

To all who visit this site dedicated to the thousands of Catholic girls who passed through its doors in over one hundred years of service to the Newfoundland community realize it is under construction and there will be many many more pictures and stories of interest so please be patient.

In conclusion for now, this was a community sadly neglected by the Governments of Newfoundland and Great Britain. The merchant families, the ruling elite, took care of their own and very little provision was made for the poor and downtrodden once they outlived their usefulness and certainly not for the widows and children.

At least that was the way before Confederation with Canada. Look at some of the pictures of the poverty that existed in St. John's during the forties and fifties.

That long dark river is open sewage from the hoppers, continuing up to 1960.

On a happier note I'm including some video clips of the Newfoundland I knew and love and I hope they will make you smile even for a brief moment. Patrick Williams

images\McCallum_Nearer-to-Heaven_b.wmv

images\newfiepictures.wmv

Now back to the reality of what this site is all about....see below

I am including some video clips

from orphanages in Ireland such as those run by

other congregations of Mercy Nuns and the infamous

Magdalene Laundries

These video clips are incredibly graphic I hope

you will use discretion if you are sensitive.

I've placed the clips in two forms:

!. Actual interviews and court cases;

videos\A former Magdalene Laundry resident speaks out..wmv