Timeline

Missioners of the Sacred Heart buy the Tor House & chapel opens

Pilgrimage of 1500 people from railway station to top of Tor Hill

Sisters of St Louis come to Minehead from France

Tor school closes as seminary for training priests

Sisters of St Louis come to Frome

Sisters of St Louis come to Glastonbury & open orphanage

Convent chapel blessed

Advert for french lessons in local paper

Marie Therese Woods age 2 comes to orphange (later becomes Sister Eugenie)

Stable, coach-house & cart shed become laundry room for extra income

Father Francis Burdett parish priest

Three storey building built to form School

Small church built seats 50

Eric Gill carves statue to stand in niche in the front wall of church

Father Patrick O'Bierne parish priest

First school hall built

Sister Patricia headmistress

During summer holidays school becomes holiday camp for children (extra income)

Father Michael Fitzpatrick parish priest

Starts raising money to build bigger church

First St Marys church demolished and building commences on new church

New St Marys church opens in July - 800 people attend – church seats 300

Church consecrated in July

Cellars under church are used as air raid shelters (during war) for convent pupils

Evacuees arrive

American soldiers send their washing to nun's laundry

Father William Ryan parish priest

Orphanage closes

Convent educates more day pupils – over 100 pupils – some boarding

Father Joseph Sheehan parish priest

Sister Aimee headmistress – 120 pupils attending Convent school

Father James O'Brien parish priest

Sisters buy "Somerset House" next door to the Priory – typing lessons held here

Blessing of new statue of Our Lady (designed by Philips Lindsey Clark)

Typing & shorthand lessons now being taught to non pupils (50 at present)

Father Sean McNamara parish priest

New school hall opens

Over 260 pupils at Convent school

New diadem for Mary statue

Tapestry finished

Church celebrates Silver Jubilee

Father John O'Connor parish priest

Queen's silver jubilee plate given to convent teachers and pupils

School hall extension built, parents' "buy" bricks

Sister Lise Barbeau headmistress

The laundry hut is converted into a science classroom and a new sports field is created

Father Nicholas Tranter parish priest

Convent closes

Father Paul Sankey parish priest

Planting of Maple tree in Abbey grounds to commemorate Convent

Safeway supermarket is built on the Convent field where the Altar once stood

Golden Jubilee celebrations of St Mary's inc flower festival, concert & dinner

Minehead Convent closes

Church hall built

Frome Convent closes

Father Kevin Knox-Lecky parish priest

School reunion takes place

Demolition of Convent hall and Kindergarten

Building work starts

Church windows replacement project launches

School reunion takes place

Church windows replaced

Convent chapel centenary mass at St Mary's takes place

Priory House converted into two houses

Convent school building converted into two houses

All four conversions are sold

Father James Finan parish priest