The main celebrant at the Mass of thanksgiving on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the Home in Leeds was Rt Rev. Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds, with Bishop David Konstant, Bishop Emeritus, and eighteen Priests concelebrating. The celebrations took place on the actual date of the arrival of the Little Sisters, 27th December 1865, and, fittingly, this year, the Feast of the Holy Family. Minds were transported to 27th December 1865 as Mgr John Dunne, in his homily, brought to life the arrival of the Little Sisters in Hanover Square, which was a leafy suburb of Leeds at that time. They most probably arrived with little understanding of the language and amid a certain hostility, though welcomed by some sympathetic people who helped them to set up the first Home. It was thanks to Pere Ernest Lelievre, in conjunction with Bishop Robert Cornthwaite, who so earnestly desired to have the Little Sisters in his Diocese, then the Diocese of Beverley, that this foundation, like so many others, was brought to fruition. Over the past few months Mgr Dunne had worked hard on the production of a booklet of the History of the Little Sister in Leeds entitled: “Little Sisters of the Poor – Serving the elderly poor in Leeds since 1865”. This was launched by the Bishop in the main hall where everyone gathered after Mass for the buffet, and will appear on the website within the next few days.
