Figure 3 - An Image of Mother Catherine Teresa Mercovich
Mother Catherine Mercovich (17 March 1899-12 May 1977) was already a prominent figure in the Catholic Church when she embarked on the mission to Nagasaki. She was the superior of the first group of Good Samaritan Sisters to visit Japan at the end of the Second World War, setting sail on the SS Shangte on October 15, 1948, from Sydney, embarking on a prolonged 33-day voyage before arriving in war-torn Japan.
Figure 4 - Certificate validating Mother Catherine Teresa Mercovich's training in the educational field
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Mary Eileen Mercovich was born on the 17th of March 1899, to parents Anthony and Sarah Mercovich nee Triffle in North Carlton. Her parish was North Fitzroy, where she was baptised and confirmed. She was educated by the Good Samaritan Sisters at St Brigid’s School. At the age of 15, on 22 December 1914, Mary entered the Randwick Good Samaritan Novitiate, and was given her religious name ‘Sister Mary Catherine Teresa’. In 1914, she began her degree in the Faculties of Arts and Science at Melbourne University and as part of her course, she completed a four-year teacher-training course at St Scholastica’s College. During her time at St Scholastica’s, she assisted in teaching Intermediate maths classes and taught Infants classes. On 26 July 1917, she made her first profession of vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. She then moved on to teach at Coragulac, Oakey, Hamilton and Kerang before being appointed to the office of Provincial of Queensland.
In 1948, she was selected to lead the first group of Good Samaritan Nuns to travel to post-war Japan. She convinced the other nuns to take lessons in Japanese, so they would be able to understand the common language and overcome the language barrier. For the first three years, she and the other Sisters established a clinic to help care for those who had suffered illness due to the radiation effects of the atomic bomb. In 1952, she was offered a school in Sasebo by the Bishop of Japan, Paul Yamaguchi. It was there she established the Missionary Seiwa Girl’s High School. |
Through Seiwa Girl's High and Middle School, Sr Mercovich set up various initiatives in order to connect Australia to Japan, enhancing peace between the sisters. These included developing the beginning of an exchange program between Australia and Japan, sending young Japanese women to study abroad in Australia. This established a connection between the two enemy countries. Sr Clement took over after studying two years at a Japanese language school, expanding Sr Mercovich's exchange program to across Australia, America and South-East Asia. Seiwa Girl's School still stands, a long-built, rich and diverse history combined with numerous programs, expanding to reach the ideal space that Sr Mercovich would've wanted.
Sr Mercovich established an everlasting cultural legacy in not only Japan but worldwide, with her mission to establish world peace. Through her mindset and initiative, she played a vital role in the journey of the Good Samaritan sisters to Japan, helping to establish a Catholic education system in Japan following the destructive war.