In Post Emancipation Jamaica; 15 years after the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865 in Saint Thomas in the East our school began.
Early in 1880, 145 years ago, a young, devout Jamaican, Roman Catholic woman , Jessie Ripoll with the support of her friends Josephine Ximines and Louise Dougiol purchased a 40 acres property of land with a small cottage at 26 South Camp Road, with money from their own pockets and offerings of friends added.
On May 1,1880, Jessie Ripoll holding the hand of a little orphan girl walked up to the path into the cottage of the property.
The following extract describing the entrance to the property is taken from the Annals of the Sisters of Mercy of Jamaica, and I quote, “The entrance from the main road was through a rickety wooden gate which when first crossed by the Sisters had an animated decoration of jewelled East Indians on either side. Alpha cottage was the Convent”
An orphanage for girls known as Alpha Cottage was opened May 1, 1880.
The work was strengthened by the arrival of the Sisters of Bermondsy, England in 1890.
Jessie and her friends joined the order and she became Mother Mary Peter Claver. They became the first Jamaican Sisters of Mercy.
The number of orphans increased and the facility expanded to include an industrial school.
In the year 1894, a High School for girls was opened at Alpha with the permission of Sister Aquinas Kearns. Sister Margaret Mary was placed in charge of the school.
The school had 4 students at the start: Ethline Hodge, her sister Ivy , Leah Johnson and her younger sister Ella.
Mother Mary Aquinas Kearns was officially named the first Principal and the building was blessed and declared open on May 1, 1894. The first students were Ethline and
Ivy Hodge, Leah and Ella Johnson; by 1918 enrollment had reached 100. It served as a secondary school for upper and middle class children of Kingston and St. Andrew.
The High School has borne various names, among them ‘The Little Flower Academy’, ‘Alpha Academy’ and finally Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’. Increasing enrollment and academic achievement brought recognition and approval to this institution which qualified for assistance from the government in 1939.
Established originally as a small, private high school in response to the need for education and spiritual development of young women in Jamaica, the school has made significant strides in curriculum development, in co-curricular activities and Service Clubs, Sports and Arts.
Convent of Mercy Academy embraces the Mercy Charism and embraces the legacy of Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831. For over 180 years, the Sisters of Mercy have committed themselves to serving those in need.
The constitution of the Sisters of Mercy states: “As Sisters of Mercy we sponsor Institutions to address our enduring concerns and to witness Christ’s Mission.
Within these Institutions we, together with co-workers and those we serve, endeavour to model mercy and justice and to promote systematic change according to these ideals.”
It is against this rich historical background that Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’ consistently undertakes its primary goal of providing quality education to its young Ladies.
Our Legacy has prevailed through Crown Colony Government, the 1907 Kingston earthquake , several hurricanes, Typhoid and Cholera epidemics, social upheavals and economic downturns.
This is the Convent of Mercy Academy where young girls grow into Women of Mercy!
