Lucy was now to be known as Sister Mary de Sales. The Novices were no longer sent to Jerusalem for their one year Novitiate. Father Soulas SM had been transferred to Okato, and Sister Marcelle had just been appointed the Sisters of Compassion’s first Novice Mistress. A small cottage at the rear of the Buckle Street home was set aside for the Novitiate. It had five rooms, two were dormitories, one was the Mistress of Novices’ room, and one, which had once been a kitchen, was merely an entrance now to the small Community Room. The place was ramshackle and infested with rats, but the Novices were very happy there in spite of, or because of, feeling their poverty was real.

On 25 April, 1905, Sister de Sales made her First Profession, and on 5 January, 1910, she went with Sisters Agnes, Salome and Anthony as foundation members for the St. Vincent’s Home of Compassion in Hobson Street, Auckland, but she returned once more to Buckle Street in October, to make her Final Profession.

Over the ensuring years, Sister de Sales was appointed leadership roles at Buckle Street, Jerusalem, and Silverstream.  During 1939, at the age of 68, Sister was transferred to St. Vincent’s Home, Ponsonby, especially for the visitation of the sick and poor in their own homes.

Her health had been indifferent for many years due to heart weakness, and in 1944 she was supposed to return to the Mother House. Two days before the date fixed for her departure, a sudden and severe heart seizure occurred to which she shortly succumbed on 24 October, 1944.

Hers was the first death of the Sisters of Compassion in Auckland. Sister is buried in the Sisters of Compassion plot alongside the Panmure Church.

Born                      Entered                Professed               Died               Place of Death            Place of Burial

26.02.1871        14.04.1904            25.04.1905        24.10.1944            Auckland               Panmure Cemetery