Three pioneering Irish Sisters of Mercy, Sister Ursula (Clara Frayne of Dublin), Sister Francis (Mary Ann Creedon of Culowen, Cork) and Sister Rose Lynch, first came from Ireland in 1842 to establish the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland.

The present stone building was opened in 1857. Since that time, this old building has seen many inevitable additions and changes, housing at times an orphanage, a boarding school, a school for small boys and girls, and commercial courses.

Today it houses The Gathering Place, established in 1994 by the Sisters of Mercy and the Presentation Sisters to feed those in need. As of 2023, programs have expanded, and residential units are planned for the repurposed old convent to support those seeking shelter.

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