Work starts in Wellington
The Sisters immediately started work with Wellington’s suffering and destitute planning a much-needed home. They set up a soup kitchen (that still operates today) and a crèche for children of working parents. Land was bought in Island Bay and, in 1907, the Home of Compassion was opened.
Suzanne never stood still, her reputation spreading far and wide. She rose to every challenge that came her way, travelling to Rome in 1913 at the age of 78 to present her case to the Pope.
More than four years later, Pope Benedict XV granted the Decree of Praise to the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. The Decree changed everything:
In early 1920 a frail but triumphant Suzanne returned home to Island Bay to the Sisters who, in her absence, had remained true to her cause. Back at the helm, she arranged for extensive alterations to the home for a surgical section and, in 1922, the Sisters began nursing training for the new hospital.