IN 1866 SEVEN SISTERS OF MERCY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF M. M. IGNATIUS CROKE LEFT THEIR CONVENT AT CHARLEVILLE TO BEGIN THE LONG JOURNEY TO BATHURST TO HONOUR AN ARRANGMENT MADE IN 1865 WITH MATTHEW QUINN, THE NEW BISHOP OF BATHURST. THEY ARRIVED ON ALL SAINTS EVE OF THAT YEAR AND IMMEDIATELY SET ABOUT THE TASK OF TEACHING AT THE GIRL'S SCHOOL. OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THEY OPENED A GIRL'S COLLEGE AND A GIRL'S ORPHANAGE. IN 1874 THEY OPENED THEIR FIRST BRANCH HOUSES AT CARCOAR AND MUDGEE AND SOON THEY WERE PRESENT IN ALL THE MAJOR DIOCESAN TOWNS. IN 1890 FOUR OF THE MORE DISTANT BRANCH CONVENTS (MUDGEE, FORBES, DUBBO AND BOURKE) BECAME AUTONOMOUS AND SHORTLY AFTER THE CONVENTS AT COBAR AND BOURKE BECAME PART OF THE WILCANNIA-FORBES SISTERS OF MERCY. IN 1908 ALL THE CONVENTS IN THE DIOCESE WERE UNITED INTO A SINGLE CONGREGATION WITH THE MOTHER HOUSE IN BATHURST. THE SISTERS CONTINUED THEIR WORK OF TEACHING AND VISITATION UNTIL A DECLINE IN VOCATIONS AND CHANGING CONCEPTS OF EDUCATION LED TO A RE-APPRAISAL OF THEIR APOSTOLATE IN THE 1980's. TODAY THE SISTERS CONTINUE THE WORK OF MOTHER CATHERINE WITH THE MARGINALISED THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY.