Sisters of Compassion

Jerusalem nestles in a valley beside the flowing waters of the Whanganui River. The houses in the small settlement are clustered around the Patiarero Marae. Suzanne Aubert came here at the invitation of the Maori people in 1883. Here the Sisters of Compassion came into being, and were formally recognised by the Catholic Church in 1892. There has been a continuous presence of sisters in the local community ever since. The Sisters are privileged to have the status of tangata whenua (native to the area).