'Secret holy alliance' in Vermont's largest city

By Ted Cohen

If the cops in Vermont's largest city ever get a "loud noise" complaint from the hill section of Burlington, Vermont they'll be able to quickly rule out the inhabitants of 587 South Prospect Street.

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The entire brick condo building at that otherwise-unassuming address was bought up, and is occupied, by a group of retired Sisters of Mercy.

The sisters for 15 years have lived in respectful quiet obscurity across from the entrance to the Burlington Country Club, a 102-year-old private golf course.

They get their exercise by walking in the neighborhood, though without their habits few would even be aware of their holy background.

The Religious Sisters of Mercy, the Catholic order of women originally founded in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley in 1831, began their service in the Diocese of Burlington nearly 150 years ago.

In 1886, the motherhouse was established on Mansfield Avenue in Burlington, where the sisters founded and operated St. Mary's Academy from 1878 to 1967.

A number of retired nuns, needing a permanent residence, bought an entire condo building in the hill section of the city.

The sisters even made sure visiting retirees from out of state have a place to stay so they keep one of the condos empty just for that purpose.

The sisters, whose convent has since shut down, still maintain a strong presence in Vermont, including in Burlington's south end where they quietly watch over their adopted neighborhood.