Ghost Nun of Beechworth Priory: Beechworth :VIC

[KANACKI]

Greeting once again lovers of all thing that go bump in the night? Grab a favorite brew and grab a seat around the campfire of lost ghost stories. The following story once again I was reminded of by Headless. It has been one of those story lingering around for a long time. And been told by many people so I will do my take on it?

The following pictures below are of the old priory in which If are so inclined you can stay there and perhaps encounter the dark side if you dare! For those who guests who cannot see the pictures I suggest you sign up to the forum to get a fantastic insight into haunted locations around Australia.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

In 1887, four Irish nuns of the Brigidine order were given some land adjacent to the then St. Josephs School, and a convent was established. This was expanded over the decades and by the 1960s, there were 150 students in attendance. By 1976 the convent had closed and as student numbers continually declined the school reverted to an adjacent parcel of land.  In 1986, the Bell family purchased the priory, expansively renovated it and have run the facility for school camps, weddings and budget tourist accommodation ever since. Apart from its size and proximity to the town centre, the picturesque grounds and classic architecture are a draw-card to many.

Obviously, with a history dating back more than 100 years, and with almost ninety of those dedicated to housing nuns, the place has a certain atmosphere. I have only been there once myself to catch up with a friend who happened to be travelling through and staying there. We had some drinks at the local craft brewery (I stayed in a nearby motel) and after talking about the company that we had both worked for (he still does actually), our football teams and a host of other things, it was time to call it a night. I walked him back to the Priory and as we shook hands to say our farewells (I returned home early next morning), he made a surprising comment after I wished him a good night. “Yeah, I hope so. It’s spooky in there you know, mate!”

to be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Even though this was November and the nights had been rather mild, he said that his roomy was cold. In fact he felt that someone else was in there with him, making enough subtle noise to keep him just above deep sleep. “I can hear someone breathing!” he remarked, but then saluting the number of beers he had knocked back (that explained a bit), went up the stairs for hopefully a deeper sleep than the night before. I made a mental note to do some research about the Old Priory at some stage.

There are a number of accommodation and paranormal websites that carry reviews and comments about Beechworth’s Old Priory. A varied list of strange occurrences include reports of bookcases moving, whispering voices, moving framed pictures, and extreme hot and cold spots. Guests have reported a chilly breeze at reception, sometimes which follows them to their room. School students have returned to their Priory rooms to find their clothes scattered about, sometimes with the clothes of other students being found in different rooms. On very still nights there seems to be out-of-place gusts of wind in the rear alley.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Legend has it that a nun fell down the main stairs of the priory in the early 1900s and it is her spirit that is blamed for most of the experiences described above. She is described as having a grumpy persona which suggests that if she existed, she was the head nun within the school. Incidents have seen children in particular scared or upset by some presence. Evidence for who the nun may have been is scarce although I have spoken to locals, including an ex-colleague who once lived near the priory, and the nun story seems to be relatively common knowledge suggesting an actual incident that has been passed down over the years.

The original four nuns who arrived on the afternoon of 27 November 1886 in Beechworth were Mother Vincent Cummins, Mother Stanislaus Nolan, Sister Thomas and Sister Walsh. Mother Vincent was the original matriarch of the convent, but in 1895 Mother Stanislaus was elevated to Mother Superior, a position she held until her death in 1907 aged 62. Mother Vincent passed away four years later. If there was a candidate for the spooky nun presence, it would have to be one of these two. They were both proud and passionate about St Josephs and oversaw major extensions to the convent in 1904. The last Brigidine sisters, still working for St Josephs Catholic Church,  left Beechworth in October of 2018.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The owners, the Bell family, seem to be oblivious to the stories, and if they do know, they’re not saying anything. It appears that any mention of ghosts by guests have been reasoned away, also citing that they live there and haven’t experienced anything. Whatever the truth, after more than 30 years living and running the Old Priory, the Bells put the property on the market in February this year. Another chapter of one of Beechworth’s most enduring edifices is about to begin.

But what of the alleged ghost ghost of a nun?

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Researching into the history of the place I perhaps found the identity of the Nun allegedly haunting the place?

The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954), Saturday 31 August 1912, page 25 newspaper reported the following death at Beechworth Priory.

DEATH OF A NUN.

Miss Catherine Norris, in religion Sister Mary Joseph, died at the Presentation Convent, Chiltern, at an early hour on Monday morning. The deceased, who was professed at the beginning of the year at the Novitiate, O'Neill College (Garden Vale), was on a visit to Chiltern for the benefit of her health.

The body was removed to the church on Monday evening, and Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. The Rev. Fr. Keane (Wangaratta) was the celebrant; the Rev. Fr. Smith (Chiltern), deacon; Rev- Fr. Healy (Beechworth), sub-deacon; Rev. Fr. Lawless (Chiltern), master of ceremonies.

Dean Gaffey (Beechworth), Rev. Fr. Reilly (Benalla), and the Rev. Fr. Tobin (Euroa), were also present. After the ceremony the funeral cortege left the church for the Chiltern cemetery, headed by the children from the convent and primary school, and the clergymen, Messrs. J. W. Martin, J. Hennessy, J. Ryan, P. O'Neill, C. O'Neill and J. McGann. Members of the H.A.C.B. Society were pall-bearers. The Rev. Fr. Smith read the burial service at the grave, assisted by the other priests.


Did she fall down the stairs? Or did she commit suicide?

Is Catherine Norris the ghostly Nun that allegedly haunts the old priory?

Perhaps staying there for the night one might encounter her?

Kanacki