After serving 172 years as a safe home for orphaned girls, the St. Ann’s Home, formerly St. Ann’s Orphanage, situated on Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, finally closed its doors on Friday, July 28th, 2023.
The reason stated for the closure was due to a decrease in the number of Ursuline Sisters and subsequent difficulty in locating suitable caregivers, a report in the Catholic Standard said.
Stabroek News spoke to a source from the now-closed Home, who said that all the girls who were residents of the Home are still being properly taken care of and supported by the Ursuline nuns. The decision to close the doors, the source said, was not an easy one, however, due to human resource constraints, a unanimous decision was made to bring the Home to a close. The orphanage has served girls from all walks of life, primarily those who came from difficult backgrounds, providing them with a safe and healthy environment.
The St. Ann’s Orphanage first opened its doors on July 2nd, 1851, exactly four years after the first group of Ursuline Sisters arrived in Guyana from Ireland. Bishop Hynes, who had invited them, brought along two young girls who needed care and accommodation. The Sisters were asked to provide same, which they did. Shortly after, the population of girls grew, which led to the official establishment of St. Ann’s Orphanage. The numbers continued to grow, housing over 102 girls at one time, all cared for by a small complement of Ursuline nuns.
However, by year 2000, the orphanage’s population dropped to between 50-60 young girls, which is when the name change occurred from St. Ann’s Orphanage to St. Ann’s Home. Over the years, St. Ann’s Orphanage and Home received support from many donors and organizations, most notably John Fernandes Sr., who assumed full responsibility for the orphanage’s physical structures.
