Julie Postel was a teacher in the fishing village of Barfleur in Normandy who taught children from poor families and took in orphans. In 1807 …
Julie Postel was a teacher in the fishing village of Barfleur in Normandy who taught children from poor families and took in orphans. In 1807 she founded the Poor Daughters of Mercy in Cherbourg. In 1859 the community was recognized as a congregation. The pastor of Boxmeer asked the Congregation to send sisters to assist the sick and dying, and in 1897 they bought the neglected castle of Boxmeer. They made repairs and established a hospital, which was later expanded several times. In 1966 the hospital moved and the castle grounds became home to a nursing facility. The work of the sisters also changed over the years, as they focused more on missionary work. In recent years, the few remaining sisters have chosen to end their congregation in the Netherlands at the place where it all began, in the castle in Boxmeer which now houses residential care centre Sint Anna. The centre is also home to sisters and brothers from other congregations. Unfortunately, the grounds cannot be visited
