History of Iver Heath
In 1931, a group of five sisters were sent to Iver Heath, by their Abbess, Mother Elisabeth Hesseblad, from the house of St Bridget in Rome to open a house of prayer and hospitality to all. The house was offered by lifelong married friend of Mother Elisabeth, Marie Cisneros Potter, before she became a widow in order for Mother Elisabeth to start a new English foundation.
The house was a small but elegant Tudor-style property that stood near woodlands and by a country lane that led to the historic small town of Fulmer. Over the years this small house had extensions added and was enlarged to what it is today, including a good size chapel.
The first abbess of the new convent was Mother Katherine Flanagan, who had been working alongside Mother Elisabeth, and was in charge of the Bridgettine convent in Lugano, Italy before being sent to England. The first years of the foundation were tough, including times of real poverty and privation. Nonetheless, trust in God's Providence, helped by mysterious appearances of gifts of food (actually brought by an Irish maid from a wealthy family in the neighourhood) helped see the sisters through. The first visit by Mother Elisabeth of her first English foundation was not until 1937. Under Mother Katherine's prudent guidance, Iver Heath became well established, and its chapel became in effect the parish church of the area as there was no other Catholic church in the vicinity. Today the Sisters' chapel continues to serve the needs of the local parish.