Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, officially opened the Alpha Mercy Historical Centre, today (Aug. 18), honouring nearly 150 years of transformative service, social development and cultural contribution by the Sisters of Mercy of Jamaica.
The new museum, which was established partly through a $100-million investment from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), serves as a cultural and educational space designed to preserve national history, enrich Jamaica’s heritage and expand cultural tourism opportunities.
Speaking at the ceremony, held at the Alpha Campus in Kingston, Dr. Holness highlighted the importance of heritage preservation, noting that it is essential in fostering national pride and identity among young people.
“We must take the preservation of our history seriously. Our historical buildings, institutions, documents, traditions and stories are part of Jamaica’s national wealth,” he said.
“Once lost, many of them cannot be recovered. Preserving them is, therefore, not an exercise in nostalgia; it is an investment in identity, education and national confidence. Young Jamaicans should know the institutions that helped to shape their country,” the Prime Minister said.
He commended the Sisters of Mercy of Jamaica for establishing the museum, noting that the initiative reflects their long-standing history of identifying and addressing societal needs.
“Before Jamaica had a government-led social welfare system, it was the churches and charitable organisations, institutions like the Sisters of Mercy that filled the gap and, indeed, provided the social welfare. They educated, they cared for the vulnerable, they created institutions and above all they placed service at the centre of their mission,” Dr. Holness said.
He stressed that the core philosophy of the Sisters of Mercy was built on the belief that a person’s birth circumstances should never limit their life’s potential.
The Prime Minister further urged that the nation should continue building systems capable of recognising potential in every Jamaican and providing pathways where ability, effort and ambition lead to real opportunity.
Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, expressed gratitude to the Sisters of Mercy for creating the historical centre, noting the opportunities it will provide for the tourism sector.
“We want to thank everybody who’s participated. Yes, TEF would have provided the funds, but… you are the ones that really make it happen. You really transform it and for that, we’re truly grateful,” he said.
“We look at our funds as not grants but investments that we expect to pay off handsomely from the growth in experiential tourism,” he continued.
The Alpha Mercy Historical Centre utilises technology to depict its history and features a media room with a historical reenactment of the institution’s founding, a collection of artefacts and documents, a gift shop and a Memorial Wall honouring the Sisters who dedicated their lives to service.
