ABSTRACT
As in the rest of the United Kingdom, the Catholic Church has a long, pioneering, tradition of providing education in Wales. After the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850, various religious orders played a leading role in establishing and running Catholic schools throughout Wales. These orders included: the Sisters of Mercy, the Union of Irish Ursulines, the Ursulines of Jesus, the Loreto Sisters, the Benedictines, the Sisters of the Holy Family, the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy, the De La Salle Bothers, the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, the Sisters of Nazareth, the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of St Clare.
