Before the school even fully got off the ground, the women heard of a need for teachers in the United States from a missionary priest who had observed their school on Anne Street. The five women, Clarke, Catherine Byrne, Eliza Kelly, Margaret Mann, and Rose O'Toole decided to emigrate to Philadelphia to teach the children of Irish immigrants.
Before the school was fully established, women learned of a demand for teachers in the United States from a missionary priest who had seen their school on Anne Street. The five women—Clarke, Catherine Byrne, Eliza Kelly, Margaret Mann, and Rose O'Toole—chose to emigrate to Philadelphia to instruct the children of Irish immigrants.