Brief History of the Sisters of Mercy

                                                                          

Catherine McAuley was born into a wealthy family in Dublin, Ireland. Her father brought poor

children to their home on weekends for instruction in the Catholic faith. He died when Catherine was very young, but his compassion influenced her entire life.

In 1831, Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin. Her original intention had been to gather like-minded companions and to devote her considerable inheritance to serving the poor, especially women and children. Church authorities prevailed on her to found a religious order so that the work would continue after her death.

The Sisters of Mercy took as their special concerns the education of girls, visitation of the sick in their homes and the protection of distressed women of good character. Their attention was on local needs and they soon came to be known as `the walking nuns'.

Before Catherine died in 1841, there were 12 Mercy foundations in Ireland and 2 in England and the scope of the Sisters' work included school-based and adult education, the care of the sick in hospitals and the establishment of homes for orphans, the aged and the disadvantaged.

In 1846 the Sisters of Mercy, under the leadership of Ursula Frayne, they developed a presence in the colony of Perth, Australia. The Sisters of Mercy came to South Australia in 1880. They established schools in 22 centres including -  Adelaide, Parkside, Henley Beach, in the South East, Brompton and  Elizabeth.

In 1957, the Sisters of Mercy brought Catholic education to the new township of Elizabeth. We are grateful for their dedication, commitment, and most of all the legacy they have left our community. Sr Pat Feehan was the last of the Sisters to lead our school community. We continue to support and pray for the Sisters of Mercy. We celebrate Mercy Day on September 24th: the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy.

 

 

The corporal works of Mercy are:   

 

 

Feed the hungry

 

Give drink to the thirsty

Clothe the naked

Shelter the homeless

Visit the sick

Visit the imprisoned

Bury the dead 

 

The spiritual works of Mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant

To counsel the doubtful

To admonish sinners

To bear wrongs patiently

To forgive offences willingly

To comfort the afflicted

To pray for the living and the dead