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A Caring Legacy
The first Sister of
Mercy, Catherine Elizabeth McAuley, would be pleased to
see the difference her tender courage has made in the world
today. Not even Catherine could have
anticipated the enormous tidal wave her vision of mercy would create throughout
the world. |
Sister Catherine McAuley
1778 - 1841
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Today, it is a vision carried forward by the Sisters of Mercy and others who
share their dedication to those in need. It is the heritage that founded Mercy
Medical Center’s facility of Mercy in Nampa. It began in Ireland in the
late 18th century. One small child’s heart stirred with pity for those
who were poor and suffering in a land of difficult times and many sorrows. This
child of privilege who lived within intersecting circles of suffering became
a woman of compassion and understanding.
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In 1824 Catherine Elizabeth McAuley became an heiress of
an estate that would today translate into approximately $1,000,000.
With this inheritance she resolved to provide relief and instruction
for the poor and to build a refuge for distressed women. September
24, 1827, Catherine’s resolve resulted in the construction
of the first House of Mercy. It was built on the corner of
fashionable Baggot and Herbert Streets in Dublin, Ireland,
a place where the poor would be visible to the rich.
The works of mercy from Baggot Street increased and eventually led to the official
formation of the Sisters of Mercy on December 12,1831. The Success of the Baggot
Street venture soon spread to other regions of Ireland and England.
Catherine was a Sister of Mercy for only ten years, but her tender courage lives
in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy and many lay people who today “walk” with
her vision throughout the world. |
Statue of Sister McAuley in front of
The House of Mercy on
Baggot St.
in Dublin, Ireland
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