89 The Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland
- A House of Mercy was founded by Catherine McAuley on Baggot St., Dublin, Ireland in 1827. Catherine and two of her associates entered the Convent of the Presentation Sisters in Dublin on September 8, 1830, to begin formal preparation for founding the Sisters of Mercy. Fifteen months later they pronounced vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and to persevere until death in “the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy”. Thus the new community was founded on December 12, 1831. Catherine lived only ten years as a Sister of Mercy but in that time she established nine additional autonomous foundations in Ireland and England, and two branch houses near Dublin. When she died in 1841 there were 150 Sisters of Mercy.
- The story of Mercy in Newfoundland is one that is rich in history and tradition, steeped in, and shaped by, the unique culture of this province. On June 3, 1842, at the invitation of Bishop Fleming, Sisters Francis Creedon, Ursula Frayne and Rose Lynch arrived in St. John’s to begin a new Mercy foundation, the first outside the British Isles and the first in North America. Today, women inspired by the vision of Catherine McAuley carry out Mercy ministry in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, and in Peru in a variety of ways. They make a commitment to alleviate injustice and to continue to reach out in compassion and service to the poor and oppressed, especially women. They seek to do this through their continued presence to the sick, elderly, poor, and marginalized, and through their sponsorship and contributions to numerous programs and projects not only in the province but also in the wider global community.