FROM THE VOICE OF CATHERINE MCAULEY-FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY

Coming editions of our newsletter will feature inspiring quotes from Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy.  As a Mercy School, we are inspired by the passion and commitment of the Mercy sisters in their work at St Joseph’s School from 1875. Following on from the last newsletter, below is a brief description of the establishment of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia. 

The establishment of the many groups of Sisters of Mercy around the world began with Catherine McAuley and the founding sisters in Dublin, Ireland. While Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831, it wasn’t until after her death in 1841 that the Sisters of Mercy first came to Australia in 1846. Ursula Frayne, a close friend of Catherine McAuley, arrived with six Sisters and settled in Perth, Western Australia where they began the first chapter. Since its local beginnings in Perth, the institute rapidly evolved and spread throughout Australia growing to 17 congregations nationwide. In 1981, the congregations converged to become the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia, which form part of the world-wide network of Mercy Sisters that serve people in need and carry out the mission of mercy today.

"We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us."

Catherine McAuley