When the Kinsale community in Ireland heard stories of the pressing social needs in California, they decided, in 1854, that they would send a group of sisters to make a foundation.

At that time, California was in the grip of the gold rush. There was little in the way of community structures or services, and lawlessness was rampant.

It was Mother M. Baptist Russell who was chosen to lead the group of eight, although she was the youngest professed sister in the group. The journey took them across the Atlantic and then to the far side of what is now the United States of America. In San Francisco, the Sisters had to cope with considerable anti-Catholic sentiment as they began their work. Despite the risks, they quickly established projects to educate the underprivileged, especially women and children.

The sisters visited prisoners in jail and the sick in their homes, and they eventually established a Catholic hospital. Mother M. Baptist Russell went on to establish Mercy communities in Sacramento CA (1857) and Grass Valley CA (1863).

Born in Newry, Ireland, in 1829, Katherine Russell was the third child of Arthur and Margaret Russell. According to Jeanne Reichart, it was in “the seclusion of the countryside" that she developed a deep love of nature and of the sea.” (Reichart, “Mother Mary Baptist Russell of California”). Katherine was educated by private tutors, and she went to a private school. Moreover, Katherine understood the value of education for the underprivileged. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Kinsale in 1848 and made her profession in 1849.

Katherine Russell did not meet Catherine McAuley. She joined the Sisters of Mercy seven years after the death of the foundress. However, her story demonstrates that she was very similar in temperament and ability to Catherine. The wide range of charitable works she established in San Francisco demonstrates her love for the poor and her determination to alleviate poverty.

To embark on a journey to establish a foundation in California would have required a great deal of courage.

Once there, the prejudice of many in the new settlement put Mother M. Baptist Russell and her Sisters in danger. The community lived in poverty and gave what little they had to those who had even less.

From small beginnings, the Congregation in San Franciso grew into a strong and influential community. In 1924, their central functions and ministries moved to Burlingame, CA. The Sisters of Mercy's longstanding history of compassion and care continues to resonate in the state of California. The Congregation is today part of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

Sisters of Mercy Campus: Burlingame, California, accessed 30 April 2024. https://sistersofmercyburlingame.com/history/