From Baggot Street to Birmingham

On Tuesday 10th September 2024, Sr Phil Murphy RSM and Sr Margaret Daly RSM left Baggot Street and travelled to St Mary’s Convent Handsworth Birmingham (Catherine's final foundation). The purpose of their trip was to bring to Baggot Street artefacts pertaining to Sr Juliana Hardman which are being generously loaned by the Union of the Sisters of Mercy of Great Britain for the exhibition Catherine McAuley and the Mission of Mercy.

Sr Margaret shares a blog with us about the trip

Sr Margaret's Blog from Birmingham

We arrived in St Mary’s Convent Handsworth in the late afternoon and were met with a warm Mercy welcome. When Catherine McAuley made the same journey, it was much more arduous. In fact, she stated in a letter to Frances Warde “We…sailed on Friday – got here about 4 o’c on Saturday”

St Mary’s Convent is Catherine’s last foundation. In the same letter Catherine wrote “The Convent is beautiful – and fully furnished for 20 Sisters. Mr. Pugin (architect) would not permit cloth of any kind on the rooms – rush chairs and oak tables – but all is so admirable” (c August 25, 1841).

During our visit Jenny Smith (Archivist for the Union of the Sisters of Mercy of Great Britain) gave us a wonderful tour of this house with all its heritage and story of the Mercy Mission. Along with the panels accounting the Sisters of Mercy’s ministry we also were able to spend time in the room where Catherine McAuley slept, in the garden where she walked, and the chapel where she prayed. “The stained glass and the ceiling of the chapel, with the word ‘Mercy’ at least one hundred times, in various characters are very beautiful. It may be said that the sisters are surrounded with Mercy.” (Letter to a Sister of Mercy, late August 1841)

The purpose of our visit was to collect an artefact for our newly developed exhibition Catherine Mc Auley and the Mission of Mercy. The Union of the Sisters of Mercy of Great Britain agreed to give us a loan of three artefacts associated with Sr Juliana Hardman (first Superior of Handsworth).

For both Sr Phil and I working as we do in Mercy International Centre (Catherine’s first house of Mercy) it was wonderful to have the opportunity to visit her last house. We are very grateful to the community in St. Mary’s and to Jenny for their hospitality and kindness.

*With thanks to Margaret for sharing her blog with is. If you would like to do a virtual tour of Handsworth, please click here. *