Staff from St. Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy visit MIC

We are delighted to share this article from St.Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy in Sunderland, England, following their visit to us in Mercy International Centre in March:

St. Anthony’s visit to Mercy International Centre

The staff at St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy had the pleasure of visiting Mercy International Centre, Baggot Street, Dublin in March 2025 to deepen our understanding of our school ethos and mission in celebration of our school’s 120 year anniversary. Sr. Margaret Daly rsm spent the day with us and was a wonderful and very knowledgeable guide, who gave us an incredible insight into the history and life of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy.

Catherine McAuley

It was fascinating to hear the inspirational and resilient story of Catherine McAuley and her life’s work to shelter and educate women and girls and care for the sick. We could only feel inspired when hearing about her caring and compassionate nature, her courage, her leadership and her determination to try new ways to serve the needy. She was a real innovator of her time and a true role model to us all.

Tour of the first House of Mercy

The Georgian building is beautiful and a real sanctuary, giving us all a real sense of peace and warmth as soon as we entered. It was inspiring to hear the history of the house, built by Catherine McAuley to enable her to meet the needs of the poor. The Chapel is at the very heart of the building and is a beautiful place where we could reflect on her mission and pray. The school room was a room full of light and hope and the images on the walls helped us to visualise the many children who would have studied there and benefited from the Sisters of Mercy’s teaching and care.

The Heritage Room

The displays of artefacts, images, written documents and timeline of events helped teach us about the values, beliefs and way of life in the 1800s. It was fascinating to hear about how Catherine’s mission spread around the world into so many countries and how it continues to have such a global impact today.

The Cup of Tea Tradition

During the visit we all gathered for a cup of tea which was a lovely moment for us to chat and reflect on our visit. It marked a significant tradition, as it reminded us of Catherine’s final request to her sisters to share a ‘good cup of tea’ in the community room after her passing. This represents the warm hospitality and generosity among the Mercy family.

Reflections

The visit provided an amazing opportunity for us to reflect together on the mission and ethos of our school in a moving, enriching and very memorable way. We felt truly inspired to continue Catherine’s living mission of compassion, faith and service in our communities.

ENDS

Article and images used with permission of St. Anthony's Girl's Catholic Academy.