Catherine McAuley

Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy

Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland on Sept 29th 1778. Catherine was five years old when her father died. In 1798 her mother also died leaving Catherine and two other children in very poor circumstances. Her sister and brother moved into the home of William Armstrong, a distant Protestant relative, while Catherine opted to live with the Catholic family of Dr Owen Conway, her mother's brother. However, after a year, Owen Conway became bankrupt and Catherine had to join her sister and brother in the Armstrong home where she experienced great personal kindness but a strong hostility to Catholicism.

In 1802 Catherine was offered another home in Coolock House, with William and Catherine Callaghan, distant cousins of her mother, who were wealthy Quakers. When William Callaghan died in 1822, he named Catherine his sole heiress. With the Callaghan inheritance Catherine established a house of Mercy in Baggot St in Dublin in 1827. The house became the first Mercy Convent when the congregation was officially founded in 1831. Catherine died on Nov 11th 1841. Within a few decades her Congregation had spread worldwide. It is still one of the largest congregations of women religious in the Catholic Church.

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