I recently returned from a trip to Ireland, including a visit to Dublin and its surrounding towns. I was lucky enough to have time for a stop at Mercy International Centre, the first house of mercy established by Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. The house is located on Baggot St., a short walk from St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin.

Catherine dedicated her life to serving the poor, giving special attention to women and children in need. Throughout her life, she showed kindness and hospitality to all. Like many good Irishwomen, Catherine McAuley took her tea seriously. On her deathbed, she said to the sisters by her side: “Tell the Sisters to get a good cup of tea—I think the Community Room would be a good place—when I am gone, and to comfort one another, but God will comfort them.” She died Nov. 11, 1841, and is buried in the courtyard of Mercy International Centre, along with many of the sisters who worked beside her. Mercy International Centre has many well preserved artifacts from Catherine’s life, and is also a great place to find out more information on the current work of the sisters. Today, the Sisters of Mercy not only continue to live in Catherine’s spirit of Mercy, but also continue her commitment to hospitality. Tours of Mercy International Center are available Monday through Friday and include a warm scone, made by the sisters and, of course, a hot cup of tea.

You can get a glimpse of my journey to Baggot St. (and the scones) via the slideshow, here.

Kerry Weber

 

Kerry Weber joined the staff of America in October 2009. Her writing and multimedia work have since earned several awards from the Catholic Press Association, and in 2013 she reported from Rwanda as a recipient of Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship. Kerry is the author of Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job (Loyola Press) and Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students (Twenty-Third Publications). A graduate of Providence College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she has previously worked as an editor for Catholic Digest, a local reporter, a diocesan television producer, and as a special-education teacher on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.