On the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, Saturday 24th    September Sisters of Mercy from all over England, Scotland and Wales gathered with Priests, Representatives from other Religions, Mercy Associates, Parishioners and friends at St. Francis Church in Handsworth, Birmingham to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the opening of St. Mary’s Convent on Hunters Road on 20th August 1841.
 
The Chief Celebrant was Archbishop Bernard Longley who was joined by Bishop Peter Huynh Van Hai who was visiting from Vietnam, Fr. Gerry Kelly, Parish priest of St. Francis and other priests.  Sr. Philomena Bowers, Congregational Leader of the Union of the Sisters of Mercy welcomed all to the Celebration and reminded us of how Bishop Walsh, the Hardman Family, Augustus Pugin and John Talbot the Earl of Shrewsbury had all played a part in providing what our Foundress Venerable Catherine McAuley described as a beautiful convent for the first Sisters.
 
At the Offertory Procession as well as the bread and wine, seven Lighted Candles were carried to the altar with seven symbols representing the various ministries the Sisters from St. Mary’s have been involved in over the past 175 years.  These symbols were laid in front of a beautiful painting designed by Sr. Anne Reddington specially for the celebration.

First candle: 1841: FIRST MINISTRIES:
The orphanage was the first ministry of St. Mary’s when thirty two orphans transferred from Sr. Juliana Hardman’s home (now the presbytery of St. Francis’ parish).  To this was added visitation of the local families and catechesis.  The House of Mercy where young vulnerable women were trained, was opened in 1844, 

Second candle: THE NOVITIATE
In 1841 two postulants accompanied Mother Catherine McAuley, and the founding sisters – Juliana Hardman, Lucy Bond, Eliza Edwards and Anne Wood. From then until the 1950s, there was a flourishing Novitiate where those seeking to follow the Mercy way of life were trained. 

Third candle: PASTORAL CARE
The on-going ministry of pastoral care has continued from the beginning until the present time. Today it embraces refugees, vulnerable women, the homeless, the stranger at the door, people of all cultures.

Fourth candle: EDUCATION, CATECHESIS & LITERACY PROGRAMMES
In the spirit of Mercy, all aspects of education have been important from the time of the foundation to the present day.  It is noteworthy that the first Catholic Teacher Training College was established by the sisters in St. Anne’s, Digbeth.  It was later moved to Liverpool, and given into the care of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

Fifth Candle: THE PRESENT DAY
St. Mary’s was reopened in 2005 after extensive refurbishment.  The new vision placed the emphasis on HERITAGE, SPIRITUALITY AND OUTREACH.
The rich Pugin heritage is still very much appreciated today.
St. Mary’s has an open door to those seeking a deeper relationship with God through retreats, days of recollection, spiritual direction, workshops, and in this special time, Year of Mercy pilgrimages.



​Citizens UK Birmingham leaders, who work from St. Mary’s have referred to it as “the epicentre of social justice in Birmingham”.  Outreach ministry is mainly to vulnerable women, the homeless, the refugees.
​The celebration was followed by a lovely meal in St. Francis Centre.
 
To quote from Fr. Gerry Kelly in St. Francis Newsletter 24/25th September:
 
“Congratulations to the Sisters of Mercy who have celebrated the 175th Anniversary of their foundation here in Handsworth.  As was mentioned in the celebration, it is remarkable that in an age when women did not take on public roles, Catherine McAuley and her companions should take on the work of mercy not only in Handsworth, but throughout the city of Birmingham, and indeed throughout the country, then spreading to many other countries throughout the world.  Many thousands of poor people, children and adults have been helped on life’s journey by the faithful witness and practical help of so many Sisters here in Handsworth and around the world.  Archbishop Longley  presided over a beautiful Mass and afterwards the Sisters treated everyone who came to St. Francis Centre to a beautiful buffet meal.  We thank them for their continued presence in Handsworth as they find new ways of offering the healing charism of mercy to so many people”.


Photos
https://www.flickr.com/gp/catholicism/D9xx47

Sr. Noreen Cullen rsm

Taken to publicise the work of Providence Row Hostel, the photograph graphically shows the 'Door of Mercy' as a practical ministry. Sister Marie O'Dea of Crispin Street Convent welcomes homeless and lonely men to this night refuge, where they will receive sustenance, shelter and companionship.  Whilst this is a formal photograph intended to highlight the work of the refuge and attract ongoing support, it cannot mask either the warmth of the reception from Sister Marie, nor the scale of the need to be addressed.  The full queue in the original photograph stretches around the corner and records show that scores of men were looked after every night.  Vulnerable women and young families were also cared for in adjacent accommodation and similar services are still provided, fifty years later.  Providence Row has now moved to the Dellow Centre, Wentworth Street where a range of practical and advocacy services are provided.  Whilst the Sisters no longer provide direct assistance, they serve on the Board of Trustees, maintaining continuity with the founding ethos from 1860, to ensure that Mercy is shown to the homeless and vulnerable of East London. 

​I have learned that the Sisters are constantly evolving in how they deliver Mercy.  They have never been an enclosed order and from their foundation in Dublin in 1831 and since their arrival in England (1839 in Bermondsey, London; 1841 in Handsworth, Birmingham), the Sisters have been active in education, healthcare and social care.  Originally known as the Walking Sisters, through their home visits to the needy, the Sisters moved with the times, as demonstrated by Sister Paula Maher in this photograph from the 1970s.  ​The so-called 'Flying Sisters' provided midwifery and district nursing services through their home visits, as well as a range of other needs, including laying out corpses as required.  They also provided pastoral duties, including distribution of Holy Communion to housebound parishioners

​Given the social, economic and political changes since the 1970s and with parallel changes to vocations and religious devotions, the Sisters have adapted their approach to ministries, in line with changes elsewhere in the Church.  Statutory and third sector organisations increasingly provide direct services to individuals and families, whilst the Sisters now concentrate on work with marginalised individuals and communities.  In 1988, Bodmin Convent in Cornwall began supporting people living with H.I.V. / Aids and on World Aids Day 1990, the Bethany Centre opened in the Convent grounds to offer rest and respite for patients and carers.  This ministry was initiated as a practical response of Mercy, within a non-judgemental context and I have learned that the Sisters have a long tradition of focusing on the person in need of Mercy, not their religious, social or ethnic background.  This stretches back to the mid Nineteenth Century and their service to wounded soldiers alongside Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. 

​This open approach to people is relevant more than ever in multi-cultural and multi-faith Britain and I have experienced firsthand how St Mary's Convent provides a welcoming environment for members of all faiths and those of no faith.Confidence building for people with seemingly few life chances is now a major activity, as is advocacy for and on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers.  I have seen the Sisters use their experience of organising services to build capacity for community groups, helping them set up management structures which can engage with local authorities and funding partners.  Partnership is increasingly important for the Sisters, not least in Handsworth where they helped establish and now support and host the Birmingham branch of Citizens UK.

This civil alliance for community organising has lobbied for the introduction of the Statutory Living Wage and advocates rights for refugees and those gaining UK Citizenship.  However, alongside these 'strategic' issues, the personal dimension of Mercy remains paramount and initiatives such as 'Conscious Cafe' seek to foster one-to-one contacts amongst people.  Introduced by St Mary's Convent in 2013, 'Conscious Cafe' helps women of different cultures share creative and learning experiences, for their personal benefit and to break down barriers of isolation.  Initially focused on art and craft activities, in 2016 the project began computer training and as recently as 16th September this year, additional funding was gained from the Active Citizens Fund to expand the computer side of the project.

​The spiritual dimension of Mercy remains central to the work of the Sisters and their commitment has been demonstrated through the formal pilgrimages for the Jubilee Year of Mercy and also through very many personal encounters which the Sisters facilitate sensitively and without fanfare.  Across the country, Church life is enriched through quiet support given at Parish and Diocesan level, within and outside the Church walls.
I have learned that the workload shouldered by the Sisters of Mercy is immense, on behalf of us all, whatever our faith or attitude to faith.  This note is written in the week that World leaders meet in New York for the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants; and also the week in which World Faith Leaders gather in Assisi to pray for World Peace.  The daily work of the Sisters of Mercy should inspire everyone at these meetings.
As my formal engagement at St Mary's ends, I take away a treasure trove of experiences, mostly very happy, a few unfortunately sad because of the circumstances encountered through the Sisters' work but all imbued with their complete commitment to providing Mercy wherever it is required.
Please pray for the Sisters of Mercy in their 185th Year and particularly for those at St Mary's Convent, Birmingham as they celebrate the 175th Anniversary of their foundation.

Contact:
The Union of the Sisters of Mercy:                                 [email protected]
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Archives of the Union of Sisters of Mercy:                   [email protected]

St Mary's Convent, Birmingham:                                        [email protected]

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Jim Ranahan
​20/09/2016