Through the Door:

Personal Reflections on a Year with the Sisters of Mercy


​Like these trainee priests, I entered St Mary's Convent with a clear purpose: they sought spiritual direction and renewal, I was to provide maternity cover for Jenny Smith, archivist for the Union of Sisters of Mercy.  Almost a year later, I am handing back the archives to Jenny and contemplating the many lessons I have learned with the Sisters.  I hope that my reflections will be of interest and that I can adequately communicate these lessons as they relate to Mercy - this being in the context of the Church, a personal motivation to show compassion towards another and to seek to alleviate his or her misfortune. 
Almost the first lesson I learned was about the Sisters' practicality!  In order to meet their obligations to Pope Francis (who proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Mercy in December 2015) and to the Archbishop of Birmingham (who designated St Mary's as a Diocesan Place of Pilgrimage for the Jubilee Year), a doorway was needed as the official 'Door of Mercy'.  This had to be a dignified entrance through which pilgrims could pass as they sought the mercy of God, as well as ensuring effective circulation of people without impacting on other operations within the convent.  The Sisters had a choice of fine, stone doorways, but they selected a work-a-day, wooden example (glimpsed in the background of the photograph above).  Its location worked well for everyone and the Sisters bedecked it with an arch of everlasting flowers, both to mark the doorway's crucial role and through the shape of the arch, to mirror the Gothic theme in the rest of the building.  With this practical matter resolved, the Sisters have conducted groups and individuals on their own spiritual journeys, directly or indirectly connected to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  

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Through meeting the Sisters at St Mary's and by talking and corresponding with Sisters from across the wider congregation, I have come to appreciate just how ​strong their commitment to the Mercy charism is. They place this charism or gift at the centre of their vocation and strive to deliver spiritual and corporal (practical) works of Mercy wherever they find a need.  Working with the archives has provided me with an insight to how this commitment as developed over time and in different locations and I am struck by the relevance of the following image to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.          

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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. 

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​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

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​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. 

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​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.

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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.

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​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