Called to Care Living Mission Every day - Karen - Flipbook - Page 5
An Enduring Welcome
A Mater Mission that opened its doors…and never closed
S
eptember is Mission Month - a fitting time to
celebrate the Mater’s enduring Mercy heritage and a
mission rooted in compassion, service and care.
On 24 September 1861, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital
officially opened its doors on Eccles Street, Dublin.
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, the hospital was built
around a defining mission: to care for those in need,
especially the sick poor.
That tradition of compassionate care continues to resonate
today.
The Mater has witnessed pivotal moments in Ireland’s
history while also pioneering significant developments in
healthcare. During the 1916 Easter Rising, its staff cared
for casualties from the conflict. In 1927, insulin was first
introduced in Ireland at the Mater. In 1985, the hospital
performed Ireland’s first heart transplant, beginning a
remarkable chapter in heart and lung transplantation.
Today, the Mater is a major teaching and specialist
hospital, with more than 4,500 staff and 800 inpatient
beds, and a national leadership role in highly complex care
- from major trauma and critical care to transplantation
and specialist medicine. Yet perhaps the most remarkable
part of the Mater’s story is not a medical milestone or a
new building, but the continuity of its mission.
On 24 September 1827, the first House of Mercy opened
on Baggot Street. Exactly 34 years later, on 24 September
1861, the Mater opened its doors.
Those doors have remained open ever since - a lasting
symbol of Mercy, welcome, compassion and service.
Rooted in the Mercy mission of 1827, the Mater opened its
doors in 1861, and continues to welcome, care and serve
today.
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