Called to Care Living Mission Every day - Karen - Flipbook - Page 8
Still
Inspiring: The
bicentenary of
Cathereine
McAuley's
House of
Mercy, will be
an opportunity
not simply to
remember the
past, but to
celebrate a
living legacy
Red Doors, Open Hearts
T
Brenda Drumm is
Head of
Communications with
Mercy International
Association and is
pleased to advise
Mission Matters that
Catherine McAuley's
House of Mercy
welcomes the world
again!
he last time we wrote in
Mission Matters it was to
share the news of the
temporary closure of Catherine
McAuley's first House of Mercy on
Lower Baggot Street for essential fire
remediation works. While it was
difficult to close the doors of such a
cherished place, the work was
necessary to preserve the building for
future generations. We are delighted
to be able to say that our red doors are
now open once again (with a lovely
fresh coat of paint), welcoming
visitors from Ireland and from across
the Mercy World.
The reopening marks an exciting new
chapter in the life of 64a Lower
Baggot Street - the birthplace of the
Mercy movement. It was here, in
1827, that Catherine McAuley
founded the first House of Mercy,
creating a place of welcome, education
and practical support for women and
children experiencing poverty and
disadvantage.
What began as one house in Dublin
grew into an international movement
that today serves millions of people
through education, healthcare, social
services and advocacy across the
world.
The recently completed works have
carefully conserved the historic fabric
of the building while enhancing the
experience of those who come to visit.
Every effort has been made to honour
the integrity of Catherine's home,
allowing visitors to encounter not only
the history of the house but also the
enduring spirit of Mercy that
continues to animate it. The essential
works were mostly about fire
remediation, but they also afforded us
the opportunity to restore some rooms
to their original use. These new spaces
and the existing heritage exhibition
areas and visitor facilities, invite
reflection on Catherine's
extraordinary vision and the legacy
that continues to inspire people of all
faiths and none.
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