Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, was born on 29 September 1778 at Stormanstown House near Dublin. After losing both parents at a young age, Catherine and her siblings, Mary and James, faced a turbulent childhood marked by financial instability and religious discrimination in a strongly anti-Catholic society.
At age 25, Catherine was invited to live with a retired Quaker couple, William and Catherine Callaghan, at their estate in Coolock, near Dublin. She became a devoted companion and caregiver, and when Mr. Callaghan died in 1822, he left his entire estate to Catherine. This inheritance gave her the means to pursue her lifelong dream of serving the poor and educating young people.
In 1827, Catherine established the House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin. It served as both a school for underprivileged children and a shelter for women in need. She was joined by Anna Maria Doyle and her relative Catherine Bryn, who moved into the residence and helped run its daily operations. Catherine continued to support the work while also caring for her late sister’s children.
In 1830, Catherine began formal religious training with Anna Maria Doyle and Elizabeth Harley, preparing to found a new religious order. On 12 December 1831, the three women professed their vows, officially founding the Sisters of Mercy. The order was later approved by Pope Gregory XVI in 1841.
Catherine’s health declined rapidly in late 1841. Diagnosed with a diseased lung, she was anointed on 8 November and passed away peacefully on 11 November. Her final request was simple and heartfelt: that the sisters gather in the community room, share a good cup of tea, and comfort one another—trusting that God would comfort them too.
Catherine McAuley was buried at Baggot Street, near the House of Mercy she had founded.
Her legacy lives on in the global work of the Sisters of Mercy, who continue her mission of compassion, education, and service to those in need.
© Brisbane Catholic Education, St John Fisher College Bracken Ridge (2026)