Sisters of Mercy

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Nottingham Road cemetery contains many Sisters of Mercy graves, this is just one headstone.

The Sisters of Mercy were founded by Catherine McAuley, who was born in Dublin in 1778. She received money from William Callaghan’s will, she used this money to establish a residence in Baggot Street to serve the poor women and children in Dublin. The house on Baggot Street opened its doors on 24th September 1827.

On 8th September 1830 Catherine went with Anna Maria Doyle and Elizabeth Harley to enter the Presentation Sisters at St George’s Hill, Dublin to train as the first Sisters of Mercy.

On 12th December 1831 the first Sisters make their Profession of Vows and return to Baggot Street, thus, the Sisters of Mercy came into being.

In 1844 a convent was founded in Kinsale County Cork. The Sisters of Mercy came to Derby from Kinsale in 1849, and set up a convent on Nottingham Road. They moved to the city centre in 1862 next to St Marys Church, Bridge Gate. The convent closed in 2019. The Sisters now run the Mercy Care Home, Derby.

Initially their main role was teaching and many will remember attending St Philomena’s Convent school, which later became St Ralph Sherwin school.

A detailed history of the Sisters of Mercy can be found at www.stmarysparish.co.uk/History.html