About Us
Today, the Parramatta Sisters of Mercy work directly within local communities and provide support to other organisations who work for mercy and justice in and for our world.
Image: Congregation Chapter delegates 2023
Our Mercy Values
Inspired by the life of Jesus found in the gospels and of our founder, Catherine McAuley, our work is based on the values of:
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We recognise God’s loving kindness poured out continuously on all creation and evident in our own lives, and we desire to share that gift with others, especially the poor and vulnerable. We strive to respond to unmet needs, through direct service as well as seeking ways to change unjust systems. Both approaches are compassionate responses to the most basic of needs as described in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
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We open our hearts to the cries of the poor using our energies, gifts and resources to address violence and discrimination, especially for women and children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, displaced persons, the homeless, those suffering hardship because of poverty and those affected by injustice within the Church.
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We treat all living beings with dignity and respect, nurturing relationships that are kind, just, respectful and inclusive. We value diversity, affirming the intrinsic value and gift of each human being.
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We seek to identify unjust social structures and practices, and take action for positive change. We do this at personal, local and systemic levels, through friendship, direct assistance, advocacy and research and by collaborating with groups who have similar values and goals.
We enjoy and celebrate Earth’s beauty and bounty and her many species and we honour our duty to love and care for the Earth and to add to her well-being wherever possible. In response to ‘the cry of the earth’ we work to protect the rights of the natural world and make practical efforts to stem the hurtful effects of climate change, pollution and the “throw away” mentality.
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Our vow of service is expressed in various Mercy ministries: education in many forms, pastoral and aged care, visitation, spiritual companioning, social justice actions, administration, prayerful support. We are guided by Catherine’s spirit of mercy expressed in her Familiar Instructions 138: There are three things the poor prize more highly than gold, tho’ they cost the donor nothing; among these are the kind word, the gentle, compassionate look and the patient hearing of their sorrows.
Our Irish Beginnings – “It started with two.”
We trace our roots to our founder, Catherine McAuley (1778-1841), an Irish Catholic woman who inherited a fortune and dedicated all of it to helping poor women and children in Dublin. The work she and her friend, Anna Maria Doyle, started in 1827 became the worldwide Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy.
Image: A portrait of Catherine McAuley © Sr Marie Henderson rsm
Source: Mercy International Association
Our Parramatta Beginnings
Our founding sisters came to Parramatta from Callan in Ireland, in December 1888, continuing the work with families and convict women, established by the Sisters of Charity and The Sisters of Mercy North Sydney.
Image: Villiers St Convent and school - the first residence of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta.
Between 1888 and the present day, many women joined the Parramatta Sisters of Mercy, serving throughout NSW and Victoria and as far afield as Papua New Guinea, Latin America and Africa. By the 1960s the Sisters ministered in thirty parish primary schools, four secondary high schools and seven intermediate schools, as well as in orphanages, places of welcome and aged care and nursing facilities. Many of these services continue today under the leadership of colleagues who share the values and vison of the Sisters.
Our Mercy Mission Spreads
Image: Sr Johanna rsm with Refugee Friends
To read more about some of these ministries established, enabled or supported by the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta, visit the links below.
Mercy International Association (MIA) is an organisation of the leaders of Mercy Congregations, Institutes and Federations throughout the world, founded to serve the Sisters of Mercy, their associates and partners in ministry. It promotes programs in Mercy Heritage and Spirituality and Mercy Global Action and is based in Catherine McAuley’s original House of Mercy in Dublin.