The Sisters of Mercy have a presence in our Parish for the past 172 years. During a Parish Mission in 1853, Dean John Kenny the parish priest was asked by parishioners to approach the Sisters in Limerick with an invitation for the Sisters to come to Ennis to provide education in the town.
In May 1954, five Sisters arrived and settled in Row House off Arthurs Row, now the Clare Museum and the story of education began for girls in Ennis. Within two years they had over 500 pupils on the roll book. They built schools on their Convent Grounds. The secondary school, Coláiste Mhuire, moved to College Road in 1941 and the present Holy Family School was built in the 1960’s. The last Sister retired from teaching in 2010.
The Sisters’ care extended beyond the class room. The visitation of families and the sick was a central ministry from the start earning the name “The walking nuns”. In 1885 they began their long association with the Ennis Workhouse which today is St. Joseph’s Hospital. Sisters were sent from Ennis to the Mercy Mission world wide in America, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, as well as establishing convents in Ennistymon, Killaloe, and Spanish Point.
On Thursday 24th September we will celebrate Mercy Day and an occasion to acknowledge the Sisters of Mercy for their presence and ministry with us here in Ennis. Their commitment to education, healthcare, and social justice have left an incredible mark on our parish and their prayer ministry today is very much valued and appreciated.
The story is one of unwavering faith and practical compassion, a great tribute to the vision of their founder Venerable Catherine McAuley.