Early Life & Background
In which city and country was Catherine McAuley born?
Dublin, Ireland.
What was the name of the home Catherine built on Baggot Street to help poor women and girls?
The House of Mercy.
In what year did Catherine McAuley found the Sisters of Mercy?
1831.
What major ministry did the Sisters of Mercy focus on by establishing many schools?
Education.
According to Catherine McAuley, who should be helped immediately?
The poor.
In what year was Catherine McAuley born?
1778.
Who did the House of Mercy mainly support?
Poor servant girls, homeless women, and vulnerable women and children.
In which city was the Sisters of Mercy founded?
Dublin, Ireland.
Name one area of health care where the Sisters of Mercy helped by founding institutions.
Hospitals or aged-care facilities.
What key Christian value guided Catherine McAuley’s mission?
Mercy.
How old was Catherine McAuley at the time of her mother's death in 1798?
nearly, 20
What types of skills and education did Catherine teach poor people while living at Coolock House?
Religious instruction, reading, industrial crafts, and practical life skills.
Who led the first group of Sisters of Mercy to Australia in 1846?
Ursula Frayne.
About how many Mercy schools were eventually established across Australia?
Over 100 schools.
What is the special fourth vow of the Sisters of Mercy focused on?
Service to the poor, sick, and uneducated.
What was the name of the estate where Catherine lived and worked for many years?
Coolock House.
Which three priests advised Catherine McAuley to build the House of Mercy?
Joseph Nugent, Edward Armstrong, and Michael Blake.
What school founded by the Sisters of Mercy became the first Catholic school established by a female religious order in Australia?
Mercedes College.
Besides education and healthcare, name one social service ministry provided by the Sisters of Mercy.
Refugee support, low-cost housing, help for homeless women, domestic-violence support, or Indigenous community work.
How did the Sisters of Mercy express Catholic teaching about human dignity?
By providing education, healthcare, and social support for the poor and marginalised.
Which wealthy Protestant and Quaker couple owned the estate and later left Catherine their inheritance?
William and Catherine Callaghan.
On which feast day in 1827 did the House of Mercy officially open?
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy (September 24, 1827).
What organisation unified the Mercy congregations in Australia and Papua New Guinea in the 21st century?
The Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
How did the Sisters of Mercy influence the role of the Catholic Church in Australia?
They helped establish Catholic education, healthcare, and welfare services, shaping the Church’s commitment to social justice and support for the poor.
Why did Catherine hesitate to join an existing religious order before founding her own?
She believed convent restrictions might limit the active charity work she wanted to do in the community.