Archive Ministry
Mercy Archives and Heritage
Mercy Heritage is expressed through the Bermondsey Heritage Centre and through the Archives of the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy. A Heritage and Conference Centre at Handsworth, Birmingham, a joint Institute and Union project, was opened in 2005 with the Director a Sister of Mercy from the Federation. The two Centres and the Archives were established to promote the legacy of Catherine McAuley's Sisters of Mercy on the local and global scale. The work and faith of the Sisters of Mercy from the first foundations in England at Bermondsey, London, in 1839 and Handsworth, Birmingham, in 1841, to supporting vulnerable women in central London and respite care for children in Newcastle-upon-Tyne today is told through exhibitions of artifacts, the spoken word, images and audiovisual presentations, and through studying archival documents.
‘Archives are the footprints of Christ on the world.’
Pope Paul VI
The Mercy Heritage Centres and Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Archive reflect the essence of Mercy, documenting lives lived in Christian witness to the poor, sick and underprivilaged. The annals bear witness to the immense work that has been undertaken since the Order first came to England in 1839, from educating thousands in Kenya to dignifying the elderly in Wales. The Congregation acknowledges the importance of the past when dealing with the present and looking to the future.
Events:
Saturday 23 October 2010
In celebration of 2010 International Year of the Nurse, the Mercy Heritage Centre in Bermondsey is opening between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 23 October. The Mercy Heritage Centre at Bermondsey Convent of Mercy traces the history of the Bermondsey Sisters of Mercy from arrival in England in 1839 to the present day. One of the highlights in the Sisters of Mercy's history is the sending of nurses from London, Liverpool and from across Ireland to the Crimea 1854-1856. The Bermondsey Sisters went with Florence Nightingale, who stayed in the original convent (destroyed 1945) on 7 August 1856 upon her return from the Crimea. Many letters from Florence are held in the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Archive, based at the convent, as she remained friends with Mother M. Clare Moore RSM. The Mercy charism of care for the sick is continued today both at home and abroad, and we celebrate the Sisters ongoing commitment.
