Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Limerick, 1838 Mother Elizabeth Moore, 1806-1868 Angela Bugler R.S.M. Poverty and Destitution despair and universal misery hung over in Limerick the city. The plight of the catholic population, residing in Limerick‘s Old Town in the Most Reverend Dr. John Ryan, Bishop 1830s, was utterly incredible, so of Limerick, was painfully aware of the wretched and miserable was their lot. plight of his flock and duly concerned Extreme poverty with its attendant for them. He had heard of the wonderful afflictions of hunger and disease had left work that Catherine McAuley‘s sisters the people destitute. According to Rev. were doing for the poor in Dublin. In Thomas Enright, the curate in St. Mary‘s 1837, at the instigation of Miss Helena Parish, no less than 25 families were Heffernan, a benevolent Limerick lady living in one house in 1834.1 who promised financial assistance, he besought Mother McAuley to establish a Henry D. Inglis, the English traveller foundation in Limerick. Having recently who visited Limerick in the same year, lost five sisters through death and gives a chilling account of his established foundations in Carlow and experiences during his visit and a lurid Cork, Catherine had not a single sister to description of the scenes he witnessed spare. She promised, however, that there: ―I spent a day in visiting those when she had sisters to send, she would parts of the city where the greatest do so. destitution and misery were said to exist. I entered upwards of forty of the abodes Prior to that time there had been of poverty; and to the latest hour of my religious communities in Limerick but, existence I can never forget the scenes of for one reason or another, they failed to utter and hopeless wretchedness that persevere there. In 1812 the Poor Clare presented themselves that day.… Some Order had established a foundation in the of the abodes I visited were garrets, historic Peter‘s Cell and soon opened a some were cellars; some were hovels on school there. Though contemplatives, the ground floor, situated in narrow they continued to teach poor children, yards, or alleys. I will not speak of the but owing to financial difficulties and filth of the places….The inmates, were the death of their Abbess in 1830, they some of them old, crooked, and had to disband. Three of the sisters, diseased; some younger, but emaciated, Anne Hewitt, Mary Shanahan and and surrounded by starving children; Catherine Shanahan remained on within some were sitting on the damp ground, their enclosure hoping and praying that some standing, and many were unable to God would send a community of nuns to rise from their little straw heaps.‖2 In join them. Sadly, in 1834, Sr. Catherine addition, and resulting from such died a victim of the cholera plague that poverty, a pall of helplessness and had been devastating the city. Prior to that, in 1833, the Presentation Sisters came to Peter‘s Cell and worked in the 1 Courtney, Marie Therese, RSM. ―The Nuns of school. They struggled there for three St. Mary‘s‖ in Sisters of Mercy in Limerick. P.5 years, but seeing no prospect of 2 Inglis, Henry D. A Journey Throughout vocations they became discouraged and Ireland. Vol. 1, p .302 left. They re-settled subsequently in deemed necessary for young ladies at the Sexton Street, in another parish of the time. Dr. Michael Blake, her confessor city. Previously, in 1826, a group of and friend, desired that she should train Ursuline Sisters had founded a as a catechist and made her president of community in the North Strand, but they the Sunday school that he had too disbanded after three years. established in the parish of Saints Michael and John. Bishop Ryan was hoping to secure the establishment of a community of Sisters Baggot Street of Mercy in Peter‘s Cell, the Poor Clare On Pentecost Sunday, June 10, 1832, Convent, and he was determined to Anne Moore entered the Sisters of brook no opposition to that plan. Mercy in Baggot Street on her 26th Meanwhile, haunted by the horrific birthday. She had previously entered the descriptions she had been hearing of the Sisters of Charity, but did not persevere poor in Limerick, Catherine McAuley there. She now joined the fledgling felt she had no choice but to accede to community of the Sisters of Mercy Bishop Ryan‘s request, sooner rather which consisted of Mother McAuley, the than later. She decided, therefore, to two sisters professed with her, the early make a foundation in Limerick as early Associates who had been received five as possible in 1838. The person who months previously and a few postulants. would lead the sisters there would be the On October 8th she received the religious young and energetic Sister Elizabeth habit, taking as her patron saint, St. Moore. Anne Moore Anne Moore was the daughter of James and Catherine Moore of St. James‘ Parish, Dublin. Born on Pentecost Sunday 1806, she was the only child in the family to have survived beyond infancy. Her father died when she was just seven years old. Anne spent much of her early years with her maternal grandmother who had some premonition about the little girl. It is said that on one occasion she laid her hand on her head and prayed: ―May God bless you, my child! You seem marked out for a great end.‖ 3 Anne received her education in a ladies‘ seminary conducted by ―the Misses Reynolds.‖ She possessed a good knowledge of English, French and Music and had a sweet singing voice. She acquired as much Arithmetic as was 3 (Carroll, Mary Austin, RSM). Leaves from the Annals of the Sisters of Mercy. Vol. 1, p.323. Elizabeth of Hungary who was Clare Convent in Limerick. Darkness renowned for deeds of charity. was beginning to fall and, because the laneway from the main street leading to Sister Elizabeth‘s novitiate formation the front entrance was too narrow and took place under the guidance of unsafe for a vehicle to turn in it, they had Catherine McAuley who was Novice to enter through a door in the garden Mistress from 1831-1835. The Rule was wall at the rear of the convent. not yet confirmed nor even completely written, but, having the foundress herself The two surviving Poor Clare Sisters, for her guide, she received a thorough Anne Hewitt and Mary Shanahan, who grounding in the principles and duties of had remained in their convent after the the religious life as well as experiencing departure of their companions eight and imbibing at first hand the charism of years previously, were waiting in the Mercy. She was professed on October 8 darkness at the garden door, with lighted 1834. candles in their hands, ready to give a big welcome to the Sisters of Mercy. Sister Elizabeth took part in all the Waiting with them was a young woman, activities and duties of the convent. Ellen Potter, who had been a postulant in From the moment of her entry in 1832 Baggot Street, but who had to leave she accompanied Catherine McAuley to because of ill health. Now, her health Townsend Street to tend the victims of restored, she was determined to enter the cholera epidemic that was ravaging again, this time in Limerick. Dublin and the country at that time. There she saw the appalling Sisters Anne and Mary, who were wretchedness of the victims and overjoyed at the coming of the ―new witnessed the fervent devotedness of nuns,‖ gave them a warm welcome into Catherine and the sisters as they tended the convent. They had prayed and asked the sick. She learned, too, of the ―cure,‖ God to send them a community to which - heated port-wine - that they they could affiliate. They waited—and administered to the poor patients and their waiting was rewarded. After a which seemed to bring welcome relief. hearty meal and a good night‘s rest, they all assembled for prayer in the convent Two years after her Profession she was chapel. The story goes that during the placed in charge in Kingstown until she prayer the bell of St. Mary‘s parish was chosen by Catherine to be the church rang out for Mass. Catherine, superior of the new foundation in fearing that there would not be Mass in Limerick in 1838. the convent, stood up, beckoned to her sisters who followed her, donned their Arrival of the Sisters of Mercy street cloaks and went out to Mass. The in Limerick two Poor Clare sisters had never seen On the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, 24 religious leave the enclosure except in September 1838, at eight o‘clock in the their coffins. They were filled with evening, Catherine McAuley and her astonishment and came to the conclusion foundation party which comprised that, like the other congregations before Elizabeth Moore (superioress), Sister her that had come and gone, Mother Vincent Harnett, a novice, Eliza Liston, McAuley had changed her mind and had a postulant and Sister Aloysius Scott, (on taken her nuns back to Dublin! They loan for a time) came via Cork and began to sob and weep, as this, they felt, Charleville to Peter‘s Cell, the Poor was their last hope. When the chaplain came to say Mass they told him their sad root‖4 Two weeks later, on October 25, story. He assured them that they had in a letter to Sister Frances Warde, in been mistaken. Great was their delight Carlow, she informs her of the when Catherine and the sisters returned difficulties she is encountering in from Mass.