Venerable Mary Aikenhead
Profile
Born to a Catholic mother and a Scots Protestant father, Mary was brought up in the Church of Ireland; her father was a physician and pharmacist, and the family very wealthy and prominent. At age 15, Mary made the choice to join the Catholic Chuch, and felt a call to religious life and service. In 1815, at a time when then nuns in Ireland were all cloistered contemplatives, she founded the Religious Sisters of Charity of Ireland to work in health care, education, pastoral support and social work; they continue their good work today in Ireland, England, Scotland, Zambia, Nigeria, Malawi, Australia, and the United States.
Born
- 19 January 1787 in Cork, Ireland
- 18 March 2015 by Pope Francis (decree of heroic virtues)
MLA Citation
- “Venerable Mary Aikenhead“. CatholicSaints.Info. 10 March 2020. Web. 16 April 2021. <>