England & Scotland

• Ministry of Prayer and Intercession
• Parish Ministry
• Hospice Care
• Food Banks
• Bereavement Counselling
• Chaplaincy Ministry
• Detention and Immigration Centre
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees
• Care of the Earth
• CAFOD
• Online Support Ministry
• Administration
• Social Clubs
• Sacristy
• Ministering of the Eucharist
• Accompaniment Ministry

"We must pray for each other and keep praising the Eternal with cheerful hearts"

- MMA

"We are bound to pray fervently and try by all means in our power to obtain Divine Aid for each other"

-MMA

UK Government information describes Human Trafficking as ‘the recruitment or movement of people for exploitation by the use of threat, force, fraud, or the abuse of vulnerability

Trafficking is a crime that crosses international borders or within a country. It often crosses multiple geographic and legal boundaries. Men, women and children may be trafficked for various purposes, including unpaid labour in many sectors including agriculture, domestic servitude, forced begging and petty theft, sexual exploitation and horrifically, organ harvesting.

Individuals trafficked are extremely traumatised and may suffer acute and long-term health and emotional problems. They need the support of multiple agencies to provide safe housing and ongoing support.

As a Province, we have expressed our commitment by working with the Medaille Trust, an Intercongregational Charity dedicated to the provision of Safe Housing for victims of Trafficking.

Sisters also work to support and accompany victims of Human Trafficking, raise awareness of the plight of trafficked people and campaign to inform and change Government policy.

This they do through working with TRAC, an inter-congregational group of Sisters.

Sisters are also involved with other organisations such as:

• Equality Now
• Not for Sale
• Bakhita House
• Medaille Trust
• APT (Act to prevent Trafficking, Ireland)

Many of our Sisters continue to work daily in Parish Ministry throughout our Province, supporting and connecting people with their local Parish Community, whether in their own homes, Hospital or in Residential Homes. Our sisters also work as part of the Parish Team bringing the Eucharist to the Sick and Elderly in the Community.

Our sisters feel that in the Parish setting, they have the ideal opportunity to support the poor whether they are materially, emotionally or spiritually poor.

In the many Parishes, which operate Food Banks, our sisters are actively involved in this vitally important ministry, meeting and supporting people in dire need from all parts of society and all cultures.

The word Hospice had traditionally meant a safe place of rest on a journey. When in the spirit of Mother Mary Aikenhead, our first Hospice was founded in 1879 in Dublin, this concept would develop into the modern specialist Palliative Care Facilities we see today, caring for each patient and their loved ones with love and compassion.

The Core Values of the Sisters of Charity can be found in all our associated Care facilities and Hospices.

Our core values are:

• Human dignity: respecting the uniqueness of each person
• Compassion: giving support and understanding to one another
• Justice: acting with integrity, respecting the rights of all
• Quality: always seeking to improve our knowledge and standard of care
• Advocacy: striving to create a community characterised by harmony and collaboration

We are very happy that a number of our sisters continue to work and volunteer daily in our associated Hospices – Click on the links below.

• St Joseph's Hospice
• St Margaret of Scotland Hospice
• St Andrews Hospice

Chaplains provide Spiritual and Religious Care in many places such as Hospitals, Prisons and Hospices.  A number of our Sisters continue to work and volunteer daily in our associated Hospices. They work alongside Professional Teams, to provide a holistic patient-centred approach, listening with love, compassion and care and including family and friends in this.

Listening with compassion can often allow people to reconnect with their faith or come to faith for the first time. For Chaplains, the role can be just to walk alongside, accompanying the patient on a journey of spiritual exploration.

Our Sisters also work in the Mission Effectiveness Programme with staff to promote the Mission and Core values of the Sisters of Charity in the Hospice settings.

Detention Centres or Immigration Removal Centres in the UK is where some immigrants, including children, can be held in detention whilst awaiting a decision to be made by the Immigration Authorities, as to whether they are eligible for a UK visa or entitled to asylum in the UK.

The UK currently has 11 Detention Centres. One of our Sisters visits an Immigration Centre regularly. This is very much appreciated and welcomed by those waiting while their life is on hold.

Our sisters work with various organisations such as RESTORE, which offer support to people through Advocacy and Accompaniment in different settings either online, in person or by phone.

In this Ministry, it is vital to just listen to the many harrowing stories with compassion.

This is a long journey for an immigrant and it continues as they struggle to find a place in a new country that can sometimes be a hostile environment. In the Parishes, the sisters also work to support immigrants settling into a Parish Community.

The Religious Sisters of Charity have identified the Care of the Earth as a priority for us, as a Congregation.  In our Province, we continue to explore ways of making this a reality in our lives.

To this end, we have committed ourselves to take whatever action we can to prevent the advance of Climate Change, the depletion of the earth’s resources and the pollution of our planet.

By volunteering at CAFOD, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Sisters work with Parishes to encourage and support them in their efforts to promote the health of the Planet through the ‘Live Simply’ Award Campaign.