World Mental Health Day reminds us that there is no health without mental health. On World Mental Health Day, we’re encouraged to take a moment to slow down and reflect on how we care for ourselves and for one another. In the heart of Dublin, the Sanctuary provides such a pause: a hidden oasis where stillness, presence, and peace are gently nurtured.
Founded in 1998 by Sisters Stanislaus Kennedy and Síle Wall, The Sanctuary was born from a deep awareness of the growing need for quiet spaces in a fast-paced world. It was envisioned as a refuge where people could step away from the noise of daily life, rediscover inner calm, and reconnect with the deeper rhythms of life.
Nestled quietly on Stanhope Street, the Sanctuary stands on sacred ground the very place where Mary Aikenhead established her first novitiate over two centuries ago. In this same spirit of responding to “the hidden needs of the time,” the Sanctuary continues the mission of the Religious Sisters of Charity: to bring hope, healing, and compassion to all.
At its heart, The Sanctuary is a place of welcome. Through its programmes in mindfulness, meditation, reflection, and creativity, it offers people of every background a chance to pause and simply be. Guided by their vision of nourishing personal growth for greater social impact, Its Turn No One Away policy ensures that those who are struggling ,whether financially, emotionally, or spiritually can still find a warm welcome and a listening ear.
The Sanctuary’s gardens and labyrinth form a living symbol of this invitation to stillness. The Labyrinth, inspired by the ancient design at Chartres Cathedral, offers a quiet path of prayer and reflection — a way to journey inward and return renewed. Nearby, the Biodiversity Garden flourishes with wildflowers, trees, and native plants, providing sanctuary not only for people but for birds, bees, and butterflies too.
Just this past September, The Sanctuary hosted its Youth Conference 2025, welcoming parents, teachers, youth workers, and those who care deeply for young people. The conference, featuring distinguished speakers such as Dr. Gordon Neufeld and Brother Richard Hendrick, explored the challenge of adolescence in today’s culture and offered grounded, relational approaches to helping young people flourish.
This month, The Sanctuary is offering its 31-Day Meditation Series, a daily reflection shared by a diverse group of facilitators, including Sisters Stan and Síle, Brother Richard Hendrick, Susan Quirke, and others. Each short meditation is a simple invitation to pause in the midst of daily life and return to what is steady and whole within. Contributions from this initiative support the Sanctuary with their ongoing work, its community meditations, Friends of the Sanctuary Fund, and Befriending Programme, which reach out to those who are isolated or in need of companionship and care.
Now, more than twenty-five years since it first opened its doors, The Sanctuary continues to be a calm and welcoming presence in the heart of Dublin’s busy streets. It stands as a reminder that taking time for stillness and reflection is not an indulgence but a necessity for each of us.
