RTÉ, the Irish state broadcaster, recently shared an article in relation to ‘the Walking nuns’ who worked in a hospital in Grangegorman in the 1800s caring for those who were sick and dying. Of course, this is a direct reference to our Congregation, the Religious Sisters of Charity, known at the time as ‘the walking nuns’. The cholera epidemic was at its peak in 1832, wreaking havoc and causing millions of deaths worldwide.
Naturally, people were terrified to approach those who were infected for fear of contracting the disease, however that did not deter our Sisters at that time. Following a request from then Archbishop of Dublin, Daniel Murray, our Sisters entered the Grangegorman to care directly with the sick and dying. Each day, the Sisters would take four-hour shifts, with four people at a time. They washed, cleaned, fed and offered emotional and physical support to those who were sick and dying. Of course, this work came with great personal risk to their safety and health, with one Sister even contracting the disease. Fortunately, she recovered thanks to the great care she received.
The Walking Nuns followed the vision of Mary Aikenhead, our foundress whose life and legacy was dedicated to providing services directly in the community to the poor and sick. Following on from this initiative, Mary Aikenhead recognised the importance of nursing and sent three sisters to Paris to the Hospice de la Pitie to train them in the profession and become familiar with hospital management and of course, this led to the Religious Sisters of Charity establishing the first hospital in Ireland to offer free medical treatment to the poor.
This article was adapted from an analysis shared on rte.ie. Read more here.
