Our History

Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland in 1831 in response to the needs of women who were marginalised and oppressed. Catherine established a House of Mercy in Dublin which provided educational, religious and social services for women and children who were at risk of homelessness through exploitation and entrenched poverty. In particular she sought to provide accommodation for the poor of Dublin, particularly servant girls who did not have ‘safe lodgings’.

The Regina Coeli Program is the older of McAuley Community Services for Women’s (MCSW) services, dating back to the late 1930’s. At that time women completing prison terms had few places to go and the Regina Coeli Community was created to allow women to join the Community in the afternoon and leave the following morning. Many would often return the next day as they had nowhere else to go. For almost 50 years (from 1938 until 1985) the ‘Legion of Mary’ operated the Community of Regina Coeli on a voluntary basis providing accommodation and support to homeless women.

In 1986 the Sisters of Mercy took up the challenge of continuing the tradition of the service and leased the property at 149 Flemington Road, North Melbourne and assumed the management of Regina Coeli. The Sisters of Mercy went on to purchase the property during the 1990’s. Their aim was to ‘live in community’ with homeless women - a ministry strongly connected to the founding aim of the congregation. In 2000 Regina Coeli became an incorporated association under the governance of the Sisters of Mercy.

McAuley Community Services for Women’s Mercy Care Program was established in 1988 by the Sisters of Mercy to provide crisis accommodation and services to women and women with accompanying children experiencing family violence. In 1990 the demand for this service resulted in moving from the rental property to a property in North Melbourne purchased by the Sisters of Mercy. A further commitment was made by the Sisters in 2001 with the relocation and an expanded capacity for the service at the present site. Mercy Care was an unincorporated organisation supported by an Advisory Committee directly responsible to the Sisters of Mercy, Melbourne Congregation.

Inset - A line drawing of the Sisters' work by Sister Claire Agnew.