Ongoing Ministries

GLOBAL: While the decade of the 1990s had been one of relative peace and prosperity, the two decades that followed were dominated by wars, conflicts and the outbreak of diseases worldwide. Warnings were issued that climate change in the 21st century would result in extreme weather conditions, putting Earth under enormous strain and threatening life itself. This has led to unprecedented global migration and future uncertainty.   

POLITICAL: The global financial crisis had severe consequences in Europe. In Ireland, emigration and unemployment reached levels not experienced since the 1980s. The European Troika (European Commission, European Central Bank, IMF) agreed to a bank bailout on condition of a programme of far-reaching austerity measures. This severely impacted pension funds, savings, and job security, increased negative equity concerns and affected people’s well-being.

SOCIAL: Following historic referenda, family life in Ireland changed. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act came into force in 2010, followed by the Marriage Act of 2015, which permitted same-sex marriage in Ireland. Further changes came after the Constitutional referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment in 2018 to legalise abortion.

CULTURAL: Despite widespread consumerism and increased wealth, many people struggle to find homes and cope with rising costs. A growing dependence on technology and social media has transformed daily life. This has had both positive and negative impacts, notably on human communication and interaction. The continued development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is raising concerns regarding potential ethical and safety implications.

CATHOLIC CHURCH: This era was dominated by wide-ranging investigations that produced damning reports on the extent of sexual, physical and psychological abuse in state and religious run institutions. Shock and outrage followed this betrayal, leading to disillusionment and abandonment of the church across faith communities. Apologies were offered in some instances and redress schemes were established to compensate survivors. Alongside this, counselling and support services like Towards Healing and Towards Peace were made available. 

In 2021 Pope Francis invited Catholics across the world to honestly share their views and concerns about the state of the Church. These will be shared in Rome at a Synod, a meeting of Bishops, priests and representatives from parishes in order to re-vision a church living out Gospel values. 

RELIGIOUS LIFE: Vocations to religious life in Europe and the Western world continue to decrease in contrast to Asia, Africa and South America. The process of handing over responsibility and control of health, education and social projects to colleagues continues. 

In a letter to the world, entitled Laudato Si, Pope Francis called all human beings to respect, cherish and stop exploiting our planet Earth which is the home of all creation. This letter also focuses on the poor of the world who are most affected by global environmental issues. Despite diminishing numbers and an ageing profile, Sisters are responding to Pope Francis’ call by extending their involvement in ways to protect the environment and making urgent calls to governments to take more action to protect the planet. 

In response to the serious increase in the number of people seeking asylum as a result of fleeing war economic hardship and hunger in their home countries, Sisters continue to respond to the needs of refugees with offers of accommodation, counselling and advocacy to ensure their basic rights are respected.