Our Mission | The Mater Hospital

Our mission at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital is to care for the sick with compassion and professionalism at all times, respect the dignity of human life, and to promote excellence, quality and accountability through all our activities.

Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

Our History

Our hospital started as an ambitious idea of Catherine McAuley. Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin in 1778 and went on to establish the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in 1831. Through their work, she and the Sisters recognised the need for a hospital to provide medical care for the sick and poor of Dublin City.

The Sisters of Mercy purchased a site on Eccles Street in Dublin and the building of the new hospital started in 1855. The hospital took six years to complete and the ‘Mater Misericordiae Hospital’ was officially opened on 24 September 1861 “…to serve the greatest need in the city, somewhere the sick poor could go without having to know someone or pay money…”.

Mater Hospital today ..

Today, the Mater Hospital is an innovative, public Level 4 university teaching hospital and continues to provide specialised medical care to the sick in Ireland.

Our Team

Meet the Office of Mission Effectiveness team.

Our Work

The work of the Mission Office

The Mission Office supports mission integration across the hospital, the community and our global partnerships. We work to strengthen chaplaincy and pastoral care, ensure the protection and celebration of our rich archive and heritage, and promote a deeper understanding of Mercy values through our magazine and mini-lecture series.

Mission Mater’s (magazine)

This bi-monthly publication aims to shine a light on the inspiring people and stories that embody our mission values every day

View the Publication

Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care

The Mater Hospital offers the services of a chaplain for patients, visitors and staff. Chaplains are available to:

Listen and offer spiritual and emotional support
Accompany those in crisis or grief
Share prayer and sacraments and to lead worship
Reflect and consult on ethical concerns and decisions

Further information: Chaplaincy & pastoral care

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Clinical Pastoral Education is a method of reflecting on actual ministry in which a supervisor together with a group of Students formally agree together to reflect critically on the Student’s ministry as a means of growing in self-awareness, professional competence, theological understanding and Christian commitment.

CPE provides a learning situation in continuing education for all those who wish to minister or are ministering to people in need so that as ministers they MMUH Mission webpage M. Bruton (10/06/2025) may develop an awareness of the psychological, theological and spiritual concerns of people. In addition, it also helps Students to become more aware of the dignity and potential of those to whom they are ministering.

CPE confronts Students with the human predicament. It supplies the milieu for Students to know themselves better as persons, to better understand themselves in the role of minister and to integrate their theology more meaningfully into their life and ministry. CPE provides pastoral supervision of this experience by a certified supervisor trained in the CPE model of learning. The supervisor brings to the learning situation his/her own unique experience, insight and competencies which stimulate individual initiative and growth. His/her supervision seeks to encourage Students to express their own natural abilities, talents and insights, which they can then channel into more meaningful pastoral relationships.

The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Programme works closely with the Chaplaincy Department at the Mater Hospital, also providing mentors to the CPE Students while on their ward placements. CPE celebrates 100 years of Clinical Pastoral Education Worldwide in 2025 and celebrated its 40 years MMUH Mission webpage M. Bruton (10/06/2025) anniversary in the Mater Hospital in 2024. Participants are welcome from all religious denominations and the CPE Centre is accredited by the Healthcare Chaplaincy Board.

Further Information: Clinical Pastoral Education at The Mater Hospital

Mission Council

The Mission Council was established in 2023. Expressions of interest were sought from all staff to be a part of this initiative. The Council meets every 4-6 weeks and provides support and advice to ensure that the values of the organisation are being lived authentically by staff every day.

Mater Active Community (MAC)

The Mater Active Community (MAC) is a community of current staff, over 55’s and retirees who meet quarterly here in the Mater hospital. The aim of MAC is to:

Improve communication between the hospital and retired staff
Provide updates on key developments and future plans within the hospital
Jointly organise social events, fundraising activities and volunteering

Further information contact Suzanne Dempsey, Director of Quality Assurance and Organisational Design (sdempsey@mater.ie).

Introduction to Hospital Life (IHL) Programme
This is a 4-day programme for 4th and 5th year secondary school students at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH). This programme aims to provide a well-rounded, stimulating view of hospital life.

Find out more: Introduction to Hospital Life

Outreach

We are finalising plans for a Commemorative Wellness Garden (opening Summer 2025), expanding DEIS school engagement via the Sister Margherita Rock Bursary, and growing our Introduction to Hospital Life (IHL) Programme for TY students. We continue to support local community outreach (e.g. Phizzfest) and global collaboration – most notably through our partnership with the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Nairobi (Kenya).

Mission