Best known as the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherin McAuley's original intention was simply "to make some lasting efforts for the relief of the suffering and instruction of the ignorant." Practical and creative, Mother McAuley began an employment agency for young women, a commercial laundry, an adult education program, a poor school, and a small shop to sell the handiwork of young women associated with her House of Mercy. Perhaps her greatest contribution to the church, however, is the spirituality that enlivened her mission of mercy--a fresh and fertile blending of the contemplative spirit and the compassionate heart.