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A community of faith
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Our Mission Statement
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Our Lady of Mercy Parish is formed of the Catholic communities of St Cecilia’s and St Patrick’s Church, St Mary’s Church, the Sisters of Mercy, St Mary’s RC Primary School, St Anthony’s Girls' Catholic Academy, St Aidan’s Catholic Academy and the Sunderland University Catholic Chaplaincy.
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Jesus Christ unites and inspires us through his Word and the sacraments to share the good news with the people of Sunderland. Together with others working for the common good, we welcome everyone in a spirit of friendship and service so that all people may know God’s love.
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Our Parish
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Our Lady of Mercy Parish is a welcoming, prayerful and inclusive worshipping community. We are a community of disciples, following Jesus Christ, upholding the truths of the Catholic faith, handed onto us through the Bible and Sacred Tradition and witnessed to by generations of Sunderland Catholic Christians.
Our community was formed in 2016 by the merger of St Mary's Parish with St Cecilia and St Patrick's Parish.
We are an active and dynamic parish, and you are sure of a warm welcome whether you regularly practise the faith, are returning after being away for a while, or if you're looking for a faith community to call home.
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St Mary's Church
St Mary's is a historic Chruch and flourishing Catholic community in the heart of Sunderland City Centre. It is home to a vibrant, multi-national and growing congregation. Located at St Mary's is the Catholic Chaplaincy to the University of Sunderland.
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St Cecilia's Church
St Cecilia and St Patrick's Church is located on Ryhope Road. It is home to a thriving and welcoming community. The Chruch was built in 1957 and joined with St Mary's in 2016 to form Our Lady of Mercy Parish
In 1982 the St Cecilia's Parish was amalgamated with that of St Patrick, and the church dedication amended accordingly. St Patrick’s had been the second Catholic church built in Sunderland in modern times, opening in the poorer, mainly Irish, east end of the town in December 1861. Post-war redevelopment of the surrounding area and the building of new estates in the western parts of Sunderland led to a decline in the Catholic population of St Patrick’s parish, and the last Mass was said in the church in December 1984. The church was subsequently demolished.
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