10.08.2026
Past, Present and Future Combine as Mothers’ Union Marks 150 Years
Over 550 people travelled from every corner of the island of Ireland yesterday (Sunday August 9) to fill Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, in celebration of 150 years of Mothers’ Union Worldwide. The Festival Eucharist, which was celebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackson, reflected on the past, present and future of Mother’s Union.
Taking place on Mary Sumner Day which commemorates the founder of Mothers’ Union, the thoughtful and encouraging address was given by former Worldwide President, Lady Christine Eames. The marvellous choir which combined the voices of members from far and wide was directed by Judith Gannon and accompanied by organist Tom Little.
In her introduction to the service, All Ireland President Kay Clarke said the theme of the service – ‘Join Us, Join In’ – was more than an invitation to celebrate a milestone. It was an invitation to share in God’s mission to belong, to pray, to serve and to witness to Christ’s love in our homes, churches and communities. It also echoed the vision of Mary Sumner whose faithful response to God’s call has inspired generations of members to put their faith into action with compassion, courage and hope.
During the service, the Revd Alistair Doyle (Dublin and Glendalough) was commissioned as All Ireland Chaplain of Mothers’ Union. A board recording the names of all Mothers’ Union Past Presidents was dedicated. This board will now be displayed in Christ Church Cathedral. A Preaching Scarf for the use of the All Ireland Chaplain was presented by the Revd Arthur Barrett (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) in memory of his mother Mrs Ann Barrett who was General President Ireland from 1989 to 1995.
In her address Lady Eames highlighted the words of the Gospel reading [John 15: 9–17] ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you’ which she said underpinned what Mothers’ Union aimed to do throughout its 150 year history.
Looking around the cathedral she saw many people who had served Mothers’ Union and thought of Mary Sumner who brought people together in her drawing room in a small action which became a worldwide movement. It was 11 years before that movement came to Ireland when Annabelle Hayes, wife of the Rector of Raheny, started the Mothers’ Union here.
The service allowed members to consider the past, pause in the present and think of the future, Lady Eames said. The past was the easy part, she suggested. “We have worked together, we have prayed together through good times, through bad times… The chain of the Mothers’ Union takes it through two world wars and the devastation that wrought. It takes us through a complete change in the life of women, a complete change in what was possible and what was absolutely closed. So there are many, many memories in our minds today,” she commented.
Reflecting on the work of the Worldwide President, Lady Eames said she felt it was to bring member to member around the world. “We often think of the Mothers’ Union as ‘around the corner and around the world’,” she explained and said this work brought her to places she never dreamed she would visit.
She recalled a visit to Uganda where she went to a camp for those displaced by war in Sudan. In a place where people had fled their homes with nothing and lived in rows upon rows of huts, she remembered the gesture of one woman who brought wild flowers in two battered mugs to place on the table where they were worshiping. While the woman may have had nothing, she had not lost her dignity. Afterwards she spoke to the woman and asked what she could do for her and the woman asked her, and members of Mothers’ Union, to pray for them so that they would not be forgotten.
“It seems to me that that goes right to the heart of what we are about today celebrating this occasion for the Mothers’ Union – to pray for one another and to pray with love that this person will not be forgotten. We talk about Mothers’ Union around the corner and around the world. In a different part of the world she challenged me around my corner,” she said.
Lady Eames said it would be wrong to leave the service without thinking about the future. Likening looking to the future to trying to find something an untidy drawer in her kitchen, full of candle ends and instructions for gadgets that had long since expired, she said:
“As we look to the future what are we looking for in Mothers’ Union? What will you and I hand on to those who come after us? Things have moved very, very rapidly. Certainly 150 years ago it was a completely different scene. Women’s lives were completely different. Everyone’s life was completely different… We look to the leadership of the future and know that we will be asking much of them because [like trying to find something in an untidy kitchen drawer] will our leaders in the future be able to see what they are looking for to bring Mothers’ Union into the future? We need to pray that God will give us all the strength and the vision,” she concluded.
If you were not able to attend the Festival Eucharist, it is available to watch back on Christ Church Cathedral’s Facebook page –www.facebook.com/share/v/17aqA5QKWS/
