In 1924, a small group of five nuns from the Order of the Poor Clares accepted the challenge to move to a deeply wounded Belfast, a city in need of healing following the deaths of almost 500 people during two years of civil strife. The Poor Clares soon established their contemplative way of life, and for the next 88 years prayed day and night for the people of Belfast. This book follows the community through their time in the city right up until their last day, including how they lived through the Belfast Blitz. Letters written by nuns within a few days of the air raids are published for the first time and add to the record of eye witness accounts of the Blitz.
Despite being enclosed and ‘away from the world’ for over eight decades the Poor Clares managed to win the hearts and minds of many people in North Belfast, the wider city and beyond. They were especially respected for their prayerful support of families during the Troubles. In their latter years, the nuns made a valiant attempt to survive in a world of declining religious vocations, but finally closed their monastery in 2012 to a wave of sympathy and sadness. Using the nuns’ community journals, alongside over 100 photos and illustrations, Fr Martin J Magill creates a touching tribute to the Poor Clares in Belfast.