St Mary's Convent Handsworth Second Visit

We are sorry that this event has been cancelled

Wednesday 27 May 2020

10.00am to 1.30pm

St Mary’s Convent is an active community of the Sisters of Mercy.  It opened in 1841  just a few months after St Chad’s Cathedral, and its buildings designed by Augustus Pugin are now Grade 11* listed.  There are interesting examples of stained glass and furniture.  Early benefactors included John Hardman of Hardman & Co the Stained Glass and church metalwork manufacturers.  Juliana Hardman became the first superior of St Mary’s.  Its origional Chapel of 1846 was lost to bomb damage during the ‘Birmingham Blitz’ in 1942.  St Mary’s ran a convent School until the 1960s. 

We have a guided tour of this special place.  It will include access to the oratory, chapel, cloisters, and gardens.  The visit concludes with lunch in the refectory, where we will enjoy a restaurant style meal cooked by their Viennese chef.  This is a social occasion with a chance to chat with the sisters and learn about their work in the community, as well as their life in this place of retreat prayer, and pilgrimage.

We meet at the Convent for Coffee at 10.00am and the visit ends after lunch at 1.30/2.00pm

Cost:  £22.50 for TASBE members and £25.00 for Non-Members