Fr. Dooley in his homily thanked the Sisters for their Ministry in the Parish. He read from the letter he had received earlier in the year from Sister Patricia explaining why the decision to close the Convent had been taken with great regret and only after much prayer, discussion and consultation. In a word, the decline in the number of sisters, and of vocations, is making such decisions inevitable. He said there was no doubt that the presence of the Sisters would be missed very much. However, he recalled how Sister Baptist had founded the Mercy Associates and the Youth Mercy Associates, who would now preserve the Mercy ethos in the parish.

At the end of the Mass, Mr Peter Alcock spoke on behalf of the Parishioners to thank the Sisters for all their work and achievements and especially for their zeal for the poor and all those in need, which was an inspiration to everyone. The Mercy Window would remain as a constant reminder of them and their work.

Sister Patricia Bell, the Leader of the Institute of Mercy, spoke feelingly of the difficulties faced by the Sisters of Mercy and many other congregations too at the present time. So many of the Sisters were elderly and the numbers available to keep houses open were dwindling. She listed some six Convents that had closed recently. But at the same time, said there were new projects springing up to take on new tasks very much needed at the present time. Among these, she mentioned the foundation of the "Women at the Well" project now established at Kings Cross in London to care for women in need, especially the homeless. In the spirit of Catherine McAuley, we must always look forward, not backwards, and try daily to follow in her footsteps. She hoped that the Mercy Associate Groups in the parish would be able to maintain the Mercy ethos and presence for many years to come.