Liverpool MU conference – ‘inspiring and encouraging’

Wednesday July 9th 2025

All Ireland MU delegates are pictured at the Liverpool leadership conference. Also included are June Butler, All Ireland Zonal Trustee (third left), and Kathleen Snow, MU Worldwide President (front, centre).

Connor Mothers’ Union Diocesan President, Alison Skillen, along with 13 delegates from All Ireland, attended a major MU leadership conference held at Liverpool Hope University over the weekend of June 27-29.

Other All Ireland representatives included Moira Thom, Connor MU Diocesan Secretary and All Ireland Vice-President (Fundraising and Communications), and Cathy Doig, editor of In Touch and All Ireland Unit Co-ordinator (Faith and Policy).

The conference – under the overall title Stronger Together – attracted more than 100 MU delegates in senior roles from dioceses across Great Britain and Ireland.

It was designed to focus attention on the future of MU, particularly looking ahead to next year, when the organisation will celebrate the milestone 150^th anniversary of its founding by Mary Sumner in Hampshire in 1876. (The Mothers’ Union in Ireland will celebrate its 140^th anniversary in 2027, having been founded by Annabella Hayes in Raheny Parish, Dublin, in 1887).

Workshops and group discussions focused on some of the challenges which the movement currently faces, especially membership growth in view of declining membership numbers and the importance of younger members joining, and sought to encourage creative thinking and collective action on ways to strengthen the organisation.

Dioceses shared what was working well for them in respect of planning and activities and members of the staff of Mary Sumner House explained what they were doing and planned to do to increase the profile of MU and its work at home and abroad.

The organisation’s Worldwide President, Kathleen Snow, reflected on her first year in office, highlighting themes of nurturing, growing and strengthening the movement for the future as part of the triennium theme of ‘Join Us and Join In!’

Alison Skillen described the weekend as ‘a wonderfully inspiring and encouraging three days packed with information, ideas and planning for the future.’

She added: “It was particularly beneficial to have opportunities to meet and network with like-minded colleagues from Mary Sumner House and dioceses in Great Britain and to hear their stories and experiences on their MU journey.

“It was also very good to have the use of the campus chapel for daily services of Eucharist and Compline which enabled delegates to ground their work in prayer and worship.”