Papers of Sister Katherine Butler RSC, 1986-2000.
This collection comprises Sister Katherine Butler's papers on The Salvation Army in Dublin, along with copies of her memoir 'Look Back in Love' and her obituary from The Irish Times.
The collection is arranged as follows:
SKB/1 Look Back in Love
SKB/2 Dublin's Hallelujah Lasses
SKB/3 From Dublin to Elsewhere
SKB/4 Obituary
Katherine Butler (1914-2000) was born Katherine Bayley Butler in Dublin. After completing a science degree at University College Dublin and gaining a pilot's licence, she entered the Sisters of Charity novitiate in Milltown, Dublin, aged 21. Her decision to be a Sister of Charity was influenced by the 'awful poverty' she saw around her. She dropped the Bayley from her surname on becoming a nun. Her years with the Sisters of Charity were largely spent teaching in the order's schools in Great Britain and Ireland. She retired to the order's Crumlin convent in 1977 where she remained until her death. Having always had an interest in a wide range of religions, Sister Katherine Butler attended Jewish, Salvation Army and Quaker services during her retirement. She was a prolific writer, winning the Old Dublin Society's annual award twice for historical papers on Our Lady's Hospice, Harolds Cross, and the synagogues of Old Dublin. In 1989 she presented and published papers on Dublin's Hallelujah Lasses.
Open for research. The reading room of The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre is open Tue-Fri 9.30-4.00. It is advisable to make an appointment. Tel: 0207 326 7800; email: heritage@salvationarmy.org.uk.
A multi-level description of this collection can be accessed in the International Heritage Centre's online catalogue: http://www.calmview.eu/SalvationArmy/CalmView/. A paper catalogue is available in the reading room of the International Heritage Centre.
