Sisters of the East End

Born into a happy working-class North London family, Katie is determined to 'do something' with her life. Working in the impoverished East End in the 1950s, she meets the Sisters of St John the Divine - a community of nuns dedicated to nursing and midwifery. The Sisters have been present at births, cared for the sick and laid out the dead for a hundred years, and Katie soon joins them to start her journey to becoming Sister Catherine Mary.

As a novice Katie rallies against the vow of obedience, yet as a nurse and midwife she learns much about the nature of dedication, love and tragedy. Her story is full of hardship, humour and compassion, bringing to life the unique world of the nursing Sisters.

Sister Catherine Mary's story was written by Helen Batten after in-depth interviews with today's Sisters of the Community of St John the Divine.