Mary Aikenhead, born in Cork in 1787, is now halfway through the process to be named a saint after being recognised for her work at the Religious Sisters of Charity in 1815.
The nuns there provided help to "the suffering poor" but recently it has faced controversy for being one of the religious congregations that ran Magdalene laundries [workhouses for single mothers in Ireland].
Sister Mary Christian, leader of the Religious Sisters of Charity, said: "All around her she saw the plight of people who were poor and suffering.
"Her great faith and trust in Divine Providence enabled her and the first Religious Sisters of Charity to provide education for poor children, establish medical facilities for those in need of health care and to visit the sick and poor in their homes."
Before becoming a saint the nun would have to be attributed with two miracles.