Address by Mary O'Donovan at Graduation of Mercy Emerging Leaders Cohort Five

The Graduation Ceremony for the Fellows of Cohort Five of the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) Programme took place on Thursday 3rd September 2026 in Catherine’s House at 64a Lower Baggot Street in Dublin.

The Graduation marked the end of their year long leadership programme.

The CEO of Mercy International Association, Mary O’Donovan delivered the opening address to the Fellow at the ceremony. Her

Address by Mary O’Donovan

Dear Fellows of Cohort Five,

It is wonderful for all of us to be gathered here this morning in Catherine’s House on Baggot Street for your graduation ceremony.

I extend a warm welcome to your family members and friends who are joining you here today.

I offer my warmest congratulations to each of you as you complete your year-long journey through the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship.

Over this past year, you have brought to MELF the richness of your different countries, cultures, experiences and communities and have travelled from your home countries to immersions in Cambodia and then at the UN in New York and finally to Dublin. During that time you have shared your hopes and your challenges, your questions and your insights, and in doing so, you have enriched one another, AND the wider Mercy World.

Your time in Dublin has given you an opportunity to walk, quite literally, in the footsteps of Catherine McAuley. From Catherine’s House, where her vision of Mercy took practical shape, to your time at the Mater Hospital, at Coolock House, and in walking Catherine’s Dublin, you have encountered something of the places and people that shaped her life and her response to the needs of her time.

At Newgrange and Glendalough, you also experienced something of Ireland’s ancient landscape and its deep spiritual heritage - a reminder that we are part of a story much bigger than ourselves encompassing faith and resilience, past, present and future.

And maybe most importantly, you have brought your own stories and your lives into that timeline.  

Your justice projects speak to the urgent realities of our world today, AND they also speak clearly to the enduring vision of Catherine McAuley: to see what is needed, to respond with courage and compassion, and to stand up for those whose voices and dignity are still overlooked.

At Mercy International we are very proud of our MELF Programme – we see it as an integral part of our strategy and mission and we look forward to its evolution into the future.

We believe deeply in the leadership capabilities of women, and we are committed to creating opportunities for women across the Mercy World to grow in confidence, to develop their leadership, to be companions to and learn from one another, and to use OUR gifts in service of others.

Our commitment to Mercy Leaders is a commitment to Catherine’s legacy.

Catherine opened doors for women to lead at a time when there were few opportunities for them to do so. She trusted women with great responsibility, she encouraged them to respond creatively and intuitively to the needs around them, and she had faith in them to carry her vision forward, and women have carried it -  generation after generation. 

You are now part of that legacy.

As you graduate today, I hope you will carry with you not only the knowledge and skills you have gained, but also the relationships you have formed.  I really hope that you feel the agency and confidence that should come from belonging to this strong global community of Mercy women leaders.     

And I hope that you also know that Mercy International wants to walk forward with you.   Your graduation is not an ending. It is another beginning - an invitation to take what you have learned, to put it into action, and to encourage others to find their own capacity and ability to lead.

We look forward to seeing you and connecting with you and with the women from previous cohorts as part of our MELF Alumni Programme. We also look forward to connecting with you during our 200th anniversary events and gatherings.

May you continue to learn from one another across borders and cultures.

May you remain attentive to the signs of our times and courageous in responding to them.

And may your leadership always be grounded in compassion and justice and the conviction that change for the better is always possible.

The world needs leaders who can build bridges rather than barriers.  Leaders who can bring people together rather than divide them.  

The world needs Mercy Leaders to turn hope into action.  

Cohort Five, you are now part of that leadership – this is the generation carrying Catherine’s vision into the realities of your own time.

Congratulations on all that you have achieved. As you leave Catherine’s House today, you take our joy and our pride with you and an open invitation to come back.

Every blessing for the journey ahead.

Mary O’Donovan
CEO, Mercy International Association