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Launch of official logo for 200th anniversary
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We have launched the official logo for the 200th anniversary of the Founding of Catherine McAuley's First House of Mercy at 64a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin in 1827. The anniversary logo is rich in historical and symbolic meaning. Catherine McAuley is pictured as a lay woman, depicted in Mercy blue. Her position just to the front and centre signals her role as founder and her openness to those she served.
Her welcoming gesture reflects the original purpose of the House of Mercy: to provide shelter, education, and dignity to women and children experiencing poverty.
As well as representing a welcoming in, Catherine’s outstretched hand also denotes her sending out too.
The two women standing behind her represent her first companions and the communal nature of the Mercy mission, which quickly grew beyond Catherine alone. Their varied colours suggest diversity, continuity, and the unfolding generations of Mercy ministry.
The logo kit with copyright information, brand guidelines and recommended usage, will be available from Mercy International Association in early March.
Mercy Global Action
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Mercy Global Action
Mercy at the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development, Focusing on Advancing Social Justice
Mercy Global Action
Mercy at the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development, Focusing on Advancing Social Justice
The 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64) took place from 2-10 February at UN Headquarters, focusing on the Priority Theme "Advancing Social Development and Social Justice Through Coordinated, Equitable, and Inclusive Policies," and the Emerging Theme "Eradicating Poverty and Ensuring Dignity through Resilient Care and Support Systems." Cecilie Kern, MGA's Global Policy and Research Advocate (pictured above), moderated the closing panel of the CSocD Civil Society Forum, and delivered a statement to the Commission as Chair of the NGO Committee on Migration.
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Mercy Global Action
MGA Intern Katelin Lawrie reflects on Talitha Kum’s celebration of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against the Trafficking of Humans
Mercy Global Action
MGA Intern Katelin Lawrie reflects on Talitha Kum’s celebration of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against the Trafficking of Humans
“Siamo Tutti Speranza” (‘we are hope’) was an apt rallying cry for the young people involved in Talitha Kum’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against the Trafficking of Humans **(**IDPAAHT) 2026. MGA Intern Katelin Lawrie took part as a youth representative from the Oceania region, alongside representatives from all over the world, including Japan, Botswana, France, Brazil and Lebanon, and more. She writes about her experience saying: "It was powerful to come together as youth from all over the world to update, engage and inspire each other, and to send us each home with a renewed vigour in our hearts."
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
21 February 1838
M Aloysius Scott professed at Baggot St (Foundress of Birr; died there 1844)
23 February 1855
M Elizabeth Butler (Baggot St) died in the Crimea.
24 February 1856
Foundation to Buenos Aires, Argentina from Baggot St - M Evangelista Fitzpatrick.
27 February 1840
M Clare Augustine Moore professed at Baggot St.
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Heritage
Heritage Corner with Caroline Thompson
In our Heritage Corner this month we are focusing on the plain silver ring which Catherine McAuley received on the day of her profession as the first Sister of Mercy. The ring had been blessed by the Bishop and sprinkled with holy water. The blessing was a proclamation from the Gospel of Matthew: If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Sullivan 1997. In The Mast. Vol. 8:1).
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Spirituality
Spiritual Reflection on Catherine McAuley and Mercy
Caroline Thompson shares a spiritual reflection on Catherine McAuley and Mercy: "For Catherine, leadership is not about shining moments. She had a great dislike for noise and display in the performance of duties (Mary Sullivan rsm. 2003. Catherine McAuley’s Priorities as Leader). She advised her sisters to adopt a simple style of speaking and writing, to be a loving presence, a listening ear and a patient hearer of sorrows."
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Communications - Podcast
Episode Ten of Mercy Echoes podcast
The latest episode of our Mercy Echoes podcast features a chat with MIA's Head of Heritage and Spirituality Caroline Thompson. Caroline shares what's coming up over the coming months and also gives an overview of the Young Mercy Leaders' (YML) Pilgrimage in July.
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Spirituality
Holy Week Retreat: Walking in Mercy
We are offering the opportunity to gather for a Holy Week online retreat which follows on from our Walking in Mercy Lenten Retreat. Caroline Thompson will lead an online facilitated retreat on the theme of Walking in Mercy during Holy Week. The retreat will be offered twice on Wednesday 1st April to allow the Mercy World to tune in at a time that best suits.
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200th Anniversary
#Mercy200Stories - Children's Grief Centre in Limerick
We are delighted to introduce the first story in our #Mercy200Stories series which features the Children's Grief Centre in Limerick. Helen Culhane RSM shares the very moment she was inspired to respond to this unmet need where she lived and recalls the role her brother Martin's death (when she was five) also played in her vision.
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Follow our Daily Mercy Moment
We invite you to follow our daily #MercyMoment on our website and on our social media (Facebook and Instagram). Our daily pause for reflection is available in English and Spanish and offers an inspiring, thought-provoking quote from the Mercy World and beyond. You can access all our reflections in our FLICKR archive too!
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Worth Knowing
Catherine McAuley Symposium in New Zealand - Call for Papers
A Call for Papers has just been made for the three-day Catherine McAuley Symposium that will be hosted by Whānau Mercy Ministries and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, from 13–15 December 2026. Inspired by the 200th anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy (1827), the symposium will explore the impact of religion across education, healthcare, and social services, grounded in Catherine McAuley’s intent “to serve God faithfully.”
Worth Knowing)
Worth Watching
Celebrating 180 Years of Mercy in Australia
One hundred and eighty years to the day since the arrival of the first Sisters of Mercy in Australia, around 500 people gathered in St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth on 8th January to celebrate and give thanks. In this video you can watch some of the highlights from the Mass and hear what some of the attendees were thinking and feeling on the day.
Worth Watching)
Worth Reading
Pope’s Lenten message: Abstain from harsh words and rash judgement
For Lent 2026, Pope Leo XIV is inviting us to open ourselves to listening, fasting, and community, urging us to abstain from words of hatred in order to make space for words of hope and peace.
En su mensaje para la Cuaresma 2026, el Papa León XIV invita a pedir “la gracia de vivir una Cuaresma que haga más atento nuestro oído a Dios y a los más necesitados. Pidamos la fuerza de un ayuno que alcance también a la lengua, para que disminuyan las palabras que hieren y crezca el espacio para la voz de los demás”.
Worth Reading)
Worth Knowing
Last days of early-bird rate for Young Mercy Leaders in Dublin
This year's Young Mercy Leaders programme, in Dublin from 28th to 31st July 2026, has been prepared by Caroline Thompson, Head of Heritage and Spirituality with MIA. The programme will offer young people an amazing opportunity for an immersion into the heart of the Mercy story: Catherine McAuley’s world, her work and the house where it all began.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Reading
Year of St Francis
Pope Francis declared 2026 as a Special Year of St Francis to commemorate the 800th anniversary of his death in October 2026.
To mark this special occasion, we will include a Franciscan reflection in our Mercy eNews over the coming months.
Our first reflection is on praying Scripture with St Francis.
Worth Reading)
Worth Reading
Sheila Carney RSM presented with Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU)
Sister Sheila Carney, RSM, Special Assistant to the President for Mercy Heritage and Service at Carlow University, has been selected as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), one of the organization’s highest honours recognizing extraordinary service and enduring impact in Catholic higher education mission leadership.
Worth Reading)
Worth Reading
Anna Regina Gakuhi RSM of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas shares a reflection for Lent 2026 with some thoughtful questions for reflection.
"This season of spiritual renewal invites me to examine my love for God, my neighbour and all of creation. The phrase ‘Even now’ reminds us that it is never too late to return to the Lord and that God’s love for us is constant and present in every moment. The first reading reminds us of God’s unwavering goodness. Despite our individual and collective sinfulness, we continue to experience God’s mercy, kindness and generosity."
Worth Reflecting on)
Mercy eNews
The newsletter of Mercy International Association is published monthly and distributed to subscribers via email. If you have any queries about the newsletter, please contact mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie
For more information on the directors click here
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