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November Remembrance Prayer
In the spirit of Catherine McAuley and the Mercy Family
In this sacred month of November,
we gather in gratitude, in love and in remembrance.
We pause to remember all those who have gone before us,
whose lives have touched ours,
whose faith has inspired us,
and whose love continues to live on in our hearts.
On 11 November, we will remember in a special way our beloved foundress, Catherine McAuley.
We give thanks for her courage, her vision,
her deep love for those who were poor, vulnerable and forgotten,
and for the extraordinary gift of Mercy
which she entrusted to generations yet to come.
We remember with thanksgiving all the Sisters of Mercy who have died throughout the years.
Those who prayed, served, taught, healed, comforted and accompanied;
those who crossed oceans and travelled distant roads; those who quietly lived their lives in service of others.
We remember their names, their stories, their sacrifices and the countless ways in which they made God's mercy visible.
We hold in our hearts all those who have died,
especially those whose lives were closely woven into our own.
May all who have been part of our Mercy journey
be welcomed into the fullness of God's eternal love.
We remember all those whose names are known only to You, and those whose goodness may never have been recognised.
We remember the quiet acts of kindness,
the hidden sacrifices, the generous hearts
and the faithful lives that helped build the Mercy story.
Lord, as we look towards the 200th anniversary
of the opening of the first House of Mercy on Baggot Street in 1827,
we give thanks for the small beginning
that became a great movement of compassion across the world.
We remember that it began with a house
whose doors were opened in welcome,
whose rooms offered shelter and opportunity,
and whose spirit was one of practical love and tenderness.
We give thanks for the thousands of lives touched
by Catherine's vision over these two hundred years.
For every Sister, every teacher, every nurse,
every woman and man, every young person
who has carried the Mercy spirit into the world.
May we never take for granted the legacy we have inherited.
May we cherish the stories of those who have gone before us, while recognising that the work of Mercy is not finished.
As we remember, may we also be renewed.
Help us to see with Catherine's eyes,
to listen with compassionate hearts,
to reach out with generous hands,
and to respond with courage wherever there is need.
May we be people who make room for others,
who bring hope where there is sadness,
comfort where there is suffering,
welcome where there is loneliness,
and love where there is hurt.
And may we, who continue the story,
be faithful to the gift entrusted to us.
We remember with love.
We give thanks with grateful hearts.
We celebrate a legacy of Mercy.
And we go forward in hope.
May the memory of those who have gone before us
be a blessing,
their example be our inspiration,
and may the spirit of Catherine McAuley
continue to live in all of us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Copyright: Mercy International Association 2026