The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is celebrated on 24 September, the same date on which Catherine McAuley opened the doors of the House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin in 1827.
Across the world and throughout different cultures, Mary has long been honoured as Our Lady of Mercy, the mother who reflects God’s compassion and extends her loving protection to those in need.
She is known:
- in Italian as Madonna della Misericordia – Mother of Mercy
- in German as Schutzmantelmadonna – Sheltering-Cloak Madonna
- in Spanish as Virgen de la Merced or Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia
- in French as Notre-Dame de la Merci
- in Polish as Matka Boża Miłosierdzia
- in Portuguese as Nossa Senhora das Mercês
- in Catalan as Mare de Déu de la Mercè
- in Greek as Παναγιά του ἐλέους
Although expressed through different languages and cultures, the image is the same: Mary as a mother of mercy, compassion and protection, gathering people into her loving embrace.
It is fitting that Catherine's House of Mercy opened on this feast day. Like the traditional image of Our Lady of Mercy extending her cloak to shelter those in need, Catherine opened the doors of Baggot Street to women and children who needed education, protection, dignity and care. From those doors grew the Mercy tradition that continues throughout the world today.
On this Mercy Day, may Mercy people everywhere continue to look for ways to extend that same embrace, becoming God’s loving and merciful presence in our world, especially to those most in need.
Happy Mercy Day!
God of Mercy
You call us to follow the example of Jesus
and to make Your
compassion visible in our world.
As we give thanks on this Mercy Day
and for 180 years of Mercy in Australia,
help us receive this tradition as a responsibility for today.
May we act justly, serve humbly, walk alongside others and,
whatever we do, do it with all our heart.
Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.