On September 24, the global Mercy community celebrates Mercy Day, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. It was on this date in 1827 that Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, offering shelter, education, and care for those most in need. Each year, Mercy Day invites us to honour her vision and to recognise God’s presence in our world through acts of compassion, justice, and service.
At OLMC, we celebrated Mercy Day a little earlier, on Thursday 18 September, as the actual feast falls during the school holidays. Our celebration was not only a time of prayer and thanksgiving but also a day of action, as we supported Mercy Works in their efforts to bring safe drinking water to primary schools in Timor-Leste. In this way, we continue Catherine’s legacy of responding to suffering with hope and generosity.
Prayer for Mercy Day
Loving God,
On this Mercy Day, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy,
we give thanks for the vision of Catherine McAuley
and the many ways her spirit lives on in our world today.
Bless our students, staff, families, and wider community,
that we may be people of welcome, compassion, and courage.
Open our eyes to the needs around us
and strengthen our hands to bring Mercy to life each day.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.