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Mercy 200 Stories storytelling project launched for 200th anniversary
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Mercy 200 Stories is one of Mercy International Association’s key projects marking the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley on 24 September 1827.
This global storytelling project is an invitation to the Mercy World to gather and share 200 stories that reveal Mercy in action, Mercy in place, and Mercy as lived experience across the world today.
From small, quiet acts of compassion to bold responses to injustice, these stories honour the enduring spirit of Catherine McAuley and the countless ways Mercy continues to respond to the needs of our time.
Together, the #Mercy200Stories will showcase how Mercy is alive and well and how it continues to open doors of hope, courage, and care, almost 200 years after Catherine McAuley first opened a House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin.
Mercy Global Action
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Mercy Global Action
Mercy Marks International Migrants Day with a Focus on Video Games and Immersive Media
Mercy Global Action
Mercy Marks International Migrants Day with a Focus on Video Games and Immersive Media
In December, the NGO Committee on Migration hosted its fourth annual International Migrants Day event in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations. The program explored how video games and immersive media can foster empathy, social cohesion, and inclusive storytelling in the context of migration. Cecilie Kern, Mercy Global Action’s Global Policy and Research Advocate and Chair of the NGO Committee on Migration, was one of the main organizers of the event and moderated the panel discussion.
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Mercy Global Action
Take Five with MGA’s Global Policy and Research Advocate Cecilie Kern
Mercy Global Action
Take Five with MGA’s Global Policy and Research Advocate Cecilie Kern
In our Take Five slot this month we chat to Cecilie Kern about her role as MGA’s Global Policy and Research Advocate, a role that sees her help to bring the voices and experiences of Mercy communities around the world into global policy spaces - especially at the United Nations. Her work focuses mainly on two interconnected justice issues: the degradation of Earth and the displacement of persons.
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MELF Cohort Four
MELF Cohort Four Research Projects
MELF Cohort Four
MELF Cohort Four Research Projects
We have made available all of the research projects from the MGA Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellows from Cohort Four. Their projects cover a diverse range of topics including, Education, Gender-Based Violence, Homelessness, Integrating Ecological Consciousness into Education and many more.
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MELF Cohort Five
MELF Cohort Five Prepare for New York Immersion in March
MELF Cohort Five
MELF Cohort Five Prepare for New York Immersion in March
Cohort Five of the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship Programme are making final preparations for their New York immersion which will take place in March. The main focus of their immersion will be their attendance at the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN. Read more about the Fellows on our website and be sure to follow our social media to be part of the immersion with us.
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
24 January 1854
Foundation to Belfast from Baggot Street.
27 January 1822
In his will on this day, William Callaghan made Catherine McAuley sole residuary legatee to his estate and effects.
29 January 1957
Foundation to Kunjingini, Papua New Guinea from Brisbane.
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Heritage
Heritage Corner with Caroline Thompson
We are delighted to bring you a new Heritage Corner to our monthly eNews. This month Caroline Thompson ponders on what Catherine McAuley was really like. I'm sure you have wondered that many times. Find out how those who knew Catherine described her, including Mary Vincent (Ellen) Whitty (1819 - 1892).
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Spirituality
Spiritual Reflection for January 2026
Caroline Thompson shares a spiritual reflection for January 2026: "It’s almost twelve months since Bishop Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, delivered a sermon, in which she challenged US President Donald Trump to show mercy towards vulnerable communities. I’m sure Catherine Mc Auley would have listened to Bishop Budde’s homily with quiet joy and the recognition of a fellow mercy warrior. She would also have understood the fear and personal cost of speaking truth to power."
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Opening Doors - Youth
An immersion experience for young people into the heart of the Mercy story
We are hosting our Young Mercy Leaders Pilgrimage to Catherine McAuley's House of Mercy in Dublin from 28th to 31st July 2026. This year's gathering is open to Third Level/College Students from across the Mercy World. 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.
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Spirituality
Lent 2026: Walking in Mercy online retreat
We are offering the opportunity for a Lenten journey in Mercy with an online facilitated retreat entitled: Walking in Mercy. The retreat will be offered by Caroline Thompson, MIA's Head of Heritage and Spirituality. The retreat will be offered twice on Tuesday 17th February to allow the Mercy World to tune in at a time that best suits.
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Prayer
Our Online Prayer Space is open
While Catherine's House and our Oratory and Chapel are closed as part of the Essential Works taking place, our Online Prayer Space is open. We invite you to offer your prayer intentions through the intercession of Venerable Catherine McAuley.
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!
Worth Reading)
Worth Knowing
Catherine McAuley Symposium in New Zealand
From 13–15 December 2026, Whānau Mercy Ministries and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington will host a three-day Catherine McAuley Symposium at Rutherford House. 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
Video update on Essential Works at 64a Lower Baggot Street
In this video filmed in December 2025, we share with you some of the early progress of the essential works taking place at Catherine's House, 64a Lower Baggot Street. We show you a glimpse of the work in progress across all floors. It is important to note that we were not able to have access to all of the spaces due to the ongoing work but we will update you further in our next video.
Worth Watching)
Worth Reading
Sr Maureen Lally's dream of an Irish Camino from Croagh Patrick to Downpatrick
Maureen Lally RSM held a dream of connecting Mayo’s famous Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick, with Downpatrick, the place where Ireland’s national saint is reputed to be buried. As can happen with dreams, it was set aside for a time due to life’s activities but it finally came to life in late 2025.
Worth Reading)
Worth Knowing
Women at the table: leadership, synodality, and the courage to change
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, Whānau Mercy Ministries invites you to a presentation on Women and Leadership in the Church. On Monday 9 March 2026 at 1.00pm (NZ time), they will host Dr Rocío Figueroa, a respected theologian and member of the Mercy Hospice Board, for a webinar that speaks directly into the life of the Church today.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Reading
Technology must serve the human person, not replace it - Pope Leo XIV
Face and voice are unique traits of every person and form the foundation of human identity and relationships. Reflecting on this truth, Pope Leo XIV introduces his Message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, which will be celebrated on 17 May 2026, with a focus on digital communication and artificial intelligence, highlighting the need to protect human dignity in an age increasingly shaped by technological innovation.
Worth Reading)
Worth Reading
None of the baptised are exempt from mission - Pope's Message for Mission Sunday 2026
“No baptized person,” the Pope writes in his message for World Mission Day 2026, “is exempt from or indifferent to mission: everyone, each according to their own vocation and condition of life, participates in the great work that Christ has entrusted to his Church. The 100th World Day for Mission will be celebrated on October 18, under the theme "One in Christ, united in mission."
Worth Reading)
Worth Playing
The Daily Meditation - a new podcast from Brother Richard
The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard is a short daily podcast offering stillness, clarity and spiritual grounding - a moment of calm in a busy, noisy world. Hosted by Brother Richard, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and meditation teacher, each episode draws on the Christian monastic contemplative tradition, one of the oldest continuous meditative practices in the world. With warmth, simplicity and deep humanity, Brother Richard offers reflections and guided meditations shaped for modern life.
Worth Listening)
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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