Mercy Day 2026: Beginning Our Journey Towards 200 Years of Catherine McAuley's House of Mercy

On Mercy Day 2026, the Mercy World comes together in prayer and celebration as we begin a year of preparation for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley on 24 September 1827.

Mercy Day 2026 marks the beginning of a special year of prayer, reflection, celebration and connection across the Mercy World.

The anniversary year, from Mercy Day 2026 to Mercy Day 2027, invites us to remember our shared heritage, celebrate the ways in which Mercy continues to flourish throughout the world, and look with hope towards the future.

Celebrating Mercy from Baggot Street

A special Mercy Day Mass from Baggot Street will be shared via the Mercy World website in the early afternoon of Mercy Day, Thursday 24th September. The celebrant will be Fr Bryan Shortall Ofm Cap.

Baggot Street holds a unique place in the story of Mercy. It was here that Catherine McAuley established the first House of Mercy, creating a place where those who were poor and vulnerable could find practical assistance, education, welcome and care.

The Mass will offer the Mercy World an opportunity to gather spiritually at this significant place and to give thanks for Catherine’s vision and for the countless women and men who have continued the mission of Mercy over the past two centuries.

We invite members of the Mercy World everywhere to join us online and to share in this celebration of our common heritage.

Messages from Mercy World Leadership

As we begin this special anniversary year, we will also share messages from Mary O’Donovan, MIA’s CEO, from Maria Lawton RSM, MIA Board Chair and from Peta Goldburg, President of the MIA Members.

Their messages will offer reflections on the significance of this milestone for Mercy World and on the opportunities before us as we journey together towards 200 years of Mercy. They will also acknowledge the extraordinary contribution of the Mercy community across the world and invite us to embrace this anniversary year as a time of gratitude, celebration and renewal.

These messages will be shared through the Mercy World website and our social media channels on Mercy Day 2026.

Together, they will help set the tone for the year ahead - encouraging the whole Mercy World to celebrate our shared heritage, strengthen our connections and look with hope towards the future.

The 200th Anniversary Calendar

As part of the Mercy Day celebrations, we are introducing a Calendar for the 200th Anniversary which will go live on Mercy Day.

The calendar will accompany us throughout the anniversary year, offering opportunities to remember significant moments in the story of Mercy, in Catherine’s life and to celebrate the people and places that have shaped our history, and highlight the continuing presence and mission of Mercy around the world.

The calendar is also an invitation to participation. Throughout the year, we hope it will help us to discover more about our shared story and to recognise the many ways in which the spirit of Catherine McAuley continues to inspire lives and communities today.

A New Poem by Mary Wickham

To mark the beginning of this special year, we are also delighted to be sharing a new poem by Mary Wickham entitled September.

Mary’s poem, which will be available ahead of Mercy Day, offers a creative reflection on our Mercy heritage and the journey towards 200 years.

We hope the poem will be shared widely throughout the Mercy World and used as a resource for prayer, reflection and community gatherings during the anniversary year. We also look forward to welcoming Mary to Catherine’s House in Dublin next year for a special poetry residence.

Coming Together Through Webinars

Throughout the anniversary year, a series of webinars will provide further opportunities for people across the Mercy World to come together online.

The webinars will continue explore different aspects of our Mercy heritage, spirituality and mission, while creating space for conversation and connection across countries, cultures and generations.

More information about the webinar programme, including dates, speakers and registration details, will be shared through the Mercy World website and social media channels.

We encourage everyone to watch for these opportunities and to invite others in their communities to participate.

Our Official Anniversary Prayer

Prayer will be at the heart of our journey from Mercy Day 2026 to Mercy Day 2027.

The official prayer for the 200th anniversary year is being shared today in English and Spanish, with PDF versions also available. Multimedia versions will follow shortly.

We invite the whole Mercy World to pray this prayer throughout the anniversary year — individually, in communities, in schools, in ministries and wherever people gather in the name of Mercy.

As we pray together, we are connected not only to Catherine McAuley and those who came before us, but also to one another and to the future of Mercy.

A special Novena of Prayer will also be made available for the nine days leading into Mercy Day 2027.

Our Theme and Logo

The anniversary year also brings with it a special theme and logo, providing a shared visual and spiritual identity for our celebrations.

The theme invites us to look back with gratitude, recognise the gift of our Mercy heritage in the present, and look forward with hope to the future.

The logo will appear throughout anniversary communications and resources, helping to create a visible sense of connection across the worldwide Mercy community.

Together, the theme and logo remind us that while Mercy has a remarkable history, it is not simply something we remember. Mercy is a living charism, continually renewed through the people and communities who embody it today.

The logo kit is available on request by email to mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie

Resources from MIA and the Mercy World

We will also be making available some additional Spirituality resources for Mercy Day. Caroline Thompson, Head of Heritage and Spirituality and Anne Lyng RSM, Head of Opening Doors have prepared resources that will be available shortly on our website.

We also invite the Mercy World to let us know about your resources and your celebrations for Mercy Day and we will also make these available.

One of the key resources we will be using for the anniversary year is the film In God Alone which is available on our website.

A Year to Remember, Celebrate and Renew

The 200th anniversary is much more than a commemoration of an event that happened in Dublin in 1827. It is an opportunity for the whole Mercy World to reflect on where we have come from, to celebrate where Mercy is present today, and to ask where the Spirit is calling us next.

From this small House of Mercy on Baggot Street, a worldwide story unfolded.

Today, Mercy is lived and shared across continents and cultures, through ministries, communities, schools, organisations, prayer and countless acts of compassion and justice.

As we begin this anniversary year, we remember Catherine McAuley’s courage and vision with gratitude. We celebrate the generations who have carried her legacy forward. And we look towards the next chapter with hope.

Over the coming year, may we pray together, learn together, celebrate together and renew our commitment to the Mercy mission - as one Mercy World.

Happy Mercy Day 2026!