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Mercy Heritage
Mercy heritage is about remembering and honouring what has gone before us. It is also about preserving the story of Mercy. We do this to nourish what is in us so that we are inspired to go forward in mission. In this section you will find the story of Catherine McAuley and Mercy; The Dublin of the 1800s and the places connected to Catherine; and the film In God Alone. You will also find information about the pioneering Mercy Foundresses; interesting dates and events in the Mercy Story. Preservica (new) is our way of ensuring that our rich heritage is preserved and made available now and for future generations.
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Catherine
Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland, in September, 1778. In 1824 she used her inheritance from an Irish couple she had served for twenty years to build a large House of Mercy on Baggot Street, Dublin in response to the needs of the poor of Dublin. This is her story.
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Mercy Foundresses
Stories of courageous and skilled Mercy women of faith who took the Sisters of Mercy to communities across Ireland and to countries, including the United Kingdom, Newfoundland, the United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa, in the space of a few decades in the nineteenth century.
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Heritage Corner (coming soon)
Our Head of Heritage and Spirituality Caroline Thompson shares lots of interesting content here in our Heritage Corner.
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Catherine's Dublin
Discover the story of Catherine McAuley by exploring this virtual tour of Dublin. The tour visits many landmarks of importance in the life of Catherine and the history of the Sisters of Mercy.
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On This Day
For those of us who like history, here is a resource to discover what happened in our Mercy Story on this day.
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In God Alone Film
This beautifully put together docudrama telling the story of Catherine McAuley, features many re-enactments of actual events in her life from her childhood to her last days.
Mercy Spirituality
Mercy Spirituality is about taking time to come to the well, to being refreshed and re-invigorated to do what we do and be as we can be in a new way that is merciful and compassionate. Mercy Spirituality is about raising awareness of the merciful God present in our lives. It influences the way we are in the world and is very much rooted in the Mercy Charism given to us by Catherine McAuley. It is about prayer but it’s also active – prayer in action.
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Lent 2026 Walking in Mercy Online Retreat
Kick-start your Lenten journey with our online retreat with Caroline Thompson on Tuesday 17th February 2026. Self-registration is open now.
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The Suscipe of Catherine McAuley
This is probably the best known Prayer of Catherine McAuley. It is Catherine’s Prayer of Dedication to God. It offers to everyone who prays it a challenge to trust God completely and to know what happens everyday is in God’s plan.
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Prayers and Reflections
We invite you to dip into our well of prayers and reflections for and from the Mercy World.
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Mercy Spirituality and the Works of Sr Clare Agnew
These line drawings by Clare Agnew, a contemporary of Catherine McAuley, illustrate scenes of the early Sisters of Mercy engaged in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in Ireland in the 1830s.
Mercy Quotes
Be inspired, comforted and encouraged by quotations from the writings by and about Catherine McAuley.
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MIRP Resources
Mercy International Reflection process (MIRP) was a worldwide reflection process for the Year of Mercy for Sisters of Mercy and Partners of Mercy. Here are the resulting resources.