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The plain silver ring which Catherine McAuley received on the day of her profession as the first Sister of Mercy had been blessed by the Bishop and sprinkled with holy water. The blessing was a proclamation from the Gospel of Matthew: If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me … (Sullivan 1997. In The Mast. Vol. 8:1).
Mary Sullivan RSM notes that the biblical precedent for the silver ring is not a wedding ring but a signet ring, often seen in the Hebrew Scriptures as a sign of personal authority or used to seal documents. She notes that Catherine’s silver ring has two mottos engraved on it: fiat voluntas tua (thy will be done) and ad majorem Dei gloriam (to the greater glory of God). The ring was both a statement of purpose and a sign of fidelity to God’s mission – a personal and communal pledge.
Catherine’s engraved motto aptly captures her approach to her work at the House of Mercy – to her it was God’s work, God’s call, God’s mission, God’s love that she was called to share with Dublin’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Sullivan rsm refers to this call and response of the Sisters of Mercy as … the prophetic vocation of their silver ring (ibid). Like the prophets of old, these courageous women were not afraid to speak and live mercy, to be a beacon of hope for those who struggled and suffered in dire circumstances. They were not afraid to proclaim a loving and merciful God.
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Catherine’s ring was recycled on her death and given to Mary Julianna Delany on her profession. I wonder if she too was inspired by the engravings to trust totally in God’s call and God’s love.
The silver ring worn faithfully by Catherine and Mary can be seen in the Heritage Centre at Catherine’s House in Dublin. It is one of the treasures of the Mercy world and well worth a visit.
ENDS
Caroline Thompson, Head of Heritage and Spirituality