Every year on September 24th, the global Mercy family—sisters, associates, companions, donors, staff, students, and more—comes together to celebrate Mercy Day, marking the 1827 opening of the first House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland.

The 2025 theme, The Cloak of Mercy: From Many Homes, One Mercy Family – Wrapped in God’s Love, invites us to reflect on the powerful image of God’s mercy as a cloak: sheltering, uniting, and calling us to extend compassion to others just as Catherine McAuley did in her own life. 

Loving God,

We thank You for wrapping us in the gift of Your Merciful Shawl, stretched wide across the Mercy world. Day by day, You call us to carry the weight and responsibility of Your mercy.

As we celebrate Mercy Day, we remember the vision and courage of Catherine McAuley, who first placed this Shawl upon the shoulders of the Sisters and all who would follow in her footsteps. May her spirit inspire us to live with faith, joy, and a steadfast love for those in need.

Grant us the courage to wear this Cloak of Mercy with faith, the humility to serve beneath its shelter, and the compassion to extend its comfort to all Your beloved people. May our lives reflect the tender mercy we have received, and may we be instruments of Your love in our world.

Amen.

We thank you God for the gift of this day.