Catherine McAuley was the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, a religious order, initially, dedicated to the education of poor young catholic women of Dublin and is now a worldwide order where the education and rights of all young people are first and foremost in the minds of the educators.  Catherine McAuley grew up in Ireland (born 1778) at a time when Catholics, who were approximately 75 – 80% of the population, where amongst the poorest of the poor.  Due to family circumstances Catherine was personally spared a life of poverty but her observations of Catholic families living in slums rife with disease and epidemics, lacking in education and full of wide spread begging never let her memory.  She commenced her “mercy works” early in life, led by her strong Catholic faith; Catherine always wished to give something to the poor.   Catherine soon grew to realise that the way to help the young women of Ireland was through education and refuge.  In 1827 the House of Mercy was opened and on the 12^th of December 1831 the congregation of the Sisters of Mercy was established.  Catherine’s strong desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus led to voluntary poverty for all Sisters of Mercy and so Catherine’s mission, to be creditable with the poor, meant it necessary to live in solidarity with them.  Catherine McAuley died on the 11^th November 1841 and her legacy lives on through every Mercy school throughout the world.

The Cross:  The Mercy cross is a replica of the ebony and ivory cross worn by Catherine McAuley.  There is no figure on the cross, signifying that we place ourselves on the cross with Christ in an attempt to share His journey.  Catherine McAuley and her sisters were unusual in that they did not remain cloistered.  The footprints symbolise the action of walking out into the community to journey with others; to seek out those in need; to share their burdens.