Mercy Day unites community in faith, service, and scholarship

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Mercy Academy community gathered in the school gymnasium to celebrate Mercy Day, a cherished annual event honoring the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy and the legacy of our foundress Catherine McAuley. This special event recalls Sept. 24, 1827, when McAuley first opened the House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, to serve the poor, sick and uneducated. That act of compassion grew into the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in 1831, a mission that continues to flourish worldwide through schools, hospitals and ministries. 

This year, Fr. John Burke celebrated Mass, with readings and reflections centered on this year’s theme, “The Cloak of Mercy.” Students and staff contributed to a collaborative art piece entitled “A Cloak of Mercy” made from strips of fabric representing prayers, reflections and commitments to extend God’s love to others. Mercy Academy senior Carissa Baerveldt also created a striking image of Our Lady of Mercy, featured in Mass visuals, reminding the community of Mary’s mantle of protection and care. 

“In the legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy, may others know we are Christian not by the Mercy uniforms that we wear. Instead, may they know we are followers of Jesus by the ‘Cloak of Mercy’ that we wear to cover those in need with love and compassion and to cover the world with mercy,” Fr. Burke said. 

The program included meaningful scripture readings, including St. Paul’s call to be clothed in “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” from Colossians 3, and culminating with Matthew’s Gospel, which calls all believers to recognize Christ in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and the imprisoned. Mercy Academy president Becky Montague (Class of 1991) offered a heartfelt reflection after the Gospel. 

During her remarks, Montague explained that mercy is not just a feeling but an action: recognizing others’ suffering and responding with love and support. She said though we do not deserve it, Jesus models mercy through His endless love and forgiveness, as shown in the story of the Prodigal Son. She also emphasized that mercy is a “circle:” we are called both to give mercy and to receive it from Jesus, continuously refilling ourselves so that we can extend it to others. 

“You cannot pour from an empty teacup,” Montague said. “As you give mercy to others, you must recognize when you sin and ask Jesus to pour more mercy into your cup. That, friends, is our Circle of Mercy.” 

Before Mass, Mercy Academy scholarship recipients and donors gathered in the Chapel for the Mercy Day Scholarship program. Made possible by the generosity of the Mercy community, these annual scholarships support families in need of financial assistance, helping students continue their education rooted in the values of service and faith. A large variety of scholarships have been established, honoring and memorializing members of the Mercy community, including Mercy alumnae, parents, teachers and more. To learn more about Mercy Day Scholarships, click here. 

Mercy Day 2025 also invites the school community into a deeper engagement with the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concern of Immigration, inviting the community to see migrants, refugees, and displaced persons as part of God’s beloved family: not strangers, but neighbors under the same merciful cloak. Mercy Academy students have already embraced this call through service, as Mercy’s freshmen volunteered with Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services as part of their Mercy in Action Day during Freshman Mission Week. Mercy Academy will also be embracing this critical concern more during Care-struction in November and through our service-learning program.

To learn more about faith and service at Mercy Academy, click here.