Mercy Day/McAuley Statue Dedication 2021
Every year on September 24, the Mercy community is invited to celebrate the opening of the first House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland in 1827. Mercy Day is a time of prayer, celebration, and action when we gather in reverence and recognition of Catherine McAuley and the vision of Mercy she had for the world. Catherine, a wise woman, knew that if we created places of welcome and prayerful hospitality the community of Mercy would continue and thrive.
In 2021, we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event – the dedication of a beautiful bronze statue of Catherine McAuley! The life-sized statue, situated outside of the Gallery doors, is a generous gift from one of Mercy’s most committed benefactors, Kathleen Bonsignore Walgreen from the Class of 1961. Kathy commissioned this statue to pay homage to our foundress and as a gift to her beloved alma mater; we are so grateful! Kathy and her late husband Charles “Cork” Walgreen have been dedicated supporters of Mercy, most recently as the lead donors for the creation of The Dismas Center for the Performing Arts. Their $5 million donation, which was the largest in the school’s history, confirmed the Walgreens’ belief in our school’s mission and helped us to reach the next level of excellence.
Students, faculty, Mercy Board members, Sisters of Mercy, friends, and VIPs were all in attendance at the statue dedication/blessing.
