A Pilgrimage of Mercy: Walking in Catherine’s Boots

In August, a group of Mercy educators from around the world gathered in Dublin, Ireland, for In Catherine’s Boots: A Mercy Pilgrimage to Ireland – the first-ever pilgrimage to Ireland sponsored by Mercy Education. Sister Lisa Griffith, RSM, Executive Director for Mercy Education, recently reflected on the experience for Mercy E-news, the global publication of Mercy International Association.

Sister Lisa writes: “The moment participants arrived, there was an unmistakable sense of awe. Images long known through books and presentations became reality: Catherine extending her hand in welcome, the iconic red door, the familiar knocker, and the address, 64A Lower Baggot Street. … As educators, standing in the first Mercy classroom was both humbling and inspiring. We glimpsed into the courage and determination required to educate more than 100 students in a single room. The experience challenged us to imagine Catherine’s educational vision not as a distant historical reality, but as a living tradition.”

Read more about how the pilgrimage was established, highlights from the experience and how Catherine’s story speaks to each of us today.

Are you interested in walking in Catherine’s footsteps? The application for our 2027 pilgrimage is coming soon.