Celebrating 35 Years of Catherine McAuley as Venerable

April 9, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the journey of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, toward sainthood. On this day in 1990, Catherine was declared Venerable by the Catholic Church, recognizing her heroic virtue and devotion to God’s people.

The canonization process is a rigorous and prayerful journey, and Catherine has completed two of the four major steps. Currently, her cause is in the third stage, which requires a verified miracle. A remarkable case—the healing of a baby in 2016—has been carefully studied by a Diocesan Tribunal and is now awaiting investigation at the Vatican.

We invite you to engage your school communities in discussions about Catherine’s cause for canonization. To support you, we are sharing the following resources.

• From Mercy International Association: This webpage includes a prayer service from Mercy International Association to reflect on Catherine’s life and legacy on this 35th anniversary; an update from Sister Brenda Dolphin, RSM, Postulator for the Cause of Canonization; and the Prayer for Beatification of Catherine McAuley.
• From Mercy Education: Canonization and Catherine McAuley, recorded by Sister Sheila Carney, RSM, specifically for our school communities. Published in 2024, this resource can be shared with students, faculty, and families, with subtitles available in English and Spanish. More resources on Catherine can be found on our website.

As Mercy schools, we continue to live out Catherine’s mission, embracing her as a holy woman who loved God and dedicated her life to serving others. Through her canonization, may the whole world come to know her as we do!