Petition of Mercy Associates and Sisters of Mercy

Mercy Associates and Sisters of Mercy of the United Kingdom
Petition to support the Cause for the Beatification of Venerable Catherine Mc Auley

On Oct. 4th 2008 Mercy Associates in Great Britain organised a National Conference. The main purpose of the Conference was to promote the Cause for the Beatification of Venerable Catherine Mc Auley but also to make Catherine better known at parish & national level.

Sister Brenda Dolphin, Postulator for the Cause of Ven. Catherine’s Beatification, was the keynote speaker. Sr. Brenda delivered an interesting and inspiring account of the Stages in the Canonisation Process and encouraged us to continue to make Catherine & her Charism of Mercy more widely known and loved. She encouraged us to share our love of Catherine with everyone we meet and to encourage people to have recourse to Catherine’s intercession.

Associates left the Conference anxious to get started in earnest promoting the Cause for Catherine’s Beatification. Many began to do this by making her better known in their own Associate Groups Parishes & local Communities.

The enthusiasm generated by this Conference was the inspiration behind a decision taken by members of the Mercy Associate National Commission on March 13th 2010. At this meeting it was decided that the visit of Pope Benedict XV1, to Great Britain in September 2010, was the golden opportunity for Associates to present him with a Petition supporting the Cause for Venerable Catherine’s Beatification.

The 55 Associate Groups, Sisters of Mercy, Youth Mercy Associates & students in ‘Mercy’ Schools were asked to send:

1. Signatures in support of the Petition (wording of he Petition attached)
2. Accounts, with photographs if possible, of their Mercy Ministries.
3. Accounts & photographs of Significant ‘Mercy’ Events
4. Anecdotal evidence of Favours granted through the Intercession of Venerable Catherine.

There has been a magnificent response from everyone and we now have three very impressive volumes, bound and ready to present to His Holiness Pope Benedict XV1.

Volume 1 entitled:

SISTERS OF MERCY & ASSOCIATES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PETITION TO POPE BENEDICT XV1 TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF VENERABLE CATHERINE Mc AULEY 1778 – 1841
FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY

This volume contains:

SIGNATURES: nine thousand four hundred (9,400)

LETTERS supporting the Petition, from fifteen (15) members of the Hierarchy:

CARDINAL KEITH O’BRIEN (Edinburgh)

Archbishop Vincent Nichols (Westminster)
Archbishop Patrick Kelly (Liverpool),
Archbishop Peter Smith (Southwark)
Archbishop Bernard Longley (Birmingham)

Bishop Crispin Hollis (Portsmouth)
Bishop Thomas Mc Mahon (Brentwood)
Bishop Tom Burns (Menevia)
Bishop Edwin Regan (Wrexham)
Bishop Seamus Cunningham (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Bishop Peter Doyle (Northampton)
Bishop Terence Drainey(Middlesbrough)
Bishop Michael Campbell OSA (Lancaster)
Bishop Brian Noble (Shrewsbury)
Bishop Arthur Roche (Leeds)

Volume 2 entitled

THROUGH THE EXAMPLE & INSPIRATION OF VENERABLE CATHERINE Mc AULEY THE SPIRITUAL & CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY ARE LIVED OUT TODAY IN THE MINISTRIES & PRAYERS OF HER MERCY ASSOCIATES & SISTERS.

This Volume contains:

Accounts of Mercy Ministries, Significant ‘Mercy’
Events & Favours obtained through Catherine’s intercession.

Volume 3 entitled:

YOUTH MERCY ASSOCIATES BUILDING A GETTER WORLD FOLLOWING IN THFOOTSTEPS OF VENERABLE CATHERINE Mc AULEY. ‘YOUTH MERCY ASSOCIATES REACH FOR THE SKIES’

This Volume contains:

Signatures of Youth Mercy Associates and students in ‘Mercy’ Schools to support of the Petition for Venerable Catherine’s Beatification.

Accounts & photographs of the many Mercy Ministries in which the Youth Associates are involved

Significant Mercy events in which they have been involved and accounts of Favours received through Venerable Catherine’s intercession.

Where or when our Petition will be presented to Pope Benedict has not yet been decided but we are confident that it will eventually find its way to the Congregation for Causes in Rome.

We are also confident that, when the time comes for the Miracle required for Catherine’s Beatification, this Petition will provide evidence of the great love & devotion that Mercy Associates, Sisters of Mercy, Youth Associates & Friends of Mercy in Great Britain have for Venerable Catherine.

Petition

Dear Holy Father,

As we rejoice, celebrate and give thanks to God for your presence with us here in Great Britain, we the Sisters and Associate Members of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, would like to bring to your attention our great longing and prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Catherine Mc Auley who died in 1841. She spent her life in loving service of all, especially the poor to whom she was a real channel of God's loving Mercy.

She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy which has spread around the world and today she is a beacon of light, a source of inspiration and a powerful intercessor for us with God.

Many Sisters and Associates tell of favours received through Venerable Catherine’s intercession.