Our Lady of Mercy

The Mercedarian Order, together with the Church, deeply honors Mary, who is united in a special and unbreakable way to the saving mission of her Son, Jesus. We see her as the most beautiful and perfect result of Christ’s redeeming work, and a pure example of what we, as an Order, long to become.

As Mercedarians, we love Mary as our Mother and honor her as the spiritual foundress of our Order. We look to her as a living model of how to dedicate ourselves to God and to serve others in need. We constantly ask her to help us stay faithful to our vocation, and we see it as our duty to spread devotion to her among our Mercedarian family, Christians who suffer persecution, and all those we serve.

To grow in our love for Mary and follow her example more closely, we study her life and role in the Church. We aim to share her mission and the special graces she has received with sincerity and understanding, and we promote true devotion to her through both our words and our lives.

We especially honor Mary through these acts of devotion:

• Daily prayer of the Rosary (five decades each day)

• Saturday celebrations: when allowed by the liturgy, we offer Mass in her honor, pray the Liturgy of the Hours of the Blessed Virgin, and sing the Salve Regina

• Prayers for persecuted Christians on the last Saturday of every month

• The solemn celebration of her feast on September 24

• Dedicating our provinces, churches, and chapels in her name

• Placing her image in our choir and in each religious’ personal room

Mary, our Mother of Mercy, is at the heart of our life and mission. Through her, we learn how to give ourselves fully to Christ and to those He calls us to serve.