Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, had a special love for the virtue of mercy. In her words, "Mercy is more than charity for it not only gives benefits, but it receives and pardons again and again - even the ungrateful."

When she inherited a large fortune in 1824, she used it to build a large house in Dublin, Ireland, where she and several other women provided educational, religious and social services for women and children who were poor, homeless and in need.

This building, called the 'House of Mercy,' became the first Mercy convent when the community was founded in 1831. This house is now called 'Mercy International Centre'.