A Message from the President
The best part of my role as President is that I get to speak with members of our community every day - students , parents , alumni , faculty , staff , friends , neighbors , benefactors .
No matter who they are , where they ’ re from , or what they do for a living , there is always one common theme that connects us all together - Mercy .
Mercy is ingrained in everything we do here and everything we are .
It ’ s what we turn to when we need guidance , or clarity , or even a reality check .
A few years ago , when the world seemed to be upside down , Sister Kati McMahon , who means so much to this University , wisely said that our Mercy Values are an antidote to the increasing levels of divisiveness and incivility we are seeing in society . I have come back to the wisdom in that statement time and time again .
What started out on Baggot Street now spans continents . Our more than 25,000 Distinctive Mercy Graduates carry out the Mercy mission all across the world – in boardrooms , hospital rooms , classrooms , and laboratories . They do well and do good . They make a difference .
And it ’ s all because of Catherine McAuley .
When students start their GMercyU careers , they begin by learning about Catherine , the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy . When faculty and staff begin their tenure here , they begin by learning about Catherine . From that point forward , she serves as the inspiration for their work . She becomes their driving force . Myself included .
In fact , when I first started here almost seven years ago , one of the things I noticed right away was the need for a Catherine McAuley statue – and others commented on that need , as well . It has been on leadership ’ s priority list ever since and there wasn ’ t a better time to reveal it than during Mercy Week this past fall – and the start of our 75th anniversary celebrations .
Placed near the center of campus , and in close proximity to the planned Healthcare Innovation Center , Catherine ’ s statue now serves as a symbol of the Mercy values we have shepherded since our opening in 1948 .
My hope is that it will be a beacon for students , alumni , faculty , and staff to gather , to seek comfort and inspiration , and perhaps a place to enjoy a communal cup of tea .
Deanne H . D ’ Emilio , JD President