Welcome to the Year of Mercy!

Pope Francis proclaimed a “Holy Year of Mercy” which begins on 8th December 2015 under the patronage of Mary, the Mother of Mercy. The message of mercy has been central to Pope Francis’ pontificate, as it was to that of Saint John Paul II who inaugurated this Sunday after Easter as Mercy Sunday and who canonized the Polish visionary of God’s mercy, Saint Faustina.

Mother Church also sets before us a well-established path so we may unite ourselves to Christ and follow this way of mercy: the path is called the ‘works of mercy.’ The works of mercy help us respond to the generous mercy of God. Many of us will have been taught them from our earliest years and we will return to them in the Holy Year ahead. 

The seven corporal works of mercy are: 

1. Feed the hungry. 

2. Give drink to the thirsty. 


3. Clothe the naked.

4. Shelter the homeless. 


5. Visit the sick. 


6. Visit the imprisoned.

7. Bury the dead. 

And the seven spiritual works of mercy are: 

1. Counsel the doubtful. 


2. Instruct the ignorant.


3. Admonish sinners.


4. Comfort the afflicted. 


5. Forgive offences. 


6. Bear wrongs patiently.


7. Pray for the living and the dead.

These works mark-out the path by which we must each seek to be merciful ‘as our Father is merciful’ (Lk 6:36).