‘The Mercy Cross is worn by Sisters of Mercy throughout the world as a symbol of their vowed commitment. Sisters receive the Mercy Cross when first vows are made.
A Cross-Within-a-Cross
The super-imposed pair of crosses on which the design is based, originates with Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley, who connected an ebony cross with an inset of a small ivory cross.
She believed each sister must take up her own cross and symbolically place herself upon it, for only by offering her sufferings for others is she truly showing them mercy (Key Mercy symbols n.d.).’
Related:
Catherine McAuley
Reference
Mercy Cross n.d., Illustration, Mercy Foundation, viewed 8 June 2021, <https://www.mercyfoundation.com.au/working-end-homelessness/north-sydney-mercy-cross-blue-1/>.