In New Zealand, Mercy’s registered trademark, listed since 2008 with the Commissioner of Patents,Trade Marks and Designs, is the Mercy Cross. Wearing the cross as a badge or medallion is the exclusive privilege and right of Sisters of Mercy. Others may use the design, with the appropriate permission, to promote the sisters’ identity or mission. Most of our ministries carry the name ‘Atawhai’ or ‘Mercy’ in their title, and a stylised but identifiable version of the cross in their logo.

‘Why the cross?’ you may ask. It links us directly to the international family, founded in 1831 by Mother
Catherine McAuley. The ‘cross of Christ’ is the most frequent reference in all her hundreds of published
letters. It was the image which she and her ‘walking sisters’ wore as their first steps led them through the streets of Dublin and the other Irish towns where they went in search of the poor and sick. The cross was a symbol of their willingness to care and serve…