Atty Benedicto R Bacani

Archbishop Santiago TG Hayes SJ Award
For service to the Church in Mindanao

“The poor need us now, not tomorrow.”
-Venerable Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Religious Sisters of Mercy

For nearly seven decades, the Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM), based in Iligan City, has embodied this powerful call to compassion, bringing healing, hope, and holistic service to the people of Mindanao. In honoring the Institute with the Archbishop Santiago TG Hayes Award for the Service of the Church in Mindanao, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan recognizes not only the Sisters’ enduring mission, but also their courage to walk with the marginalized, their creativity in responding to complex social realities, and their unyielding faith in the transformative power of mercy

Their journey began in 1957, when four American Sisters, Sr Mary Mark Long, Sr Miriam John Nash, Sr Mary Christina Dineen, and Sr Mary Harriet O’Connor, answered the invitation of Irish Columban Bishop Patrick Cronin to take charge of the then Pioneers’ Institute in Tubod, Lanao del Norte. This would later become Mercy High School and evolve into what is now Mercy Junior College, a center for integrative, compassionate, and quality education rooted in Catholic values. It continues to serve learners from Kindergarten to Senior High School and has expanded its reach through the Trocaire Alternative Education Program for underprivileged but determined students.

But the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy goes far beyond the classroom. Their ministries reveal a tapestry of committed service: educational leadership, healthcare innovation, ecological advocacy, spiritual formation, peacebuilding, and the defense of the vulnerable.

From the windswept coasts of Jimenez to the upland communities of Zamboanga Sibugay, the Sisters have been a faithful presence. They took on the management of the School of Saint John the Baptist in Jimenez and Holy Cross High School in Kolambugan, ensuring that Catholic education remained accessible in underserved areas. They did not hesitate to go where they were most needed, even when it meant replacing outgoing congregations or stepping into difficult terrains

In 1971, echoing the healing ministry of Jesus, the Sisters launched the Mercy Mobile Clinic, a hospital on wheels that offered free medical services to Christian and Muslim communities alike. What began as a humble outreach grew into the Mercy Community Hospital, Inc, now a vital healthcare institution in Iligan and neighboring provinces. This commitment to health and wholeness continued with the Pagadian Health Care Mission, blending alternative medicine with catechesis, recognizing that wellness is both physical and spiritual. Sr Virgencita Alegado, RSM, Institute Minister based at the Mercy Regional House in Iligan and who this year, celebrates her 20th year, reaffirms this mission, “With our desire to really give compassionate service and to respond to the need of the poor, we really try to the best of our ability to really serve whoever comes in our door.”

In one of the poorest municipalities of Zamboanga Sibugay, the Sisters answered another call. In Alicia, they planted seeds of transformation: community-based health programs, catechetical instruction, social justice initiatives, peace advocacy, ecological awareness, and a profound ministry with Indigenous Peoples. The Subanen, Badjao, and Samal communities have since become not only recipients of their compassion but also co-creators in shaping more just and sustainable lives.

At the center of the Sisters’ ecological mission is M-Care (Mercy Center for Alternative Recreation of Earth), a bold response to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Catherine McAuley’s reverence for creation. KT’s Kabuhatan Ecological Place, a reforested sanctuary, now lies in the once barren land of Jimenez. This is a living testament to healing not only people, but also the planet.

Their Spiritual Leadership Program and repurposed Formation House in Ozamiz continue to nourish laypeople, clergy, and religious who seek renewal through Ignatian spirituality. These programs ensure that the fire of Mercy is not only preserved but passed on and rekindled in the hearts of those who will continue the mission.

Even as the Philippines remains their primary home, the Sisters’ courage took them beyond borders. In 2018, their presence extended to Vietnam, welcoming new vocations and planting hope in another culture, further proving that mercy knows no boundaries.

Their collaboration with the Diocese of Iligan in the Safeguarding Ministry reflects a deep sense of accountability, to protect those most vulnerable to trafficking and abuse, and to uphold the dignity of every person as beloved of God.

From education to healthcare, from ecological healing to intercultural and interreligious solidarity, from youth formation to the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples, the Religious Sisters of Mercy have lived out the Gospel with steadfast compassion. They have fulfilled the words of their Foundress:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

May their story inspire all who seek to serve, reminding us that mercy is not a moment, but a mission.

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In sincere recognition of their selfless and remarkable service to the Church in Mindanao. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan is pleased and deeply honored to bestow to the Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM), the Archbishop Santiago TG Hayes SJ Award of the 86th Commencement Exercises.