FAQ

Catherine McAuley is the founder of the Sisters of Mercy. She recognized the needs of the poor in Ireland and opened the House of Mercy, a place to shelterand educate women and girls, on September 24, 1827 in Dublin, Ireland. To learn more about Catherine McAuley, visit Our History.

Impressed by founder Catherine McAuley’s good works, the Archbishop of Dublin advised her to establish a religious congregation. She did so, naming the congregation the Sisters of Mercy and opening the House of Mercy on September 24, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. To learn more, see Our History.

Our lives as Sisters of Mercy are focused on responding to unmet needs, through direct service as well as seeking ways to change unjust systems. Both approaches are compassionate responses  to the most basic of needs as described in the centuries-old tradition of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. See Our Mission and Values.

You’ll find Sisters of Mercy of the Americas residing inNorth, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Guam and the Philippines. Congregations of Mercy can be found worldwide. Visit Where to Find Us.

Currently, there are more than 2,900 Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and more than 9,000 from various congregations of the Sisters of Mercy worldwide. Visit Our History.

More than 3,100 Mercy Associates, several Companions in Mercy, more than 960 Mercy Volunteer Corps alumni and thousands of co-workers in Mercy-sponsored programs and institutions share in the Mercy mission. For more information on how you can connect with Mercy, visit Get Involved.

Absolutely.  Special intentions submitted through this website are shared with Sisters of Mercy and all intentions are included in daily prayer. Submit a special intention or prayer here.

All congregations of sisters share certain characteristics: they strive to live simply; they are celibate (do not marry); they give up the right to make decisions independently of their community; they choose prayer and contemplation as a significant part of every day; they engage in work (they call it ministry) that addresses the needs of other people.

Visit our Ask a Sister section to find out more.

We serve in a broad range of ministries: we’re doctors, nurses, healthcare technicians, chaplains, clinical and pastoral ministers, lawyers, paralegals, lobbyists, legal advocates, teachers, professors, librarians, counselors, case managers, social workers and administrative assistants. Sisters also serve as CEOs, CFOs, COOs; directors, coordinators, supervisors and administrators. And much more. Visit What We Do to find out more about our ministries.

We promote systemic change by addressing both U.S. issues and global issues that impact the communities in which we minister. Of particular concern for us are: care for the Earth, immigration, nonviolence, racism and women’s issues. Visit Advocate for Justice to read more about working to change unjust systems.

There are several ways to join your life with ours: prayer, energy and resources. Visit Get Involved for information on the many ways to join Mercy.

For a variety of resources available worldwide, please visit www.mercyworld.org/resources/

Quite simply, yes!  We rely on your prayerful and financial support as we continue our service to the poor, sick and uneducated.  To make a donation to one of our six communities, please click here.

Each of our six Mercy communities has various funding opportunities in order to meet the most pressing needs of the sisters and ministries in each area.  Visit Where We Are to learn more about each community.  Please know that your contributions remain in the community to which you donated, for the purpose you have specified.

To provide you with the information you’re seeking so we may direct you to the right person, visit Contact Us.