These are some of the ways in which the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas will more fully live Laudato Si’ in 2026. To see the fourth year action plan click here.
Responding to the Cry of the Earth
The Department of Climate and Sustainability commits to:
• Estimate 2025 carbon emissions from utilities (e.g., electricity, gas) and vehicle usage throughout the Institute and compare to 2024 emissions to determine the impact of energy efficiency initiatives implemented over the past year;
• Finalize the development of a Sustainability Dashboard to assess, monitor, and effectively communicate the implementation of sustainability initiatives at major properties throughout the Institute;
• Complete construction of the Belmont, NC, solar array project;
• Finalize details of a strategy to stabilize the shoreline and prevent future erosion from coastal storms and sea-level rise at the Mercy by the Sea Spiritual Retreat and Conference Center; and
• Continue engaging in research that fosters awareness of potential environmental and social justice concerns related to plastic/paper consumption alternatives, renewable energy, and fuel-efficient vehicles. A dynamic webpage or app will be developed to share the results of this research within and external to the Sisters of Mercy.
Mercy Volunteer Corps will continue to partner with Mercy Ecology/Mercy Ecospirituality Center with hopes to place four volunteers in a short-term summer opportunity focused on care of the land and animals and sustainability practices.
Responding to the Cry of the Poor
The Justice Team will launch its extractivism map to showcase examples of Mercy sisters, associates and co-workers educating about, advocating on and resisting extractivism projects around the world.
Mercy Volunteer Corps will:
• add a short-term placement at ARISE Adelante, a ministry that focuses on women’s empowerment, immigration and the environment in the Rio Grande Valley near the Texas-Mexico border.
• continue its partnership with Sanctuary Farm Philadelphia by offering a yearlong volunteer placement opportunity focused on supporting healthy communities in an economically deprived neighborhood and healing through a relationship with the Earth.
Mercy Investment Services will expand and deepen the integration of environmental, social and governance investment strategies by:
• actively allocating capital to address diversity gaps amongst decision-makers and financial access within the Inclusive Opportunities Fund;
• continuing to expand the emerging managers program supporting firms being shut out of traditional capital markets and overlooked by mainstream investors;
• discouraging companies from being involved in activities that identify and exclude immigrants from full participation in society; and
• deepening Mercy Partnership Fund’s continued dedication to racial and gender equity as well as those investment strategies that emphasize international opportunities.
Ecological Economics
Mercy Investment Services will:
• Continue to ground our investment actions in seeking prophetic change in climate action and solutions;
• Partner with other investors to engage corporations on water stewardship, greenhouse gas emissions, plastics use, biodiversity and other important issues; and
• Speak out against regulatory and legislative changes that negatively impact creation.
Sustainable Lifestyles
The Department of Climate and Sustainability will:
• visit sisters and staff at various locations throughout the Institute to discuss concerns related to climate and sustainability as well as ongoing projects and also to continue to serve as a resource for Mercy ministries and other religious congregations around more sustainable lifestyles.
• continue providing articles on sustainability topics to the Mercy Tips to Care for Earth, with the Justice Team and Communications Department, and to the Mercy schools’ newsletter on a monthly basis.
Mercy Volunteer Corps will:
• Collect utility usage data for volunteer residences located throughout the United States and investigate renewable energy options.
• Invite the Institute Justice Team and Climate and Sustainability Director to volunteer formation retreats to promote awareness about current work and to motivate/empower for personal lifestyle changes.
• Include monthly “Care for Creation” reflections (offered by the Cincinnati Mercy Community) as a regular resource in our monthly newsletter.
Ecological Education
Mercy Education, building on progress made in 2025, will continue to deepen our ministry’s commitment to ecological awareness and sustainable practices in these ways:
• Continue publishing the monthly column in our Flash newsletter, sharing practical sustainability insights to help schools put Mercy values into environmental action;
• Issue a special edition of Mercy Impact to spotlight major sustainability projects across its network, celebrating how Mercy schools are leading by example in caring for our common home;
• Explore and implement alternatives to traditional lanyards for events, since they cannot be reused for sanitary reasons. We estimate this change will keep approximately 400 lanyards out of landfills each year; and
• Engage in education around the environmental cost of technology use, including email, artificial intelligence, and digital storage. We will explore practical steps—such as adding an optional note in email signatures encouraging thoughtful communication—to reduce unnecessary digital energy consumption.
The Justice Team will plan a series of educational programs to deepen understanding of the root causes of our critical concerns of Earth, immigration, nonviolence, racism and women.
Mercy Volunteer Corps will collaborate with the Justice Team to host an online session for volunteers to more clearly draw links between care for the Earth, earth justice and spirituality.
Ecological Spirituality
The Justice Team will:
• promote Laudato Si Animator training to equip sisters, associates and co-workers to shift consciousness of their communities around environmental and climate justice.
• continue Friday reflections sent out to our 6,000 advocates that offer spiritual nourishment and encouragement amidst the struggles for social and environmental justice and nonviolence.
Community Resilience and Empowerment
The Justice Team will:
• begin to plan for targeted state-level advocacy on issues related to our critical concerns.
• begin planning for building out a Mercy justice network to more intentionally reach out to others in Mercy beyond the sisters to engage them in education, advocacy, public witness and solidarity.
