The Sisters of Mercy is a

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by

Catherine McAuley Catherine McAuley, RSM (29 September 1778 – 11 November 1841) was an Irish Catholic religious sister who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831.Austin, Mary Stanislas"Sisters of Mercy."''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 10. New York: Robert App ...

. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They also started many education and health care facilities around the world.

History

Founding

The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy began when Catherine McAuley used an inheritance to build a large house on Baggot Street, Dublin, as a school for poor girls and a shelter for homeless servant girls and women. She was assisted in the works of the house by local women. There was no idea then of founding a religious institution; McAuley's plan was to establish a society of secular ladies who would spend a few hours daily in instructing the poor. Gradually the ladies adopted a black dress and cape of the same material reaching to the belt, a white collar and a lace cap and veil. In 1828, Archbishop Daniel Murray advised Miss McAuley to choose some name by which the little group might be known, and she chose that of "Sisters of Mercy", having the design of making the works of mercy the distinctive feature of the institute. She was, moreover, desirous that the members should combine with the silence and prayer of the Carmelite, the active labors of a Sister of Charity. The position of the institute was anomalous, its members were not bound by vows nor were they under a particular rule. Archbishop Murray asked the Sisters of Mercy to declare their intentions as to the future of their institute, whether it was to be classed as a religious congregation or to become secularized. The associates unanimously decided to become religious. It was deemed better to have this congregation unconnected with any already existing community. On the Octave of the Ascension 1829 the archbishop blessed the chapel of the institution and dedicated it to Our Lady of Mercy. This combination of the contemplative and the active life necessary for the duties of the congregation called forth so much opposition that it seemed as though the community, now numbering twelve, must disband; but it was settled that several of the sisters should make their novitiates in some approved religious house and after their profession return to the institute to train the others to religious life. The

Presentation Sisters The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by the Venerable Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The Sisters of the congre ...

, whose rule was based on the Rule of St. Augustine, seemed best adapted for the training of the first novices of the new congregation and Miss McAuley, Miss Elizabeth Harley, and Miss Anna Maria Doyle began their novitiate at George's Hill, Dublin, on 8 September 1830. While they were in training, Miss Frances Warde managed the affairs of the Baggot Street house. On 12 December 1831, Catherine McAuley, Mary Ann Doyle, and Mary Elizabeth Harley professed their religious vows as the first Sisters of Mercy, thereby founding the congregation. In 1839

Mary Francis Bridgeman Mother Mary Francis Bridgeman R.S.M. (1813 – 11 February 1888) was a nun with the Sisters of Mercy, a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women, founded in Ireland by Catherine McAuley and a pioneer nurse during the Crimean War of 18 ...

professed her vows and joined the Order.

Expansion

Convent of Mercy, Templemore, April 2010

In the 10 years between the founding and her death on 11 November 1841, McAuley had established additional independent foundations in Ireland and England: Tullamore (1836), Charleville (1836), Carlow (1837), Cork (1837), Limerick (1838), Bermondsey, London (1839), Galway (1840), Birr (1840), and St Mary's Convent, Birmingham (1841), and branch houses of the Dublin community in Kingstown (1835) and Booterstown (1838). The Sisters offered free schools for the poor, academies for the daughters of the rising middle class, and “houses of mercy”, providing shelter for poor youth and women in Dublin and other cities who were in danger of being exploited. They were called upon by bishops in several major epidemics of cholera to nurse people in homes and in the public hospitals. Their services were in much demand. McAuley opened the first Convent of Mercy in England at

Bermondsey Bermondsey () is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham, a ...

on 19 November 1839 for the education of children and the visitation of the poor, sick, and needy. Mother Mary Clare Moore was appointed Superior. The convent was designed in the 'Gothic Style' by

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

, his first purpose-designed religious community building. It was destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In May 1842, at the request of Bishop Fleming, a small colony of Sisters of Mercy crossed the Atlantic to found the congregation at

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

. The sisters arrived in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Australia in 1846, and in 1850, a band from

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

arrived in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Sisters from Limerick opened a house in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1849. In 1860, St Catharine's Convent was founded in Edinburgh. In 1868, the English community established houses in

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

and

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

.Austin, Mary Stanislas. "Sisters of Mercy." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 2 October 2015. In the United States, the first community of Sisters of Mercy was established in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Pennsylvania in 1843; followed by

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

in 1851.

Crimean War

With the ''London Times'' reporting appalling conditions at the front, the War Office appealed for volunteer nurses. On 14 October 1854, Bishop Thomas Grant, of

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

approached the Sisters at

Boer War

At the request of the bishop of

Mahikeng Mafikeng, officially known as Mahikeng and previously Mafeking (, ), is the capital city of the North West province of South Africa. Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is northeast of Cape Town and west of Johannesburg. In ...

, Dr Anthony Gaughran, sisters came to South Africa to found convents there. Mother Superior Teresa Cowley led a group from the convent in

Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle marks ...

, with the group acting as nurses to the military during the siege of Mahikeng.

Mercy International Association

In 1992 leaders of the various congregations formed the "Mercy International Association" to foster collaboration and cooperation. The Mercy International Centre is located in Dublin. Members of the Association are: * Sisters of Mercy of the Americas * Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia * Sisters of Mercy of Great Britain * Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy (Ireland) * Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand * Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland * Religious Sisters of Mercy (Philippines)

Vows and activities

Sisters of Mercy is an international community of Roman Catholic women religious vowed to serve people who suffer from poverty, sickness and lack of education with a special concern for women and children. Members take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the evangelical counsels commonly vowed in religious life, and, in addition, vows of service. They continue to participate in the life of the surrounding community. In keeping with their mission of serving the poor and needy, many sisters engage in teaching, medical care, and community programs. The organization is active in

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...

and politics.

Constitution

The Sisters of Mercy are constituted as religious and charitable organizations in a number of countries. Mercy International Association is a registered charity in Ireland.

Controversies

In 1869 Sister of Mercy Susan Saurin brought suit against her superiors accusing them of bullying, assault and imprisonment, and claiming £5,000 in damages. The "Great Convent Case" opened at

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

with heightened press interest given Victorian antipathy to all things Catholic.Arnstein, Walter L., ''Protestant Versus Catholic in Mid-Victorian England'' (London: University of Missouri Press, 1982), pp. 3-4 The

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

made a special publication on the "Inner Life of the Hull Nunnery Exposed" to cover the trial. Saurin won her case and was awarded fifty pounds in damages. In May 2009, the institute was among four congregations of religious women that have come under scrutiny and criticism for their part in running Magdalene laundries in decades past, where women were brought by the state or their families for being unmarried and pregnant, or for other reasons. The report found that girls supervised by orders of nuns, chiefly the Sisters of Mercy, suffered much less sexual abuse but instead endured frequent assaults and humiliation. The Mercy Sisters have noted they were not compensated for caring for the women and that the laundries were not profit-making ventures. "We acknowledge fully the limitations of the service we provided for these women when compared with today's standards and sincerely wish that it could have been different. We trust that the implications of the changed context are understood by the wider society." In 2011, as part of their Sculpture Trail initiative, the

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

Tidy Towns Committee erected a statue at the site of the old St. Xavier's Primary School, now the Clare Museum. Created by Barry Wrafter, it was commissioned to celebrate the work of the Sisters of Mercy since their coming to the town in 1854. In light of the controversy regarding the Magdalen laundries, RTE listeners were divided whether the statue should remain.

Schools founded or run by Sisters of Mercy

Australia

Canada

* Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, St. John's,

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

* St. Augustine's Elementary School, St. John's, Newfoundland * St. Bride's College, St. John's, Newfoundland

Ireland

Jamaica

* Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy, Kingston * St. John Bosco Boys Home, Mandeville * Mount Saint Joseph Preparatory School, Mandeville

New Zealand

In 1849

Bishop Pompallier Jean-Baptiste François Pompallier (11 December 1801 – 21 December 1871) was the first Roman Catholic bishop in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two m ...

visited St Leo's Convent in

, Ireland, seeking sisters to emigrate; eight left from St Leo's, led by Mother Mary Cecilia. They travelled to New Zealand, learning

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

along the way, establishing the Sisters of Mercy in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

as the first female religious community in New Zealand in 1850.

Philippines

* Holy Infant College, Tacloban City * Assumption Academy, Tanauan, Leyte * Cathedral School of La Naval, Naval, Biliran * Holy Cross High School, Camp Philips, Bukidnon

United Kingdom

United States

Holy Family Holy Name School, New Bedford, MA *Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, Pennsylvania * Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, Iowa *Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, Memphis, Tennessee *Mercyhurst University, Erie, Pennsylvania * Little Flower School, Reno, Nevada *

Mount de Sales Academy (Georgia) Mount de Sales Academy (MDS) is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school in Macon, Georgia. It was originally founded in 1876 by five Sisters of Mercy, an order of nuns, as a boarding school for girls. It is the oldest independent sch ...

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

Saint Xavier University Saint Xavier University (or SXU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, the university enrolls 3,749 students. History Saint Xavier University was founded as a women's college by ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

*St. Vincent's Academy, Savannah, Georgia *Mount Mercy Academy, Buffalo *Mount Saint Mary Academy, Manchester, New Hampshire *Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey * St. Mary Academy - Bay View,

Riverside, Rhode Island Riverside is a neighborhood in the city of East Providence in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Despite not being an incorporated city, Riverside has its own zip code, 02915, and is an acceptable mailing address according to the United States Postal ...

*Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, Rochester, New Yor
Our Lady of Mercy School , Rochester NY Private School , Grade 6 - 12
*Merion Mercy Academy, Merion Station, Pennsylvania *Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania *

Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania. It occupies a campus in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Gwynedd Mercy University was founded in 1948, as Gwynedd-Mercy College ...

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania Gwynedd Valley is an unincorporated community in Lower Gwynedd Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Gwynedd Valley is located along Plymouth Road, southwest of the Wissahickon Creek. It is served by the Gwynedd Valley stat ...

* Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, NJ * Mercymount Country Day School, Cumberland, R
Home - Mercymount Country Day School
* Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania *

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The university enrolls mo ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

*St. Peter’s Catholic School, San Francisco, CA *

Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School is an all-girls Catholic high school located in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois at 3737 West 99th Street. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Mother McAuley i ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

* Assumption High School, Louisville, Kentucky * Mercy Academy, Louisville, Kentucky * Little Flower School, Brooklyn, New York * Catherine McAuley H.S. for girls, Brooklyn, New York
Notre Dame High School, Elmira, New York
*

Walsingham Academy Walsingham Academy is an independent Catholic school in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1947 and is administered by the Sisters of Mercy of Merion, Pennsylvania. History Saint Bede parish in Williamsburg purchased a building originally ...

, Williamsburg, Virginia *

Georgian Court University Georgian Court University (GCU or Georgian Court) is a private Roman Catholic university in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy, the university has more than 1,600 undergraduates and nearly 600 graduate students ...

, Lakewood, NJ

Hospitals and healthcare work

Australia

Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Brisbane Mater Group was formed in 2016 by aligning Mater Health, Mater Education, Mater Research and Mater Foundation under a single, unified banner. Mater provides care for some 500,000 patients each year. Mater was established in 1906 by the Sisters o ...

* Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Bundaberg * Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Gladstone *

Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Mackay The Mater Misericordiae Hospital is a 105-bed hospital in North Mackay, Mackay, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. It is operated in the Mercy tradition. History The Ormond Private Hospital was established by Dr Charles Emmanuel Williams on ...

Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Rockhampton Kenmore House is a heritage-listed mansion at 31 Ward Street, The Range, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. The design is attributed to James Flint and it was built from onwards. It is also known as Mater Misericordiae ...

Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Townsville The Mater Private Hospital, Pimlico, formerly known as the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, and commonly known as 'The Mater', is the largest private hospital in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.Mater Misericordiae Hospital, North Sydney

Canada

* St.Clare's Mercy Hospital, St. John's

Ireland

Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal an Mater Misercordiae), commonly known as the Mater ( "matter"), is a major teaching hospital, based at Eccles Street, Phibsborough, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is managed b ...

National Rehabilitation Hospital (Dublin) The National Rehabilitation Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Náisiúnta Athshlánúcháin) in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, is an Irish publicly funded hospital that provides rehabilitation treatment for patients who have a physical or cognitive disability due ...

Philippines

* Mother of Mercy Hospital, Tacloban

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Michael O'Connor Michael O'Connor may refer to: Politicians * Michael O'Connor (Australian politician) (1865–1940), Australian politician * Michael O'Connor (Wisconsin politician) (1856–1925), Wisconsin State Assemblyman * Michael J. O'Connor (politici ...

was born in

Cobh Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...

, Ireland. In June 1841, O'Connor was appointed Vicar General of Western Pennsylvania, and two years later, Bishop of the newly constituted Diocese of Pittsburgh. He traveled to Rome for his consecration and on his return, stopped in Ireland to recruit clergy for his new diocese, obtaining eight seminarians from St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, and seven Sisters of Mercy from Carlow, Ireland. The sisters arrived in Pittsburgh in December 1843, with Frances Warde as superior. Mercy Hospital in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

opened 1898. In 1858, Mother Mary Teresa Maher led a group of ten Sisters of Mercy to Cincinnati from Kinsale, Ireland. In 1892, the eleven Sisters of Mercy came to Cincinnati at the invitation of Archbishop

John Baptist Purcell John Baptist Purcell (February 26, 1800 – July 4, 1883) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 to his death in 1883, and he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1850. He formed the b ...

. They soon opened a Night School for Young Women. Mercy Hospital in

Hamilton, Ohio Hamilton is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Ohio, United States. Located north of Cincinnati, Hamilton is the second largest city in the Greater Cincinnati area and the 10th largest city in Ohio. The population was 63,399 at th ...

was founded in 1892. Mother of Mercy High School was founded in 1915. They also direct Bethany House Services for homeless women and children. By the 1920s there were 39 separate Sisters of Mercy congregations across the United States and Latin America. In 1929 the "Sisters of Mercy of the Union" was founded, merging many of the congregations into one single entity with nine provinces. Seventeen communities remained independent. A federation of all the Mercy congregations was formed and in the 1970s, a common constitution was developed. Further work toward consolidation continued, and in July 1991, the "Sisters of Mercy of the Americas was established". In December 2018, the sisters marked 175 years in the United States. (The

Religious Sisters of Mercy The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan is a religious institute of pontifical right dedicated to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It was established in 1973 in response to the renewal called for in the Second Vatican Council. ...

of Alma, Michigan developed from the Sisters of Mercy in 1973 and remains a separate congregation.) In July 2017 "Mercy Education System of the Americas" (MESA) was formally established to unite and serve the Mercy education ministries in Argentina, Belize, Guam, Honduras, Jamaica, the Philippines and the United States.

Education

Secondary schools

Colleges and universities

Defunct

Belize

St. Catherine Academy

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

* Muffles College (Secondary School in Orange Walk Town) * Muffles Junior College (Associate degree-offering institution)

Honduras

*Instituto María Regina (La Ceiba, Honduras)

Healthcare

The Sisters founded dozens of hospitals in the United States, and sponsors, or co-sponsors, six health systems. The organization also operates health care ministries in Belize, Guam, Guyana, Peru and the Philippines. In 1892, they founded Mercy Hospital in

. "With lots of heavy industry in Hamilton at the time, there was a lot of need for emergency care for accident victims." In 1893, they founded Mercy Hospital in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

In 1916, the Sisters of Mercy established Sisters of Mercy's St. Joseph's Sanitarium, in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, to treat

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

patients, which later became St. Joseph's Hospital. In 1998, St. Joseph's Hospital was sold to Memorial Mission Hospital. The Sisters continue to operate urgent care centers in the Asheville area, under the name Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care. Mercy Health is an NPO Catholic

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

organization in the Midwestern United States, and is headquartered in the suburban western St. Louis County suburb of

Chesterfield, Missouri Chesterfield is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is a western suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,999, . The broader valley of Chesterfield was originally referred to as "Gumbo Flats", derived ...

Healthcare systems

Healthcare systems sponsored by, co-sponsored by, or with historical ties to the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas include: *

AMITA Health Amita is a female name of Indian, Hebrew and Italian origin. The name means "infinite, boundless" in Sanskrit, and "truth" in Hebrew. List of people with the given name Amita * Amita Bhushan (born 1970), Indian politician * Amita Dhiri (born 1966) ...

*Mercy, St. Louis, Missouri * Mercy Ceder Rapids,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

*Mercy Iowa City,

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

* Mercy Medical Center Baltimore, Maryland *Mercy Urgent Care,

* Northern Light Mercy Hospital, Portland, Maine *

Scripps Mercy Hospital Scripps Mercy Hospital is a private Catholic hospital located in San Diego, California. Founded in 1890, it is the oldest hospital in San Diego County and has campuses in Chula Vista and Hillcrest. The hospital has 700 acute-care-licensed beds ...

, San Diego *St. Joseph's/

Candler Candler may refer to: People * Candler (surname) Places * Candler, Florida, an unincorporated town in Marion County * Candler, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Candler, North Carolina, an unincorporated town in Buncombe County * Candler Count ...

Health System, Savannah * Trinity Health **

Catholic Health Catholic Health is a non-profit comprehensive healthcare system formed in 1998 under religious sponsors in Western New York, United States. The organization provides health services through their hospitals, primary care centers, diagnostic and t ...

, Buffalo ** Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale **Pittsburgh Mercy,

References

External links

*
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas website

Mercy Foundation, Australia

Mercy Home
*
Institute of Our Lady of Mercy, Great Britain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisters Of Mercy Catholic nursing orders Catholic female orders and societies Christian charities based in the United Kingdom Charities based in the Republic of Ireland Salve Regina University Catholic religious institutes established in the 19th century 1831 establishments in the United Kingdom Catholic hospital networks in the United States

History

Founding

Expansion

Crimean War

Boer War

Mercy International Association

Vows and activities

Constitution

Controversies

Schools founded or run by Sisters of Mercy

Australia

Canada

Ireland

Jamaica

New Zealand

Philippines

United Kingdom

United States

Hospitals and healthcare work

Australia

Canada

Ireland

Philippines

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Education

Secondary schools

Colleges and universities

Defunct

Belize

Honduras

Healthcare

Healthcare systems

See also

References

Further reading

External links