A mission-minded woman, Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1827. Catherine was moved to respond to the suffering and poverty she witnessed around her. With an inheritance valued at nearly $5 million in today’s terms, Catherine established the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. Today, we strive to carry on Catherine’s mission of serving the poor, sick and uneducated – especially women, children and the elderly.

With a nearly 200-year legacy, Mercy is grateful for the remarkable women who began our ministry and the Sisters who have sustained it through eight generations. The Sisters of Mercy are responsible for creating thousands of meaningful ministries across the globe, including our own. 

Today, the Sisters’ legacy is carried on by nearly 45,000 Mercy co-workers, each of whom have answered the same call to provide health care that is innovative, compassionate and rooted in faith