Sisters of Mercy St. Louis

Sisters of Mercy

Regional Community of St. Louis

The Sisters of Mercy, Regional Community of St. Louis, encompasses seven states and includes 241 Sisters, 178 Associates, and thousands of co-workers who help us carry out our mission. Our Sisters engage in a variety of ministries that serve women, children, the poor and the uneducated. We invite you to explore our website, using the links at left, to learn more about who we are and the ministries in which we participate.

Our Founding
Born in Dublin, Ireland when many endured hardships including homelessness, lack of food and healthcare, and very little education, Catherine McAuley, an upper-class Catholic woman, dedicated her life to teaching poor
children and visiting the sick in Dublin’s slums. After inheriting a large sum of money, Catherine decided to build
a house in Dublin for servant girls and other homeless and abused women. This House of Mercy opened on
September 24, 1827. Other women joined Catherine and in 1831 Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy. Soon
they were invited to serve in England, Newfoundland, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. Within fifty years the circle of Mercy encompassed the world.

Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Direction Statement

Animated by the Gospel and Catherine McAuley’s passion for the poor, we, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas,
are impelled to commit our lives and resources to act in solidarity with

the economically poor of the world, especially women and children;
women seeking fullness of life and equality in church and society;
one another as we embrace our multicultural and international reality.

This commitment will impel us to

develop and act from a multicultural and international perspective;
speak with a corporate voice;
work for systemic change;
practice non-violence;
act in harmony and interdependence with all creation; and
call ourselves to continual conversion in our lifestyle and ministries.

St. Louis Regional Community