Mission & Values

Our daily lives as Sisters of Mercy are rooted in four core values inspired by the life of our founder Catherine McAuley:

Spirituality

The example of Jesus leads us, the Gospel guides us and Catherine McAuley’s spirit enlivens us. Ours is a life of contemplation and action, prayer and service.

Community

Living in community deepens our relationship with God, strengthens us for mission, and continually inspires us in our call to serve others.

Service

We see Jesus in the most marginalized people and take a vow of service to perform works of Mercy that alleviate suffering. We strive to follow Jesus’ example in all that we do.

Social Justice and Our Critical Concerns

We hear the cry of our suffering world. The impoverishment of peoples, the devastation of Earth, oppressive social norms and systems, all call us to act in this moment.

In response, we have identified five interconnected “Critical Concerns” that demand our attention at this time. Visit our Mercy for Justice page to read more about our Critical Concerns.

Works of Mercy

“The spiritual and corporal works of mercy which draw religious from a life of contemplation, so far from separating them from the love of God, unite them more closely to Him and render them more valuable in His holy service.” Catherine McAuley

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.