Our Heritage 

Nearly two centuries ago, a young Irish woman was moved to respond to the suffering and poverty she witnessed around her. Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, devoted her life to ministering to Dublin's poor, sick and uneducated. In doing so, she established a heritage of care giving and commitment that continues today in Sisters of Mercy religious communities throughout the world.

Catherine was born in 1778 to a Catholic family and was left an orphan and penniless at an early age. Adopted by a wealthy, Protestant couple that had no children of their own, Catherine could have been a leader in high society. Instead, she spent her time seeking out the poor who lacked education, physical care and religious belief.

At the age of 36, Catherine became sole heir of a vast fortune. Her one aim in life was to use her wealth to alleviate the ills of the poor and to assist them in realizing their true potential. Catherine began her work by building the "House of Mercy," a shelter for abandoned and abused women and children from Dublin's slums.

Catherine McAuley established a heritage of care-giving and commitment that continues today in Sisters of Mercy ministries throughout the world. When she died in 1841, there were 14 Mercy foundations in Ireland and England.

Today, the Sisters of Mercy are 20,000 members strong. They operate schools and hospitals in Australia, England, Ireland, India, South Africa, the United States and other countries. In this country, the Sisters sponsor more than 75 healthcare facilities, 15 colleges and several elementary and secondary schools.

The Sisters came to Oklahoma to continue the work of Mercy in 1884, traveling by schooner across the prairie to Indian Territory. In 1904, they laid the cornerstone for Mount St. Mary's High School in Oklahoma City. In 1947, they began their healthcare ministry with the purchase of Oklahoma City General Hospital and renamed it Mercy Hospital.