The Sisters of Mercy in Cincinnati
“No work of charity can be more productive of good to society than the careful instruction of young women.” Catherine McAuley
In 1858, Mother Mary Teresa Maher led a group of ten Sisters of Mercy to Cincinnati from Kinsale, Ireland. In the Queen City, the Sisters of Mercy cared for the poor and established schools.
In 1915, the Sisters of Mercy founded what would become Mother of Mercy High School in Westwood. Mother of Mercy Villa was originally planned as a secondary school for young women, but it grew to include elementary students in its first years. The first permanent school building was constructed in 1923 and became known as Mother of Mercy Academy. The school acquired the name, Mother of Mercy High School, in 1943 as a request of Archbishop McNicholas. In 1948, Mother of Mercy became a part of the North Central Association of Secondary Schools. In 1965, the elementary school was eliminated, and the enrollment of students reached 875 women. A new wing was added to the building, along with a gym. As the Age of Technology began to take hold, many renovations occurred. The science department, theater, school chapel, and computer labs were completely renovated near the mid-1990s. In 2007, the Tech Wing was added to the school. The wing continues to provide students with the latest technology through multiple computer labs and a TV studio.
As Mother of Mercy High School has continued to change with the times, the school’s central mission has remained the same: the careful instruction of young women in the spirit of Catherine McAuley. The school states as its mission statement,
Mother of Mercy High School, a Catholic secondary school for young women sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, provides quality educational programs in a Christian community which promote life-long learning and strong, clear Mercy values; Faith, Compassion, Service, Leadership and Excellence. Empowered by these values and by the discovery of their individual giftedness, Mercy women are equipped to think critically, communicate effectively, embrace life and beauty, act with compassion and integrity, and assume roles of service and leadership in society.
Mother of Mercy High School also emphasizes to current students the importance of the school’s Irish roots. Annually, the school sends a group of students to Ireland to visit the original House on Baggot Street. Every September 24, the school joins other Mercy institutions worldwide in celebrating Mercy Day. The day commemorates the founding of the original Mercy House on Baggot Street. Mercy Day includes a prayer service and numerous other celebratory activities throughout the day. Every November 11, the school recognizes the life of Catherine McAuley on the day of her death by celebrating International Good Cup of Tea Day. The day is named after a quote of Catherine McAuley on her death bed. She said to a fellow Sister of Mercy, “get a good cup of tea-I think the community room would be a good place-when I am gone and to comfort one another-but God will comfort them.” Tea has become a symbol of Mercy hospitality. Mother of Mercy also celebrates Foundations Day on December 12, the day the Sisters of Mercy were founded, by wearing t-shirts adorned with a name of one of the houses founded by Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland.
Forty-three years after the Sisters of Mercy founded Mother of Mercy High School in Westwood, the Sisters of Mercy were chosen to establish a new school on fifteen acres of donated land. In 1958, construction of McAuley High School in College Hill began. Two years later, the construction was  completed, and the school opened its doors to its first freshmen class; McAuley High School added a new class for the next three years. As Mother of Mercy High School, McAuley High School seeks to educate young women with the vision of Catherine McAuley. The school states as its mission,
McAuley High School, a comprehensive Catholic school for young women, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas is committed to quality education and growth within a caring, Christ-centered community. Faithful to the Gospel and the charism, core values, and tradition of Mercy, McAuley's essential activity is to create an environment designed to help each young woman develop her intellect, gifts, and talent.
McAuley also celebrates Mercy Day with all of the Mercy institutions around the world on September 24. McAuley High School keeps the strong vision of Catherine McAuley alive with the school’s “Women In” Program. The program seeks to educate young women with a rigorous curriculum to prepare them for careers in medicine, law, and engineering. At the heart of the program is Catherine McAuley’s belief that, “No work of charity can be more productive of good to society than the careful instruction of young women.” McAuley High School stays strongly connected to the Mercy community throughout the world by annually sending groups of students on service trips to Bosco Home for Boys in Jamaica, which is run by the Sisters of Mercy.
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