A campaign to support the women who are Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
If you have lived in the Chicago area, chances are very likely you’ve benefited from the good works performed so freely by so many Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
Since their 1846 arrival in Chicago, the Sisters have become synonymous with service to those in need. They established more than a hundred essential ministries including schools, hospitals, social service organizations, advocacy and aid programs.
The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas have accomplished all of this with grace, dedication and selflessness. Today, they continue to advance their mission, directing their resources not to themselves but to those in greatest need.
But what about their needs?
Over the decades, these women religious have given so selflessly to educate, heal and care for others. They have done so with minimal compensation and with almost no resources allotted for their retirement.
At this time, more than two-thirds of the Sisters in the Chicago area live at Mercy Circle. To provide a way for those who benefitted from the Sisters’ ministries to honor their life-changing contributions, we established Complete the Circle.
Mercy Circle hosted its first gathering for donors to its Complete the Circle campaign. Three sisters were honored by having their residences permanently named in their honor. Also recognized was the Mercy High School Alumnae Association, which has contributed over $200,000 to the retired Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
A legacy of service
1846 St. Mary Free School for Girls
St. Joseph Free School for Boys
1847 St. Francis Xavier Academy
1848 St. Mary Free School for Girls
St. Joseph Free School for Boys, Galena
1850 Holy Name School
St. James Free School
1852 Mercy Hospital
St. Joseph School
St. Anne School, Bourbonnais
1854 St. Agatha Academy
1857 St. Angela Academy
1859 St. Joseph School, Ottawa
1863 St. John School for Girls
1866 St. James School
1867 St. Joseph Academy, Dewitt
1869 Mercy Hospital - Genesis, Davenport
Notre Dame Seminary, Independence
St. Mary School, Davenport
St. John School, Independence
1870 St. Patrick School, Janesville
St. Louis School
1872 St. Elizabeth Hospital for the Mentally Ill – Women, Davenport
St. John Hospital for the Mentally Ill - Men, Davenport
1873 House of Mercy
1874 St. Xavier Academy, Ottawa
St. Mary Free School
1875 St. Joseph Academy, Cedar Rapids
All Saints School
1880 St. Mary, Streator
1881 St. Gabriel School
1883 Mercy Hospital, Iowa City
St. Catherine Academy
St. Patrick High School, South Chicago
St. Malachy School
St. Patrick, South Chicago
St. Agnes School
1884 St. Patrick Academy
Immaculate Conception School, Lacomb
1885 St. Elizabeth School
St. Patrick School, Milwaukee
St. Rose of Lima School
1886 Immaculate Conception School, Milwaukee
1887 Holy Angels School
1888 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Academy
1889 St. Monica School
Sylvester School
1890 St. James High School
1891 St. Elizabeth High School
1893 St. Anne School
1894 St. Catherine Residence, Milwaukee
Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Milwaukee
1895 St. Catherine High School, West Side
1897 St. Gabriel High School
St. Mary Academy, Libertyville
1898 Holy Family, Davenport
1900 St. Finbarr School
St. Francis, Keokuk
1901 St. Columbia School, Ottawa
St. Cecilia School
Corpus Christi
1902 McAuley Hall, Davenport
St. Cecilia Academy, Burlington
St. Joseph, Libertyville
St. Patrick, Burlington
1903 St. Thomas Mercy Hospital, Marshalltown
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School
1904 Mercy Home
St. Ita School
1906 St. Mary's Training School/Maryville, Desplaines
Mercy Hospital, Janesville
St. Finbarr High School
1908 Precious Blood School
1909 St. Ita High School
1910 St. Thomas Aquinas School
1911 St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Aurora
Resurrection School
1912 Mercyville, Aurora
St. Xavier College
St. Lucy
1914 St. Alphonsus, Mt. Pleasant
1915 St. Patrick, Seneca
1916 St. Joachim School
St. Mary of the Lake School
St. Mary, West Burlington
1917 St. Catherine of Siena
Holy Rosary
St. Justin Martyr
St. Mary, Lake Forest
1918 Our Lady of Solace School
St. Matthew, Shullsburg
1921 Misericordia South
1922 St. Mary's Hospital, DeKalb
1924 St. Gabriel Commercial High School
St. Catherine of Genoa School
1925 Mercy High School, Milwaukee
Siena High School
Mercy High School
St. Mary, Sycamore
St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge
1926 St. Clara Club, Milwaukee
Little Flower School
St. Ann, Barrington
1927 St. James, Arlington Heights
St. Ethelreda School
Holy Family, North Chicago
1928 St. Patrick Academy, Desplaines
1929 St. Lawrence, Elgin
St. Catherine, Dundee
St. Clotilde School
1930 Sacred Heart School, Manilla
1937 Christ the King School
1940 Mercy Infirmary
1946 St. Malachy High School
1949 Marquette High School, Ottawa
St. Raymond, Mt. Prospect
1950 St. Monica School
1952 St. Irenaeus, Park Forest
1953 Queen of Martyrs School
St. William, Janesville
St. Stephen, Desplaines
St. Joan of Arc, Skokie
1955 Our Lady of the Assumption, Beloit
1956 Mother McAuley High School
St. Patrick, McHenry
1957 Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington
Mary Queen of Heaven, Elmhurst
Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Park Ridge
1959 St. Joseph the Worker, Wheeling
St. Eugene, Fox Point
1960 St. Matthew, Glendale
St. Emeric, Country Club Hills
1968 Mercy Hall
1971 Mercy Manor, Aurora
Mercy Center, Aurora
St. Charles Lwanga
1976 Misericordia North
1977 Austin Career Center
1983 St. Angela School
1984 Mercy Center Tolentine, Olympia Fields
1985 McAuley Manor, Aurora
Mercy Rehabilitation Center, Homewood
1989 Frances Warde School
1992 Fox Knoll, Aurora
(In Chicago unless otherwise noted)
