Walk alongside the Sisters of Mercy for 100 Acts of Mercy

Famously nicknamed the “walking nuns,” the Sisters of Mercy were known to actively go out and serve the poor, sick, and uneducated. While most female religious orders lived secluded lives of prayer and contemplation behind cloister walls, Catherine McAuley insisted “the streets will be our cloister,” urging the Sisters of Mercy to work closely in the community. For our Centennial, we’re inviting you to embrace this mission of actively serving others by completing 100 Acts of Mercy in 100 days!

By participating, you are honoring the works of the Sisters of Mercy and joining a vast network of Mercyhurst community members that strive to embody the charism of Catherine McAuley. If you’re wondering what counts as an Act of Mercy, know there are endless opportunities!

The Sisters of Mercy would encourage you to consider the Corporal and Spiritual, acts of kindness and service, and the Mercy Critical Concerns: women, immigration, earth, nonviolence, and anti-racism. Like the Sisters in their daily spirituality, the point of this initiative is not doing big, extravagant things. It’s to always keep our eyes open for opportunities where we might show kindness and help those around us to feel seen and loved.

Giving back to your community is simple and never a waste. As Catherine McAuley herself stated, “It’s better to help a hundred people who might not really need it than to turn away even one person who truly does.” We encourage you to keep this message in mind when performing Acts of Mercy.

To participate, you can upload pictures, videos, and stories when the form goes live the day of the Centennial celebration on Sunday, Sept. 20. This initiative will last for the 100 days following. Sign up to receive reminder emails here. Learn more information here.

Students, employees, alumni, family, and friends are all invited to join this campaign. We encourage you to consider participating with your friend groups, teammates, club members, and departments! We are excited to track this project and share stories of Mercyhurst community members and friends lending helping hands to those around us.

“We must act as if success depended on our own exertions,” said Catherine McAuley. For the next 100 days, we invite you to live out these 100 Acts of Mercy and show how much our community can achieve.