The Sisters of Mercy
In 1827, Irish heiress Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin to meet the needs of persons who were poor, sick, and uneducated. In 1831, she founded the Order of Mercy, and the Sisters of Mercy have been helping people in need ever since.
Sr. Brenda O'Keeffe conducting a blessing ceremony at Mercy Medical Center Redding. |
In the 1850's, responding to the needs of miners and their families during the Gold Rush era, the Sisters extended their mission to San Francisco, then to Sacramento, providing education, orphanages, and healing ministries. In 1944, the Sisters arrived in Shasta County to operate the hospital that would later become Mercy Medical Center Redding.
Meanwhile, during the 1870's, a group of Sisters from New Hampshire came to Yreka, where they started a school for young women. They soon expanded to Red Bluff, founding the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy in 1882 and opening St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in 1907. (Click here for a glimpse of the early days in the North State)
|
Sr. Pat Manoli ministers to the needs of patients at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital.
|
The Sisters reached further north in 1986, assuming sponsorship of Mt. Shasta's Eskaton Health System, which became Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta.
Today, the Sisters' ministry in the North State Region includes healthcare, social services, and educational programs in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties.
|
Sisters donned habits for the 150th Anniversary Celebration of their arrival in the North State.
|
You can help to support the Works of the Sisters by making your gift online, mailing, or faxing using the buttons at the top of this page to choose your preferred method of payment.
Learn more about the Sisters of the Americas, West/Midwest Community by clicking this link to their website.
A Golden Jubilee Celebration for Sister Katherine Doyle was held on September 8, 2012 and highlighted by a special Liturgy of Thanksgiving in Sacramento!
For more information, contact us by callling the Foundation at 530.247.3424 or email your questions to MercyFoundationNorthContactUs@DignityHealth.org.
