The Sisters of Mercy have been ministering in the United States since 1843 when Francis Xavier Warde arrived in Pittsburgh with six companions from Carlow, Ireland, on December 21. Subsequent groups came from Ireland to New York and California by 1854, and by 1929 sixty independent foundations existed throughout the United States.

Sisters of Mercy in the United States address human needs through collaborative efforts in innovative and traditional ways in education, health care, housing, and pastoral and social services. The first Mercy school in the U.S. opened in Pittsburgh in 1844. Since then, Sisters of Mercy have educated hundreds of thousands of students from pre-school to graduate level. Many minister in educational settings beyond the traditional classroom, such as in literacy programs and web-based education programs for adult students.

In the area of health care, the Sisters of Mercy sponsor or co-sponsor six health systems and numerous health-related facilities in the United States. These facilities include hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, family care and outreach centers. In addition, vowed members and associates have served in every capacity from scrub nurses, lab technicians, and doctors to CEOs, CFOs, and trustees.

In the 1980s the lack of quality affordable housing hit crisis proportions in the United States, and Sisters of Mercy responded to this need. Mercy Housing was founded in 1981 and has developed over 37,200 units of housing nationwide. In addition, many in the Mercy family can be found in women’s centers, prison ministry, GED training, skills training, micro-enterprises, and food banks or as licensed social workers, psychologists, and counselors in additions treatment centers.