Looking Back on 2025

As we approach the end of 2025, we pause to celebrate the many ways our Mercy Education community has lived out its mission this year. Here are just a few highlights that made this year memorable:

Growing Together

Our team added two new staff members, Mary Kate Becker and Tom Minneci, and we also welcomed two new members to our Board of Directors, Mario Brunetta and Anna Sklut.

We strengthened our mission statement, affirming who we are and what we stand for as Mercy Education:

Mercy Education System of the Americas unites and supports Catholic schools embracing the charism of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. Rooted in the Gospel and inspired by Catherine McAuley, Mercy Education nurtures educational communities to develop highly competent, deeply compassionate leaders ready to serve a vulnerable world.

New Initiatives

We launched Green Tips, a monthly column in Flash that offers practical ways to care for creation.

Our new, and growing, collection of prayer services for Mercy leaders continues to provide opportunities for reflection, connection and leadership in the spirit of Mercy.

Charism Corner returned to Flash, offering fresh insights into the heart of Mercy.

In Our Church

2025 was a historic year. Pope Francis declared the Jubilee Year, dedicated to the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” inviting the the global Church to embrace renewal.

We mourned the passing of Pope Francis and welcomed Pope Leo XIV.

We celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, reaffirming our commitment to care for our common home, and we continue to explore Dilexi Te, the first apostolic exhortation of Pope Leo.

Mercy Heritage

We celebrated April 9, 2025, which marked 35 years since Catherine McAuley was declared Venerable by the Catholic Church, recognizing her heroic virtue and devotion to God’s people.

Across our Mercy schools, Mercy Day was celebrated under the theme “The Cloak of Mercy: From Many Homes, One Mercy Family – Wrapped in God’s Love.”

Living Our Critical Concerns

Throughout the year, we focused deeply on the Sisters of Mercy Critical Concern for immigration. Events such as the Conference of Mercy Student Leaders and Mercy Education Conference sparked dialogue and action across our community.

Supporting One Another

As a Mercy Education community, we came together in solidarity to support our schools in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm on record in the country. Through our collective generosity, we donated $49,000 to assist with repairs and provide relief services for school communities and families most impacted by the storm.

Throughout the year, representatives from our schools gathered for moments of connection and shared purpose through events such as the annual Leadership Forum, Partners in Ministry Leadership Academy, the administrators retreat, and in-person cohort meetings and workshops. These experiences offered participants space for grounding in their call as Mercy administrators and educators, while strengthening relationships across schools–and across the globe.

Looking Ahead

This is our final issue of 2025. Thank you for walking with us through a year filled with hope, growth, and Mercy. We are excited to continue this journey together in the new year.

We’ll return on Tuesday, January 6, 2026—the Feast of the Epiphany and the formal closing of the Jubilee doors. We wish you a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year!