EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Our educational resources are here to help teachers craft lessons and projects that emphasize our Mercy Charism, Catholic identity and the Critical Concerns.
All Resources, A-Z
175th Anniversary of Sisters of Mercy in the United States
View 175th anniversary web page here.
In 2018 the Sisters of Mercy commemorated and celebrated the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the beginning of a vibrant legacy of service. Resources include videos featuring the history of the Sisters of Mercy in the United States, the history of Mercy education and the history of Mercy health care.
Booklet: Why Choose a Catholic Education?
Sandy Flaherty, Director of Catholic Identity and Religious Studies teacher at Mercy High School in Burlingame, California, has published this informative and guiding resource for families considering a Catholic education. It is designed to educate parents on how Catholic education is distinct from other learning environments. Read it here.
Catherine's Prayers
Catherine's Quotes
Combatting Racism - K-12 Education Resources from USCCB
Critical Concerns Challenge for Antiracism
This clickable five-week calendar provides daily opportunities to watch, listen, learn and act and pray. Mercy Volunteer Corps has also shared this blank version of the calendar that can be customized with resources appropriate for younger children – please contact us if you need help setting one up for your classroom.
Critical Concerns Flyer and Poster
Critical Concerns Resource Lists from the Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy website includes resource pages for each of the five Critical Concerns.
Critical Concerns Summer Reading Lists
The English department at Mercy High School in Burlingame, California, developed a summer reading program that highlights our Mercy Critical Concerns. All files for the summer reading program are available on Google Drive. You an also view them as PDFs below:
Curriculum Guide: Critical Concerns for English and Social Studies, Secondary School
The curriculum guides below were designed by a group of Mercy educators in August 2018. Click to download the guides in PDF format.
Supporting Materials
Curriculum Guide: Nonviolence for Kindergarten
This guide, shared by educators at Colegio Santa Ethnea, includes curriculum ideas for natural and social environments, literature, visual education, personal and social formation / emotional education / integrated sexual education, practices of the use of language and physical expression.
Curriculum Guide: Works of Mercy & Catherine McAuley, Grades K-6
Using the framework of the 15 Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, this curriculum guide delves into the life and legacy of Catherine McAuley and provides opportunities and resources to inspire students about ways they can make Mercy real in the world today. A robust reference list provides information about service learning, suggested reading for students and teachers about the life of Catherine McAuley and much more.
Curriculum Guide as PDF | Curriculum Guide in Google Docs – To create a copy of the curriculum that you can save and edit, please click “File” then “Make a Copy.” Enter a unique name and then click “OK.” The copy you create will be visible only to you.
The curriculum writing team takes you on a tour of the curriculum in this video.
Digging into Laudato Si' from Earthbeat
Film: In God Alone including Worksheets for Elementary and Secondary Students
The film In God Alone – The Story of Catherine McAuley is available online. There are two versions of this 23-minute film, one in English and one with Spanish subtitles; you can view them here.
If you are sharing this film in your classroom, MIA invites you to use the following worksheets (available in English and Spanish) with your students:
- Primary school students worksheet: English (U.S. letter) | English (A4) | Spanish
- Secondary school students worksheet: English (U.S. letter) | English (A4) | Spanish
Global Sisters Report: GSR in the Classroom
View GSR in the Classroom here. Topics include:
- Advent
- Environment
- Human Trafficking
- Lent
- Migration
- Race Relations
- Vocations
From the GSR in the Classroom website: GSR in the Classroom helps students learn about the varied missions and ministries of Catholic women religious — and religious life — around the world. Each lesson explores Global Sisters Report articles and columns more deeply by posing questions that first open readers’ minds to new learning, then help them understand what they’ve read. Other features deepen the message with pertinent passages from Scripture and Catholic social teaching. … Each lesson sends learners forth in prayer.
Teacher guides provide important background about the issues that each lesson explores, as well as engaging activities to focus the group and prayers that classes can lift up together.
… Most activities are easily adapted for group or individual use. Likewise, while our current target audience is high school learners, most elements are flexible enough for use by middle-school students as well.
Institute Justice Newsletter
This bimonthly publication of the Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team highlights Mercy’s response to our Critical Concerns. The newsletter is published in both English and Spanish. Articles include:
- Examples of how the Mercy community is responding to justice issues.
- Opportunities to get involved with social justice advocacy.
Access the Institute Justice Newsletter here. If you’d like to receive the newsletter and action alerts to your inbox, you can sign up here.
Just Mercy: A Catholic Study Guide
This resource from Catholic Mobilizing Network serves as an accompaniment to the film Just Mercy and offers viewers a way to explore the Catholic call to uphold the sanctity of life within the U.S. criminal legal system. View the resource or download as a PDF here.
Laudato Si' Visual Reading
In commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the Sisters of Mercy have created a “visual reading” of the encyclical, highlighting key passages with powerful images, which is perfect for individual reflection as well as classroom activities.
Lenten Resources
- “Lessons in Lent” from Global Sisters Report in the Classroom. This series of six lesson plans and teacher guides helps us draw nearer to Christ on his path to the Passion from the perspective of Catholic sisters. The series explores fresh meaning in familiar Lenten gospels and brings new depth to students’ Lenten disciplines and discoveries. Each installment includes a reflection from a Catholic sister, scripture connection, prayer, suggested action and more.
- Mercy Meatless Mondays. Abstain from meat each Monday during Lent in solidarity with the Sisters of Mercy. This resource includes inspirational quotes, informational resources regarding health and the environment and recipes.
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Sisters of Mercy Stations of the Cross. This year starting on Ash Wednesday, February 26, the Sisters of Mercy are inviting the Mercy community into a series of reflections based on the Stations of the Cross. Writers explore themes in the stations to bring contemporary relevance to these ancient devotions. The reflections will be posted on the Connect with Mercy blog on Tuesdays.
- Video: Ash Wednesday Reflection from Sister Danielle Gagnon, RSM
Mercy Association in Scripture and Theology: The MAST Journal
The MAST Journal is published three times a year by the Mercy Association in Scripture and Theology. Each issue contains essays exploring a particular theme. Recent themes have included:
- Forgiveness
- Go Out to All the World: Mercy Foundresses
- Concerns of Pope Francis
The MAST Journal archives are located here. Holding your cursor over each issue title will allow you to preview the essays in that issue, and clicking on the issue title will bring you to a PDF of that issue. Subscription info for The MAST Journal is located here.
Mercy Day Nonviolence Project for Secondary School Students
This resource is an outline of a 2018 Mercy Day project at Colegio Santa Ethnea which focuses on nonviolence.
Accompanied by faculty members, students visit local families to talk about peace, share a blessing and leave a gift of holy water. Each family is also invited to come to the school later for a student performance. The full project is described in this letter to faculty from Ali Botto, coordinator of catechesis, and can be adapted to meet the needs and locality of your school.
Mercy for Immigrants
The Sisters of Mercy immigrated to the United States in 1843. They continued their ministry even when faced with anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic sentiment in New England. From our foremothers’ time as immigrants, we’ve responded to the needs of the times, accepting people and welcoming them regardless of their country of origin. This page was created for National Migration Week 2018 and includes archival photos and stories.
Mission Accountability Self-Study / Peer Review Guide for Elementary Schools
Mission Accountability Self-Study / Peer Review Guide for Secondary Schools
Mission: The Foundation of Decision-Making
Morning and Evening Prayer Book of the Sisters of Mercy
Motto Project (Senior Capstone Project)
This senior capstone project from Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women allows students to connect their talents, passions and interests to the Mercy Critical Concerns and Core Values. View resource here.
New Membership Poster
New Membership Poster 8.5 x 11
Pray for these women on the path to becoming Sisters of Mercy.
Peacebuilders Project for Primary School Students
This project shared by Colegio Santa Ethnea helps students in grades 1-6 learn about building peace with everyday actions; learn and reflect on the lives of different peacebuilders including Catherine McAuley, Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Ghandi and others; and share the message of peace with the rest of the school through visual displays.
Practicing Nonviolence for Faculty and Administration
This resource from Colegio Santa Ethnea shares tips on identifying and addressing areas of conflict in an educational community.
Resources on Race and Anti-racism for Mercy School Communities
Mercy Education System of the Americas (MESA) is committed “to find ways to have courageous conversations that inspire graced actions to preserve the dignity of and respect for each human being.”
As part of this commitment, the MESA Staff in conjunction with colleagues throughout the Mercy world have shared resources that may be used for one’s own personal edification on race and antiracism as well as classroom resources to help students grow in their understanding of our Mercy Critical Concern for antiracism. View resource list here.
Sisters of Mercy Blog: Perspectives on Black Catholic experience and history from members of the Mercy Community
Spirituality Resources from the Sisters of Mercy
This page on the Sisters of Mercy website includes resources information on retreat centers and spiritual direction as well as a comprehensive list of Mercy prayers and spirituality resources.
Understanding Racism: Mini-Course from Saint Mary's Press
This mini-course focuses on themes of change, unity and solidarity. By connecting racism to the greater Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity, the course helps students understand more about its origins, how it affects others, and how to confront racism and stand in solidarity with people of all walks of life. View the course here.
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- Overview
- Scope and sequence
- View a sample lesson from “Understanding Racism” by logging in here.
Username: justice@smp.org
Password: Justice123!
Educators can also contact the Saint Mary’s Press Ministry Care Team to request complete access.