Nearly 600 Mount St. Mary Academy students, faculty and staff spent the morning of September 24 united in service in honor of Mercy Day. Around the world, Mercy Day is celebrated by the global Mercy family – sisters, associates, companions, donors, staff, students, and more – to commemorate the day Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, opened the first House of Mercy in Ireland in 1827 to serve the sick and the poor.
In the spirit of Catherine McAuley, and as a sponsored ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Mount honors this important anniversary each year by completing acts of service on its campus, in its surrounding neighborhood and throughout the Little Rock area. Although this year’s plans required some last-minute adjustments due to the weather, the impact of the annual day of service was as great as ever and brought the 2025 theme – The Cloak of Mercy – to life. Overall, the school community contributed more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work on September 24.
Many students poured their energy into meaningful projects on campus, writing letters for veterans and active military, knitting hats and blankets for those in need, creating cards for the elderly, and making bracelets with notes of encouragement for elementary students who recently experienced the loss of a teacher. Others organized supplies, tidied up shared spaces, and deep-cleaned areas of campus. Those who were able to share their gifts of service in the wider Little Rock community did so by preparing meals, sorting clothing, assembling hygiene kits, repairing bicycles, and helping with various additional tasks at more than 20 churches, schools and organizations that serve those in need.
Regardless of where it took place or whom it served, each assignment helped to carry forward the legacy of Catherine McAuley and her call to serve with love and compassion.
