Mission and Values
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Live Your Faith
The Mercy mission is the heartbeat of our school. It is the foundation of our community, the source of our culture, and the reason Mercy feels different the moment you walk through our doors. Built on the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, we are deeply committed to honoring the dignity of every person, extending genuine hospitality, and responding to others with compassion. These values are lived each day in our classrooms, on our campus, and throughout our community. Visitors often tell us there is a warmth at Mercy that allows people to simply be themselves, to feel welcomed, valued, and known. This is our Mercy mission coming alive.
Our Mission Statement
We, the community of Mercy High School, Burlingame, a Catholic College Preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, educate young women of diverse religious, ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds to reverence and foster the dignity of each person; to create a community of hospitality; to lead with integrity and compassion; to strive for excellence; and to proclaim Gospel values in word and action.
The Mission in Practice
We prepare young women to lead with courage, act with compassion, honor the dignity of every person, and use their gifts to make a meaningful difference in the world. This is the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy. We are proud of our heritage, and intentionally form our students to embrace and preserve the Mercy mission so Mercy High School remains rooted in dignity, hospitality, and compassion for generations to come.
Legacy of Female Leadership
These two key figures have shaped the ethos of Mercy High School through their courage, compassion, hospitality, and resilience.
Catherine McAuley
Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
Catherine McAuley believed that education, compassion, and courageous action could transform lives. Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1778, she experienced loss and hardship at an early age but remained deeply committed to her faith and to serving others.
When Catherine inherited a significant fortune, she chose to invest it in women and children in need. In 1827 she opened the House of Mercy on Baggot Street, providing education, shelter, support, and opportunity to children and young women. Her work inspired other women to join her, leading to the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in 1831.
Catherine's vision grew into a global movement dedicated to education, healthcare, justice, and service.
Catherine’s mission and vision is alive every day in schools and ministries around the world. We are proud to be part of the Mercy Education network and to be part of Catherine’s legacy. For more information on Catherine McAuley, visit the Mercy World website.
Click here for information on efforts to canonize Catherine McAuley.
Mary Baptist Russell
Foundress of the California Sisters of Mercy
In 1854, 25-year old Mother Mary Baptist Russell led a band of eight young Sisters of Mercy from their seaport home in Kinsale, Ireland to San Francisco to create the first Mercy community in California.
By 1857, the Sisters had established St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco and in 1924, they purchased the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame which became the Motherhouse.
In 1931, the Sisters opened their first Catholic high school, Mercy Burlingame, in the Kohl Mansion. Since the founding of the school, more than 8,000 young women have graduated from Mercy.
Mary Baptist created numerous social service institutions that were critical to San Francisco’s social safety net, including orphanages, hospitals, employment centers, and schools, many of which are still in operation today.
Her compassion for the sick and poor, and her dedication for women’s education, live on in Mercy High School, Burlingame’s core values.
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Faith In Practice
Mercy High School rests on the foundation of the Gospel message of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy’s call to bring that Gospel to life through action and service.
The Sisters of Mercy are eminently practical and over time have translated their tradition and their vision into tangible expressions of the Gospel. - Sr. Jan Geason, RSM
Mercy Education: A Global Network
As part of Mercy Education System of the Americas (MESA), our school is connected to a global network of 40 high schools, 20 elementary schools, and 17 Universities and Colleges sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.
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Mercy Education Core Values
Our Core Values are the hallmarks of a Mercy Education. These are the ideals we stand up for and strive to live up to. We hold ourselves to these standards as an institution, as a community and as individuals. Each value is interconnected and necessary as we take Mercy into the world.
Mercy students become living models of faith and forceful advocates for Gospel values. Grounded in our Catholic identity in the Mercy tradition, we welcome all faiths and are strengthened and shaped by these relationships. As we pursue a personal relationship with God, we strenuously follow Jesus Christ’s example of social justice, love and service.
Mercy students welcome the challenge of pursuing their full potential in a culture of excellence, critical thinking and curiosity. Their multifaceted journey builds character while it builds essential skills. Our holistic program expects engagement, a thirst for knowledge and personal responsibility, while preparing students to thrive for a lifetime.
Mercy students, in the spirit of our founder Catherine McAuley, are steadfastly determined to take Mercy into an interconnected world. Our shared sense of social consciousness is fortified by universal empathy and a conviction that all are worthy of God’s mercy. This deep awareness and compassion move us to take principled action and serve the needs of others.
Mercy students honor the intrinsic value of the individual and recognize God’s presence in each person. We embrace a global vision and value differences of opinion, and are unafraid to confront hostile or hurtful attitudes. By standing up for those who can’t, we go beyond acceptance to help make sure everyone feels recognized and heard.
Mercy students are poised to lead with their unique gifts. Prepared with an ethical and moral compass, we put Mercy values into action and work assertively for what is right. We’re equipped to make difficult choices, learn from our mistakes and develop high emotional intelligence. As an international community, we’re confident in our ability to make a positive difference and push for systemic change.
Our Profile of the Graduate is how students come to manifest and embody our Core Values. Throughout the student’s journey, this blueprint defines the attributes they’re expected to acquire and the steps they’ll take to gain them.