About Mercy

A Brief History of Our School

The Sisters of Mercy have been in San Francisco since 1854, when Mother Baptist Russell and her small group of dedicated sisters arrived.

 

Soon after her arrival in San Francisco, Mother Baptist drew up a statement of the objectives of her community. The work of education was given first place: "The first objective to which the religious of this order are solemnly devoted is the education of rich and poor, young and old, without distinction of country or creed." Since February 2, 1855 when Mother Baptist opened a night school for adults on Vallejo Street, the Sisters of Mercy have continued to work toward this objective.

 

Today, Mercy High School, San Francisco, is a fulfillment of that objective. Mercy High School, a private, non-profit, four-year Catholic high school for girls, is owned and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Burlingame.

 

Plans for Mercy High School were begun in response to the request of the Most Reverend James T. O'Dowd (then Archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools) that the Sisters provide a secondary school for the Catholic girls in the growing Sunset, Lakeside and Park Merced districts. The school, situated directly opposite Stonestown Galleria, was opened September 3, 1952 with a class of 199 freshmen in a partially completed building. In 1954, the centenary year of the Sisters of Mercy in San Francisco, the original building was completed. The addition of the Fine Arts wing became a reality in February, 1972.

 

The first graduating class of 173 seniors received diplomas on June 11, 1956. In the past years the student body has grown from the original 199 to the present 535 and the number of alumnae to 7960.

 

The successful achievement of Mercy's first graduating class immediately placed the high school on the list of secondary schools accredited by the University of California. In 1958, Mercy High School became a charter member among schools accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association. In 1964, Mercy High School was accredited by the newly-formed Secondary Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges; the accreditation has been renewed for the maximum allowable six years at each evaluation period. Mercy's dedication to excellence in education is witnessed by the approval of these regional accrediting agencies, reflecting the success of its graduates. The school is also a member of the National Catholic Education Association.

 

Mercy offers a four-year college preparatory program. Advanced Placement and Honors courses in English, mathematics, science, foreign language and history are available to qualified and interested students. Special placement in various disciplines is based on student need, determined by the assistant principal for academics, department chairs and counselors. At present there is a 1:22 teacher to student ratio. Religious education classes are an important component of the Mercy curriculum. The fine arts program is one of the most diverse in the Bay Area and the athletic and speech programs have received state level recognition. Mercy's student government program has received the highest award from the California Association of Student Councils.

 

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