03/24/2026
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the incredible women whose vision helped shape our communities. In Cedar Rapids, this story is inextricably linked to the Sisters of Mercy who arrived in 1875 with little more than their faith, deep compassion, and a calling to serve and educate those in need.
Led by Sister Mary Francis O’Donnell, they quickly opened St. Joseph’s Academy (a boarding school) and soon found themselves teaching during the day and visiting the sick in their homes during off hours. Their commitment to education stretched to many other schools in the Cedar Rapids community.
Recognizing the community’s urgent need in 1900 for more access to healthcare, the Sisters of Mercy made an extraordinary sacrifice: They mortgaged their own home and land to open the first 15-bed Mercy Hospital.
As patient needs grew, so did the Sisters’ efforts. They founded a School of Nursing at Mercy Hospital in 1904, launching a three-year program that would train 1,188 nurses before its transition to Mount Mercy College in 1971. Through their leadership, Mercy Hospital expanded multiple times, shaping the healthcare landscape of Cedar Rapids in in lasting ways.
Their mission didn’t stop at the hospital walls. Recognizing the many unmet needs in the community, the Sisters founded the Catherine McAuley Center in 1989. The facility offers education and support services to refugee and immigrant populations, as well as programs for women healing from crisis.
As we reflect on the Sisters’ unwavering dedication — often carried out quietly, humbly and against great odds — we are reminded that their work is not simply a chapter in our history. This Women’s History Month, may we draw inspiration from their courage and may we find an opportunity to carry their mission forward in our actions.
