Carlow University’s heritage is rich in history and mercy. The University has a unique connection to Ireland through the founding Sisters of Mercy, a religious community started in 1831 in Dublin by Catherine McAuley.
In 1843, the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Pittsburgh from Carlow, Ireland, with a mission to serve the poor, the sick and the uneducated. They established numerous schools, an orphanage and Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh prior to founding Carlow University.
‘Walking into the Chaos of Others’ is a powerful documentary about the Sisters of Mercy and their enduring impact on Carlow University’s transformational mission. The documentary premiered as part of Carlow University’s Impact Series.
Our mission focuses on offering transformational educational opportunities to a diverse community of learners, empowering them to excel in their chosen work as compassionate, responsible leaders in the creation of a just and merciful world. Our philosophy is guided by a commitment to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, a belief in the transformative power of the liberal arts, and a dedication to undergraduate and graduate education that instills social responsibility and a desire to work for the good of all humankind.
Rooted in five core values, our vision drives us in guiding students into realizing their full potential, ultimately becoming career-ready, ethical leaders.
Carlow University, rooted in its Catholic identity and embodying the heritage and values of the Sisters of Mercy, offers transformational educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners and empowers them to excel in their chosen work and all their future endeavors as compassionate, responsible leaders in the creation of a just and merciful world.
Carlow University is a preeminent, innovative Catholic university, renowned for providing a transformational learning experience. Here, students can realize their full potential and become career-ready ethical leaders committed to a more just and merciful world.
The Office for Mercy Service provides the Carlow University community with a collaborative base for community outreach, volunteer programs and year-round service opportunities. Service and volunteer opportunities are continuously updated and communicated to the Carlow community, raising awareness of our community’s challenges and needs, and showing our students the many ways they can help.
A gathering of Mercy Educators from around the globe. This distinguished program hosts discussions covering a wide range of unique topics that demonstrate the deep commitment of staff and faculty at our Mercy institutions and how the work they do is rooted in justice and compassion.
The Preservation of Saint Agnes Center at Carlow University in the West Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
In 1843, seven resilient Sisters of Mercy arrived in Pittsburgh ready to meet the next great need. Seven decades later, just as the Sisters were beginning to establish Mount Mercy College, renowned architect John T. Comès designed and built St. Agnes Church, down the hill at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Robinson Street. This church went on to serve as a beacon for generations of Pittsburgh’s immigrant Catholic communities. In 1996, the college at the top of the hill—now called Carlow University—purchased the church and rectory from the Pittsburgh Diocese with a vision to restore and re-imagine it as the Saint Agnes Center, a vibrant gathering space serving the West Oakland neighborhood.
Preserve Pittsburgh’s Heritage
Build a Community of Cultural Significance
Create a Resource for Carlow University and the City
Share a Legacy of Faith, Culture, and Art
For more information, contact giving@carlow.edu.
Go inside the University Archives, where archivist Alyson Koenig curates important objects and memories from our past, going all the way back to before Carlow University was founded in 1929. Preserving these artifacts keeps us in closer touch with the lessons the past can teach us – about community and the human spirit – and about the story of seven Sisters of Mercy, determined to travel across the ocean and do works of compassionate service for others.
The Sisters’ simple yet boundless mission touched countless lives and continues to inspire our future leaders today.