In honor of National Catholic Sisters Week, Mercy Housing would like to celebrate our special relationship with the Catholic Sisters who have sponsored our housing ministry for the past 39 years and had the vision to build the organization into the industry leader it is today. The Sisters of Mercy provided the initial financial resources needed to begin our work in 1981 responding to the urging of a single Sister, Sister Timothy Marie O’Roark, to adopt affordable housing as a sponsored ministry. Over the years, eight communities of Catholic Sisters joined the effort and have served our organization as compassionate advocates, dedicated businesswomen, and, above all else, innovative problem solvers.

While the Sisters have worked tirelessly to relieve the symptoms of society’s ills, they have done this while concentrating on addressing the root causes of social injustice. Mercy Housing was founded by the Sisters of Mercy and their legacy continues to guide us today through our shared commitments to human dignity, solidarity, and serving people who are vulnerable.

We are honored and excited to celebrate two new Sisters that are joining our national Board of Trustees: Sister Patricia Eck, CBS and Sister Jane Gerety, RSM, Ph.D.

Sister Jane Gerety, RSM, Ph.D.

In 2009, Sister Jane Gerety, RSM became the seventh president of Salve Regina University and has been a member of Salve’s Board of Trustees since 1995. Dr. Gerety retired from Salve in June 2019 and is now the Chief Mission Officer of Saint Joseph’s Health System/Mercy Care in Atlanta. She has served on several nonprofit boards including Saint Joseph’s Health System, Saint John’s Mercy Medical Center, Mercy Housing – Southeast, Project Adventure and Mercyhurst University — including chair of the President’s Council of the Conference of Mercy Higher Education and chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities/RI. She currently serves on the board of the Conference of Mercy Higher Education.

Sister Patricia Eck, CBS

Sister Patricia Eck, CBS is the past Congregational Leader for the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours of Paris (2009-2019) and is a member of Bon Secours Mercy Ministries while being on the Bon Secours Mercy Health Board of Directors too. In 1966, Sister Pat entered the Sisters of Bon Secours. She has 50 years of healthcare experience that includes nursing, management, and sponsorship for Bon Secours Health System before its merger with Mercy Health (becoming Bon Secours Mercy Health). Sister Pat was previously a chairperson of The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) Board of Trustees and has served on many boards including Catholic Medical Mission Board, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Member of Friends in Solidarity, and sits on the Resource Center for Religious Institute’s board today.

National Catholic Sisters Week is meant to celebrate the many contributions of Women Religious to the fields of social justice, women’s leadership, healthcare, education, and, of course, housing. The Sisters that started and have supported Mercy Housing for the past 40 years are a group of women determined to address housing inequality despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In the beginning, their courage in the face of adversity, their faith in the meaning of their work, and their commitment to the principle of mercy laid the groundwork for Mercy Housing’s culture. We thank Sister Pat and Sister Jane Gerety, RSM for supporting our mission and partnering to keep communities healthy and vibrant.