President’s Welcome
Welcome!
Many thanks for taking time to explore Mercy High School, a private, Catholic college preparatory school for 440 girls in grades 9-12 sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Founded in 1960, Mercy is proud to carry forward the extraordinary legacy of Mercy education in Baltimore, which began at Mount Saint Agnes in 1867. The only all-girls Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School, Mercy provides our Mercy Girls with the preparation that will help them become the Women of Mercy our world needs. Today, more than 8,000 graduates claim Mercy as their alma mater, and we are deeply proud of the generous ways they lead and serve in their professions, places of worship, communities, and families.
Shaped by the vision and values of the Sisters of Mercy and their founder, Catherine McAuley, Mercy High School is part of a global network of 198 Mercy secondary schools. Together we share in a mission to help our students live out our Mercy values—excellence, hospitality, service, justice, and compassion—so that our students become the people God calls all of us to be. With two centuries of experience teaching girls and women, the Sisters of Mercy are experts in the education of adolescent girls. Their commitment to healthcare, expressed in Baltimore through our sister ministry, Mercy Medical Center, also informs our thoughtful, personalized approach to guiding our Mercy Girls through the joys and challenges of their formative high school years.
A sharp focus on the high school experience is a key differentiator at Mercy. With every Mercy Girl joining our community as a 9th grader, the freshman year is “a level playing field.” Every new Mercy Girl starts in the same place, building new friendships and exploring new interests. In partnership with parents, our exceptional teachers draw out the very best from our Mercy Girls. We are honored to journey with our Mercy families at this critical time in the life of a girl.
I invite you to join us for admissions events, our many fine arts offerings, athletic events, alumnae activities, and so much more! We look forward to offering you our warm Mercy hospitality, rooted in the timeless charism of the Sisters of Mercy.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Lennon '85
President
Ms. Lennon is the first Mercy alumna to serve as president of Mercy High School. Her own Mercy roots stretch back to Ireland, where her aunt serves as a Sister of Mercy in Co. Galway.
Appointed president in 2014, Ms. Lennon has worked with the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Team to expand Mercy’s academic offerings and renew its 26-acre campus. More than $11 million of facility investments, funded through major gifts and grants, include modern classroom spaces, the Sister Marie Foley College Counseling Center, the Sisters of Mercy Athletic Complex, modern HVAC systems, and new reception areas that reflect our commitment to hospitality. There is more to come!
As an Elizabeth Morrissy Scholar at Notre Dame of Maryland University, Ms. Lennon earned her B.A. in history in 1989. She received an M.A. in Latin American history from The Catholic University of America in 1991. She was one of 20 heads of school from around the world selected for a prestigious Klingenstein Fellowship at Columbia University’s Teachers College in 2020.
The Daily Record named Ms. Lennon one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2011, 2015, and 2018, and she is a member of their Circle of Excellence. In 2012, the Emerald Isle Club selected her as Deputy Marshal for the Baltimore St. Patrick Parade. In 2020, she received Notre Dame’s Elizabeth P. Hoisington ’40 Distinguished Alumna Award.
A Baltimore resident, Ms. Lennon is a member of Cathedral of Mary Our Queen parish.