Mercy in Action

The Class of 2026 has spent the last few weeks celebrating together as they near the end of their time at McAuley. Check out some highlights from their last two weeks as Mighty Mac students! Congratulations to the Class of 2026 - we can't wait to see what they accomplish next!

On April 1, Senior Peer Ministers led a Holy Week prayer service for each Theology class where they read the account of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, offered a reflection, and symbolically washed the hands of students and teachers. It was a wonderful way to enter more fully into the sacred days of Holy Week in preparation for Easter.

On March 20th, our Faculty & Staff gathered together for a Spirituality Day to spend some intentional time growing in our shared mission. Throughout the day, we facilitated a mobile food pantry, packed bag lunches, and wrote cards to families at Ronald McDonald House.
Special thanks to Marquette Bank, Illinois Partners in Hope, & The Port Ministries for partnering with us on this meaningful day of service and spirituality.

During this Lenten season, we were proud to offer the Sacrament of Confirmation to seven of our Mother McAuley students, who have been supported through our confirmation program as they grew in faith and discernment of their beliefs.

Students who participated in the March Macs with Mercy built birdhouses with the Sisters of Mercy who live in Mercy Circle. The birdhouses will be delivered to Pat's Pantry. 

Learn More about the March Macs with Mercy

On Sunday, March 1, our club Macs LEAD along with Brother Rice, took the Polar Plunge in honor of Special Olympics. Our team, Best of Both Worlds, raised over $13,000, the second most money raised by any high school. This is the 8th year Mother McAuley has participated in the Polar Plunge.

On February 12, our entire school community gathered together for our Black History Month Prayer Service. Thank you to our Black Student Union for hosting the beautiful service filled with community, prayer, reflection, and music!

Our entire school community gathered together on January 26 for a wonderful Mass in celebration of Catholic Schools Week. We were honored to be joined by Bishop Dan Turley, OSA, an Augustinian and good friend of McAuley's chaplain, Fr. Tom McCarthy, and Pope Leo XIV. The Bishop led us in prayer and inspired our community as we started our week-long celebration.

Senior students attended the first Kairos weekend of 2026 January 8 - 11! This retreat allows students a chance to immerse themselves in God's time, bringing them closer to their faith and their peers. This marks our 166th Kairos retreat!

Mother McAuley was MIGHTY proud to be featured in WGN's Drive Thru Toy Drive on December 12! Ana Belaval joined us on 99th Street to talk with Principal Dr. Baal, Kruz Smith '27 and Lucy Maloney '26 about the importance of giving back during the holiday season.

Watch the WGN segment

On December 8, our school community came together in prayer to honor the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We are grateful to Fr. Tom McCarthy for leading a meaningful liturgy, and to all those who helped make the celebration so special. As we enter the Christmas season, our hearts are full of gratitude and hope.

Did you know? 94% of McAuley girls participate in one of our 50+ clubs and organizations! Our Mighty Macs were busy this past month volunteering, experimenting, and participating in hands-on activities with their clubs!

Peer Ministers from Mother McAuley & Brother Rice partnered to lead a Confirmation retreat for the 8th graders at Our Lady of the Ridge/St. Linus Parish! It was an incredible opportunity for our students to live out their faith and put their ministerial skills into action while guiding younger students on their spiritual journey.

Members of the National Art Honors Society hosted their annual pumpkin sale during lunch periods at the end of October for faculty, staff, and students. All proceeds from the sale benefit the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls - it's one of our favorite Fall traditions!

What an incredible moment as Pope Leo XIV poses with a McAuley t-shirt! Our very own chaplain, Father Tom McCarthy, O.S.A., recently visited with Pope Leo XIV and shared a piece of our Mighty Mac spirit by presenting the t-shirt and heartfelt letters from our students, advocating for Catherine McAuley's sainthood.

On October 10, our entire school community gathered together for a wonderful prayer service in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month organized by the Latinas Lead club. The service included prayers and petitions, student and faculty reflections, dances and musical performances.

Our Mariachi Club had the opportunity to play with the Latin Grammy nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico group! It was a great experience to celebrate the Hispanic culture and community.

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, our Macs LEAD (Leadership, Education, and Awareness of Disabilities) Club made trick-or-treat buckets for children at Gigi's Playhouse!

Special thanks to our Science National Honors Society for organizing the annual Macs Walk for a Cure to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Their efforts helped fundraise money for one of our own student's family members battling cancer. We are MIGHTY proud.

This past Wednesday, September 24th, we celebrated Mercy Day, joining a global celebration to commemorate the day Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland in 1827. For the past several years, we have expanded our celebration of Mercy Day from one day, to a full Mercy Week!

Congratulations to Emily Mangin '26 and Jamie Guardi '95, the recipients of the 2025 Catherine McAuley Award! These two women embody Catherine's spirit and live out her legacy of service, compassion, and hospitality. We are MIGHTY grateful to have them as part of the McAuley community.

On Thursday, September 11, Student Life held its first event with Mercy Circle. Nearly 25 students from various clubs and organizations visited Mercy Circle following the early dismissal to mingle with the residents and engage in a Catherine McAuley trivia game! Students also brought in nonperishable pantry items to donate to Pat’s Pantry in Mount Greenwood for this event.

The second week of September brought two opportunities for students from Mother McAuley and Brother Rice to come together: a prayer service to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11, and a Bags Tournament.

Our first Kairos retreat of the year was held September 11 - 14! The weekend was full of prayer, reflection and connection for the members of the Class of 2026 in attendance, as well as the faculty and staff participants. 

Our school year is off to a wonderful start! We celebrated our Opening Mass with the entire school community on August 22, and it was a powerful and inspiring way to begin the 2025-2026 school year. This year, we are especially blessed to welcome new faculty  members to our Mission & Ministry team, as well as a new chaplain - Father Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. 

Our new group of senior Peer Ministers came together for an orientation and team building retreat at Camp Manitoqua mid-August. This was a great way to learn and grow as a team as they prepared for the 2025-2026 school year.

Our Mighty Macs traveled to Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City, MO; ARISE Adelante at the Texas southern border; and Tau House in Cincinnati, OH for service trips this summer. Our students, faculty, and staff spent their trips making a positive impact through prayer and service.

We are incredibly proud of our Mighty Macs who participated in the Conference of Mercy Student Leaders at Saint Xavier University this summer! It was a powerful opportunity for McAuley students to deepen their leadership skills alongside other Mercy education students from around the globe.

John C. Reilly just gave Mother McAuley a MIGHTY shoutout in his New York Times profile! He shares an incredible testament to the impact of women in leadership, the Sisters of Mercy, and creating an environment where you can find your voice.

We invite you to help leaders blossom by supporting the McAuley Fund this spring. The McAuley Fund enriches many of our school's programs including academics, the arts, athletics, campus ministry, financial aid & beyond.

Donate Today!

On May 14, our Mighty Mac Varsity Lacrosse team took the field against Montini in honor of all those impacted by breast cancer. The McAuley Lacrosse program sold t-shirts as part of a fundraiser kickstarted by Kathleen Finnin '25 and Brigid Finnin '27.