Ministry and Service

Two blood drives are held at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in October and March. The girls advertise, decorate, and volunteer their time and also give blood if they meet the requirements.

Various drives are held throughout the school year. A Thanksgiving Drive in partnership with Gwynedd Mercy College, provides a Thanksgiving meal for over ninety families!

When a "Gwynedd Girl" sees a need in her community or beyond, a drive is quickly organized to assist those in need.

The George Valentine Auction is a unique event held each February at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. It is an opportunity for faculty, staff, alumnae and parents to auction off services for the students. Items could include: tutoring sessions, a faculty member cooking a meal in your home, and a lot more!

Students will interact and spend quality time with the residents of Kyffin Grove doing various activities. Some of the past activities include playing bocce, making crafts, playing bingo and other fun games.

For approximately 5 years Mercy high schools from around the country have collaborated to assist young women around the globe where Sisters of Mercy serve. As a result of this support, two schools have been built, one in Cambodia, the other in Sudan. A soup kitchen and a library have been added to the Mukuru Refugee Camp near Nairobi, Kenya. Additionally, Mercy girls have provided hundreds of scholarships for young girls in developing countries and have supported safe houses for recently rescued trafficked girls on 3 continents.

In continuing our support, Mercy schools will be working together this year to provide meals and educational supplies for our school in Sudan.
Mercy girls are also standing behind Malala Yousafzai in support of her campaign to raise awareness for the rights of all girls to be educated.
To personalize these needs on a local level, our students will be helping needy schools in the Philadelphia area throughout the year.

Students work with Dr. Derstine to plan a fun theme incorporated throughout their afternoon together with the children of hobbit house.  These students plan a craft to do with the children as well as read to them.  It’s a terrific educational venture for all! 

Liturgical Planning is a ministry group that assists with all of the liturgies and prayer services for the school year. Students choose a theme, the music, the readings and the message for many of the liturgies.

Manna on Main Street is a soup kitchen where the students of Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School visit once a month to serve meals. It is a very appropriate and humbling experience for the girls to serve others, who are in desperate need of a warm meal and conversation.

Students will interact with the children of St. Helena and Gwynedd Mercy Academy Elementary School and provide an afternoon of tutoring.  Students will help the children complete their homework, prepare for any assessments, and help them grow as learners.

A Christmas dinner party is hosted each December for the women and children of Mercy Hospice, a nonprofit organization which helps poverty stricken women and children. Santa Claus personally delivers gifts and our Mothers' Club provides a wonderful meal. All share stories, laughs, and break bread. Entertainment is provided by our talented Mercy singers!

Project Mercy is the most popular service program of the school year. There are four major events and each one is unique.

The first is a Halloween event at Merrymead Farms. Gwynedd Mercy Girls pair up with children from Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, a non profit organization that serves inner city children.

The second event is a Christmas party with a visit from Santa Claus and gifts for all!

The third event is a Valentine Day visit. Crafts are created and refreshments enjoyed.

The final yearly event is a carnival held at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in the spring. The grounds are transformed into a festive carnival setting for the children of Mercy Neighborhood Ministries!

Women of Hope is home to 24 women who are incapable of living on their own. Students at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School visit Women of Hope once a month, where they plan and excute a variety of activities: painting nails, playing bingo, and putting on a fashion show. The highlight of year is a Christmas Party, Santa Claus delivers gifts, and the girls sing Christmas Carols.