The Catholic Tradition of UPMC Mercy

The Catholic understanding of health care, which is based in Holy Scripture, is to bring the healing ministry of Jesus to those who are poor and vulnerable.

As stewards of this sacred tradition, the seven Sisters of Mercy who founded what today is UPMC Mercy acted in response to Jesus’ command to love their neighbors, especially those most in need.

Our mission statement speaks to the strong relationship between health care and a commitment to social justice. And our core values​ reaffirm the Church’s teachings about the dignity of the human person.

An official ministry of the Catholic Church, UPMC Mercy is sponsored by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops serve as the model for all Catholic health care and are reflected in the compassionate, quality care all patients receive at UPMC Mercy.

From the Bishop

“Shortly after seven Sisters of Mercy opened the city’s first hospital in 1847, a typhoid epidemic struck Pittsburgh. Four of the Sisters died tending to the typhoid patients, the majority of whom survived. That legacy of self-sacrificing compassion continued through the generations as Mercy Hospital brought hope and healing to the poor, the marginalized, and the traumatized.

UPMC Mercy continues to follow in the footsteps of those seven Sisters by practicing medicine according to Catholic ethics and values. Every patient, from the young to the senior and everyone in between, is treated with the respect, the care, and the love of Jesus Himself. This is the mission of a Catholic hospital. This is the mission of Mercy.”

The Most Rev. David A. Zubik
Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh​