Cultural District in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Sisters of Mercy

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, March 13, 2011

1. Sisters Of Mercy Marker

Inscription. Frances Warde and six companions from Carlow, Ireland, opened the first Mercy convent in the U.S. here. Founding date was December 21, 1843, and at once the sisters began to serve the city's poor, sick, and uneducated. From here, Mercy convents spread across the U.S.

Erected 1993 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Immigration • Religion & Religious Structures • Women. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1885.

Location. 40° 26.607′ N, 79° 59.948′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in the Cultural District. It is at the intersection of Penn Avenue and 8th Street, on the right when traveling east on Penn Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 800 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15222, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in the Ohio River Valley,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Lafayette (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Penn-Liberty Historic District (about 300 feet away); The Benedum Center (about 300 feet away); The Pittsburgh Agreement

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(about 400 feet away); Aria Cultural District Lofts (about 500 feet away); The Granite Building (about 500 feet away); The Duquesne Club (about 600 feet away); Trinity Church Burying Ground (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburgh.

Also see . . . Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. (Submitted on March 15, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, March 13, 2011

2. Sisters Of Mercy Marker

Sister Mary Francis Xavier Warde image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Unknown

3. Sister Mary Francis Xavier Warde

Sister Mary Frances Warde was the first Sister of Mercy to arrive in the United States in 1843. She established the first community of the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and since then the congregation spread throughout the North, South and Central Americas. Courtesy of the Archives, Sisters of Mercy, Pittsburgh.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,427 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 14, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3. submitted on July 26, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.