Student Life

Before incoming freshman students arrive at Mercy, they are assigned to a Big Sister Group in the senior class. Big and Little Sisters attend several activities together throughout the year, and the Big Sisters are mentors for anything their Little Sisters need. Big Sisters also decorate their Little Sisters' lockers and greenies as well as plan other special surprises during the year.

Every other fall, students participate in Day of Discovery. On this day, teachers plan different adventures for groups of students to experience instead of attending school. Students sign up for the trips that they are most interested in, and Student Council assigns the trips through a lottery.

Farewell Day is one of the last traditions celebrated during the school year. It takes place once the seniors are finished with their final exams. The entire school gathers in Franey Hall to watch the seniors perform a play based on their years at Mercy. They also “will” certain memorable items to other younger students and members of the faculty. A prayer service is held in the afternoon as the entire school says goodbye to the seniors.

Every freshman student at Mercy High School receives a green hat when she first arrives, indicating that she is a new student and also introducing her to Mercy’s Irish heritage. If one of her Big Sisters catches her not wearing it, her Big Sister takes it and decorates it. On the Friday of Welcome Week, we have a Greenie Parade when all the Little Sisters show off their newly decorated greenies. The winner of "Most Creative Greenie" is voted on by the entire school.

At the beginning of May, we celebrate May Crowning at Mercy High School. A special ceremony is held in our building to honor Mary, the Virgin Mother. The entire school dresses up and each class selects two representatives to be on May Court. A senior is also chosen to be the May Queen, another extraordinary honor, and she personally crowns the statue of Mary. This ceremony marks the approaching end to the school year and all seniors wear their caps and gowns.

Every year on September 24 we celebrate Mercy Day. This is the anniversary of the day that Mother Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy.  All of the Mercy schools throughout the world and the Sisters of Mercy celebrate this special day.

The students at Mercy celebrate with an all-school Mass, followed by a play performed by the senior class. During the play, the seniors tell the story of Mother Catherine McAuley and select a class member, or members, that they believe best represents the qualities of Mother McAuley.

This play marks the first occasion that the seniors are leaders of the school.  After the play concludes, the senior students and faculty members celebrate at a luncheon.  Later that afternoon, the seniors visit with and sing to the Sisters of Mercy at the Mercy Villa.

Drive past Mercy High School once classes are out, and more than likely you’ll hear several Mercy girls saying goodbye to each other with the Mercy Honk to the tune of “Come out, come out, wherever you are, Mercy girls are in the car.” This tradition has been celebrated for decades. It is used most often when picking up fellow Mercy girls, heard in neighborhoods all throughout the Omaha area.

During Mission Week in the spring, Mercy High School has several activities to raise funds and awareness of an international social justice issue. We raised $18,000 last year to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon.  The mission this year is "Laudato Tree," with a goal to raise money to plant trees in Africa from Djibouti to Senegal along the Great Green Wall.  Activities during the week include a prayer service, Glow Dance, SIESTA, and dodgeball tournament. In addition to raising money to support a very worthy cause, Mission Week provides a great way to connect with other Mercy schools to continue Catherine McAuley’s mission of service to the poor and women around the world.

Every year, the juniors plan Prom for the seniors. They spend all year keeping the theme, location, date and colors secret. The juniors share all of these Prom details by performing a musical or play in the spring. Once this Prom Announcement (PA) is over, the juniors and seniors are dismissed to begin shopping for the perfect Prom outfit.  Previous PA performances have included Grease, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Hocus Pocus, The Sandlot, Tangled, Toy Story, Wizard of Oz, and Hairspray.

Spirit Week occurs the week before Nocturne, Mercy’s Homecoming Dance, in late November. During Spirit Week, there is a different theme for each day, and the Mercy girls dress the part. There are also pep rallies and many other events during Spirit Week for students to show their Monarch spirit. Nocturne is held that following Saturday in Franey Hall for sophomore, junior and senior students.

At our Mercy High School in Omaha, the word SUSCIPE also stands for Sustaining Us Spiritually as Community In Prayer and Eucharist.  We have a SUSCIPE event at Mercy several times a month, mostly as all-school liturgies but also as prayer services, reconciliation, assemblies, service fairs and other events.  The SUSCIPE events are planned by the students in Pastoral Council and are attended by all of our students and faculty.

The word “Suscipe” has many meanings in our Mercy community. Mercy’s founder, Mother Catherine McAuley, has a prayer entitled “The Suscipe of Catherine McAuley” that is both spoken and sung many times throughout the year.

“My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arms of your loving providence, with the most lively, unlimited confidence in your compassionate, tender pity. Grant me, O most merciful Redeemer, that whatever you ordain or permit may be acceptable to me. Take from my heart all painful anxiety; suffer nothing to sadden me but sin, nothing to delight me but the hope of coming to the possession of you, my God and my all, in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.”

We welcome the Mercy Girls back to school with an all-school liturgy in our chapel after the first full week of school. Following the Greenie Parade, the Mercy Girls and faculty head to a park to spend the whole day outside at our Welcome Picnic. Student Council organizes yard games, socializing opportunities, flag football and meeting our newest class of Mercy freshmen.