Gwynedd Mercy Academy prepares students to embrace innovation, cultural competency, and positive change. Its innovative educational programs nurture young women to be courageous in thought and merciful in action.
The school is part of the nationally recognized Wissahickon School District. It provides an engaging learning environment, a rigorous curriculum, and an active spiritual development.
Gwynedd Mercy Academy
Gwynedd Mercy Academy educates, inspires, and empowers young women to be merciful in spirit and innovative in thought and action. Rooted in the Catholic faith and the charism private Christian school near Lower Gwynedd-Township of Catherine McAuley, the Sisters of Mercy established this independent college preparatory school in 1861. Committed to the academic, spiritual and social development of young women, Gwynedd Mercy Academy provides a challenging curriculum, various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, individual attention and encouragement towards personal growth.
The Gwynedd Mercy community is a family that welcomes you into a unique and dynamic experience that will challenge you intellectually, engage you physically, nourish your soul, and invite you to become part of a network of sisters and colleagues that will continue to support you throughout your life. This is the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy who founded this school and who live in our Mercy tradition today.
Our History
The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy was founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland on December 12, 1831. Her vision was to provide a holistic education to the girls of her time, instilling in them a sense of their God-given gifts and talents as they worked in service to those most in need. The Sisters of Mercy opened their first schools in 1861. The school was located on Spring Garden Street in the Parish of the Assumption and then moved to a residence at Broad and Columbia Avenues in Philadelphia. In 1947 the Sisters of Mercy purchased the Taylor Estate on Sumneytown Pike in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. The sisters converted stables and erected a science building to house the Academy and College until a new Academy building was completed in 1955.
As a member of the Mercy Education System of the Americas, Gwynedd Mercy Academy is committed to Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders: One Student at a Time. This commitment is reflected in a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum, more than 70 student organizations, 14 Varsity and Junior Varsity sports teams, an array of volunteer service programs and trips, and a vibrant campus life that offers boundless opportunities for students to recognize their own gifts and actualize their potential.
Admission to Gwynedd Mercy Academy is selective and based on an evaluation of the applicant’s academic abilities, character, personal qualities and service to her community. The School admits students of any race, color, religion or creed. It also does not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, national origin or sex. The School is a sponsored institution of the Sisters of Mercy and has a Board of Trustees whose members are committed to the mission of the Congregation. The Board of Trustees, in turn, provides guidance to the administration and staff of the School. It is the duty of the Board to ensure that the educational and spiritual mission of the Academy continues to thrive.