250 Acts of Mercy
February 12, 2026
This article appears in the February Issue of Reflections and Connections
Our Commitment
14 congregations of women religious throughout the state of Wisconsin have committed to spreading hope throughout the country. Each congregation has pledged to do 250 Acts of Mercy throughout 2026. This commitment is in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is aimed at manifesting God’s mercy and forming a “more perfect union” through corporal and spiritual acts of mercy.
What Is Mercy?
Pope Francis reminded us in the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy, “Mercy is not an abstraction but a lifestyle consisting in concrete gestures rather than mere words: reaching out and touching others and institutionalizing the works of mercy.”
In Matthew 25, Jesus provides us with a model of some of those “concrete gestures:”
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” – Matthew 25:35-36
This list of actions is a keen reminder that mercy impacts physical and emotional well-being and offers the gift of hope and renewed dignity to the recipient. Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2447 defines the Works of Mercy as charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his or her spiritual and bodily necessities.
Through their very nature, these acts create relationships across boundaries. Mercy brings unity and togetherness to otherwise divisive environments, helping the giver and the receiver understand one another’s points of view in a new way.
An Invitation
CSA warmly invites sisters, associates, and other partners in ministry to join us and the other 13 participating congregations in meeting our goal. We hope you will share your acts of mercy with us throughout the year, no matter how large or small.
Which corporal works of mercy might you be called to practice? Which spiritual works of mercy?
Learn more and Share Your Act of Mercy