Pamela McLoughlin is a teacher at Mercy College Coolock, in Dublin, Ireland, a Catholic girls’ secondary school founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Mercy and now under the trusteeship of CEIST.
The college shares grounds with Coolock House which was the home of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, for 20 years and is now home to a community of Sisters. “The Sisters at Coolock House, such as Srs Kathleen and Rose are a big part, a very important part, of our Mercy journey at Mercy College”, shared Pamela.
“We’ve 435 students”, Pamela explained. “Our school is very much a community; it’s very much a mission. It’s small and you get to know everybody. Our students have all different backgrounds, the majority come from the heart of Coolock. We’re single-sex and that’s the education their families want for them, that’s what we offer.”
Pamela has been at Mercy College for six years. She is not a Mercy past pupil but met many Mercy Sisters over the years through events and conferences during her previous employment where she worked with Sr Susan. “I also came to know many Sisters personally and socially and was inspired by their stories, such as by Sr Helen’s founding the Children’s Grief Centre and got to know Catherine McAuley’s story and just thought ‘Wow!’
The job was going here, and I applied, not really thinking about it being Mercy and then registered that Coolock House was next door.”
Pamela teaches History and Religion. “Every September I teach about Catherine McAuley”, shared Pamela. “All I knew about Catherine was that she founded the Order, she was a great woman, she educated girls. Then I had to work out how to teach 12- and 13-year-olds the story. Then it became part of every year, and we’d have celebrations, especially in September. In the last few years, we’ve brought her alive in the school.”
In her professional capacity, Pamela is proud to work in an energetic environment with a deep commitment to Mercy values. “Our school is nurturing, it’s making students self- aware, it’s making them feel seen and heard. Obviously, there’s discipline as well. If you want a job in life, whether it’s at McDonalds or being a doctor, you still need to show up. Our thing is, it doesn’t matter how good you are in school or how bad, just show up, just come in.”
Inspired by Catherine McAuley, Pamela believes that education is not just about knowledge—it’s about empowerment, kindness, and creating a world where everyone has the chance to be themselves. “Our ethos is not just shaped on academics, it’s very much shaped on the person in front of us. Mercy ethos is lived every day. We don’t always know we are living it because it’s a living tradition. We just do it. We always say, ‘You never know what someone’s going through’. It’s all about us making sure the girls with needs get through the exam. They’ll go out there (leave school) feeling the school cared for them and they’ll get a job and they’ll be fine.”
Pamela spoke about the importance of kindness. “Kindness is really big in our school. We always say, ‘If you’ve nothing good to say, don’t say it’ and ‘If you can’t be kind, we don’t want to know you’. Our legacy is very much part of our values which is ‘Care’. Mercy has helped me in my own life to reflect on that in how I deal with other people and for my own personal growth in looking at the story (of Catherine) and being inspired by Mercy people. I suppose in some way it makes me act with courage.”
With a dynamic approach to teaching, Pamela loves making learning exciting and meaningful, helping students build confidence, curiosity, and a strong sense of social responsibility.
“We allow our girls to be leaders, giving them the tools to lead. You allow them the credit. You allow them the opportunities. That’s the thing about teaching. It’s our leadership but giving over. Like what Catherine did. She started her foundation then gave it over, trusting other people to do that. We allow the girls the chance to grow.”
Pamela takes pride in fostering a supportive, uplifting environment where young people feel encouraged to dream big and make a difference. “Everything around them is an issue and it’s our issue. One of the things I find important for them is to learn to think in a different way, to be accountable, to be courageous.”
The school offers many opportunities. “We have lots of groups, do lots of things. We have a Catherine McAuley Tea Society. It’s about coming in and having a cup of tea, having a chat, inviting people to come in and talk. Once a year we go out for afternoon tea to a hotel and have tea and a scone and they love that.
“We try to show them that Mercy is life and it’s a life skill. It’s a journey. When they come in First Year, I say to them the Catherine McAuley Mercy story begins with them, and it begins now. They have to learn it begins with them. It’s not the past. They learn about Catherine and her past and what would Catherine be today.”
Experiences bring many benefits. “Mercy Coolock for me has been life-giving”, shared Pamela. “Mercy education has helped me grow as an educator and as a person. I’ve learnt who I am as a person. I’ve learnt not to be too rigid, to be open, to reflect more on life, to be involved but to also step back.
That journey of Mercy brings you somewhere. We’re all in a place for a reason. I’m where I’m meant to be right now. If I was to ever leave Mercy College, I would hope to work in the Mercy community in some way”, concluded Pamela.
