International Residential Care Organization Honors Mercy Home’s Br. Paul McDonough

April 14, 2026

Mercy Home’s very own Br. Paul McDonough was presented with the Albert E. Trieschman Award at the 70th Association of Children’s Residential Centers (ACRC) conference. The organization’s highest honor, the award is presented annually to a direct care professional whose leadership, longevity, and excellence in hands‑on residential work embody pioneering psychologist Dr. Al Trieschman’s enduring legacy of clinical quality and respect for front‑line child care practice.

ACRC is an international nonprofit membership organization that represents and supports providers delivering residential treatment, group care, and related services for vulnerable children and youth. The conference brought together child‑ and youth‑serving professionals from across the country, and 20 staff from Mercy Home, to share best practices, research, and leadership strategies focused on strengthening residential care and improving outcomes for young people.

Br. Paul’s lifelong legacy makes him an extraordinary and deeply deserving nominee for the award. His days are spent meeting people wherever they are—whether visiting a grandmother in a nursing home to discuss guardianship, encouraging a mother struggling with addiction over lunch, accompanying families to critical housing appointments, or attending funerals to offer comfort in times of tragedy.

When he isn’t on the road, he is on the phone, lifting spirits with his signature humor, encouragement, and warmth. He is also a constant presence in residential care planning meetings, celebrating youth progress and strengthening the family connections that support it.

These acts of service reflect only a small portion of Br. Paul’s impact over his 88 remarkable years. Humble and endlessly compelling, he brings to Mercy Home a lifetime of experience shaped by service in the Army, a career in teaching, and ultimately his vocation as a Christian Brother where he oversaw the development of countless students, education professionals and institutions.

Inspired by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (for whom he marched in Memphis after his 1968 assassination), Br. Paul committed his life to uplifting marginalized communities and advocating for justice.

Since joining Mercy Home for Boys & Girls over 35 years ago, first through the Friends First mentoring program and later in Residential Programs, Br. Paul has become one of our most committed and beloved family partners. He tirelessly supports families facing food insecurity, legal challenges, unsafe community conditions, or profound isolation—never seeing them as clients, but as friends.

Even in his late 80s, retirement holds no appeal for him. “I like to get up in the morning with a sense of purpose,” he said. “And my purpose is connecting with people who have needs.”

His work is fueled by gratitude and joy, and he considers every moment spent in service a blessing. Br. Paul’s life is a testament to empathy, dedication, and love in action. Mercy Home—and countless youth and families—are stronger because of him. Please join us in congratulating Br. Paul for this well-deserved honor.

This video that Mercy Home’s President and CEO Fr. Scott Donahue submitted to ACRC in support of Br. Paul’s award is a fitting tribute to his legacy at Mercy Home.

Special thanks to the Tracy Family Foundation for supporting Mercy Home’s participation at the ACRC annual conference, and to the Robert R. McCormick Foundation for their overall support of Learning and Development at Mercy Home. We are deeply grateful!