MAY | JUNE 2016 Bimonthly publication for sisters, associates and companions of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

2016JubileeYear of Mercy

also in this issue:

Who Do We Desire to Be? An Elder’s Perspective on

the Journey of Oneness

SPOTLIGHT ON HONDURAS

Love Among the Ruins

F E A T U R E S

4 Spotlight on Honduras: Love Among the Ruins By Associate Deborah E. Herz (Northeast)

9 A Cycle of Disrupted LivesBy Sister Sandra Hernández (CCASA/Honduras)

12 Who Do We Desire to Be? An Elder’s Perspective on the Journey of Oneness By Sister Patricia McCann (NyPPaW)

C O L U M N S

11 Vocation & Incorporation | A Candidate’s Experience of Community PrayerBy Marissa Butler, first-year candidate

16 Justice | Students Make Mercy Real with Advocacy in Washington, D.C.By Marianne Comfort, Institute Justice Team

D E P A R T M E N T S

2 Community UpdateCompiled by Mercy Communicators

17 Spice of Mercy Life | About the Cat Who’s Teaching Me Contemplation By Sister Joy Clough (West Midwest)

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 1 6

Table of Contents

page 12

BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR SISTERS, ASSOCIATES AND COMPANIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY OF THE AMERICAS

PublisherInstitute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas 8380 Colesville Road, #300 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-6264 tel 301.587.0423 vivamercy@sistersofmercy.org

Editor Lauren Albright lalbright@sistersofmercy.org

Design and Production RoundPeg

TranslationMany thanks to our translators!

Advisory BoardSisters Anne Curtis, Camille D’Arienzo, Kathleen Erickson, Diane Guerin and Patricia Kenny. Anne Boyle, Sue Carroll, Liz Dossa and Monica Phillips.

Articles or portions thereof are protected by copyright laws and therefore cannot be reproduced or reprinted without the permission of ¡Viva! Mercy and/or the author.

Visit www.sistersofmercy.org for highlighted articles from this publication.

¡Viva! Mercy is printed on acid free, elemental chlorine-free paper containing 50 percent recycled content including 15 percent post consumer waste.

Home, safety, love: that’s what children Casa Corazón, an orphanage for

children in San Pedro Sula, Honduras—one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Read more on page 4.

Photo shared by Sister Masbely del Cid.

page 4

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 1

Dear Sisters, Associates, Companions and Mercy Volunteers,

“... for all those who hold and cherish the charism of mercy …”

Thus read the description for April 3, on the Jubilee Year of Mercy calendar of Pope Francis. Mercy leaders worldwide resonated with this call of our church to gather in prayer together in Rome with Pope Francis to celebrate the richness and depth of this gift of God—the mercy charism.

Although in subsequent months the April 3 gathering would be linked to Divine Mercy Sunday, the integrity of the original invitation stayed firm. Thirty-nine Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Associates and Mercy partners in ministry from across the globe represented the tens of thousands of Sisters of Mercy and Mercy persons seeking to give witness to our life in mercy and be inspired for the journey forward.

Sisters of Mercy and Mercy ministers from Tonga, Australia, Samoa, England, Ireland, Peru, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea travelled to Rome with the same Pentecost spirit that gathered peoples of every tongue and nation as the story found in the Acts of the Apostles. Becoming a community and being empowered for mission inspired both groups of believers to set out together. Likewise, both groups found themselves compelled by one Spirit to give witness to the wondrous acts of our God. The Spirit of God truly makes us one body in mercy for our world.

In all of our gatherings during this Year of Mercy, it is the Spirit who gathers, blesses and sends forth. In our ministries, our retirement settings, our community residences and our formal gatherings as Assembly bodies, we gather as those who are grounded in the charism of mercy. We turn to one another for inspiration to be the very presence of the Spirit for our world. We are heartened for this journey by remembering the words of Pope Francis speaking in the United States at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception: “Mission is never the fruit of a perfectly planned program or a well-organized manual. Mission is always the fruit of a life which knows what it is to be found and healed, encountered and forgiven. Mission is born of a constant experience of God's merciful anointing.”

Anointed and missioned as mercy persons during this mercy-full year, we welcome the opportunities, both locally and globally, to embrace our identity and to accept the transforming energy of the Spirit that is ours, personally and communally for mission.

The charism of mercy … call, gift, witness, embodiment ... personal and communal ... local yet global ... for time and eternity. We are a blessed, mercy-filled people!

In Mercy,

From the Institute Leadership Team

THE INSTITUTE LEADERSHIP TEAM (STANDING) SISTERS PAT MCDERMOTT,

MARY PAT GARVIN, EILEEN CAMPBELL;

(SEATED) SISTERS ANNE CURTIS AND

DEBORAH TROILLETT

Community Update

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C O M P I L E D B Y M E R C Y C O M M U N I C A T O R S

MID-ATLANTIC

THE MID-ATLANTIC Community held its second Mercy Governance and Leadership Forum for administrators, board members and Sponsor Council members. Over 140 people gathered in Princeton, New Jersey, to learn about the future directions of the Sisters of Mercy and the implications for sponsorship; the visioning process for the Mercy Education System; and best practices for board excellence.

Sister Doris Gottemoeller (South Central), the first president of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, presented the “Mission of Mercy in the 21st Century: Let Us Sing As We Go.” “It is our privilege to be agents of Mercy,” said Doris. “Mercy is recognizing God’s image and likeness in everyone we meet and helping them with their enduring concerns. We are all called to lead Mercy in the 21st century.”

Next, president Sister Patricia Vetrano discussed the Journey of Oneness as we prepare for governance changes beginning in 2019. In the afternoon, consultant Marisa Guerin, Ph.D., talked

about best practices in performance reviews of chief executive officers, presidents and principals. The next day, the Sponsor Council met to plan and prepare for their visits to ministries.

NORTHEAST

HONORS AND MEDIA attention have been showered recently upon various sisters, associates and co-workers in Mercy of the Northeast Community.

Sister Rosellen Gallogly, known as the “Mother Teresa of New Bedford” (Massachusetts) for her decades of work with people who are homeless,

was feted at a February 9 event during which a city shelter was blessed and renamed the Sister Rose House.

Sister Laura Della Santa, the superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, has been named principal of Rice Memorial High School, Northern Vermont’s only Catholic high school, effective July 1, 2016. She is the first female principal in the school’s 100-year history.

Associate Kathleen Pingelski has been named one of 10 “Women to Watch” in science, technology, engineering and math by the Times Union of Albany, New York.

Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland, Rhode Island, was featured in a local newspaper for work done by Lisa Pare, music teacher, and Sister Martha Mulligan, principal, in undertaking a food waste recycling program during the Lenten season. Lisa wrote a reflection about the program for the Connect with Mercy blog, available at bit.ly/Mercymount.

Congratulations to all!

Sister Doris Gottemoeller (left) speaks with Mid-Atlantic Community president

Sister Patricia Vetrano (right) at the Mercy Governance and Leadership Forum.

CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA

FROM FEBRUARY 21-25, sisters gathered with others from around Latin America and the Caribbean for the Latin American and Caribbean Conference (LACC). This Mercy event has taken place about every four years for over 30 years. It is an opportunity for sisters from CCASA, Jamaica, the Irish Congregation, Newfoundland and New Zealand to come together to share mutual concerns,

insights and best practices in their journey with the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. The theme, “Movement of Grace: Religious Life and the Evolution of Christ Consciousness,” was keynoted by Sister Gail Worcelo, SGM, of Green Mountain Monastery, who is longtime friend and colleague of Thomas Berry. Sister Judith Schmelz (CCASA/Guyana) gave a profound reflection on the evolution of our Mercy charism. Sister Elizabeth Davis (Newfoundland) included in her address a strong invitation to participate in the Mercy International Reflection Process for this Jubilee Year of Mercy. The traditional fiesta included a despedida (farewell party) for Sister Jane Kenrick, who will be returning to Rochester, New York, after 50 years in Chile.

From left, Sisters Charo Lillo, Jane

Kenrick and Nieves Jiménez

Sister Rosellen Gallogly.

Credit: Andrew W. Gallagher/Standard-Times

3M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy

SOUTH CENTRAL

SISTERS WILL GATHER June 21-25 in Concord, North Carolina, for Assembly 2016, where they will elect a new president and five-member Community Leadership Team, as well as delegates to 2017 Institute Chapter. Sister Nancy Schreck, a Franciscan sister and a past president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, will present the keynote address on the opening day. A biblical scholar, Nancy is a past president and vice president of Sisters of St. Francis. She has been

an educator, retreat director and facilitator and has served on numerous boards for nonprofit organizations involved in health care, education, social services and women’s issues. Currently, she is program director for EXCEL Inc., a nonprofit community service organization serving economically poor residents in Okolona, Mississippi.

Mercy Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, recently became the first all-girls school in the United States to have a certified STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. Students’ projects include using 3D printers to create prosthetic tools and launching underwater robots for research at Mammoth Cave. Student Morgan Rohleder wrote a reflection on the STEM curriculum for the Connect with Mercy blog, available at bit.ly/STEMCertified.

WEST MIDWEST

THE WEST MIDWEST COMMUNITY is busy with final preparations for the 2016 Gathering being held June 22-25 in Chicago, Illinois. As its theme “Together at the Doors of Mercy” suggests, the Gathering is an opportunity to meet in person, to inspire and encourage each other, to explore more deeply the Critical Concerns and to address issues of common interest. It is also a time to deepen relationships in Mercy as a Community and as the Journey of Oneness unfolds. The Gathering will include a community service focus. In keeping with the theme of “Make Mercy Real” for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, participants will spend Saturday morning packaging 35,000 meals for those in need. Sister Celeste Nuttman designed the Gathering logo.

Eight Consultation Network meetings were held in April across the Community. The agenda included discussions on the Journey of Oneness and the Institute Chapter in addition to other items. Also at these meetings, leadership recognized the 2016 jubilarians with a special prayer service and gift. Jubilarians are also honored at local celebrations, and they are featured on the Sisters of Mercy website.

Sister Nancy Schreck, OSF,

Assembly keynote speaker.

NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, PACIFIC WEST (NyPPaW)

MEETINGS IN BUFFALO, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania, in late February helped sisters plan for the April Assembly in Erie. At these meet-ings, members heard sisters who discerned leadership in January share about the possibility of forgoing the election of new

leadership and instead consider transition of NyPPaW gover-nance to the Institute Leadership Team before 2019. Also, copies of the Community Leadership Team’s Accountability Report and NyPPaW’s financial report were distributed to sisters in March.

Flordelina Chumilang, accepted recently as a candidate, has been assigned to the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines.

Jamie Johnson succeeded Karen Narusewciz as executive director of Mercy Hilltop Center, Erie. He began his duties on February 3.

The Mercy Addiction Treatment Center of Hornell, New York, has been renamed the McNiff Center for Hope and Recovery after Sister René McNiff, former president and chief executive officer of St. James Mercy Hospital, Hornell, and Mercy System of the Southern Tier, who died in 1999.

Sister Margaret Mary Mattle, right, talks

with Sister Mary Ann Schimscheiner during

a pre-Assembly meeting in Buffalo.

(Left) The logo

for the 2016

Gathering,

designed by

Sister Celeste

Nuttman (right).

Among

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B Y A S S O C I A T E D E B O R A H E . H E R Z

the Ruins

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 5

Photos from left to right:

1. Child at Casa Corazón. Credit: Sister Anne Curtis. 2. Karla Reyes, who lives at Casa Corazón, shows off some of her artwork. Credit: Sister Mary Louise Yurik (West Midwest). 3. Tuleisha Signs (left) was a Mercy Volunteer Corps volunteer at Casa Corazón in 2006. Here she works with a student in the classroom at the orphanage.

4. A child at Casa Corazón. Credit: Sister Anne Curtis. 5. A group photo at Casa Corazón. Sister Eva Lallo is standing in the back right corner.

6 ¡Viva! Mercy M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16

“It’s said that per capita, Honduras has the highest murder rate of any country in the world,” says Sister Eva Lallo (Northeast), a former education major who has worked at the orphanage for 12 years. “I’ve witnessed the violence. I saw a 16-year-old girl, the daughter of one of our child-care workers, get killed right in front of our house by gangs. She was dating a gang member and wanted to leave the relationship, but the guy wouldn’t hear of it. As she walked through the neighborhood on her way to visit her mother, a car with two men inside pulled up and shot her.”

Eva’s voice trembles slightly when she recalls the grim details of the murder. Calm, soft-spoken and unassuming, she notes that gang violence and violence in general has been on the rise in Honduras.

“It’s hard to get away from these gangs,” Eva says. “They look for kids who are young and impoverished, promising them money and a sense of belonging. And that’s what teenagers look for. When you belong to a society that doesn’t seem to care about you, that doesn’t care wheth-er you have anything to eat or had to drop out of school to support your family, these gangs come along and offer you a sense of belonging.”

Called “the place that God forgot” in a recent ESPN news report, Honduras was once a thriving banana republic. A Mercy delegation to Honduras in December 2015 reported that San Pedro Sula remains one of the most violent cities in the world, with about 171 murders per 100,000 population in 2014. In a 2014 article about the Sisters of Mercy and their efforts to improve life there, the Omaha World Herald describes the city as a “horror show of extortion, drug dealing, police death squads and over-flowing morgues.”

But inside the walls of Casa Corazón de la Misericordia, red, white and pink hibiscus flowers and bougainvillea

bloom, parrots fly overhead and children laugh and play. An oasis in the middle of a war zone, the orphanage pro-vides children with healthy food, shelter, medical care, schooling, love and a chance to survive beyond their HIV diagnosis.

“Our children range in age from infants to teens,” Eva explains. “We care for them until they finish high school. For those who are college-bound, we seek funding to support their studies. We get others into training programs where they can learn a trade to become independent and live on their own, as tough as the situation is in Honduras.”

Honduras is currently at the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis—the mass migration of children, many under

the age of 12, crossing the border to seek refuge in the United States.

“No one can say violence doesn’t have anything to do with it,” Eva

adds. “It absolutely does.”Though a 10-foot high cement

wall protects Casa, violence has found its way into their rela-tively quiet neighborhood. “The man who owned a mom-and-pop store across from us was shot to death a half-hour before I came to work one

day,” Eva explains. “We’ve had two vehicles stolen at gun-

point and never got them back. I always wonder when our home is

going to be held up.”When you are surrounded by vio-

lence every day, Eva explains, trust can be difficult to sustain at times.

“We always live with a certain level of caution. The hardest thing for us as Sisters of Mercy and Mercy asso-ciates was the kidnapping of Sister Sandra Hernández’s (CCASA/Honduras) sister, Norma, six years ago. Norma was in the house alone with her 3-month-old baby girl, living in one of the barrios in San Pedro Sula. A car pulled up. Three guys with guns got out, dragged her out of the house and left her baby there. We’ve never seen Norma again.”

Gunfire explodes outside the 10-foot high cement wall surrounding Casa Corazón de la Misericordia—the Heart of Mercy House orphanage—in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the murder capital of the world.

It’s just another day for the 40 orphaned and abandoned HIV-positive children who live at the orphanage and the Sisters of Mercy and women who care for them.

"An oasis in the middle of a war zone,

the orphanage provides children with healthy food,

shelter, medical care, schooling, love and a chance to survive

beyond their HIV diagnosis."

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 7

Every year various women’s groups gather in the city center to march in remembrance of the women who have disappeared, were murdered or have been violated. From the steps of the cathedral, the names of these women are called out. Every year Norma’s name is read.

“Today, Norma’s child lives with Sandra and calls her mama,” Eva says. “The Mercy sisters and associates, together with Norma’s family, have kept the case of Norma’s disap-pearance current. They write letters, demonstrate and talk to anyone in the judicial system who will listen. But the judicial system in Honduras is a failed system. It’s so easy to get away with murder, rape and kidnapping. You don’t go to the police. You just run and hide. Life is not par-ticularly valued.” Read more about Norma on pages 9-10.

The Sisters of Mercy first arrived in Honduras in 1959 to establish a professional nursing program, and then opened a high school in the coastal city of La Ceiba in 1960. Years later, in 1995, the Sisters opened Casa Corazón de

la Misericordia. In 2000, they launched a women’s holistic development program called Misericordia Tejedoras de Sueños—Mercy Weavers of Dreams—directed by two Mercy associates, to reach out to impoverished women and their families. Its purpose is to provide education in the area of human rights and support these women on all levels—spiritually, emotionally, socially and economically.

“Networking is very strong in Honduras,” Eva explains. “It’s one of the best ways to get things done, to keep public pressure on issues that matter to women, and to protest against so much violence.”

Each year, Eva, now 76, returns to the orphanage to lend a hand. In December 2015, she met with the Mercy delegation which was investigating the causes of vio-lence and disappearances in the country. Even though she recently retired, Eva continues to volunteer for Casa Corazón de la Misericordia.

“My major role is to raise money for the orphanage,”

Berta, a Honduran activist who had been working on behalf of the environment and indigenous people’s rights to land and natural resources, was murdered in her home on March 2, 2016. Following her death, Mercy has been increasing advocacy on human rights violations in Honduras.

Learn more at www.sistersofmercy.org/Honduras.

Berta Cáceres

Berta (right) with Father Ismael Moreno Coto, popularly known as Father Melo, a human rights activist in Honduras. Credit: Lucy Edwards, UCC Global Ministries, Ashland, Oregon.

Right: Sister Isabel Jovel helps Roberto, one of the children at Casa Corazón, with his studies.

Left: This mural, called the Casa Family Tree, bears the name of every child who has lived at Casa Corazón. Crosses are added for those who have died.

8 ¡Viva! Mercy M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16

Eva says. “But I love to visit with the people I’ve grown to know and love, especially the children. While there, I always make time to visit with the older kids, play with the little ones and take them for walks through the neighbor-hood. We stop at one of the small shops to buy little bags of churros [chips], and I warn them—within an inch of their lives—that they better not throw the empty bags on the ground,” she adds with a laugh.

Eva also teaches art classes at the orphanage, and has the children’s designs made into notes and Christmas cards she sells to raise money for the home. “I remind the kids that this is one way they can help out. I also put together newsletters that go out three times a year to our donors.

“But it’s my heart that keeps calling me back,” she admits. “I work with some wonderful people whom I love—other sisters, Mercy associates and the women who care for the children who call Casa Corazón de la Misericordia home.”

Readers can learn more about Casa Corazón de la Misericordia by visiting bit.ly/CasaCorazon.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of Report from Newport, the magazine of Salve Regina University. Statistics and other data have been updated to reflect most current estimates.

ResourcesVideo – Causes of violence in Central America: bit.ly/FleeingViolence

Report from Mercy delegation to Honduras in December 2015: bit.ly/2015HondurasReport

Associate Deborah Herz (Northeast) is managing editor of Report from Newport, the magazine of Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. Deborah graduated from Salve Regina with degrees in philosophy and management. Readers can reach her at herzd@salve.edu.

“When you are surrounded by violence every day,”

Left: A group poses in front of an outside mural painted by Sister Eva Lallo.

Right: In this 2006 photo, (from left) Sisters Eva Lallo, Masbely del Cid and Sandra Hernández with Xiomarita, who lived with the Honduran sisters. Xiomarita is now a student at the University of San Pedro Sula.

A simple person—quiet, loving, nurturing, and supportive

Associate Nelly del Cid prepares the altar at a memorial service for Norma (pictured in the center).

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 9

Norma Yolanda was born in San Pedro Sula on August

7, 1966. She is the mother of three daughters. Norma is

a very hardworking woman who studied hairdressing.

She decided to continue her studies, and later graduated

from a secretarial program. From a very young age, she

made a living working in a beauty salon, and on the

weekends, she would sell handcrafted items.

Her live-in partner wasn’t always supportive of her

endeavors. Jealous, he demanded that she quit her job.

Norma, always looking for new ideas, got involved in a new

She worked in this business with her partner until their

relationship ended.

Her family remember her as a simple person, humble,

quiet, loving, nurturing and supportive. Even while

immersed in her many activities, she always found time to

give religious instruction in the Mormon church.

In 2010, Norma was left alone and pregnant, without

any support from her partner. She took on the role of

single mother, and in an effort to continue supporting her

family during the last months of her pregnancy, she kept

looking for more work and a place with a rent she could

afford. In the meantime, she moved to her parents’ house.

Forty days after her child was born, she started working

in a children’s support program at Casa Corazón. There she

trained and supported adolescents in their development.

Norma was taken from her home in Honduras on June 1, 2010.

Her blood sister, Sister Sandra Hernández, as well as family,

friends and the Mercy community continue to advocate for

justice for Norma and others like her.

10 ¡Viva! Mercy M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16

When my sister-in-law told me that “some armed, hooded men took your sister,” I had a strong physical and emotional reaction, and the words “it can’t be” emerged from my innermost being. While this phrase echoed in my mind, I tried to get in touch with my Mercy family to let them know about my sister’s kidnapping. Calling them gave me courage and opened up a space in my heavy heart—a heart weighed down by suffering, fear, pain, panic and sadness. That was how I made up my mind to file a report with the police.

After filing the report, it seemed like time passed very slowly. The world my family and I knew—our everyday lives—had changed, forcing my family to leave their home, as they felt that this was their safest alternative. As the days went by with no news, we started preparing ourselves for the possibility of another shock—the fact that my sister may be dead. Meanwhile, we began focusing on the well-being of Norma’s three daughters: one only two months old, and the other two, ages fourteen and nineteen.

My family left the only home they knew, going from place to place, trying to keep them-selves safe. Right in the midst of this hardship, my family and I were lifted up by love, prayers and friendship through email messages. This incredible gift gave us a feeling of strength and solidarity. Later, accompanied by the various Women’s Forum for Life groups, colleagues, sisters, neighbors and friends, we made visits to the public prosecutor. We are grateful from the bottom of our hearts for these acts of solidarity. We wish to express our sincere thanks; these expressions of support show us we are not alone as we wait for news. In this way, the healing process begins.

Generally, when children are suddenly left alone, without their fathers or mothers, they feel despair; they continually ask them-selves why there are bad people. They live in fear of loud noises because of their association with the firing of arms.

Some have had to move around to different houses, schools or

neighborhoods while growing up. Others made the difficult decision to emigrate to places like the United States, which is their attempt at distancing themselves and fleeing from the violence and inse-curity their country is enduring. Others live in a fantasy world. They say, “My mother is working,” or “She went to the United States—she’s coming back soon.” At the same time, they are try-ing to understand who took their mother and why she was taken.

Others manifest psychological disorders, depression or convulsions. Some become violent and

aggressive, with a desire to avenge the death of their loved one. This is often how

they end up joining the maras (gangs).My family and I are grateful for the

presence of organizations and the Sisters of Mercy who support our people through this suffering and take actions that give us strength and help make justice a reality in a country where it is difficult to feel secure when those who com-

mit these crimes are exempt from punishment.My family has experienced four

deaths, three of them violent. One was due to intense grief over a daughter’s disap-

pearance. These are lives that are cut short, dreams that are destroyed. The most painful part of

it is that to this day, my sister has no grave or cemetery where we can take flowers and honor her life. It means that the cycle of pain goes on and on.

Still, as painful as this experience is, it is also empowering. It is life; it is the grace of God acting, flowing and sparking hope in an afflicted heart. In times of deep suffering, we become more sensi-tive to the suffering of others, and all women become sisters. As women, we understand why the power of our voices is important, so that this will not happen to other women and other families.

Also, as women, we are aware that our hearts need to be healed, but at the same time, we also strongly believe that in order to resolve the thousands of cases in impunity—cases that are not being tried or investigated—huge change needs to happen in the justice system and in the culture of our people and our leaders.

A Cycle of Disrupted Lives

My family and I are grateful from the bottom of our hearts

for these acts of solidarity.

B y S i s t e r S a n d r a H e r n á n d e z ( C C A S A / H o n d u r a s )

V O C A T I O N & I N C O R P O R A T I O N

A Candidate’s Experience of Community Prayer

used it a few times, because using it on my own was not spiritually ful-filling. Entering the Sisters of Mercy and living in community has given me the opportunity to use the office book daily, and it has had a huge impact on my prayer life and experi-ence of Mercy. Praying aloud with others has made the words on the page come alive for me. It has helped me internalize the Scripture, the lives of the saints, and needs of the world as well as those of our community.

on the past several months as a candidate, one area that has seen much growth is my prayer life. Prayer became an essential part of my life at a very young age. The importance of developing a relationship with God through prayer was modeled for me both at home and at school. My family always prayed before meals, and I especially remember my grandpa leading us. In elementary school we memorized prayers, and I can still recite the “Good Morning” prayer I learned in fifth grade. Over time I have been exposed to a variety of prayer forms: Lectio Divina (“divine reading”), imaginative contemplation, centering prayer, rosary, the Daily Examen and journaling.

Personal prayer changes as our lives unfold. It was not until recently that I discovered the necessity of bal-ancing private prayer with communal prayer. In the Gospels, Jesus models the importance of praying with others. The most obvious example is from Matthew 6:9-13 when Jesus instructs the disciples to pray the Our Father using key words like “we” and “us.” Additionally, Luke 17:1-13 tells us that Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain to pray with him. The examples continue, and even after Jesus’ death, the disciples gathered to pray together.

I received the Mercy Prayer Book in 2011 when I made my associate covenant in Chicago, Illinois. I only

The sense of connectedness I feel in knowing that sisters around the world are praying the same words that I am praying each day is amazing.

One thing that attracted me to Mercy is knowing that wherever there is a need in our world, we are guaranteed to find a Sister of Mercy addressing that need in some way. What a gift it is to support these women by sharing in prayer! Additionally, our Mercy Prayer Book links our communal prayer to the communal prayer of the wider Church and those who pray the Divine Office each day. With inten-tional community, comes regular prayer time. This consistency in prayer has encouraged a habit of having a set time to pray rather than using it as a filler whenever there is a break in my schedule.

The book that once sat on my bookshelf collecting dust has become something I find myself missing on the rare occasion that my community does not gather for prayer. I look forward to continuing this tradition of prayer in community as I grow deeper in Mercy.

The prayer book is available as an interactive app for Apple and Kindle devices. To locate the app for download, type "Sisters of Mercy prayerbook" in the search bar from the Apple or Kindle store.

— By Marissa Butler, first-year candidate

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 11

Marissa shared this photograph of one of her favorite psalms.

With intentional community, comes regular prayer time.

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Our logo for the Journey of Oneness features an opening door with varied colors, symbolizing our rich and diverse Mercy culture and heritage.

By Sister Patricia McCann

An Elder’s Perspective on the Journey of Oneness

Following the November 2015 meeting of the Institute Leadership Conference (ILC), the

Institute Leadership Team (ILT) invited membership “to ponder together the underlying

impetus for our Journey of Oneness,” a future-oriented process designed to strengthen Mercy

life and mission. Their letter reiterated pivotal questions from the 2015 ILT document, “Journey

of Oneness … A Path Forward” (page 6): “Who do we, as Sisters of Mercy, desire to be for one

another in our world? How might we embody the mercy of God for a suffering world in more

meaningful and impactful ways into the future?”

WhoDoWe

Desire TO BE?

13M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy

Reflection on Mercy unity is not new to us. Though CatherineMcAuley established the congregation in the mid-19th centuryaccording to the then common monastic model of religious life inwhich each local foundation was autonomous, she left every newplace with an indelible spirit of Mercy charism. Catherine’s Rule,the spiritual practices which she established and a vowed commitment to serve “the poor, sick and ignorant” were patterns in Mercy housesno matter how geographically separate the foundations were.

By the mid-20th century, that common spirit grew into theMercy Federation in the United States. Collaboration around missionand ministry through the Federation gradually led to conversations about shared governance to facilitate more effective use of ourresources. The resulting Institute of Sisters of Mercy of theAmericas established in 1991 linked Sisters of Mercy in North,South and Central America; Jamaica; Guam; and the Philippines in a common endeavor and a unified governance structure.

Twenty-five years later, readiness to take next steps to furtherMercy life and ministry in the face of immediate/future demo-graphics and the challenges of cultural transformation animatesthe Journey of Oneness. This process calls for organizing the sixcurrent regions of our Institute, each of which has a governanceteam (Community Leadership Team, or CLT), under a more unifiedsingle governance structure.

From my perspective, the majority of members enthusiastically favorthe Oneness concept. Nonetheless, concerns arise as we begin to talkabout what Oneness is, how it will function structurally and howit will enhance Mercy life and ministry. This suggests that open conversation about the questions raised in the November 2015 ILTletter (mentioned on previous page) is critically important, and isneeded sooner rather than later. This article will focus on the first of those two questions, “Who do we … desire to be for one another inour world?” The greatest single challenge for Oneness to work is thedevelopment of systems and structures at the local level which fosterfull membership participation in the ongoing evolution of the Institute.

Membership is significantly more diverse in 2016 than it was inour 19th century beginnings, or even our 20th century experience. Religious culture is dramatically changed as well. Issues such as eccle-sial identity and women’s roles in the church, for example, were not on the agenda, or at least not priorities, for our early Mercy forbearers.They had to deal with practical complexities of working with churchauthorities and the social limitations upon women in 19th centurysociety, but they did not have the expectation of reshaping theserealities as do contemporary women religious. Likewise, conversationsabout collegiality and subsidiarity as principles of governance initiatedin the Vatican II era did not occupy the concern of early members.

Today these kinds of issues are front and center and elicit dif-ferent responses from various segments of membership. We haveamong us millennials, Gen Xers, baby boomers, a sizeable group of latecomers-to-the-digital-age and everything in between. Wehave members for whom a more monastic (i.e., traditional) modelof daily life is preferred, and members who, while holding sharedvalues about ministry directions, emphasize a good measure of

"Preserving the essence

of community, a sense of being together

in a common venture, is the lifebloodof effective

missionand ministry."

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M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 15

individuation regarding lifestyle. In terms of how we live commu-nity, how we approach communal prayer, or how we want to be in relationship with the Church and each other, it is not clear that we all live in the same Mercy universe.

On January 20, the ILT sent a letter to all sisters regarding the NyPPaW discernment weekend. In this letter the team recognizes the need to address diversity and calls for broad consultation among sisters: “These conversa-tions will include focusing on the ways the sisters will participate and influence the life and mis-sion of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas—our Institute.” The phrase “ways the sisters will participate and influence” holds the key to Oneness success. In their November 2015 letter the ILT said, “We are growing in awareness that each country in our Institute has very specific realities, and all realities must be honored.” This principle learned from our international Mercy groups could serve Institute-wide consultations well if applied to communities within the United States, too. The challenge to honor the realities of a broad array of member groups is real.

For example, new or younger members, silver jubilee members, well and active elders and infirm members—each group might represent a separate set of hopes and expectations. Age is not the sole classification, of course, and not necessarily a real one in many instances, but it provides a readily visible example.

We seem to have developed good systems of communi-cation to keep members informed, but we do not yet have adequate structures in place at the local level to enhance member participation in planning and decision-making everywhere throughout the Institute. Collegial participation in planning and decision making implemented as normative among women religious in the 1980-2000 era seems to be in decline. Members in some areas express concern about our structures “having become too corporate,” leaving them feeling “marginalized.” Whether or not this is an accurate assessment, the perception is a warning sign that we need to address. Preserving the essence of community, a sense of being together in a common venture, is the lifeblood of effective mission and ministry; collegial participation is a vital component of members’ sense of belonging. This takes on

even more immediacy as we find ourselves needing to hire outside persons in administrative roles. A solid orientation to Mercy life and mission can enable staff to assist the fur-therance of community in a collaborative manner.

The Journey of Oneness represents a hopeful future for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and our mission. The broad diversity of who we are and who we desire to be together suggests that effective movement toward Oneness will depend on (1) how successfully we are able to allow Mercy life to move forward on multiple tracks simultane-ously; and (2) how effectively we can design models at the local level which foster both integration and differentiation of diverse tracks. We are challenged to rejoice in a mul-tiplicity of paths rather than seek the mythical one mold that fits all. This presents a dual challenge to the Journey of Oneness: strong yet flexible leadership structures at the central level to foster unity and implement mission, and effective, participative structures at local levels to facilitate community life. Those in leadership roles throughout the Institute will need the skill of jugglers and good “listening ears”!Resources about the Journey of Oneness can be found at www.sistersofmercy.org/journey-of-oneness.

Sister Patricia McCann (NyPPaW) currently serves as Chair of the Board of McAuley Ministries and sacristan for the Mercy Center community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She previously served in Institute and regional community leadership. She can be contacted at pmccann@mercynyppaw.org.

Sisters entering the hall for the 1991 Institute Chapter in Buffalo, New York. Courtesy of Mercy Heritage Center.

Sisters sign the Institute document at the 1991 Chapter. Courtesy of Mercy Heritage Center.

In January 2016, the Institute Chapter Planning Team met with international members in Mandeville, Jamaica. Members shared their hopes and fears about Oneness from the perspective of their unique country realities. From left, Sisters Theresa Jackson (South Central/Jamaica), Peggy Verstege (South Central), Cristina Mira (CCASA/Argentina) and Eileen Campbell (Institute Leadership Team).

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each day to find and carry water, and that her relatives still there say that increasing heat causes greater chal-lenges for farming and finding water. Another student talked about how, on her drives from South Dakota to Nebraska, she saw corn fields withered by heat one year and flooded out the next, a product of the erratic weather often attributed to climate change.

After some practice sessions with the help of staff from NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, the students felt empowered to tell their stories to staff of their U.S. senators and representatives. “This has been a great and humbling experience,” one student commented afterwards.

— By Marianne Comfort, Institute Justice Team

change and transitioning to renewable fuels; supporting the Clean Power Plan, the Obama Administration’s plan to reach greenhouse gas emission-reduction goals set at the international climate talks in December; and urging both Republicans and Democrats to acknowledge the urgency of addressing climate change and adopting legisla-tive solutions.

The students also learned that they had their own stories to tell. One student athlete with asthma explained how she ended up in the emergency room after running on a low air quality day in Louisville, and considered how limiting the range of emissions from coal-fired power plants would help her condition. A student from Benin, in West Africa, recounted how as a child she had to walk miles

J U S T I C E

Students #MakeMercyReal with Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

and college students traveled to Washington, D.C., to #MakeMercyReal through advocacy on climate change with members of Congress.

The Institute Justice Team hosted 13 seniors and teachers from Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky, in late February. A couple of weeks later, 13 students, faculty and staff from the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, visited as part of a Faith, Politics and Social Concerns course.

The students came with passion for social and environmental justice, and left with confidence in their ability to call for systemic change at all levels of government. Two of the high school students said they were now going to change their fields of study in college to consider public policy work. The students from Omaha committed to advocating with their city council for a plastic bag fee and other sustainable measures at the end of their week.

Over four days, the students learned about Mercy’s work around sustainability and advocacy for climate action. They heard the plea from Mercy sisters from Latin America and the Philippines to expand the definition of sustainability beyond recycling and other “green” actions to looking at how the excesses of a capitalist system are impacting vulnerable people, communities and cultures.

Advocates from Mercy’s faith partners working on climate change issues informed the students about actions in which they could participate: signing the Global Catholic Climate Movement petition; supporting the Green Climate Fund, set up to assist poor countries with adapting to climate

Students from Assumption High School at the Sisters of Mercy

These schools’ visits— one as part of an alternative service experience, the other as part of a college course—are a new initiative for the Institute Justice Team. We look forward to exploring similar programming for other groups of students!

Contact Marianne Comfort at mcomfort@sistersofmercy.org with suggestions and/or recommendations.

#MakeMercyReal

2016JubileeYear of Mercy

M A Y | J U N E 2 0 16 ¡Viva! Mercy 17

About the Cat Who’s Teaching Me Contemplation

He’s gray and white with short, silky fur. He’s a talker—that is, he mews a lot. He’s a stray, and it’s not really clear who’s been taming whom: Is he hovering at the back door, morning and evening, in hopes of food, or am I heading out the back door with food because I hope he’ll be hovering?

Whichever, Connor doesn’t always hover. Originally, he ran. He hissed. He wasn’t at all sure that we big, two-footed animals were trustworthy. Yet, he was hungry. So we put out a little food and went inside, watch-ing furtively through door or win-dow. Then, we put down some food and backed away. Then we stayed, approached, reached out—and touched. (You’re catching the anal-ogy here, right? Me-cat, God-me?)

The next big breakthrough came when Connor let me pick him up. Short, squirmy moments gradually stretched to comfortable cuddling. There even came a day when the touch of a cold nose on my cheek suggested real affection.

But about contemplation. It was evening. I was sitting on a step out-side our back door, leaning against the garbage can with Connor settled comfortably on my lap. He was peaceful; I was peaceful. We were quietly delighted just to be together. And there came the thought— this is how God wants me to be with Him. At rest. Content. Simply

S P I C E O F M E R C Y L I F E

together. Then Connor’s head popped up, alert to a squirrel perhaps, and off he dashed. And I thought about how God lets me dash off—my thoughts running after some project or myself dashing off to whatever’s next on my agenda.

Connor, by the way, is largely in charge of our relationship. If he wants to cuddle, we can cuddle. If he’s busy hunting bugs, then my wishes don’t matter. This doesn’t upset me; I find myself interested in what’s fascinating him, laugh-ing at his frenzied rush up a tree. The parallels aren’t lost on me, but they’re surprising and, quite frankly, comforting. God does sort of let me call the shots about our time togeth-er. And isn’t it amazing to think that God might be fascinated or amused by my pursuits—which may, none-theless, seem like antics from His point-of-view?

Another thing about Connor. When I appear or mew for him, he often comes—galloping, if cats can gallop. It’s wonderful, that welcome, that sense of being greeted by sheer happiness. Is that how God is when I come ‘round? Is that marvelously mutual delight between Connor and me, how it is or could be with God and me?

Well, there it is. I think this cat is teaching me contemplation.

—By Sister Joy Clough (West Midwest)

MAY 22-28Mercy ChallengeSacramento, CaliforniaContact: Sister Cynthia Serjakcserjak@sistersofmercy.org

JUNE 2-5Institute Anti-Racism Transformation Team Analysis WorkshopSt. Louis, MissouriContact: Sister Karen Donahuekdonahue@mercywmw.org

JUNE 22-26West Midwest GatheringChicago, IllinoisContact: Sister Joy Cloughjoyrsm@comcast.net

JUNE 17-19MAST Annual GatheringPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaContact: Sister Aline Parisaparis@CSM.edu

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“Spring Magnolia,” watercolor by Sister Celeste Nuttman (West Midwest)

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JUNE 17-19Institute Chapter Planning Team MeetingBuffalo, New YorkContact: Sister Mary Stantonmstanton@mercymidatlantic.org

JUNE 21-25South Central AssemblyConcord, North CarolinaContact: Sister Elaine Sebera, Assembly Steering Commitee Chairesebera@mercysc.org