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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 Bimonthly publication for sisters, associates and companions of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Undoing the Knots: Pope Francis Promoting Mercy and Justicealso in this issue:

From Seeing to Vision: A Gift from the Least

Q & A with Co-Directors of All Africa Conference: Sister to Sister

F E A T U R E S

4 UndoingtheKnots:PopeFrancisPromotingMercyandJusticeduringU.S.VisitBy Will O’Brien

9 FromSeeingtoVision:AGiftfromtheLeastBy Sister Margaret Mary Knittel (West Midwest)

12 Q&AwithCo-DirectorsofAllAfricaConference:SistertoSisterBy Sister Joanne Lappetito (South Central)

C O L U M N S

8 Vocation&Incorporation|Is There a “Francis Effect” for Vocations?By Sister Cynthia Serjak (Institute New Membership Office)

16 Justice|Mercy Responds to “Laudato Si’” By Marianne Comfort (Institute Justice Team)

D E P A R T M E N T S

2 CommunityUpdateCompiled by Mercy Communicators

17 SpiceofMercyLife|The First Filipino Missionaries: Remembering the Early DaysBy Sister Socorro Largo (New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West)

S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5

Table of Contents

page 9 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 [email protected]

Editor Lauren Tyrrell [email protected]

Design and Production RoundPeg

TranslationMany thanks to our translators!

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

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.

Pope Francis greets pilgrims in Manila,

Philippines, during his January 2015 visit.

Read more on page 4.

Credit: Alan Holdren/Catholic News Agency

page 4

S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 15 ¡Viva! Mercy 1

DearSisters,Associates,CompanionsandMercyVolunteers,

Eachyear,fromSeptemberthroughDecember,ourglobalMercyCommunitycelebratessignificantdaysofremembranceandreflectionaswerenewourcommitmenttoMercylife.WebeginwithMercyDayonSeptember24andcontinuewithCatherine’sbirthdayonSeptember29andCatherine’sentrancetoeternallifeonNovember11,culminatingwiththeworld-widecelebrationofFoundationDayonDecember12.Aroundourtable,weoftencallthesemonthsour“SeasonofMercy.”HowmindfulwearethatthemeaningofthesedayswillbeamplifiedevenmoreaswecelebratetheJubileeYearofMercy!

Wehavetheopportunitytoconsidereachanniversaryanewwithinthesomewhatastonishing,yetmostprovidentialcon-vergenceof“ourseason”withineverlargerMercycontexts:ourcontinuingJourneyofOneness;ourbeginningofthe25thyearastheInstituteoftheSistersofMercyoftheAmericas;andourbeginningengagementforthe2017Chapter.Asweenterthesemonthsofrichcontext,convergenceandpossibility,somuchcallsustoreflectontheheartofMercy.WehearPopeFrancisrelentlesslynametheever-growingscaleofourworld’sneedformercy.AsCatherine’sdaughtersandsons,onlywecan

expandthesizeofourcollectiveMercyheartstorespond!Inthisspirit,weofferforyourreflectionthewisdomofSisterMaryDanielTurner,SNDdeN*.Herinsightintotheuniquegiftandcallofourcharismfortheseourtimescontinuestoilluminateourown.

By Mercy, I mean the stature of your soul, the range and depths of your love, your capacity for relationships. I mean the volume of life you can take into your being, and still maintain your integrity and individuality. I mean the intensity and variety of outlook you can entertain in the unity of your being without feeling defenseless or insecure. I mean the strength of your spirit to encourage others to become freer in the development of their diversity and uniqueness. I mean the power to sustain more complex and enriching tensions. I mean the magnanimity of concern to provide conditions that enable others to increase their stature. Indeed, Mercy is a foundational graced energy.

MaythisdivineenergycontinuetogrowineachofusflowingouttomeetthecryofGod’screationinthisourSeasonofMercyandinthegreatjubileeyeartocome!

InMercy,

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

*Mary Daniel Turner, SNDdeN, served as the spiritual guide for the Institute Leadership Conference from 2005-2009. The quoted mate-rial is from her reflection on “The Size of God,” by Bernard Loomer.

Community Update

2 ¡Viva! Mercy S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 15

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

WEST MIDWEST

SISTERS CAMETOGETHERonJune20incelebrationandprayertowelcomeMarissaasacandi-date.MarissawasreceivedatSacredHeartConventinCedarRapids,Iowa,wheresheknockedonthechapeldoor,

openedbyWestMidwestPresidentSisterLauraReicksandSisterAnneMurphy,incorporationminister.MarissawillspendhercandidateyearsinBurlingame,California.

SisterMarilynRossrecentlycompleted32yearsofministryatHolyNameHousinginOmaha,Nebraska.Afteranintern-shipatMercyHousing,shebecameagrantwriterforHolyNameandthenitsexecutivedirectorin1988.Sinceitsincep-tion,HolyNameHousingCorporationhasbuiltorrenovated,thensold,450homes;constructed150rent-to-ownunits,andbuiltnearly100additionalseniorunits.AllresidencesareintheNorthOmahaarea.Underherguidance,HolyNameHousinghasgrownfromasmallgrassrootsorganizationtoapremierdeveloperofaffordablehousinginNebraska.Co-workerLisaBurkssaid,“TheimpactthatSisterMarilynRosshasmadeonOmaha’scommunitiescannotbemeasured.”

Marissa (left) is received by Sister Laura Reicks.

(From left) Sisters Mary Miller and Kathleen Smith; Paul Phelan, age 94, who

was taught by the Sisters of Mercy as a boy; and Sisters Jacqueline Marie

Kieslich and Mary Morey at the 150th anniversary gala in Portland, Maine.

NORTHEAST

A GALA CELEBRATING150yearsofservicebytheSistersofMercyinMainedrewmorethan100peopletotheSableOaksMarriottinPortlandonJune26.Theeventwasawonderfuloccasionwithstoriessharedfromthedifferentministriesandoldacquaintancesrenewed!TheDiocesanSistersofMercy,whoshareacommonhistorywiththeMaineSistersofMercy,joinedinthecelebration.ThefollowingdayInstitutePresidentSisterPatMcDermottledadayofreflectionwiththetheme,“InEveryAge,OGod,YouhavebeenOurRefuge.”

The150thanniversaryyearculminatedwithananniversaryMasscelebratedbyBishopRobertP.DeeleyonAugust7intheCathedraloftheImmaculateConceptioninPortland.TherewillalsobespecialMassescelebratedatSt.John’sChurchinBangor,Maine,onSeptember19and20.

NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, PACIFIC WEST (NyPPaW)

NYPPAW SISTERS VOTEDtoselectafour-memberCommunityLeadershipTeamin2016anddeterminedaprocessbywhichdelegateswillbechosenforthe2017InstituteChapter.

MercyhurstPrepinErie,Pennsylvania,hasembarkedona$3millioncapitalcampaign.Twonewschoolpresidentshavealsobeenannounced:EdCurtinatMercyhurstPrep,succeedingMaryEllenDahlkemper;andMichaelVictoratMercyhurstUniversity,succeedingThomasGamble.

McAuleyMinistries,thegrant-makingfoundationofPittsburghMercyHealthSystem(Pennsylvania),hasaward-ed14outreachgrantstotaling$594,137to13Pittsburgh-areanonprofitorganizations.

TheNyPPaWCommunityalsowelcomedsixwomenfromtheRochester,NewYork,areaandanothersixfromEriewhomadecovenantsasMercyAssociates.

Finally,theprayershawlministrysponsoredbytheSistersofMercyinBuffalo,NewYork,hasendedafterdeliveringmorethan2,000shawlssince2001.

Sisters Catherine Pfleger, left, and Edwardine Weaver were among those partic-

ipating in the Women of Mercy, Women of Hope gathering in Erie on June 13.

3S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 15 ¡Viva! Mercy

SOUTH CENTRAL

THE ASSEMBLY STEERINGCommittee,alongwiththreesubcommittees(Elections,HospitalityandRitualsandEnvir-onment)andSisterMarthaMilnerfromtheGovernanceCommittee,metJune4-7inBelmont,NorthCarolina.“ThiswasamajorcollaborativeeffortinourpreparationforAssembly2016,”saidSisterElaineSebera,SteeringCommitteechair.

SisterPriscillaMoreno,vocationminister,hosteda“ComeandSee”weekendMay15-16inSt.Louis,Missouri.FouryoungwomenheardpresentationsbySisterRayleenGiannotti,noviceminister,ondiscernmentandSisterJeremyBuckmanonthehistoryofMercy.Inapaneldiscussion,Priscilla,SisterDonaldMaryLynchandKelly,acandidate,sharedtheirvocationstoriesandansweredquestions.

AlphaInstituteinKingston,Jamaica(formerlyAlphaBoys’School),celebratedits135thanniversaryonMay4.Aspartofthecelebration,theschoolunveiledits$4millionsolarpowersystem,donatedbytheGermanEmbassy.

CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA

“WE RECOGNIZE THATGodcallsus…tothepracticeofnonviolence…promotingaspiritualityofnonviolence,personally,communally,socially,ecclesialandenvironmentally,especiallywithregardtotheearth,womenandchildren.”Thesewordsfromour2013AssemblyActsinspiredtheplanningforourCCASAGathering,July28-August2inBuenosAires,Argentina.

Thedaysincludedaworkshoponnonviolentlivingcon-ductedbyBolivianTrinitarianSisterSofiaNicolasaChipanaQuispe,whoisanAymarantheologian.SofiadevelopedthemesrelatedtoBuen Vivir, Buen Convivencia(“LivingWellandLivingWellTogether”)withinsightsfromindigenousculturesandanewlyemergingcosmology.InthiscontexttheAnti-RacismDesignTeampresentedthetwo-dayworkshopadaptedtotheinternationalrealityoftheCCASACommunity.Tensisters

MID-ATLANTIC

SISTER MARY SCULLION,co-founderandexecutivedirectorofProjectHOMEinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,co-chairstheHungerandHomelessnessCommitteeforPopeFrancis’visittoPhiladelphiainlateSeptemberfortheWorldMeetingofFamilies.ThecommitteelaunchedaMercyandJusticeinitia-tiveencouragingeveryonetoadvocateforsocialjusticeanddonatetotheFrancisFundtohelplocalpeopleinneed,espe-ciallythosewhoarepoororhomeless.

MirroringthePope’sfavoriteartwork,“MaryUndoerofKnots,”agrotto-likealtarwillbeconstructedonthelawnoftheCathedralofSaintsPeterandPaulinPhiladelphiaaspartofthisinitiative.Thisoutdoordisplayofknotssymbolizesthechallengesinourlivesthroughhundredsofthousandsofrib-bonswovenintotallloomsbypeoplevisitingthisaltarofart,contemplationandprayer.Learnmoreaboutthisprojectinthecoverstory,“PopeFrancisintheUnitedStates,”onpages4-7.

SisterscontemplatedontransitionleadingtotransformationduringtheirsummerConversationCircles.Meetinginsmalllocalgroups,membersreflectedandsharedlifetransitionsintheirpersonalandcommunalexperiences.TheyusedtheResource Guide for Life Transitions and WellnessdevelopedbyMid-Atlanticsistersforthisreflectiveprocess.

Sister Ginger

Andrews, co-chair

of the Rituals

and Environment

Committee (right),

confers with Sister

Jane Hotstream

(left) during a

weekend of plan-

ning for Assembly

2016.

Sister Mary

Scullion announces

the Mercy and

Justice initiative at

a press conference.

Sister Denise Lyttle participates in the opening ritual at the CCASA gathering.

fromJamaicajoinedusforthesedays—awonderfulrenewalofLatin-AmericanandCaribbeanfriendshipswhichalsoprovidedtheopportunitytomeetnewermembersfromJamaica.


BY WILL O ’BR IEN

POPE FRANCIS PROMOTING MERCY AND JUSTICE DURING U.S. VISIT

Undoing the Knots:

Pope Francis will arrive in Washington, D.C., on September 22. On September 24, Mercy Day, he will address the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives before his departure for New York City. He addresses the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, then arrives in Philadelphia on September 26-27.


Pope Francis kisses a baby at a Pontifical Council for Health Care conference on autism held in November 2014. Credit: Petrik Bohumil/Catholic News Agency.


ThomaslooksatthesmallstripofclothgiventohimbyMeg,theartist.Hewieldsthemarkergingerlyinhishand.Awispofasadsmileappearsonhisface.

“Man,Icouldwritealot—Imightneedabiggerpiece!”Thomasisoneofabout12residentsinarecoveryhouse

for men who are working to overcome addiction andhomelessness.ArtistMegSaligman isholdingaworkshopwith themen.She isflankedbya largewooden frameonwhicharehung thin stripsof clothacross several rowsofstrings. She is talking about an art project which consistsof people writing their struggles on “knots.” It is part ofa public art installation for the visit of Pope Francis toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, in late September, in whichpeoplewillname,shareand“untie”theirknotsandothers’knots.TheprojectisbasedonapaintingbelovedofthePopeentitled, “Mary Undoer of Knots” (see image on page 7).

MostoftheresidentsarenotCatholic,sotheyarenotimmediately attuned to the devotional tradition beingevoked.Buttheydounderstandwhatitmeanstobeboundby knots like homelessness, addiction, shame, hopeless-ness,poverty,familyalienation,shameandguiltoverpastdeeds.Theyalsounderstand,throughtherecoveryprocess,whatitmeanstoshareknots,orstruggles,andtoengagewithacommunitytoundoeachother’sknots.

Aseachmanfinisheswritingonhisknot—“BeingreunitedwithmydaughterwhoIhaven’ttalkedtoinalmost20years,”“ForgivenessfromthefamilyIhurtthroughmycrime,”“Stayingfocused on my recovery and continuing to trust my HigherPower”—Meg has them tie their knots on the frame, thenuntiesomeoneelse’sknotandweaveitontoasecondframe,whereitjoinshundredsofotherknotsinakindofgrandquilt.

ItiswidelyknownthatPopeFrancishasaspecialdevo-tiontoOurLadyUndoerofKnots.In1986,thenPadreJorgeBergogliowasinEuropeforaperiodofrestandsabbatical.Itwasatimeofdeeppersonaldistress.Hehadlefthisnativecountry amidst great controversy, both over the strainscaused by his leadership style as head of the ArgentinianJesuitsaswellashismurkyroleinthe“DirtyWar”thatwasmarkedbyoppressionandviolence.BiographerPaulVallely,in his book Pope Francis: Untying the Knots, believes thatwhen Bergoglio came across the 18th century painting inAugsburg,Germany,itstruckadeepchordinhim.Hecom-missionedacopyofthepaintingforhisreturntoArgentinaasarchbishop,promotingpublicdevotions,whilehehimself,perhapshaving experienced anuntyingofhis ownknots,demonstrated an astonishing transformation in his publicministry, including a new fervent concern for the poor.

TheUndoingtheKnotspublicartprojectisanintegralcom-ponentofa“MercyandJusticeInitiative”sponsoredbytheHungerandHomelessnessCommitteeoftheWorldMeetingofFamilies.RecognizingPopeFrancis’specialloveandcon-cernforthosewhoarepoor,theCommitteefeelsthereisnobetterwaytowelcomeandhonorthepontiffthanbyunder-takingeffortstopromotemercyandjusticeforoursistersand

brothersstrugglingwithpovertyandsocialmarginalization.Sister Mary Scullion (Mid-Atlantic) is co-chair of the

HungerandHomelessnessCommittee.“Itwouldn’tberightifthevisitofthepopewasjustanoccasionforabigciviccel-ebration,”shesaid,reflectingtheanticipated1to2millionvisitorswhowillcometoPhiladelphiaforthepapalvisit.“PopeFrancishasurgedustohearandactonthecryofourpoorsistersandbrothers.”

TheUndoingtheKnotsprojectprovidesavoiceforthosestruggling with deep social wounds of poverty, but alsorecognizesthatallpersonshavestruggles,painsandprob-lemsthatareintegraltowhatitmeanstobehuman.Allofus,fromallsectorsofsociety,needeachothertoundothosepersonalandsharedknots.Thatcommonalityisthebeginningpointofmercyandjustice.

MariaGuzman,acommunityactivistwhoworkswiththeHungerandHomelessnessCommittee,spokeataJune22 press conference announcing the Mercy and JusticeInitiative. She recounted her experience of sleeping incarsorporches,knockingondoorsforfoodandskippingmealstomakesuretherewasenoughforhergrandson.

Pope Francis says it is precisely the voices of peoplelikeMariathat“imploreourChurchestolivedeeplyouridentityasdisciplesoftheLordJesusChrist.”Thosewhoarepoor “askus tofight, in the lightof theGospel, thestructural causes of poverty: inequality, the shortage ofdignifiedworkandhousing,andthedenialoftheirrightsasmembersofsocietyandasworkers.”

Therearemanyknotstobeuntied.PopeFrancis’visitto the United States can be an empowering moment,throughwhichwecancometogethertoundothoseknotsbyactingformercyandseekingjustice.

Will O’Brien works with Project HOME, a nationally recognized nonprofit developing solutions to home-lessness and poverty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Share your knots with us. They will be shared in blog posts and on social media as we prepare for and celebrate the historic visit of Pope Francis to the United States. Email [email protected].

To learn more about the Mercy and Justice Initiative for Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, go to www.mercyandjustice.org.

Please contact your elected officials and urge them to support a mercy and justice initiative to meet the needs of poor Americans – www.mercyandjustice.org/action.


SISTERS FROM ACROSS THE INSTITUTE SHARE knots THEY STRUGGLE TO UNTIE:

gender violence. In South American countries, including Argentina, the rate of women dying from gender violence is increasing. Women in these patriarchal countries have grown so much in understanding their rights, but their libera-tion creates a crisis for men, who know no other way of life. Clinging to the old order, the men lash out with violence, even killing women who try to run away from domestic abuse situations. There are very few experiences of groups of men working on gender issues to try to understand the consequences of the patriarchal system on their lives. The Church and Pope Francis must lead men in undoing this knot. The pope, with his unique understanding of those who are poor, must charge bishops and priests with the responsibility to change their own hearts regarding the liberation of women, and then pastorally lead the men of their flock to learn how to find love and security in the changing society.

—Submitted by Sisters Cristina Mira and Marta Barry (CCASA/Argentina)

fear . For every one of us the tightest knot lies deep within our own unex-plored hearts. It is the fear of our dissolution. It is a mighty fear whose milder manifestations might take the form of rigidity, indecisiveness or unaccountabil-ity. Its more rabid realities are tyranny, terrorism, racism and genocide. Fear’s tight knot strangles our foundational memory that we are a particle of God’s indissoluble breath called creation. Fear’s grasp causes us to forget that, within God’s breath, there is no “Other.” In God, there is only “Us.” In a world of “Us,” lavish mercy becomes possible. When fear’s knot is loosened, the mantle of love falls over all creatures, empowering our wholeness. In Pope Francis’s call, may we allow the fingers of grace to untie our hidden darkness, drawing us into the full mutuality of God’s Light.

—Submitted by Sister Renee Yann (Mid-Atlantic)

climate change. The most moral and ethical issue of our time is climate change, and together with the misuse of water for the extractive industries, we have created a crisis of immigration and migration. This is the crisis Pope Francis addresses in “Laudato Si’”. “Laudato Si’” challenges the Mercy Community to broaden our cosmic consciousness and to re-vision the spiritual and corporal works of mercy as planetary principles within a planetary morality that address the well-being of the sacred Earth Community. How can we even begin to grapple with this knot? Already nations are disappearing. We see our world as nation states, instead of a sacred earth community. We must become intentional communities. The fate of Holy Mother Earth and the fate of humans are one.

—Submitted by Sister Marlene Perrotte (West Midwest)

Photo at left: A portrait of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, blessed by Pope Francis, which was given to Archbishop Bashar Warda of Iraq. Credit: Daniel Ibáñex/Catholic News Agency.


Thismayappealtotheyoungergenerationsofwomenandmenwhogrewupinaworldcharacterizedbyacceptanceandcelebrationofdiversityratherthanjudgmentandshunning.Theseyoungergenera-tionsappreciateamorefinelyhoned

senseofwhatishelpfultothosewhoarehurting,especiallythosewhoarerejectedandkeptapartbyculturalbiasesandracism.

Finally(forthisarticle,althoughthere’scertainlymoretosay),PopeFrancisoftenusestheword“mercy”tocharacterizehowhewantstheChurchtobeintheworld.Whilehismostcommonwayofdescribing

Not long after PopeFranciswaselected,peoplebegantowonderiftherewouldbeapositiveeffectonvocationsbecauseofthenewspiritthatthenewpontiffwasbringingtotheChurch.BeforeIdiscussanypos-sible“Franciseffect,”herearesomethoughtsabouthowwemightenlistthehelpofPopeFrancisinourvocationalefforts.

Onethemethatpermeatesthepope’swritingsandspeechesisthecalltodirectourattentiontothoseonthemargins.HisdecisionthispastsummertovisitthepoorestcountriesinSouthAmericawasjustoneexampleofhisintentiontodrawtheChurch’sandtheworld’sattentiontotheplightofthoseontheedgesofoursocieties.ThismatcheswellwithCatherineMcAuley’svibrantandverypracti-calintentiontobringintofocusforthelargersocietythosewhoarewithoutadequateshelter,educationandhealthcare.Inmanyoftheinquiriesthatcomethroughourwebsitewomenexpressagreatdesiretobeofservicetothoseinneed.Sharingthissamemessage,FrancismayhelpGodtotouchtheheartsofthosewomen.

Secondly,PopeFrancisfocuseslessondoctrineandmoreonpas-toralpresenceandinterpretation.

mercyisforgiveness,hispopular-izationofthewordopensforusahugeopportunitytoproclaimandcelebratethemanyworksofmercywhichareourheritage.ForthistimeinourChurch’shistory,mercyitis!Andwecanonlyrejoice.

So,isFrancishavinganeffectonourvoca-tions?PopeFranciswaselectedinMarch2013.Duringthethreemonthsfollowinghiselectionourtotalinqui-rieswere115;thesamethreemonthsin2014had91;andthesamethreemonthsin2015brought100.So,notmuchdifference.Whatisnotable,however,isthejumpininquiriesfromthePhilippinesinthesixmonthsfollow-ingthePope’svisitthisyear:16fromJanuary(themonthofhisvisit)toJune,comparedtozeroforthesamesixmonthsof2014,andthreeforthosesamemonthsin2013.Lookslikea“Franciseffect”there!Mightwelook

forwardtoasimilarleapininterestafterhisvisittotheUnitedStates?Timewilltell,butcertainlywecanusehisexampletocallotherstoconsiderwhetherGodmightbeaskingthemtofollowinthefootstepsofPopeFrancisasheleadstheChurchingrace.

—By Sister Cynthia Serjak (Institute New Membership Office)

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

Is There a “Francis Effect” for Vocations?

Credit: Bohumil Petrik/Catholic News Agency


From Seeing to Vision: A Gift from the Least

As women religious age, we may ask ourselves the question: “And what of our capacity to see?”

BY S ISTER MARGARET MARY KN ITTEL

“Whatsoever You Do,” sculpturebyTimothyP.Schmalzwww.sculpturebytps.com


Perhaps we could title this reflection “An Open Letter to the Sisters of Mercy and Their Friends.” By “their friends” I mean those countless women and men supporting the sisters in their varied ministries over the years. Together—friends and sisters—we have been at so many pivotal moments in the history of this particular religious community that the reader might be bored with that language. However, we know given the push and pull of diminished numbers of active sisters and the large wake of works left by our predecessors, a pivotal call to our friends may indeed be timely.

TheGospelofMatthew(25:37)speaksoftheLastJudgment,showingusthosewhosawChrist in the least and thosewho didn’t. Those who saw, the righ-teous, ask: “‘Lord, when did we seeyou? When did we see you hungry,thirsty,astranger,seeyounaked?’”

“‘Whenyouattendedtotheleast,’”isJesus’response.

Aswomenreligiousage,wemayaskourselves the question: “And what ofourcapacitytosee?”Eachofusknowsthe print gets larger; the glasses andthe magnifying glass are used morefrequently; the energy becomes lessavailable.Institutionsandministriesofthepastseefewerofusathand.YetweknowthatlifeandthisGospelpassagearenotjustaboutphysicalseeinganditslimitations.

AFrameworkHowdowemovefromseeingtovision?Onedefinitionofreligiouseducationindicatesthat it invitesthelearnertosynthesize life experiences, to recognize the presence ofJesusintheexperiencesandtoaffirmthegoodnessofherorhislife.LookedatthroughthelensoftheaboveGospel

passage,thatdefinitionoffersusaprocessdescribingeachperson’smovementfromseeingtovision.

Experiences arehowall the faithful, all thepeopleofGod, can come to see the activity of God in our lives.Throughoutthecenturies,womenreligioushaveperformedhundreds,collectivelythousands,ofyearsofservicetothehungry,thethirsty,thestrangerandthenaked.Throughvowed commitments and with intrepid energy, womenreligious persist in seeing the needs before us. Throughreflection,theelementsofexperiencebecometheelementsofcomingtovision.

In“AsKingfishersCatchFire,” theJesuitpoetGerardManleyHopkinswrote:

…forChristplaysintenthousandplaces,Lovelyinlimbs,andlovelyineyesnothisTotheFatherthroughthefeaturesofmen’s

[andwomen’s]faces.

InservicetootherswefindChrist“playing”beforeusinthepersonsoftheornerypatientortheteary-eyedhighschool girl—each “lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes.”Cherishedtimesofdeepfaithletusseeas if forthefirsttime our lived grace. Maybe later on in the day, a tirednunremembersthepatient,thestudentortheimmigrant

in prayer, coming to knowa deepened presence of JesustheChrist.Andeverymorningthatsisterwillbeginagaintheworksheseesbeforeher.

Often we use the languageofusbeingChristfortheotherandattimesthatcanseemhier-archical.Eachofusknowsfromour experience that frequentlyit was and is the other wayaround.TheothermysteriouslybecomesChristforus.

Two years ago anotherSisterofMercyandIwereleav-ingameetingheldataMercyHousingfacilityinMilwaukee,Wisconsin. It was winter, lateafternoon,anddarkhadalready

settled.AswewalkedtothecarayoungAfrican-Americanmanwithdreadlocks came towardus.Prejudiceskickedin, and I began to fear for our safety in this unknownneighborhood.Asheapproachedheaddressedthetwoofus:“Ifitweren’tforyouladiesIwouldn’thaveaplacetostaytonight.”Thatyoungman’sgratitudelitupthedark-nessofthatnight.

Andweask,“Whendidweseeyou?”

We, the present Sisters of Mercy, increasingly

might need to invite into our circle those now

outside of it, to inspire our seeing and wake us

to new needs.


VisionandGodSeeingTheformativeelementsofvisionarereflectingonexperi-ences,seeing thepresenceofChrist in thoseexperiencesandaffirmingthegoodnessof life.Inthelivesofwomenreligious,ourwork,ourministries,oftenprovidethegristofexperiences.Itisintheseeingoftheleastthatwegainheartandinsightintothenextstepbeforeus.

IfweweretolookatthehistoryofwomenreligiousintheUnitedStateswecould see erasmarkedby sisters aspioneers, sistersasarrivedandsistersas sojourners.Thesister-pioneerscameonshipstoaforeignland.AftertheGreat Depression the sisters settled in and found them-selves often among the arrived, a bit more economicallysecure and socially accepted. In the 50 years since theSecond Vatican Council, women religious have becomeincreasinglysojourners inacountrythat isoftenatoddswithandblindtothosedeepestvaluesoursister-ancestorsbroughtovertheoceandecadesago.

All through history, women religious could count onthelaywomenandmeninparishes,highschoolsandcol-leges, hospitals and social service settings in which theyministered. These were donors, colleagues and friends.Each shared in a piece of the vision, participating withmutualrespectinthevocationoftheother.Commonpur-poseandcommonfaithinalovingGodsealedfriendships.

TheGiftoftheLeastInearly2015, the leadershipof theSistersofMercyof theAmericas announced their hope to consolidate the leader-shipteamsofthenowsixCommunitiesintooneleadershipteam,with2023assuggesteddateforthecompletionofthisprocess.Feedbackontheprojecteddateseemedmixed,andthequestionofthetargetdateremainsopenasofthiswriting.

The question threads its way into the conversation:“Whendidweseeyou?”The“when,”tomylikingornotliking,mayormaynotbetheyear2023.Seekingcongru-encewithwhathasbeentheworkofcenturiesandthepressofdiminishinghumanresources,thefullestexpressionmayneed an earlier date, to provide for a more representativeconversationrootedinabroader,commonmemory.

In Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium,”(“TheJoyoftheGospel”)wereadofthebish-op’sroleintheevangelizationofagivendiocese:“Yettheprincipalaimof theseparticipatoryprocesses shouldnotbe ecclesiastical organization but rather the missionaryaspirationofreachingeveryone”(paragraph31).

Thosewho“see”thegiftoftheleast,seeJesustheChristanew,seeingintheneedsoftheleastariskforaction,allriding on the mystery of grace and openness. Missionaryaspirationdependsonthegiftofvisiontoreachoutasbestwecantoeveryone.ThetaskbeforetheSistersofMercyand

their friends will be a heightened realization that the ageof thesistersandourdiminishingnumberscouldaffordamoreimmediateanddeepenedrelationship.Morethanever,friends of today and in the future will hold responsibilitywithusforthevisionandmissionofMercy.

Wecanimaginethemissionaryaspirationofpriorgen-erationsofsistersfillingtheshipsofthe19thcenturyandbuildingtheclassroomsandhospitalsofthe20thcentury.Theirfaithandingenuitysawtheleast,andtheysteppedforwardinselflessefforts.Toaspireistowantandtoimag-ineafuturethatagainandagainposesthequestion:“Whendidweseeyou,Lord?”

Oddlyenoughboththequestionandtheanswerlayinthedesire,theaspiration,tosee.Nowthemissionaryaspi-rationlookstobeingclearerandmoresubstantiveamongourselves and our friends. We will know who we aretogetherinthetaskonbehalfofacommongoodandseebyfaiththeChristwhosaysdecadesfromnow,“Ifitweren’tforyouladiesIwouldn’thaveaplacetostaytonight.”

SeeingtheLeast“Sometimesitseemsthatourworkisfruitless,butmissionisnotlikeabusinesstransactionoraninvestment,orevenahumanitarianactivity.…It issomethingmuchdeeper,whichescapesallmeasurement,”writesPopeFrancis.“ItmaybethattheLordusesoursacrificestoshowerblessingsinanotherpartoftheworldwhichwewillnevervisit.TheHolySpiritworksashewills,whenhewills,andwherehewills”(“Evangelii Gaudium,”paragraph279).

Theleastteachustoseefurtherandfurther.Thefriendsof our future will remind one another, and will remindus, when we didn’t see because of comfort’s claims andrewards,andwewillremindourfriendsaswell.We,thepresentSistersofMercy,increasinglymightneedtoinviteintoourcirclethosenowoutsideofit,toinspireourseeingandwakeustonewneeds.

Ifmissionaryaspirationcompelledthepioneersisterstothenextprairie, thenextneed—indeed itwas to thepro-phetic edge that they ventured—we could then trust thattheirs was a vision rooted in a reflected relationship withJesus theChrist. Inour aging,we sisters cannot let gooftheirrisk,theirbindingvisionfilledwithfaithleadingthemonwithtrustthattheirliveswouldfindanansweroverthedecadesinasimplesoundingofgratitude:“Ifitweren’tforyouladies,Iwouldn’thaveaplacetostaytonight.”

Sister Margaret Mary Knittel (West Midwest) can be contacted at [email protected].


BY S ISTER JOANNE LAPPET ITO


SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HAS THE MOST SER IOUS H IV AND A IDS EP IDEM IC IN THE WORLD. IN 2012, ROUGHLY

5 MILL ION PEOPLE WERE L I V ING W ITH H IV, ACCOUNT ING FOR NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF THE GLOBAL TOTAL. IN THE

SAME YEAR , THERE WERE AN EST IMATED 1 .6 MILL ION NEW H IV INFECTIONS AND 1.2 MILL ION A IDS-RELATED DEATHS.

(www.avert.org)

AllAfricaConference:

Sister-to-Sister(AACSS)isaministry

thatassistsindigenouswomenreligiousin

sub-SaharanAfricaintheireffortstoaddressthe

sufferingcausedbytheHIVandAIDSpandemic.

Theministryengagesinsignificanteducationprojects

thatfocusnotonlyonthedevelopmentofskillswith

regardtoHIVandAIDS,butalsoontheexpresseddesires

oftheAfricansistersfordeeperunderstandingsoftheir

faithandtheirownspirituallives.

Todatenearly2,000sistersfrom21Africancountrieshave

participatedinAACSSworkshopsandconferences.

TolearnmoreabouttheimpactoftheAACSS,Iinter-

viewedSistersMargaretFarley(WestMidwest)

andEileenHogan(Northeast),co-

directorsofAACSS.


Eileen, you have been a co-director of AACSS

from its inception. You often speak of the first

major regional conference in Nairobi, Kenya

(held in 2003), giving the sisters an opportunity

to break the silence of shame that surrounds the

pandemic. Can you describe what happened at

this first conference?

E ILEEN: Theconferencewasthefirstof itskindcreatedbyAfricanwomenreligiouswithinputfromAACSSintheUnitedStates(AACSS-U.S.).Becausetheconferenceofferedasafeenvironment,thesisterswereabletosharetheirper-sonal,butpainful,experiencesofthepandemic,andinthisprocesswithoneanother,realizethattheirexperienceshadcommonthreads.Theconferencecontentprovidedthesis-terswithnewunderstandingsaboutthemedical,religious,socialandeconomicissuesrelatedtoHIVandAIDS.

Alsothroughtheseprocesses,thesistersfoundoppor-tunitiestoexploretherelevantaspectsoftheirlives,theirculture, faith, personal dignity, poverty, powerlessnessand sexuality. In addressing these issues, in a spirit ofgroup confidentiality, the sisters spoke freely, withoutfearofstigmatization,whetherinrelationtotheirpeople,theirfamilies,theircongregationsorthemselves.

Margaret, you have repeatedly emphasized that

the African sisters have empowered themselves.

Would you explain what that means and how

the process of empowerment continues?

MARGARET: Aguidingprincipleof theworkofAACSSis thatprimaryagency isplaced in thehandsofAfricansisters. They shape the agenda for AACSS conferences,workshopsandeventhemajorAACSS-sponsoredongoingeducationprogramsincounselingandintheology.AACSSintheUnitedStatesandinAfricancountriesisalwaysonlyinpartnership…“sistertosister,”listeningandrespond-ing to the primary voices of sisters in Africa. We haveall discovered that cross-cultural work is never simpleor easy, yet we can experience awe before one another;wecanlaughtogether,weeptogetherandlaborforcom-mongoals.Aboveall,wecanstandinsolidaritywithoneanotherasparticipantsin“worldchurch.”

Eileen, the development of the AACSS-spon-

sored counseling training program in Uganda

is a good example of how the African sisters

assume initiatives that are empowering

for them. Would you provide an overview

of how the program was established?

E ILEEN: AnationalAACSSconferenceinUgandain2006,withover100sistersinattendance,providedthemomen-tum for developing the counseling training program.Sharing their experiences of the pandemic and learningtogetheraboutculture,religion,sexualityandgendergavethewomenreligioustheconfidencetoaddressthemyriadobstacles to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, advocacyand caregiving. As part of the conference structure, thesistersdesignedanactionplantotakeforwardintotheir

All Africa Conference: Origins

The origins of AACSS can be traced to a meeting at Yale Divinity School in March 2002 with Sister Margaret Farley and a small group of African Catholic women theologians. The focus of their consultation centered upon the dire situation in sub-Saharan Africa caused by the HIV and AIDS pandemic raging across their lands. The African theologians agreed that it would be a good thing if African women religious could work together with U.S. women religious to address the pandemic.

Margaret conferred with Sister Eileen Hogan and, together with African sisters, AACSS was launched after receiving the blessing of East African Superiors in August 2002.

This first major regional conference, held in 2003 in Nairobi, Kenya, was the starting point that provided the impetus for African sisters (partner-ing with U.S. women religious) to organize and implement two additional regional conferences in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa, in 2004 and Enugu, Nigeria, in 2005; 11 national conferences on HIV and AIDS; and countless workshops throughout six sub-Saharan countries.

Participants of the 2009 conference in Yaounde, Cameroon. Sisters Eileen Hogan and Margaret Farley are standing, far right.


congregationsandministries.Theideaofthecounselingprogram was unanimously embraced because the sistersyearned to equip themselves with the requisite skills torespondaseffectivelyaspossibletoAIDS-relatedissuesincommunity,family,churchandsociety.

Under the leadership of Sister Cecilia Nibyobyonka,OLGC,andBrotherFrancisBlouin,FIC,thesistersdevel-opedthecounselingtrainingprogramforwomenreligious,and they negotiated the establishment of the program attheKisubiBrothersCatholicUniversityCollegeinEntebbe,Uganda.AsAACSS-U.S.partners,wewerefortunatetobeabletoraisefundsforscholarshipsthroughfoundationsandourMercycommunities.Todate122sistershavegraduatedfromtheprogram,receivingacademiccertificates,diplomas,bachelor’sdegrees,andforsome,evenmaster’sdegrees.Theimpacttheprogramhashaduponthegraduates’ministriesis compelling and commands respect from their peers,employersandthepersonswhomtheyserve.

Eileen, did the construction of a counseling

center in the town of Lira in Uganda add a

new dimension to the ministries of AACSS?

E ILEEN: Yes.LiraisnearthesitewherethefiercestbattleswerewagedduringtheinsurgencyoftheLord’sResistanceArmy[from1986totheearly2000s].ThesisterswouldgotoLiratoworkwiththewomenwhoexperienceddevastat-inganddehumanizingatrocities:kidnapping, abuse,pov-ertyanddisplacement.Eventually,thesistersaskedforhelptomovetheircounselingworkinLiraoutfromunderthetreesandintoabuilding,whichwouldprovideindividualprivacyaswellasgroupcounselingandactivities.AACSS-U.S.wasabletofindfundingforthisexpansionofministry.

Margaret, you were deeply involved in the

development of the Transformative Spiritual

Leadership and Faith Development Program

(TSLFD). What is the program and how did

it come about?

MARGARET: InresponsetothegrowingrequestsofAfricanwomen religious for more in-depth studies in theology,biblicalstudies,spirituality,psychologyandcriticalthink-ing,AACSSinUgandabeganathree-yearpilotprogram,whichwouldtakeplaceforfivemonthsineachofthethreeyears.Theprogramincludedparticipatingina“commu-nityof learning”—living,praying, studyingandworkingtogether. The pedagogy overall was one of co-learning;of interaction and shared wisdom between mentors andstudents;ofcreativeexploration;andofrespectfordiversebackgroundsandexperience,holdingstillacommonfaithandhope. It allowed forpursuit of traditionalquestions

andnewones;offindingwaystotranscendtribalattitudesyetaffirmcommonbonds;andofexpandinghorizonsinunderstandingsof“worldchurch,”asstudentscametotheprogramfromavarietyofsub-Saharancountries.

The proximate goal of this program was transforma-tion of individuals in terms of intellectual, affective andspiritualgrowth.Itsultimategoalwastocreateanucleusofconsecratedwomen(andmen)withcriticalandcreativeinsights,effectivecommunicationskillsandpositiveatti-tudes and leadership skills for addressing contemporarychallenges in church and society, especially in the sub-Sahara.Intheend,thisprogramwasevaluatedasamodelforestablishingafutureyear-roundschoolwhoseprogramwillbeentitled, IntegralHumanandFaithDevelopmentProgram. AACSS is in the process of specifying venue,faculty,curriculaandfundingforthis.

Eileen, in thinking about your ministry in

Africa, what in particular gave you joy?

E ILEEN: What Ihavevaluedmost is the interactionwiththeAfricansisters.IespeciallyvaluethefriendshipofmanyAfricansisters,whichallowsformanyhumorousandlovingexchanges.IconsiderasacomplimentthecommentmadesooftenbytheAfricansisters,“Youarejustlikeus.”

Margaret, reflecting on the history of this min-

istry, how do you think about it?

MARGARET: In particular, I think of this ministry aslife-givingforallconcerned.It is life-givingforthesistersinvolved, whether in the United States or in sub-Saharanareas. I have come to believe that this kind of collabora-tion, solidarity and participation is or can be newly life-giving for women’s religious communities around theworld. The Vatican II understanding of “world church,”contains, I believe, an assumption that if the church inonepartof theworld is suffering,carryingagreaterbur-den than others, then the rest of the church must some-how stand in solidarity with it. More particularly, forme thismeans that ifwomenreligious inonepartof theworld are suffering, (for example, living in the midst ofa pandemic), then all women religious around the worldshould somehow stand in solidaritywith thosewhobeartheseburdens.Weall livebythegiftofGod’s life,whichistobesharedbyuslittlebylittleinamultitudeofways,includingcarryingtogetherthecrossoftheBodyofChrist.

Sister Joanne Lappetito (South Central) is the director of development for All Africa Conference: Sister-to-Sister. She can be reached at [email protected].

All Africa Conference: Origins


Thepope’swordsresonatewiththeXJT’sexplorationoverthepastcoupleofyearsoftheconceptofsus-tainabilityasdefendinglifeinallitsforms.LikePopeFrancis,we’vebeenprobinghowEarth,communitiesandwholeculturesarethreatenedbypracticessuchasmining,large-scaledeforestationandeconomicpoliciesthatfavoronlytheprivilegedfew.Wearereachingouttonewpartnersandexpandingourfocusbeyondleg-islativeadvocacytohelpstrengthenmovementsforsocialchange.

OurpartnershipintheGlobalCatholicClimateMovementprovidesoneofthoseopportunities.WearejoiningwithCatholicsthroughoutthePhilippines,ledbyCardinalLuisAntonioTagle,whoarepledging

The excitement crackledoverthephonelineswhenmem-bersoftheExtendedJusticeTeam(XJT)metbyconferencecallsoonafterthereleaseofPopeFrancis’encyclical,“Lau-dato Si’.”

Someexclaimedthatthisisapropheticdocu-mentthatchallengesthefoundationofthecapital-istsystemandthemis-placedhopethatfinancialmarketscansolveourcurrentproblems.TheynoteditswarningsofthedangeroftechnologybeingattheserviceofcorporateprofitinsteadofattheserviceofpeopleandEarth.

Othersappreciatedthatthepopeiscallingfordialogueamongallpeople;thatheconnectsconcernfortheenvironmentandpeoplewhoarepoorwithpeaceandnonviolence;andthatthesectiononspiritualityinsertsjusticeintoourprayerlives.

Wethenstartedgrapplingwithabiggerquestion:what does the encyclical call us to?

Thefocusofourresponseistospreadthewordabout“Laudato Si’,” whichSisterAnaSiufi(CCASA/Argentina)describedasa“cryoftender-ness,mercyandcompassionforEarth,thepoor,thevictims.”Weagreedwecan’twaterdownthepope’smessageforothers;likewise,wehavetoacknowl-edgehowthepope’swordschallengeourownlifestyles.

millionsofsignaturesonanappealtoworldleaderstocapglobalwarming.Youcansignthepetitionatbit.ly/GCCMpetition.

LookingaroundtheInstitute,weseesisters,associatesandcom-panionsexploringthethemesoftheencyclicalandstrugglingwithwhatactionsitmayrequireofthemtoliveouttheChapter Declarationcall“toactinwayswhichcontributetoasus-tainablefutureforourInstitute,thechurchandEarth.”MercysinAlbany,NewYork,forinstance,areplanningtostudytheencyclicalandwritereflectionsforothers

intheirCommunity.MercysinVermontareco-sponsoringwithPaxChristianeducationalforumontheencyclical.InArgentinaAnaSiufiisgoingontheradiotopromotetheencyclicalandwillleadworkshopsonitschallengingthemes.

We’d love to hear how you are responding to the encyclical, whether you are changing personal behaviors or institutional practices or joining movements that are trying to change some of the systems that Pope Francis points to. You may contact us at [email protected]

—By Marianne Comfort (Institute Justice Team)

J U S T I C E

Mercy Responds to “Laudato Si’”

—Pope Francis, Laudato Si’


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

The First Filipino Missionaries: Remembering the Early Days

aslowminibusfilledwithallkindsofcargo:chickens,piglets,driedfishandvegetables.Afterafewkilo-metersshecouldsmellsomethingobnoxious—acanofsaltedfishhang-ingfromthecargoholdaboveherheadwasleakingontoherimmacu-lateveil!Likeagoodmissionary,sheborethesmellpatientlyuntilshereachedherdestination.

Theheatinthetropicswassome-thingelsetocontendwith.Thepoorlaundrywomanhadafull-timejobeverydaywashingandironingthesisters’heavywhitehabitsandveils.Ifthesunwasnotoutortherewas

In 1957 the firstfourAmericanMercymissionariesfromBuffalo,NewYork,weresenttoTubod,LanaoNorte,Mindanao,Philippines,torunaCatholicparo-chialhighschool.Thefollowingaresomeoftheirfirstexperiences:

TheyarrivedinTubodbyasmallpassengerboatfromOzamisCity.Becausetherewasnopieratthattime,twoFilipinomencrossedtheirarmstoprovideaseatforeachsister,withtheirlegshanging,tobedeliveredsafeanddrytotheseashore.

Therewasagreatadjustingandsettlingattheirnewenvironment.Atnighttherewereonlycandlesandkerosenelamps.Onenight,whentheyoung-estsisterwaspreparingforbed,sheheardnoisesandworriedthereweresmallcrocodilesclingingtotheceil-ing!Thenextmorningshefoundout—withgreatrelief—itwasjustahouselizard.Thelizardsbecamefriendswiththesisters,butthemos-quitosandratscontinuedtobethreats.

Intheearlydays,transportationwasnotveryreliable.Butevenwithneweradvancements,therewerestilltribulations.Onesisterwasridingin

heavyrain,itwasabigproblemforthesisters.

ThroughitallthelocalFilipinoresidentsthereformedtheheartoftheirexperience.Whenthesisterscametotown,thewholeschoolofstudentsplusquiteanumberofparishionersfromtheareamarchedwiththemacrosstowntotheirnewly-builtconvent.Thesistersbecameafamiliarsightinthetown.Walkingtothechurcheverymorningwiththeirlongwhiterobesandveils,thesisterswouldbeanattractiontothechil-drenwho,standingbytheroadside,calledoutintheirdialect:“Goodmorning,madamsorsirs,whateverthecasemaybe.”Itveryoften

causedthesisterstolosetheirreligiousdemeanoralongtheway!

BeingthefirstFilipinoSisterofMercytolivewiththesefirstAmericanMercymissionariesmademerealizethatitisnoteasytoadjustandadapttoanewcultureandcus-toms,language,climate,foodandreligiosityinanothercountry—justasIdidinmyfouryearsintheUnitedStates.

—Recalled by Sister Socorro Largo (NyPPaW)

The four Mercy missionaries arrived in Tubod via passenger boat. Credit: Mercy Heritage Center

OCTOBER 8-10Mercy Associate Leaders Council Annual Meeting Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaContact: Carole [email protected]

OCTOBER 16-17Mercy Secondary Education Conference Rochester, New YorkContact: Becky [email protected]

OCTOBER 16-17Mercy Elementary Education Network Rochester, New YorkContact: Toni Lynn Gallagher [email protected]

NOVEMBER 4-7Institute Chapter Planning Committee MeetingSilver Spring, MarylandContact: Sister Mary [email protected]

NOVEMBER 12-15Institute Anti-Racism Transformation Team MeetingFarmington Hills, MichiganContact: Sister Karen [email protected]

NOVEMBER 13-15Caught by the FireSt. Louis, MissouriContact: Sister Cynthia [email protected]

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Untitled painting by Sister Mary Jane Stapleton (Mid-Atlantic).

Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas8380 Colesville Road, Suite 300Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-6264

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