MAY | JUNE 2015 Bimonthly publication for sisters, associates and companions of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas also in this issue: Catholic Social Tradition and Mercy’s Past, Present and Future For the Least of These: Climate Change and Conversion Table of Contents MAY | JUNE 2015 page 4 page 8 page 12 FEATURES “Women Spirit Rising,” by Mary Southard, CSJ. ZZZ0DU\6RXWKDUG$UWRUJ 7KHÀQDOUHSRUW 4 Hopes and Unexpected Gifts after the Apostolic Visitation of the Apostolic Visitation offers fresh hopes By Sisters Terri Bednarz (South Central), Amy Hoey (Northeast), for women religious. Read perspectives from across the Institute on page 4. Pat McDermott (Institute president), Angelina Mitre (CCASA/Panama), &RUUHFWLRQ7KH6SLFHRI0HUF\/LIHUHÁHFWLRQ Janet Rozzano (West Midwest) and Mayon Sylvain (Mid-Atlantic) in the March | April issue contained a PLVLGHQWLÀHGSLFWXUH7KHSLFWXUHSULQWHG is of Sister Mary Annrita Mitchell, longtime 8 Catholic Social Tradition and Mercy’s Past, OLEUDULDQDW(GJHFOLII&ROOHJH Present and Future By Sister Patricia Talone, Ph.D. (Mid-Atlantic) 12 For the Least of These: Climate Change and Conversion BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR SISTERS, ASSOCIATES By Sister Rita Parks (West Midwest) AND COMPANIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY OF THE AMERICAS Publisher The Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas COLUMNS 8380 Colesville Road, #300 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-6264 tel 301.587.0423 11 Vocation & Incorporation | Getting to the Heart [email protected] Editor of the Matter Lauren Tyrrell [email protected] By Sister Cynthia Serjak (Institute New Membership Office) Design and Production RoundPeg Translation 16 Justice | Practicing Active Hope Leads to More Many thanks to our translators! Advisory Board Sustainable Future for All Sisters Camille D’Arienzo, Anne Curtis, Ivette Diaz, Kathleen Erickson, Diane Guerin and Patricia Kenny. By Marianne Comfort (Institute Justice Team) 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. DEPARTMENTS Visit www.sistersofmercy.org for highlighted articles from this publication. ¡Viva! Mercy is printed on acid free, elemental chlorine-free 2 Community Update paper containing 50 percent recycled content including 15 percent post consumer waste. Compiled by Mercy Communicators 17 Spice of Mercy Life By Sister Sheila Carney (New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West) From the Institute Leadership Team Dear Sisters, Associates, Companions and Mercy Volunteers, Traditionally the month of May invites us to ponder and pray with Mary, that young spirit-filled Jewish woman who delight- ed in God. Theologian Elizabeth A. Johnson, CSJ, encourages us to connect our life-story with Mary’s, thereby tapping our courage and depth of imagination to enact God’s dream for our world today. Mary was a strong and intelligent woman; she was not submissively pious. Mary actually had the wits to question the angel who visited and shared God’s invitation for her life. Like so many women of our world today Mary experienced poverty and suffering, oppression, flight and exile. Yet, in the midst of life’s daily struggles Mary gave active and responsible consent to the invitation of God; she heard the word of God and acted on it. In many respects Mary reminds us of Catherine McAuley, another woman who heard the word of God within her own life circumstances and acted upon it. We can only imagine that she too had the wits to question both herself and God about her desires, dreams and practical but enterprising plan to respond to the poor of Dublin in her own day. THE INSTITUTE LEADERSHIP TEAM Recalling Mary and Catherine is not an exercise in nostalgia. Looking back on our lives or (STANDING) SISTERS PAT MCDERMOTT, the lives of others is always in service of the future. As Elizabeth Johnson states, “memory MARY PAT GARVIN, EILEEN CAMPBELL; releases energy for discipleship.” The memory of Mary and Catherine inspires us to make (SEATED) SISTERS ANNE CURTIS AND courageous choices in our own lives, to ask “what really matters” and to partner with God DEBORAH TROILLETT in creating a future that, of necessity, is always at least partially unknown. As Sisters of Mercy of the Americas we are presently exploring our future and how best to move forward as we continue “to seek justice, to be compassionate and to reflect mercy to our world” (Constitutions, 84). Journeying into the future always requires that we tap our personal and communal courage and depth of imagination so that we, like Mary and Catherine, may hear the word of God and act on it in our own day. So during this month of May let us pray that the God of mercy, wisdom and mystery may guide us in the months to come as we ponder our future for the sake of our life and mission in God’s suffering world. In Mercy, MAY | JUNE 2015 ¡Viva! Mercy 1 Community Update COMPILED BY MERCY COMMUNICATORS NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA THE NORTHEAST AND NyPPaW Community Leadership Teams AS THE YEAR of are pleased to announce that Sister Laurie Orman (NyPPaW) has Consecrated Life been appointed as the new vocation minister for the Northeast/ continues, various NyPPaW New Membership Team. The team consists of vocation CCASA countries ministers Sister Dale Jarvis (Northeast), Sister Laurie Orman sponsored retreats. (NyPPaW) and Mercy Argentina invited Associate Angie Sister Gail Worselo, Giuffre (NyPPaW) and CP, founder of incorporation minister Green Mountain 6LVWHUV1RUPD)HUQiQGH] $UJHQWLQD *DLO Sister Kathy Sisson Monastery in :RUVHOR6*0,PHOGD6XOOLYDQ $UJHQWLQD DQG (NyPPaW). Vermont, for a four- 1RUPD$UJHULFKLQDQLPDWHGFRQYHUVDWLRQDIWHU The Leadership day retreat based on *DLO·VSUHVHQWDWLRQ Teams of the Northeast the works of Pierre and NyPPaW Comm- Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry. The sisters in Chile began unities also wish to their 50th anniversary year with Sister Mary Sullivan (Northeast) thank outgoing vocation leading them in days of reflection entitled, “Following Jesus Christ, minister Sister Phyllis with Catherine McAuley.” In Peru, CCASA sisters gathered with Marie Zaworski Sisters of Mercy from Newfoundland and Ireland for days of prayer (NyPPaW) for her and reflection on Catherine’s Suscipe, led by Sister Mary Pat Garvin five years of dedication (Institute Leadership Team). and service. The Prophetic Voice Commission organized a workshop in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in March with “No to Violence” as its theme. Two sisters and/or associates from each country partici- 6LVWHU/DXULH2UPDQQHZ pated with Associate Nelly Del Cid (Honduras) facilitating. YRFDWLRQPLQLVWHUIRUWKH Country coordinators met in early May in Panama with the 1RUWKHDVW1\33D:1HZ CCASA Community Leadership Team and planning commission 0HPEHUVKLS7HDP for final preparations for the community gathering in July. MID-ATLANTIC CELEBRATIONS ABOUND in the Mid-Atlantic Community! Over 95 sisters celebrated their jubilees this calendar year at local liturgies and events. These wonderful women were acknowledged for their dedication, love and service following in the footsteps of Catherine McAuley. Sisters were also recognized during National Catholic Sisters Week at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey, at an Evening Experience. The purpose of this event was to instruct, enlighten and bring greater focus to the lives of women religious. Over 30 sisters gathered with college students in prayer to listen, share their vocation stories and familiarize students with religious life. At the gathering, students premiered videos of interviews with sisters they produced and developed earlier in the year. The videos 0LG$WODQWLFVLVWHUVDQG*HRUJLDQ&RXUWVWXGHQWVWDNHD´VHOÀHµDWWKH1DWLRQDO will become part of the National Catholic Sisters Week oral &DWKROLF6LVWHUV:HHN(YHQLQJ([SHULHQFH )URQWIURPOHIW 6WXGHQW0HJDQ history project, chronicling the life stories of Catholic sisters .HOO\DQG6LVWHU5RVHPDU\-HIIULHV %DFNIURPOHIW -DPLH+DQGVWXGHQW and their profound impact on the world today. 6LVWHUV&DURO+HQU\DQG0DU\/RX0LOOHUDQG$OH[DQGULD*UD]LRVLVWXGHQW 2 ¡Viva! Mercy MAY | JUNE 2015 WEST MIDWEST THE WEST MIDWEST Community Ministry Office is turning its attention to ministry into the future. They gathered with 12 sisters from throughout the Community for a discussion on “Ministry Matters.” The group engaged in a creative process, facilitated by Michael Culliton, by sharing experiences of the current reality of ministry and thinking creatively about its future. Sister Kathy Thornton said, “One of the goals of Ministry Matters was to have audacious conversation. My skeptical side questioned, ‘Audacious conversation in the midst of declining 5HFHQWO\PHHWLQJLQ2PDKD1HEUDVNDIRU0HUF\0LQLVWU\0DWWHUVZHUH IURQW numbers and diminishing funds?’ However, we talked energetically IURPOHIW 6LVWHUV9LFNLH%UDG\5LWD(VSDU]D/DXUD5HLFNV &/7SUHVLGHQW .DWK\ and realistically about ministry in this awkward ‘middle space’ 7KLOO&DURO6WRHFNOLQDQG6XVDQ2·&RQQRUDQGIDFLOLWDWRU0LFKDHO&XOOLWRQ EDFN time. Our fourth vow is alive and well as we learn together new 6LVWHUV*DEULHOOH0DULH-RQHV$QQH0DULH0LOOHU &/7 0DUJDUHW0DU\+LQ] ways to express it. Ministry matters!” &/7 0DULH+HQGHUVRQ.DWK\7KRUQWRQ3HJ0DORQH\6XVDQ6DQGHUV &/7 0DULD.ORVRZVNL &/7 5LWD6SHFKW.DUHQ.LHOEDQG7DU\Q6WDUN NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, PACIFIC WEST (NyPPaW) SOUTH CENTRAL SISTER MARIE PREPARATIONS FOR Assembly 2016, which will be held June Michele Donnelly 21-25, 2016, at the Embassy