june-july 2011

1 Mercy Connection • June/July 2011

June/July 2011

The Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community rejoiced Saturday, June 4, as Sisters Mary Omolara Oladimeji of San Francisco, Calif., and Trinette Charmaine Jayawardene of Auburn, Calif., professed perpetual vows in a special Mass held at 4 p.m. in Our Lady of Mercy Chapel in Auburn.

The two sisters took the final step in their journey to become Sisters of Mercy when they each publicly vowed to live for the rest of

their lives a life of chastity, poverty, obedience and service to those in need, especially women and children.

“We feel so blessed to have these women as Sisters of Mercy,” said Sister Judith Frikker, WMW interim president. “They truly have the love of God and the passion for serving those who suffer from poverty, sickness and a lack of education.”

Attending the ceremony and the reception that followed were more than 250 family members, Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Associates, other women religious and clergy. They were joined spiritually through prayer by the all the West Midwest sisters, associates and companions.

"We feel so blessed to have these women as Sisters of Mercy." --Sister Judith Frikker

Two Sisters Profess Final Vowsin Auburn Ceremony

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Sister Judith Frikker, Rev. John Boll, and Sister Pat McDermott bless Sisters Mary Oladimeji (L) and Charmaine Jayawardene.

On June 29, the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Amer-icas elected the new leadership team. L-R: Sisters Patricia McDermott, president; Mary Pat Garvin; Deborah Troillett; Anne Curtis; and Eileen Campbell, vice president. Their term begins August 1.

New Institute Leadership Elected!


Sister Michelle Gorman, who has accompanied the two women in every step of their journey to become Sisters of Mercy, delivered the reflection.

“When Charmaine and Mary entered the Mercy Community in 2004, they took their life experiences, their tremendous gifts and talents, and tossed their lot with the Sisters of Mercy,” Michelle said. “Chairmaine began her life in Sri Lanka, approximately 9,000 miles from here. Mary began her life in Lagos, Nigeria, approximately 8,000 miles from here. Their silhouettes have passed over many lands and occupations. Charmaine has been a radio announcer, a banker, mother, grandmother, spiritual director, contemplative, a tender of those addicted and pregnant. Mary, a proud Yoruba, has been a catechist, teacher, youth minister, justice organizer, student. Their lives have intersected here, in the hill country of Auburn, California,” Sister Michelle said.

“We thank you, Charmaine and Mary, for traversing the open skies, and for landing today to seal your covenant with your loving God. We are grateful that you are willing to follow in the footsteps of so many women of Mercy, both living and dead, and that you are willing to commit the rest of your lives to the charism of Mercy- Misericordia - your hearts moved to compassion by the misery of the world and by your own experience of God’s mercy.”

The Rite of Profession took place following the Gospel and included a “Call to Profession" by Judith and “Questioning” by Institute Vice President Sister Patricia McDermott. Then, symbolic of giving themselves to God, both Mary and Charmaine lay prostrate in front of the altar during the Litany of The Saints.

The sisters then publicly professed the vows that each had written and then signed them. The vows were, in turn, signed by Sisters of Mercy leadership and the presiding priest, Rev. John Boll. As a symbol of this commitment, each sister was presented a ring engraved with the motto she had chosen. Sister Charmaine chose: “Lord, my love, I am yours.” Mary chose: “Be Not Afraid/Mase Beru.” The sisters were then affirmed in song and welcomed by the Sisters of Mercy in attendance.

Two Sisters--Two StoriesMary Omolara Oladimeji was born in Lagos, Nigeria. There she received a bachelor’s degree in English and African Literature from the University of Ibadan. She worked for the Catholic Institute of Peace and Justice in the state of Enugu in eastern Nigeria and as a religious instructor for the mounted police in the city of Ilorin before coming to the United States in 2002.

Making her home in Sacramento, she began attending Mass at St. Francis Church where she met Franciscan Father Anthony Garibaldi. Upon learning that Mary was interested in a vocation to religious life, Father Garibaldi made a suggestion.

“He told me he knew of a wonderful community that would be nice for me to look

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Final Vows in Auburn, continued

L-R: Sisters Mary and Charmaine at the reception after the ceremony.

The newly professed sisters receive hugs after their vows. Here Sister Sheila Browne hugs Mary and Sister Anne McCrohan embraces Charmaine.


into,” says Mary. One meeting with Sister Michelle Gorman was all she needed to make a crucial decision.

“What struck me was her simplicity and friendliness,” Mary says. “She was cheerful and happy. I knew that was what I wanted to be.”

Mary wasted no time learning about the charism of the Sisters of Mercy by working in Sacramento, first as a volunteer at Mercy Education Resource Center; second as an office worker at Holy Cross School; third, in the library and archives at Mercy Retreat Center in Auburn; and then she worked with homeless women and children at Maryhouse, a program of Loaves & Fishes. Currently she is a student of the University of San Francisco, pursuing a master’s degree in International Multicultural Education within Human Rights. Mary entered the Sisters of Mercy on Nov. 30, 2004. "Following the ceremony I felt a sense of indescribable joy, then relief, then a feeling of finally been 'anchored' if you will," said Mary. "It has been a long journey for me and I was glad the process was finally over and I could officially call myself what I have felt and known to be God's call when I first left home 22 years ago. In the last week I have been overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled by God's faithfulness and love in the countless encounters with people who have been the face of God in my life. Making final vows for me has been a dream come true and God's affirmation of my call to religious life through my permanent membership in the Institute of Mercy."

Trinette Charmaine Jayawardene, who goes by Charmaine, currently provides spiritual direction and hospitality at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, Calif. She grew up in Sri Lanka as the daughter of a university professor. In 1974, she and her husband relocated to Fairfield, Calif., where she worked for Bank of America in international and private banking. The couple has two sons. Then tragically at the age of 42, Charmaine found herself a widow. It was after her sons were grown that she heard the call to religious life.

Charmaine left the corporate world and entered the religious community of Carmelites. However, right before taking her final vows, Charmaine said she realized a cloistered life was not for her. She entered into vocation discussions with both the Sisters of Mercy and the Carmelite sisters. For two years she tried to discern her path. In the end, she chose the Sisters of Mercy, explaining she feels Mercy has allowed her to reach out to others and “blossom.”

“I yearned to be in community, praying and being with like-minded women. I feel that Mercy is the ground I have been searching for.” Her grown sons are happy they now can visit with her freely. “It gives me joy that the Community said yes to me,” says Charmaine.

"It is a most wondrous thing to be a Sister of Mercy," she said after the service. "I am filled with gratitude to God who, through the Sisters of Mercy, has made my deepest desire a reality. I was so moved at the prostration that when I stood up I felt like I was on wings. I am still basking in the love of God which was manifest at our consecration."

Two Sisters--Two Stories, continued

Sister Mary gets a hug from Candidate Angelica Reyes-Adam.

Sister Margaret Ann Walsh, and Sister Charmaine's granddaughter flank Char-maine.


What of the vision from the 2011 Institute Chapter can you 'run with'?

Kathy Thornton for the WMW Community Leadership Team

Write down the vision; make it plain on tabletsso that whoever reads it may run with it.

Habakkuk 2:2

It was six years ago that we met as the Fourth Institute Chapter. This year we met again in a different location -- Saint Xavier University campus in Chicago, Illinois, with a new configuration of delegates, participants and staff -- over 240 strong, and with a new process – communal discernment.

All throughout the Institute -- Philippines, Guam, Caribbean, Central, South and North America, we prepared dutifully in our Loop Groups. We spent hours talking with one another about the desire of our hearts to bring mercy to our contemporary world and to live the vowed life as a sign of God’s presence to that same world. We prepared, prayerfully reading and curiously pondering, and the question for discernment we presented to one another after months of preparation was:

We ask you, God of Mercy, who is Wisdom and Mystery, where do we need to be led now to come to both a deeper response to the Critical Concerns and a radical embrace of our identity?

It is one of those simple, straightforward, and ever recurring questions that we address many times in our life as community. Yet it has the potential to take us deep into the dreams we have for living our lives characterized by Mercy--alleviating suffering and creating a world of justice and mercy. For us the response to critical concerns and the embrace of our identity as Sisters of Mercy are integrally intertwined. In the document "Spirit of the Institute," Catherine McAuley indicated her belief that growth in holiness, ours and those we serve through the works of mercy, “is so linked together ... that they reciprocally help each other.”

With anticipation, I wondered how the delegates would address the question. Would they put themselves in touch with the divine as they talk with one another about our future? Would they assume a willingness to be influenced by and recognize the wisdom that resides in one another? Would they look at our ‘now’ with all the challenges, opportunities and limitations, and discover the energy, creativity and courage required to respond?

Would they write down a vision so plain and clear that those of us who receive it will run with it?

Receive it -- that’s all of us, are we open to running? As you reflect on what is coming from the Institute Chapter How has your heart been touched? How are you challenged? What changes are required of you -- attitudes, behaviors and understanding -- for you to wholeheartedly embrace the Chapter Acts? What of the vision from the 2011 Institute Chapter can you ‘run with’? Let us move forward together with the God of Mercy, wisdom and mystery. Let us move in solidarity with those who are poor. Let us move in union with one another and Let us move in touch with the grandeur of God all around us.


Mercy Partners allows all staff to learn more about the Mercy mission, values and critical concerns.

Kim Kinsel, WMW Community Operating Officer

I have been writing recently of the importance of building relationships and making connections as a vital process in the formation of the West Midwest Community’s identity. Change is difficult enough, and the WMW is additionally challenged by our vast geography. We have to be very creative and intentional in efforts to know each other and identify personally and collectively with something new. To this end, I have worked to build connections with staff (one of your partners in ministry) throughout the West Midwest Community. This has been done in a variety of ways, and today I want to focus on a campaign launched last year called “Mercy Partners.” We are about to launch the 2011 campaign.

The Mercy Partners campaign is for employees of the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community. It was developed in 2010 to create an opportunity for employees to give back in a variety of ways. An important goal of this campaign is also to recognize employees for the many ways they support the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy. This campaign isn’t only about money, although financial contributions can be made. However, there are many other very important ways an employee can contribute to the Mercy Partners campaign. Voluntary service in local communities or in the employee’s church; prayers for the sisters and their works; responses to “calls of action” by the Justice team; and good stewardship of Earth are all examples of contributions encouraged by and recognized in this campaign. Mercy Partners allows all staff to learn more about the Mercy mission, values and critical concerns, and it connects them in a personal way to their employer and to each other.

This year’s campaign will be guided at each site by committees of non-manager employees. Kick-off parties will be held in August or September for staff members, and the campaign will end on Mercy Day.

Our only goal is to encourage participation, and we will track the results in the form of percentages of pledge forms turned in. On the pledge form, employees can select the ways in which they wish to participate. We have intentionally listed financial contributions at the bottom of the form because this kind of participation isn’t more important than any of the others. Choices made by staff are kept strictly confidential. Results are shared in the form of the percentage of participation as a whole for WMW, not by site. We don’t want this to be a competitive process in any way. In our inaugural year, we had an outstanding 70 percent participation. This year we hope to increase the participation to 80 percent.

This year, as last year, there are several funds staff can select from if they choose to make a monetary contribution. Those funds are: 1) Sisters’ Retirement, 2) Mercy Ministry Fund, and 3) Where the need is greatest. An additional option has been added this year and is called the Employee Emergency Fund. This fund will be used to assist employees in emergency situations and will be the first such WMW-wide process for employees. Some but not all of the regional communities had a process for assisting employees with emergencies. I am very pleased we will have a way to help our staff handle the unexpected financial crisis. As you may already know, many of our staff members are financially vulnerable and unexpected financial hardships can’t be absorbed in their budgets. We are finalizing the process for accessing this fund and it will be shared with staff members in August.


Julie Sartori Makes Vows as 10th Companion

One thing is certain, the Spirit is alive, the call is being heard, and the paradigm is shifting.

--"Expand the Tent," Oct. 26, 2005 MAST article by Mary Kathryn (Kate) Grant and Sister Katherine Hill

Julie McDonnell Sartori became the 10th Companion in Mercy in a ceremony at Farmington Hills, Mich., on April 2. After Julie pronounced her vows, Companion Kathy Gabarino placed a white shawl on her shoulders, recognizing Julie’s new relationship with the charism of Mercy. For Julie this was only another step in her long relationship with Catherine McAuley.

Eight companions, Jane Bower, Cathy Hanisits, Kathy Garbarino, Sue LaVoie, Sue Kamler, Connie McMurray, Rita O’Dea, and Andrea Vettori, were present to take their own permanent vows and to witness Julie’s commitment. Sadly, one of the original companions, Kate Grant, died in 2008.

Each companion wore her own colorful shawl for the ceremony, a tradition begun at the time of the companions and dreamers

presentation to the ILT five years ago. Since there is no pin or other visible sign that declares them as companions, these shawls, rainbow-hued or

white, embroidered or plain, became their signature tradition. Jane made the white shawls for herself and Julie.

Six of the current companions have had previous relationships with the Mercy Community. Julie tried religious life as a member of the Mercy Community from 1975 to 1977. “I left, but I never really left Mercy,” she said. Although the form of commitment wasn’t right for her, Julie's sense of call did not waver. She married and had two children, Nicholas, 27, and Kate, 23.

“Julie is a seeker and a doer and a reflector,” said Sister Helen Marie Burns, one of the dreamers who helped create the role of companion. “As mother and teacher, she reflects God’s concern for all persons and God’s special concern for those in need of gentleness, support, inclusion.”

Julie has been in education for 29 years as teacher, principal, dean of students and dean of admissions. The vocation of teaching fits her well. “There is no aspect of education that I don’t like,” she said. She now teaches theology to 9th and 10th grade girls at Marian High School, a rival to Mercy High, she notes with a smile.

When Julie's children Nick and Kate left home, it was a good time to go back to school. Her life had been caught up in being a mom with its many roles--Girl Scout leader, Boy Scout mom, Parent Teacher Guild member. She had long wanted to study for a theology degree, so she enrolled at Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary, part of St. Mary College in Orchard Lake, Mich. “I’m taking only a couple of classes at a

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Julie's son Nicholas, her mother Shirley McDonnell and Julie.


time,” she said. “I’ve been at it for seven years. I hope I’ll be done in two years.”

Julie’s summers are full as she travels across the state to be a teacher volunteer at the Readiness Center in Benton Harbor, Mich. She works with Sister Paulita Walters to give an impoverished community of children a summer of math, reading, science and creative fun. “One year we made bound books for them about their lives,” said Julie. “The parents wanted to do it too. It was very affirming for them, something they treasured.”

Julie values the close relationships of the nine companions who meet in person twice a year and stay connected on the phone and computer for prayers. She finds the community nurturing and freeing, a group that challenges and supports each other spiritually.

“The key to being called is the ability to listen…” Julie said in her reflection at the April ceremony. “As a Companion, today marks a defining moment. Over a decade ago, a group of spirit-filled wise women, the dreamers, met to begin discussions about the formation of a new group, a new lived expression of the call to Mercy. What emerged from those years of meeting, prayer and soul searching

What are Companions?“Why this new path? Why today?” As one interested in the companions and their journeys, Sister Helen Marie Burns sought to answer those questions: “I believe persons hunger for spiritual companionship in a world and a church that seems distracted by pronouncements, divisions, intolerance and violence. As persons discover those who support their own search for deeper meaning and spiritual insight, theirs is a desire to connect with and support one another.”

These were steps toward forming Companions in Mercy:

--Institute Chapter in 1995 authorized the Institute to engage in new forms of commitment to Mercy life;--The Institute Leadership Team approved guidelines for establishing these “new forms of commitment” in 1997;--Spearheaded by the Detroit Regional Community, a group came together to discuss what this new form might be and invited others to join them. After many consultations with leadership, definitions of beliefs and distinguishing features of the Companions in Mercy emerged. An experimental period for the new group was declared by the ILT from 2005 to 2011.

The companions developed as a close-knit group, communicating frequently and meeting twice a year in person. They each commit to a “regular rhythm of prayer and reflection and times for retreat and renewal.” They maintain a website (www.companionsinmercy.org) separate from the Institute website as they are committed to Catherine McAuley but separate from the Sisters of Mercy.

In March 2011, the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy formally recognized the Companions in Mercy and declared them no longer an experiment but an autonomous form of commitment to the charism and mission of Mercy.

Recognizing the founding of this new form of commitment, which is non-canonical and not a form of religious life, the other eight companions took permanent vows during the Farmington Hills ceremony. Julie’s permanent vows are scheduled for 2013.

Companion Makes Vows, continued

Why this new path? Why today?


Daniel Berrigan, S.J., now deep into elder years, was asked recently: “In the midst of troubling times, how can I be engaged in a process that would make a difference? It seems too much.”

“Persevere,” he replied. “You have no right to tie yourself in knots because you want to know the outcome of what you are doing. We may never see the good outcome of the good we do. Do it anyway. ”

But how to continue to “do it anyway?” How to find supplies of strength?

For 180 years Sisters of Mercy were privileged with the oral, then written, tradition of Catherine’s insights into the value of making a retreat. Recorded in Retreat Instructions are her remembered words:

The Saints, who knew the value of spiritual exercises, considered a retreat as one of the most special graces in the treasury of God; and many of them are now in glory, bright with the effulgence [brightness] of the very blessed Deity, who owe their state of bliss to a well made retreat…The necessity and advantages of retreat are equally clear and obvious: the greatest fervor is relaxed by time, and the most heroic virtue stands in need of frequent supplies of strength, which are obtained by means of retreat. (54)

Therein, the annual retreat became part and parcel of the common life shared by all Sisters of Mercy. This is the venue the WMW Community Transforming Mercy Process Team thought most vital in animating the spiritual transformation at the heart of 21st century religious life and our desire to refound religious life in Mercy.

REST: Religious Experience of Spiritual Transformation The Transforming Mercy Process Team is keenly aware that words like transformation, refounding and discernment run the risk of generating a rather numbing response. If everything is “discerned” and everyone is being “transformed,” the words can ring hollow and leave us cold. Yet, authentic transformation is a metanoia experience, a change of heart, which both warms us and sets us afire all over again. We know we are engaged in transformation when imagination about our future takes wings and a new horizon of meaning claims the heart and ignites energy for the next vista of Mercy charism, mission, life in community, and all that makes life in Mercy more than “we could ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).

The Transforming Mercy / Mercy Transforming retreats are understood as opportunities for REST: religious experiences of spiritual transformation. For the more than 25 sisters and associates involved in their design and leadership, each REST offering is just that, a genuine offering to deepen relations and renew vision in the context of sacred time. We reach deep into the great treasury of God of which Catherine’s living charism beckons us to REST in the truth that even “the greatest fervor is relaxed by time, and the most heroic virtue stands in need of frequent supplies of strength, which are obtained by means of retreat.”

The importance of a REST experience We know that many sisters, associates and companions have deep commitments to various retreat centers and spiritual directors with whom they take annual time away to rest and renew. We know that many of you reading these words

REST awhile… Retreats: Special Graces in the Treasury of God

Thoughts on retreats from the Transforming Mercy /Mercy Trans-forming Committee

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By the Transforming Mercy/ Mercy Transforming Committee


participate in many unique ways in transforming spiritually that carry the spirit of Transforming Mercy / Mercy Transforming opportunities. Nevertheless, this essay is our opportunity to highlight the importance of sharing a REST experience as a WMW Community member. Though the format will differ, each reflective experience of spiritual transformation will embody the following core elements:

• intentional conversation on spiritual transformation • claiming the Mercy life we are living: Gospel discipleship today • charism of Catherine McAuley • contemplation that transforms our actions, as individuals and as a

Community • ritual • holistic: attending to mind, body, spirit • balance of silence and dialogue • four integrating questions for entries into the Transforming Mercy / Mercy

Transforming journal:1. How does this conversation or event deepen our relationships—with one

another and with those with whom we journey?2. How does this conversation or event renew the understanding of our

charism and life together?3. How does this conversation or event help us claim the religious life we

are living now?4. What from this conversation or event do you want to carry forward into

our ongoing Transforming Mercy / Mercy Transforming dialogues and on to the 2012 Gathering?

Do It Anyway

Berrigan reminds us: “Concentrate on the goodness of the work you’re doing. The outcome will take care of itself. The outcome is no concern of yours. I may never see the transformation myself. It makes no difference. I shall do it. I shall do it.”

We invite you to do it—REST awhile prior to the 2012 WMW Gathering. Paraphrasing Catherine, even the most heroic virtue stands in need of frequent supplies of strength, which are obtained by means of retreat.

WMW Access

Do you know where the

WMW prayer list is? Are you looking for a list of jubilarians?

A vacation home reservation?

Or a WMW newsletter?All are available on the

WMW intranet:http://inside.westmidwest.org

Do you know where to find Institute 2011

Chapter information?

www.sistersofmercy.org/ members

Latest Institute news?www.sistersofmercy.org/

members

What is the WMW saying to the public?

www.mercywestmidwest.org

Have you seen the Justice news and alerts?

www.mercywestmidwest.org

Do you have news to share?wmwcommunications

@mercywmw.org

Special Graces, continued

TMMT Committee members met in Chicago.

Back: Sister Patsy Harney, Avis Clen-denen. Second row: Michael Culliton, Renee Kettering, Sister Kathy Thornton, Sister Sharon Ford, Sister Gloria Miller Front: Sister Mary Margaret Miner, Sister Elaine Lopez Pacheco. Missing from photo: Sister Joan Marie O'Donnell


Knowles Mercy Spirituality Center nestles in 25 acres of natural woodlands and scenic surroundings on the banks of the Platte River. Not far from Omaha, the comfortable center rejoices in “the peace of wild things” obvious from its meditation porch, its pathways and labyrinth. It serves the wider community with day meetings, such as book groups and a prayer shawl ministry, and some longer residential retreats. The summer is busy with retreat days for school faculties and parish staffs. Other ongoing programs include:

“Book it to Knowles”—a monthly book club on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. July 26, 2011 - Shanghai Girls by Lisa See Aug. 23, 2011 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Our fall offering includes two special days planned to uniquely replenish wholeness of body mind and spirit. --Sept. 8 we are offering an “Introduction to Centering Prayer” workshop. Centering Prayer is a response to the invitation to “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). --Oct. 2 we will be providing “A Day of Relaxation, Self-Care, and Inner Peace.” This wonderful day will offer guided relaxation, meditation, movement, breath work and contemplation while connecting with nature in the beauty of autumn. The day will culminate with the meaningful experience of walking the labyrinth.

Knowles Mercy staff warmly invites questions and welcomes all in this 25th anniversary year. For more information on these and other retreat offerings, see their website at www.kmscenter.org, or call us at 402-359-4288

Oh do you have time to linger for just a little while out of your busy

and very important day for the goldfinches that have gathered in a field of thistles

for a musical battle, to see who can sing the highest note, or the lowest, --Mary Oliver

Are you hungering for spiritual adventure, new wisdom, and exploration? Or do you want time to savor emptiness and God's presence? The three retreat centers in the West Midwest Community offer a wealth of stimulating retreat topics and quiet spaces. Some summer offerings are still open, and this is the time to plan for fall or spring respite.

It’s Retreat time--Summer and Fall

By Lisa Tjaden

http://www.kmscenter.org


A Place for Renewed Vitality

Mercy Center in Auburn, Calif., offers a lush and sacred landscape for spiritual renewal and respite in the backdrop of the Sierra Foothills. Established first as a house of prayer and retreat for sisters and spiritual formation for the Diocese of Sacramento, the center extended its outreach to the wider community in the early 1990s, now marking nearly 20 years of offering hospitality to all walks of life and faith, far and near. The center has programs as richly varied as Brother Don Bisson’s “Awakening from the Deep Sleep,” James Finley’s “Contemplative Healing,” and the popular and frequent Spiritual Spa retreats for women.

The center is most appreciated for spacious and beautiful grounds which enhance the atmosphere of quiet and solitude. The center is also known for delicious food, warm welcome and hospitality. The upcoming Mercy-sponsored events include facilitators like Robert Wicks and Margaret Silf. Following this year’s Easter Triduum Retreat, facilitator Father Donald Nesti wrote to the staff: “Your lives and ministry rings with Alleluia! You embody the Mercy which is at the heart of the Easter Triduum.”

The Women’s Spiritual Spa Retreats are always filled with women whose overly busy lives cry out for quiet, prayer and balance. A number of retreat guests are drawn by the meaningful witness of “mercy” and often discern a deeper personal commitment which may include spiritual direction or other association (more than six persons have been invited to become Mercy Associates within the past year).

Above all, what we celebrate is Good News! For 20 years we have witnessed, daily, a phenomenon altogether unique among gathering places for persons and groups who seek respite, nourishment, hospitality, or helpful guidance, all essential for renewed vitality along the journey.

These upcoming Transforming Mercy and Transition retreats will be held at Auburn:

A Hunger for MERCY, A Thirst for Justice--February 23-26, 2012Led by Therese Randolph, RSM and Jeanne Christensen, RSM

“See I Am Doing Something New… Can’t You See It?” --March 11-16, 2012…a retreat for Sisters in transition Led by Colette Baldwin, RSM; Pat Galli, RSM; Mary Ann Scofield, RSM; Colleen Gregg, MA; and Peggy Galloway, CSJ

For more retreats and a newsletter, go to www.mercy-center.org

I feel blessed that the Mercy community encourages me to take the time and money to go on retreat. It is an opportunity to just be and experience an openness/deepening of my spirit. --Sister Carolyn Coffey

by Colleen Gregg

http://www.mercy-center.org


Retreats in Burlingame: respite, growth and challenge

Mercy Center staff have blessed my life through retreats and other events since 1992....The Center has been a place of respite, growth and challenge - but mostly a place where I have felt held in love year after year. May God continue to bless you in every way. This remark from a recent participant in a Centering Prayer retreat here at Mercy Center in Burlingame reflects the experience of thousands who have come for a day, a week or a longer intensive program. This summer, we are offering several opportunities to be “held” in the contemplative space made possible by silence, prayer, and expert guidance by skilled retreat leaders.

Don Bisson returns to Mercy Center with a weekend retreat on "A Call to Deeper Relationships," July 15-17, which promises to be enriching for all. If your schedule allows time in August, we suggest that you experience the gift of "Art Journaling as a Spiritual Practice," Aug. 8 - 11, a special retreat with Sister Marianne Hieb, RSM. Discounted pricing for Mercy Sisters and Associates. Limited financial aid is available for all of these retreats, so please contact Cristina Esguerra, [email protected], if that is a need for you-

Roshi Father Greg Mayers leads An East-West Meditation Program Retreat, Aug. 7-12, a six-day gathering of Silence, Mindfulness and Community. Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome! The retreat offers structured sitting meditation time, input from the teacher, and private sessions with him for those serious about their meditation practice and its life-changing effects. Body work is available.

Please check our calendar for complete listings, or inquire about private retreat time here. We have space in July and August for private retreatants, too. Our website: www.mercy-center.orgContact Suzanne Buckley [email protected].

by Suzanne Buckley


Having made a annual retreat for the past 25 years of living religious life, I look for variety from year to year. I seldom make the same retreat two or more times consecutively. In my earlier years, while in formation, as a Franciscan in my mid-20s, I often attended retreats related to St. Francis or topics focusing on “following God’s call.” During these earlier years, I usually sought out preached retreats, as I had difficulty with silence without direction. Being younger and a thinker, I approached retreats as learning experiences.

At age 30, when I transferred to the Sisters of Mercy, I learned of more retreat options. Along with preached retreats, I experienced retreats that were silent and directed, art-focused, journaling and narrative, and scripture-based. I came to storytelling retreats using guided imagery and music, and retreats that put me in touch with nature.

Reflecting on my retreat choices over the years, I notice that as I grew spiritually as well as in years, my retreat choices moved from those that required active listening and creating to now, retreats that are more contemplative and silent.

Sometimes I ask for a spiritual director, sometimes not. I’ve learned to prepare for retreat but never to plan. What develops or doesn’t develop is out of my control. The lesson for me is to be open to whatever enters in without a personal agenda. Here enters the gift of grace.

Being a musician and an artsy, creative person, I may at times look for a retreat that fosters my creativity. Most recently, I am more academically focused in my daily life, and the artistic part of me may get repressed or laid aside. Narrative retreats or drawing may offer balance for me to again find the seeds of a new insight or integration.

I became aware of Art as Journaling in 1990 as a Mercy novice in Philadelphia Penn. I had the privilege of living with art therapist and retreat director, Sister Marianne Hieb, as well as attending many of her offerings on the East coast. From these experiences I’ve learned to trust and allow what enters into my spiritual realm and not to judge the lines and squiggles in my drawings that I may not yet understand. I found that keeping an art journal is a very safe and colorful way of logging my life. Twenty years later, I continue to keep an art journal.

Retreats are gifts we, as sisters, are given by our life in community. No matter which type of retreat I may choose at a given time, I find them a way of clearing the cobwebs of the mind and soul, refreshing myself to be more fully in service.

What Do I Look for in a Retreat?a personal view by Sister Cindy Kaye

MercyConnection

June/ July 2011

Sisters of Mercy West Midwest

Community

Mercy Connection is published by the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community Communications Office, 7262 Mercy Road • Omaha, NE 68124 • (402) 393-8225 • www.mercywestmidwest.org

Director of CommunicationsSandy Goetzinger-ComerEditorElizabeth Dossa

Contributing WritersSuzanne Buckley, Avis Clendenon, Colleen Gregg, Patti Kantor, Sister Cindy Kaye, Lisa Tjaden

Graphic DesignElizabeth DossaPat Osborne

PhotographyLiz Dossa, Sandy Goetzinger, Sister Anne Marilyn Tyler

Copyright 2011 Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community • Mercy Connection articles may be reproduced with written permission from the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Communications Office. Direct reprint requests to: [email protected]

Sister Marianne Hieb will give a retreat at Mercy Center Burlin-game "Art Journaling asSpiritual Practice"Aug. 8-11


In 1904 the San Francisco Sisters of Mercy celebrated the 50th anniversary of their December 1854 arrival in Gold Rush San Francisco. St. Mary’s Hospital, founded in 1857, was well-known throughout the area. After the April 18, 1906 earthquake and fire, which

destroyed the hospital building, a tent hospital was quickly set up where the sick and wounded were cared for. The Sisters of Mercy acquired the Maudsley Sanitarium, repaired it and opened it in June as the temporary site of St. Mary’s Hospital. The hospital was rebuilt on the spot where these sisters are standing and where it stands today. In 1911, the new St. Mary’s opened, a gleaming white structure with facilities for 150 patients.

1906 Earthquake in San Francisco: Sisters Mary Pius, Mary Agnes and Mary Malachi pose outside the tent hospital set up next to Golden Gate Park after the 1906 earthquake and fire.

What I'm reading!

I am currently reading The Architect of Mercy—Catherine McAuley and a series of historical monographs by Sister Mary Lucille McGee Middleton, RSM. Beautifully written, these chronicles teach, inspire and provide holy relaxation. They affirm T.S. Eliot’s words: “ We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time. ”

I’m reading--and so are my book club ladies--Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. I recommend it to everyone who believes social justice is part and parcel of 21st century spirituality. Armstrong focuses on Christianity and includes all world religions in her “how to achieve a better world.” She suggests points for mindful consideration and meditation at the end of each chapter. I’ve read through the text and gone back to these points as part of my morning prayer. Definitely a good “read” with good prayer “starters.”

I am reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni which I enjoy because this is a book that was given to us by the president of Mount Mercy University in preparation for our Senior Management Retreat. I like the way that Lencioni first uses the story of a team in a situation to describe the process of working with each other in order to become a functional team. There were sometimes that I would chuckle and think… “Oh yes, I’ve seen us/me do that.” It was an engaging book for me and kept my interest to see how it might apply to my real life situation.

Sister Monica Kostielney

Sister Barbara Moran

Sister Shari Sutherland


Sister Marian Rose Power

Sister Sally Torres

Sister Philomena HusakSister Philomena Husak celebrated her 60th jubilee this year at Sacred Heart Convent in Cedar Rapids. A native of Iowa, Philomena earned a bachelor’s degree from Mount Mercy College and began her teaching career in 1955. Her ministry in teaching was nearly 30 years in parochial schools in northeastern Iowa and in Edina, Minn. In 1983, Philomena served as a nursing assistant for the Queen of Angels Infirmary in Cedar Rapids and, from 1985 to 1992, as hospital chaplain in the pastoral care department at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. She received her cosmetology license at Capri College in 1995 and is currently the cosmetologist for the sisters at Hallmar and the sisters at Sacred Heart Convent.

Philomena says, “Jubilee is a time that I look back over my life and thank God for all the wonderful opportunities I have had of serving others in my ministry as a Sister of Mercy.”

Sister Sally Torres recently celebrated her 50th anniversary of entrance into religious life with a large gathering of family, sisters, associates and friends. Among the surprises at the lunch was being serenaded by mariachi, a gift from her family. Sally loves Latina music and also loves to dance.

A native of Sacramento, Sally entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1960 and has enjoyed a wide variety of ministry involvements including: first grade teacher, director of chaplaincy and working with Child Protective Services as a social worker. Her bilingual skills were a major asset as she advocated on behalf of women and children in Yolo County for eight years. She helps with translation, when needed, for a number of Spanish-speaking employees. Because of health challenges, Sally moved to Auburn and became director of activities and volunteers at Our Lady of Lourdes in 2005. She enjoys reading and crochet and gives one of her crocheted scarf to each new employee. This past winter she also made one for each of the homeless guests from the Gathering Inn. Sally hopes one day to visit parts of this country that she has not seen, especially the Southwest.

A remarkable energy and spirit of mercy fills Sister Marian Rose Power, a native San Franciscan with a strong Irish family. The oldest of four children, she attended Holy Name School in the Sunset and entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1953. She taught at three elementary schools in the San Francisco area and then opened St. Athanasius in Mountain View, coming back later to close the school. For four years she worked as a director of postulants and novices, also beginning a ministry of spiritual direction. She finally came to St. Peter’s School. “I wanted to go to St. Peter’s and it took so long!” she said. For the first 10 years she was principal and co-principal, and then moved to the roles of vice principal, development director, and religion coordinator. She would like to stay at her beloved St. Peter’s for the rest of her life. Marian Rose and her principal, Vicki Butler, seek new ways to serve the low-income families and students of the Mission District. She’s proud that the school has the lowest tuition in the Archdiocese, and they are constantly finding ways to raise funds. “It is a great joy to continue the work begun by Mother Baptist Russell,” she said, “and see the spirit of Mercy living through the administration and staff as they enable families in need to have a quality Catholic education.”


Sister Katherine Murphy

Sister Eleanora Holdgrafer

Sister Marilyn Ross

Sister Katherine Murphy, an only child, had a bet with her father when she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Detroit at 16. Her father, who, according to Katherine, had what she calls “a similar temperament,” said, “I’ll give you seven days here.” She replied, “And I’ll show you!” And she has, over the last 65 years. She entered wanting to be a teacher and after teaching 29 years, she attended Seattle University for training as a pastoral associate. She began that role at St. Francis of Assisi in Traverse City, Mich., in 1981. She has taught RCIA, organized the altar servers, visited the home-bound, and served on pastoral commissions. She continues as a volunteer, and now also trains people to visit those in hospitals and nursing homes. During these years she also traveled frequently, going six times to Ireland to visit family. A highlight was her sabbatical in 1980 when she traveled throughout Europe. One of her favorite trips was to the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver where she had to hike five miles and sleep in a sleeping bag—a first for her. For years she has been “the fruit sister,” bringing cherries and strawberries to the back door of McAuley Center in the summer and apples in the fall, accompanied by her canine companion, recently Misty Murphy, a Westie.

When Sister Eleanora Holdgrafer entered the Sisters of Mercy in Des Plaines,Ill., she had been a registered nurse for five years. “As a nurse, I recognized how close to the soul of the patient you are,” she said. “I thought it must be wonderful to be a sister to do this, but I kept putting the Lord off.” After she finally gave in to her call, she nursed, taught at Mercy Hospital Davenport and took courses for a B.S.N. at St. Ambrose. She got a master’s in nursing at Marquette University and a degree in hospital administration at the University of Minnesota.“Remember,” she emphasized, “We didn’t choose to go places. We were sent.” She joined the Iowa Hospital Association as director of boards and hospital services, advising hospitals and training staff. Then in 1974, she decided she wanted to work directly with patients again and became a family nurse practitioner. With Sister Annelle Fuczyla, she set up a health assessment program for the well elderly, working to train students at community colleges. After five years, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Health, they set up clinics at sites in Dallas and Warren counties, driving between two sites each week. “We were the first family nurse practitioners in the state,” she said. “We always kept in mind what Catherine McAuley said: ‘You see a need and you meet it!’”

Sister Marilyn Ross is the executive director of Holy Name Housing in Omaha, Neb. She helps individuals work their way into home ownership through a rent-to-own program that teaches home ownership skills and good money management. Currently Holy Name Housing is working with Heartland Family Service in developing a $22-million multi-generational campus with homes, to include a senior citizen center, children’s emergency shelter and a residential substance abuse program for women with children. It will be located at the former St. Richard rectory and school in north Omaha that closed two years ago. “Holy Name is a wonderful community,” Marilyn says. “I like being part of the grass root efforts to reach out into the community and improve the quality of life for people.”

june-july 2011

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