On July 21, 2017 Sister Elizabeth Davis, Congregational Leader, will open the 21st General Chapter of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland.
The theme and logo of the Chapter have been drawn forth from the engagement of many sisters, associates, colleagues and friends in the Mercy International Reflection Process of the past year. Our previous engagement in the Year of Consecrated Life and the Jubilee Year of Mercy have served to establish a solid foundation. Our Chapter theme Mercying into the future . . .Misericordiando hacia el futuro resonates with our desire to experience a renewed sense of mercying in this new time leading us into Mercy Global Presence. The logo faces us with a lively Mercy Cross leaping out of the doors at Baggot Street!
Ms. Judith King, Ireland, has been working with coordinating committees for the past year in planning for the Chapter. The first two days of Chapter will be experienced in a spirit of contemplative listening, dialogue and presence. The following day associates and colleagues will join us to continue in a mode of contemplative listening with a focus on “mercying” in the context of mission, charism, ministry and community living. By the end of the day we hope that we would further in creative and energizing ways the initiative and leadership of the Mercy International Reflection Process towards Mercy Global Presence in its dual focus on degradation of earth and the displacement of persons. We will explore with associates and colleagues to discover how the Sisters of Mercy, in collaboration with them and others, might further such initiative. In the next days, the chapter delegates will continue to focus on our congregation’s current reality and how we are called in the great movement of mercying now and into the future. We will explore ministry and community living in collaboration and partnerships with others and the way we will live this out in the next four years. By the end of the week on July 28 the Chapter will hopefully have set clear directions for the future.
Another important part of our Chapter is the election of a new leadership team. Members of the congregation have been praying and engaged in a discernment process for leadership. Four sisters will be elected to lead us during the next four years.
Complementing the contemplative aspect of the Chapter and important business there will be plenty of time for celebration, prayer, fun and food. We have much to celebrate especially in this 175th year of our foundation in Newfoundland. We have jubilarians celebrating 25, 50 and 60 years; we and relatives of our deceased sisters will remember our deceased members in a ritual in our cemetery; we have invited the general public to pray with us in a Eucharistic celebration followed by refreshments and gathering; we will have a grand banquet where we express gratitude to the team members of the past four years. We will also have a “kitchen party” that is sure to be entertaining and light-hearted featuring the hidden talents of our members. We will conclude our Chapter with a barbecue hosted at McAuley Convent in presence of our elderly and sick sisters..
We invite our Mercy friends and others around the world to join with us these days in prayer and support. We are grateful for the energy and effort of so many with whom we share “Mercy”.
Messages to: Elizabeth Marrie rsm
