Author: Diane Smyth

Celebrating Fifty Years- St. Clare’s Auxiliary

Posted on by Diane Smyth

On 23 October 2017 more than one hundred guests gathered at Government House in St. John’s, NL to mark the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital Auxiliary.

Their Honours Mr. Frank and Patricia Fagan were hosts in the beautiful and historic residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Former Presidents of the Auxiliary, past and currents members as well as a number of Sisters of Mercy and other friends were in attendance.  Refreshments were graciously served by Government House staff.   Guests and Governor Fagan and his wife mingled about the grand reception rooms.

The Governor spoke for a few minutes to commend the group on reaching this milestone and to thank them for the wonderful work that the Auxiliary  members have done and continue to do on behalf of those who seek health and healing at St. Clare’s.  With grace and hospitality he welcomed everyone to Government House and invited them to explore the rooms and enjoy the beauty and history of the building.

Sister Elizabeth Davis, Leader of the Sisters of Mercy, spoke a few words of greeting to the auxiliary and thanked them for their dedicated and generous service to St. Clare’s and to the patients and families who come there.

Then an address was given by Mrs. Joan Parker Crosbie,  the first President of the Auxiliary:

Your Honours, Mr. and Mrs. Fagan, Sisters of St. Clare’s, President of the St. Clare’s Auxiliary, Auxiliary Past Presidents of the Auxiliary and friends:

It is hard to believe that it was fifty years since the beginning of the auxiliary.  It was a very humble beginning but the enthusiasm of all the members was great.  I would be amiss if I didn’t mention all the encouragement we received from Sister Mary Aidan, Sister Fabian and all the Sisters. The auxiliary reminds me of the proud oak tree that grows from a tiny acorn.

We had a great time starting the auxiliary and many new friendships were formed.  We had a shower and members brought things to sell in the gift shop.  We had a Ball at the Old Colony Club and an auction during the Ball.  I only remember one item (to be auctioned) and that was Ray Guy’s salt and pepper cap.  The paper from inside the rim was missing as he got short-taken out in the woods.  Then there was the Sale of Work.  We took our knitting needles, sewing machine and all Sisters joined in.  They also made the wonderful fudge, which was the first thing to sell out.

I am now at an age that memories are important.  I must say that my memories of St. Clare’s Auxiliary are very happy and proud ones.  I never could imagine that it would grow to the size that it is today.

Congratulations to all the members over the 50 years that have made the auxiliary what it is today.

Appreciation to Governor Fagan was expressed by Leslie Darraugh, current President of the Auxiliary.  Some photos were taken of many of the previous presidents who were in attendance.  It was the end of a lovely and memorable event.

Mrs. Joan Parker Crosbie
Lt. Governor Frank and Mrs. Patricia Fagan
Auxiliary Presidents
Beautiful Decor of Government House

Photos from the 21st General Chapter

Posted on by Diane Smyth

Images from our 9 Chapter Days

Ms. Judith King facilates Chapter Service of Remembrance of Deceased
Sisters of Mercy
Chapter Day with Associates,
colleagues and friends		 Archbishop Martin Currie enjoys a break
Interested and engaged sisters, associates and colleagues Sister Elizabeth Davis, newly elected leader,
greets Sisters at McAuley Convent
Banquet of Gratitude Welcome to our kitchen party!
Catherine (Mona) McAuley and her schola visited! Treated to a dance from Peruvian sisters
A visit from Marg and Stace (Alverna and Rosline) Eight Sisters in Peru missioned in Huarmey and
Pt. Eten
New Leadership Team – Sisters Betty, Diane,
Elizabeth and Eileen		 Whole group including Cait Wims rsm and
Judith King
Congregation blesses newly elected team
member, Eileen Penney		 Esther places candle in closing ritual of
21st General Chapter
Closing BBQ at McAuley Convent Chapter Planning Committees:
Coordinating Committee and Contemplative
Listening Committee 

New Leadership Team – Sisters Betty Morrissey, Diane Smyth, Elizabeth Davis (Congregation Leader) and Eileen Penney

Messages to: Sisters of Mercy Newfoundland

Read the reflection on the 21st General Chapter

21st General Chapter Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland, 20 – 28 July 2017

Posted on by Diane Smyth

For nine days we have met as a community holding accountability for our life in Mercy for the past four years and imagining the unfolding of our life in Mercy over the next four years. Contemplation has been the thread weaving the texture and the colour through our days together. Our profoundly centering logo has drawn us time and again into deeper contemplation as we endeavoured to explore the depths of our motto “Mercying into the future. .  . Misericordiando hacia el futuro. . .”

Two images, one from the logo and one from the motto, now invite us into the living out of our Chapter Statement.  In the logo, the simple panes of the side panels (not the ornate decoration of the earlier drafts) remind us of a time in Catherine’s life when she was uncertain, seemingly out of her depth and without the security of her faith tradition.  We are told that, denied the right to have access to any Catholic symbols or rituals, in her ingenuity she found the Cross in the window panes and door panels and the intersecting branches of trees on the lawn. I see six such crosses in the side panels of our logo – how many do you see?  In a postmodern world, in what familiar yet unexpected places will we find the Creating One, the Risen One and the Spirit of peace and justice?

The time has also come to look at the three dots embedded in our motto.  These three dots, a punctuation mark known in English as an ellipsis, are at the end of the quotation in English and in Spanish and are the link between the two phrases.  There is an invitation to graceful movement inherent in this punctuation mark – it suggests the unfinished thought, the slight pause, the intentional silence, the echoing voice.  In these coming four years, let us attend to those unfinished thoughts, let us respect the slight pauses, let us become calm in the intentional silences, and let us delight in the echoing voices.

During our Chapter days, we heard the echoing voices of four profound phrases: Who we love transforms us ~ Where we live reshapes us ~ How we create remakes us ~ What we choose changes us.

-Reflections given by Elizabeth Davis, rsm on the closing of the 21st General Chapter of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland.

Cait Wims rsm, translator Chapter centerpiece

Click here to view more photos from the 21st General Chapter

21st General Chapter: Announcement

Posted on by Diane Smyth

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

 

MIRP Review Endorsed

Posted on by Diane Smyth

The Members and Board of MIA have endorsed the Review of the Mercy International Reflection Process: What has been discovered? What has been revealed?

Read their letter of endorsement here

At their May 2017 meeting in Dublin, the Members and the Board of MIA endorsed the further exploration and development of Mercy Global Presence in all its rich and profound promise.

Over the next months we will learn more about how we can become involved locally and connected globally in exploring the three dimensions of Mercy, Global and Presence.

 

Join the Mercy World in Prayer on the Second Anniversary of Laudato Si’

Posted on by Diane Smyth

To mark the second anniversary of the release by Pope Francis of his encyclical letter Laudato Si’, Sisters of Mercy across the globe have committed to 9 Days of Prayer and reflection using the Prayer for our Earth.

The 9 Days of Prayer will commence on Saturday, 10 June and conclude on Sunday 18 June, the actual anniversary of the document’s release. It is one outcome of the Mercy International Reflection Process where we listened attentively to ‘the cry of Earth and the cry of the Poor’.

Resources for the 9 Days of Prayer include:

a reflective logo

the prayer sheet

a poster

reflection pages with additional resources for each of the 9 Days.

 

Access all the resources here and join us in prayer for Earth and the Earth community.

MIRP Review Document Now Available Online

Posted on by Diane Smyth

During 2016, the Year of Mercy, Sisters of Mercy and partners in Mercy met together in small groups to discern together globally a shared response to the ‘cry of the Earth and the cry of the Poor’ in our world today.

The fruits of that reflection process have now been published online.

We invite you to share this Report with your own networks and with anyone interested in the vision and ministry of the Sisters of Mercy.

Click here to read or download the full report from the Mercy International Association website.
Image: © 2017 Mercy International Association

Invitation to Participate in ‘Mercy2Earth’ weekend

Posted on by Diane Smyth

22-23 April this year is Mercy2Earth weekend. That name, an initiative of the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), comes from Saturday being known since 1970 as Earth Day and Sunday this year being Divine Mercy Sunday.

As part of our Mercy global response to the ‘cry of the Earth and the cry of the Poor‘, Mercy International Association (MIA) has created resources for use on this weekend and beyond. In using the term ‘Mercy to Earth’ and in working with the existing MIA logo, MIA is highlighting in a particular way our response to the invitation of Pope Francis: ‘May the works of mercy also include care for our common home’.

Further information and posters can be accessed on the Mercy International Association website

Preparing for Chapter 2017

Posted on by Diane Smyth

The Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland are preparing for their Chapter to be held July 21 – 28, 2017.

The theme of their Chapter is Mercying Into the future…Misericordiando hacia el futuro…

They invite sisters, associates and colleagues to join with them and pray with them as they prepare.

As part of their preparation and to deepen their appreciation of contemplative listening and dialogue they are using a video prepared by Judith King, their Chapter facilitator.

The video was produced by videographer, Ruaidhri Nolan, Dublin of thelivetimes.com in January of this year.

Messages to: Sisters of Mercy Newfoundland

Sandy Point 2016

Posted on by Diane Smyth

On July 28 we celebrated the foundation of St. George’s Convent at Sandy Point, Bay St. George. This summer, 2016, Sister Ellen Marie and Alverna were excited to pay a visit to the island on this anniversary date. They explored the area but did not find the Catholic Cemetery or other location that might link them with the life of the Sisters of Mercy at Sandy Point. For them it was special to be there!

In 1893, 123 years ago, four Sisters of Mercy and their benefactor, Henrietta Brownell, accompanied by Bishop Michael F. Howley, arrived at the small active fishing and trading community to establish a convent.

The four Sisters, M. Antonio Egan, M. Corsini Dempsey, M. Sylvester Carver, Veronica Payne gave up their life in a well-establish part of Providence, Rhode Island to come to the “mission territory” of Bay St. George, on the west coast of Newfoundland. The intention was that the sisters would take over the school already functioning at Sandy Point with plans to open a place for higher education at a later time. The future was looking very bright! Throughout the years, despite many hardships and struggles the mission prospered and students succeeded not only in academic subjects but also in music, song, art and needlework.

The railway line had been constructed across the island of Newfoundland and St. George’s was the community that built up around it. It seemed advantageous to move the church and school to that location. And so it came to be. In 1899 St. George’s, on the shore opposite to Sandy Point, a new school was ready for occupancy. The Church, convent and school moved to St. George’s. By 1900 St. Michael’s Academy welcomed its first two resident students. An extension to accommodate the growing number of students and sisters was completed in 1913. In 1914 St. Michael’s was recognized as a teacher-training facility, tasked to prepare Catholic teachers for schools in the west coast of Newfoundland. St. Michael’s Academy was a centre of education and culture. The Superintendant of Schools wrote in his 1914 annual report: Since the establishment of the school, there has been a steady upward trend in the conditions of the locality, and it has done not a little toward helping to promote educational activity which is noticeable on the west coast.

For complete story of the Sandy Point Foundation read:  http://www.mercyworld.org/heritage/tmplt-foundressstory.cfm?loadref=248