By Sister Eileen McDonnell
Two of my favorite quotes from our beloved Catherine McAuley are “Have great tenderness in all things,” and “We can never say it is enough.”
Our call to live these maxims takes on particular significance as we celebrate Pride Month. As stated in our 2023 Chapter Commitment, “We are called to ‘work to ensure our lives and our ministries reflect inclusive love and abundant justice for LGBTQ+ people.’” In other words, we are called as Sisters, Associates and Companions of Mercy to a lived spirit of radical hospitality to all people. In a particular way this month, we are called to deepen our learnings and awareness of how we can grow in making Mercy a safe place of welcome and inclusion.
It can begin with education and deepened awarenesses, as simple as definitions and the use of pronouns: she/her, he/him, they /them.
Old school grammar rules stressed that using “they” in reference to a single person is wrong. Taking it a step further, old-school understandings of gender convinced us that we must create a binary of man or woman, he or she. Radical hospitality invites us to a broader way of thinking that prioritizes reverencing one another over arbitrary, cultural rules. It offers a metaphorical “good cup of tea” to another person by honoring who they truly are, regardless of the external pressures foisted upon them by societal expectations of the gender binary. Using they/them pronouns literally, in the correct linguistic use of the word, can and ought to be a part of who we are as followers of Christ, daughters of Catherine McAuley and ambassadors of radical hospitality. It is a way to create a welcoming space. It serves as a signal that we are a community that welcomes all.