By Sister Joanne Whitaker — Who do you picture as homeless when you hear these words, shelter the homeless? The image that readily comes to mind for most of us is men and women on the streets in our big cities. These are the pictures we see in the newspapers and on TV. These are the homeless most of us encounter.
By Sisters Corrine Connelly and Johneen Owens — In December of 2018, one of our sisters, Sister Kathleen Erickson, who was visiting women incarcerated in our local jail awaiting sentencing, asked for volunteers to help the families of these women at Christmastime. This invitation pulled us totally out of our comfort zone. We decided that we would do this.
By Sister Ana María Siufi — We know that more than half of the world’s population lacks potable water or safe sanitation, which kills more than 5 million people a year or causes serious diseases. “Give me a drink,” demand millions of women and children who have to walk many hours a day to get some water. “Give me a drink,” ask the migrants forced to walk in the desert.
By Catherine Walsh, Features Writer — When Sister Patricia “Pat” Coward was in the 7th grade, she never thought she’d become a sister. And she wasn’t sure what to tell her friends when her 18-year-old sister, Sister Donna Marie Coward, joined the Sister of Mercy. “Although I was proud of Donna, I had to be cool,” Sister Pat says. “It wasn’t cool to have a sister who was a sister!”
By Sister Caroline Tweedy — As a child I was always interested in the Bible stories about feeding the hungry. I grew up in a family where my grandmother owned a bakery/restaurant and what was left over every day was quietly distributed to those who were in need. This simple act of kindness continues to remind me of my obligation to help feed others.
By Liz Dossa — Clearly, Amy is called to this ministry of empathy. “I think of the Tenderloin as a space of hope and light. In the midst of such adversity, people are caring for the community and for one another.”
By Cynthia Sartor, Companion in Mercy — Lent is coming. A quiet, peaceful time of reflection. It begins with the sobering sound of ashes being gently rubbed onto our foreheads and ends with spring flowers filling the air with color and fragrance and surprise.
Mother McAuley’s very own Abbey Murphy ‘20 has made her mark at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as a forward on the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team. After a terrific Olympic run, Abbey and TEAM USA will be bringing home a silver medal!
By Abigail McDonald, Mercy Associate — Growing up in Guyana I thought of myself as Guyanese and Catholic. To be Black and woman was fraught with too many stereotypes that I did not know how to deal with. Yet still, I could not escape how my black skin affected every aspect of my life.
By Sister Pat Kenny — Let us rejoice in that, and let us pray for the grace to grow in the understanding of both others and ourselves and sharing that understanding generously and wisely.
By Sister Patricia McCann — If we apply the moral teaching of “Brothers and Sisters to Us” to contemporary problems, it will move us closer to resolution of the racial divide that prevents us from actually being brothers and sisters in God’s human family.
Mara became strikingly aware of clean water shortages in Africa and other parts of the world. She decided right then and there that she was going to do something about it!