Shapers

of a Drea

mMary Reynolds, rsmExecutive Director, Mercy International

AssociationSeptember 2014

Shapersof a

Dream

His mercies are new every morning

Lamentations 3:23

Charism

Gift given by the Spirit for the renewal and building of the Church

The meeting of the deep story with the needs of the age

“to make some lasting efforts for the relief of the suffering and the instruction of the ignorant, and she thought of establishing a society of pious secular ladies who would devote themselves to their service, with liberty to return to their worldly life when they no longer felt inclined to discharge such duties”

Congregation of the Sisters

of Mercy

Founded by Catherine

McAuley

˜ Foundation Period: (10 -20 years)

Ireland 1831, England 1839, Newfoundland 1842, United

States 1843, Australia 1846, New Zealand 1850, Argentine 1856

˜ Expansion Period (2/3 generations +)

Original foundations in each country set up new

foundations

˜ Stabilization Period (century or more)

High reputation of Mercy schools & hospitals

˜ Breakdown (loss of identity and purpose)

Post Vatican II

˜ Critical period: Extinction, Minimal Survival or Revitalization

Characteristics of Each Age Of Mercy

Revitalisation

Revitalisation is a transforming response to the

signs of the times

The deep story emerges as charism when it is

able to rise to the occasion- which is the

contemporary world in all its concreteness

Charism

Vatican IIThe understanding of Religious Life was of a

privileged state of perfection, a higher calling

Vatican II not only turned that understanding on its

head but it completely changed the worldview of

the entire church

While respecting the unique vocation of each, the

emphasis was on complimentarity and

collaboration

Vatican IICalled religious to reinterpret their charism by a

return to the core call of the gospel and the vision

of their founder in the context of the signs of the

time.

It called the laity to exercise their vocation and to

participate more fully in the mission of the Church.

Charism ˜ The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the

people of

our time, especially of those who are poor or

afflicted in any

way, are the joy and hope, the grief and

anguish of the

followers of Christ as well

Vita Consereta

˜ A new chapter rich in hope, has begun in the

history of

religious between consecrated persons and

the laity

For the Lay Mercy Minister, it is a call to

recognise the vocation aspect of the ministry

in which they are involved, to nurture the

charism in their own spirituality, to proclaim it

in their mission and value statements and

most especially to embody it in their service

of people to whom they minister

Challenge for Lay Partners in Ministry

“The great temptation for those in Religious

Life to-day is to turn inward, to focus on their

self- preservation and to put all their energies

into maintenance rather than on the mission

of God which continues to call as urgently

now as it did at the time when our

Congregation was founded.”Diarmaid O'Murchú

Challenge for Religious

“The future of Mercy is not for us to invent - that is a divine

prerogative- but one we can anticipate co-creatively. We do

so by embracing with deeper wisdom the new world order

struggling to unfold all around us.”

8000 Sisters

5000 Associates

250, 000 + Partners in Ministry

Mercy Associates by

CongregationNewfoundland110 Congregation/

Ireland575

GB Youth45

Australia (Brisbane)

40

GB Adult375

Australia & PNG

Institute420

Companions in Mercy – Americas

8

Americas3162

Partners in Ministry

250, 000 – 500, 000

Programme Participants by Relationship to Mercy

Tour Participants by Congregational Affiliation

May 2012 – May 2013: Programmes Held at

MIC & Online

MIC Programmes

Partners in Ministry –

31056%

Students – 90

16%

Friends of Mercy

– 51%

Associates – 163%

Non -Mercy

Women Religious –

82%

RSMs – 12322%

Institute of the

Americas - 27951%

Congregation/ Ireland –

10619%

Australia/ PNG – 73

13%

Aotearoa/ New

Zealand – 78

14%

New Foundland –

102%

Great Britain – 6

1%

“I believe we have been inspired to return to our ministries

with renewed vigour and determination to seek

opportunities to spread the word and encourage others to

walk in the footsteps of these early women of Mercy.

We have indeed been challenged with a great

responsibility to continue their work.”

Mercy Pilgrim Participant

Inspiration to carry out the work

of Mercy

School/ University Groups –

49367%

Associate/ Circle of Mercy

Groups – 487%

Parish/ Diocesan

Groups – 14319%

Tour Company Groups -

517%

USA - 36051%

Ireland – 22131%

Australia – 12918%

Tour Participant by Group Type

Tour Participant by Country

MIC – Group Tours: May 2012 – May

2013

Young Mercy Leadership

Pilgrimage

"Fundraising is, first and foremost, a ministry. It's a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission.“

Henri Nouwen

Enlarge the place of you tent, and let

them stretch forth the curtains of your

habitations; spare not, lengthen your

cords...

Isaiah 54:2

As we explore the Future of Mercy

What can we do better together than any of us can do apart?