MIRP Outcome: Mercy Health St Louis Announces Bottled Water Refill Initiative

Mercy Health System based in St Louis Missouri will be removing all bottled water from its 44 hospitals and 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma on October 1st.

Image: iStock. Used under licence

All Mercy Co-workers will be provided with a reusable cup for refills at new water bottle filling stations and in all cafeterias and cafes, and emergency plastic water bottles will be replaced with a supply of foil pack water. Sister Mary Roch Rocklage, Mercy Health Ministry Liaison, suggested this policy after participating in a Mercy International Reflection Process (MIRP) group that focussed on water and offered two retreat days on the sacredness of water.

In communicating this decision to the Mercy Co-workers, Sr Mary wrote, "Why are we doing this? One of the “critical concerns” of the Sisters of Mercy is concern for the earth, especially water. As a ministry that inherited our mission and heritage from the Sisters, Mercy [Health] has a responsibility to echo this concern as part of our efforts toward good stewardship. On behalf of the Sisters of Mercy, the health ministry has been asked to see how we can continue to reduce Mercy’s environmental footprint, especially as it relates to water. This project was the result."

Messages to: Mary Roch Rocklage rsm

Editor: Has a significant change or new practice been introduced into your home, community or ministry as a result of MIRP? We'd love to hear your story. Email: MIRP Continuation Group