Questions for the Future

How can Sisters of Mercy, Associates and Colleagues in ministry share in the ministry of Mercy International Association ? This challenging question was posed to Mercy leaders by Sister Mary Jean Meier RSM (Sisters of Mercy of the Americas) when she joined them at the Annual General Meeting in May this year.

Mary Jean’s capacity for asking searching questions is a valuable resource for all of us as Mercy International Association explores its future direction. Mary Jean has other questions which give us cause to ponder:

• Do we give volunteers a place in the organisation?
• Do we try to involve people worldwide?
• Do we promote the Mercy International Justice Network?
• Do we include Mercy schools in our activities?
• Are we aware of worldwide interest in the canonisation process?
• Do our educational institutions know about the Mercy desk at United Nations?

A further challenge was added by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin when he spoke at the tenth anniversary of Mercy International Centre recently. He reflected to us that being a sign of unity is the ultimate goal of being international.

At this time we rejoice and wonder at what the last ten years has brought the Mercy world through the power of Mercy International Centre, the website, the work for justice, and the treasures of the past. Can we now find ways to promote and share the unity so dear to Catherine? Can we find and share the questions which are calling us at this critical time in our Mercy history?

Ethel Bignell rsm
MIA Administrator