Mercy Life Panel members l-r: Associate Co-Director Trish Trout, Companion Jane Bower, Mercy Volunteer Coordinator Angie Carlton and Sister Michelle Gorman

"Gathering 2012 – Celebrating Who We Are and Who We Are Becoming" brought 400 sisters, associates and companions from across the West Midwest Community to Detroit, Mich., from June 21-25. They came to pray, connect with each other, hear inspiring presentations and continue a community-wide discussion of taking religious life into the future.

“This gathering was about continuing  community-wide conversations we have been having in our various sites about matters of the heart and the deeply held values that are guiding our lives into the 21^st century,” said Sister Kathy Thornton, RSM, member of the West Midwest Community Leadership Team.  “Our founder, Catherine McAuley, was extremely adept at identifying and responding to the needs of the poor and suffering in her time, 18th century Ireland. Our work now is to discern what the critical needs are today and how we as sisters, associates and companions can make a difference as Catherine did.”

 

The meeting allowed members of the community who live and minister in many different cities an important opportunity to meet in person, hear new ideas and have significant conversations. Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM, a renowned scholar of religious life  as well as a sister herself addressed the Gathering presenting a hopefilled message reminding the Sisters to remain faithful to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they continue to minister to those in need today. 

The Gathering, which took more than a year and 100 volunteers to plan, is important preparation for the 2013 Assembly during which sisters will select the new WMW leadership team and collectively set the direction for the next five years.

Participants met in groups to discuss new ideas for ministries during one afternoon. Other presentations included a panel featuring representatives of the four forms of Mercy commitment: Mercy Associates, Companions in Mercy, Mercy Volunteer Corps and vowed religious life as a Sister of Mercy.  The meeting closed with reflections on the future from Sisters Judith Frikker, RSM, West Midwest president, and Pat McDermott, RSM, president of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

After four days of discussions, inspiring talks and informal conversation, the meeting concluded  June 25 with a celebratory  prayer ritual that provided an emotionally moving combination of video, prayer, dance, and song.   Those present were reminded to embrace the message from the prophet Isaiah (43: 19)  “Thus says the LORD: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; I am doing something new! Can you not see it?”