Sister Marion Cypser of Chicago, IL, was awarded the Outstanding Administrator Award by Congressman Danny K. Davis on Aug. 4, in cooperation with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Rush University Medical Center. Marion has been principal of St. Catherine-St. Lucy school for 34 years, serving children in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood. 

Congressman Davis noted that Marion and her staff offer a challenging and excellent Christian education in a creative and safe environment.  "Marion's deep belief that education is a means out of the cycle of poverty drives her efforts to provide a value-centered educational setting.  These are the values that are necessary to live in a multi-cultural world where peace, justice and equality are hopes for the future," he said.

Marion was the Catholic school administrator among 10 administrators honored.  There were 500 in attendance at the presentation.

Congratulations to Sister Rosemary Connelly of Chicago. She was named a 2012 Illinoisan of the Day by the Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation. She was honored on Aug. 13 at this year's fair in Springfield.

Rosemary was named for her decades of service to Misericordia, a home for more than 600 developmentally disabled children and adults.  

Sisters of Mercy Associates and friends from Michigan and Chicago joined Sisters Paulita Walters and Sharon Wedig at the Readiness Center in Benton Harbor, MI, for a day of service and fun. They came on July 21 to cut out everything from pumpkins to Christmas trees. They stapled Mexican sombreros and fish and flowers.

The seasonal projects provide Sister Paulita materials to offer lots of exciting “small-motor-skills fun” (pasting and coloring) for her 50 to 60 preschoolers throughout the school year. The Readiness Center,  founded by Sister Paulita in 1980, is a pre-school program for children from the inner city of Benton Harbor.  The center also provides an afterschool program called “City Kids” to give first through seventh graders a place to do their homework, use computers, and help each other out in a safe environment.   

More about the Readiness Center here: http://www.readinesscenterinc.org/

More good news came in July.

Sister Rosemary Connelly of Chicago was named Catholic Woman of the Year by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA). The award was presented to Rosemary at the 2012 National CDA Convention held July 18-22 in Omaha, Ne.  The award, engraved with the CDA logo, read:   "Catholic Woman of the Year 2012, Sister Rosemary Connelly, RSM, for bringing the light of Christ to others." A check in the amount of $5,000 was also presented to Rosemary for the benefit of her ministry, Misericordia Homes where she is the executive director.  Misericordia, established in 1921, offers a community of care for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities. Currently, 600 children and adults of diverse backgrounds live at Misericordia.

After a moving and informative video about Misericordia,  Rosemary approached the dais to a standing ovation. She spoke of her work with Misericordia and thanked the Catholic Daughters for the honor. Misericordia is a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community.  http://www.misericordia.com/about/default.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sister Judith Frikker (L) receives Sister Taryn Stark's First Vows in Burlingame, CA.

Sister Taryn Stark professed first vows First Vows as a Sister of Mercy on July 14, 2012, surrounded by sisters, family, friends, and associates at the Mercy Chapel in Burlingame, CA.  Sister Taryn pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor, sick, and ignorant, the fourth vow particular to the Sisters of Mercy.  Sister Judith Frikker, Community President of the Sisters of Mercy, West Midwest Community, received Sister Taryn’s vows on behalf of the West Midwest Community.

“The celebration of Taryn’s first vows was a joyful event for the entire Community,” Sister Judith said. “The ceremony reflected Taryn and her lived international experience. It is a sign of hope for the future to have Taryn become a vowed member of the Sisters of Mercy.”

Taryn was ebullient after the profession.  Taryn said, “The immense joy I feel inside and from the Mercy Community can only be a grace from God. I couldn’t stop smiling. You could feel the joy and the energy in the room. I felt so loved. Nothing else can affirm your calling more than that.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.”

Sisters Diane Davidson, Pat McDermott, Judith Frikker and Patricia Forret witness as Marie Angele (center) professes her Final Vows.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sandy Goetzinger-Comer
Director of Communications
402-393-8225

Omaha, NE (June 4, 2012) -- The Sisters of Mercy West Midwest (WMW) Community, made up of 721 women religious and 531 associates ministering across more than two-thirds of the United States, came together in celebration – either physically or spiritually by prayer – to celebrate one of its newer members professing final vows. Sister Marie Angele, RSM, of Omaha, NE, professed perpetual vows as a Religious Sister of Mercy on Saturday, June 2, at College of Saint Mary’s Our Lady of Mercy Chapel.  

Sister Judith Frikker, RSM, president of the West Midwest Community, says, “It is with immense joy that I, on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy, present Sister Marie Angele as she professes final vows in the West Midwest Community. This day affirms that God continues to call women to religious life,” Sister Judith added.

St. Mary's Elementary after the tornado May 22, 2011

As Joplin, MO, gathers to remember the tornado of May 22, 2011, the Sisters of Mercy of the West Midwest continue to give support.  The sisters have been part of the recovery of the community of Joplin since the tornado’s destruction a year ago. Recently, grief counselor Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher of San Francisco was a guest of the Sisters of Mercy of Joplin to help students deal with their emotions around the anniversary. St. Mary’s Elementary School, totally destroyed, is now housed in a 100-year-old warehouse, near McAuley High School and St. Peter’s Middle School.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OBAMACARE!

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), landmark legislation designed to provide coverage for more than half of the nation’s 52 million uninsured citizens, and to address abuses in the insurance industry.  The law is being implemented gradually.  The uninsured poor have to wait until January 1, 2014 before Medicaid will be expanded.  Until then, they will continue to defer care, or to seek it at free clinics and hospital ERs.

to read more:click here

     KQED blog

Sister Katherine Doyle of Auburn,CA, is featured in this KQED article on Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America. "The story of America's Roman Catholic nuns and sisters remains largely untold. Now a first-of-its kind exhibit at the California Museum in Sacramento aims to change that. " For more

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/03/13/sacramento-exhibit-celebrates-contributions-of-catholic-sisters-and-nuns/