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Thursday, December 20, 2018 ------------------------------- Volume 12, Issue 49

Please enjoy this special edition of Mid-Atlantic Messages in honor of the
175th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy to the Americas!
Listen as Mother Frances Warde tells the story of the sisters' arrival in Pittsburgh, view videos to learn about then and now, and explore the Institute website
for more stories, photos, and how the greater Mercy community is celebrating.

"It is a glorious thing to be a Sister of Mercy."

Celebrating 175 Years of Mercy
in the Americas
On December 21, 2018, the Sisters of Mercy celebrate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Seven Sisters of Mercy first stepped foot in the United States in 1843 led by Mother Mary Frances Xavier Warde. Known as the "walking sisters" because the Sisters of Mercy coupled a life of service with contemplation, they served women and children in need. Today, through more than 200 ministries, they walk with women and children facing poverty, homelessness, illness and a lack of education.
Arriving in the Americas...
On December 21, 1843, Mother Frances Xavier Warde and six companions arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to become the first Sisters of Mercy in the Americas.
Listen now while Sister Megan Brown, RSM, as the voice of Mother Frances Warde, takes us back in time to feel the sisters' initial excitement, their early adventures, and how the color lilac came to be a favorite for Frances.

Each video below shares an aspect of the Sisters of Mercy in the Americas, then and now!
Click on the image above to access the Mid-Atlantic Community website to listen and be transported to 1843!
Click on the image above to watch and learn about the early day for the Sisters of Mercy in the United States.
Click on the image above to watch and learn about the story of Mercy in education.
Click on the image above to watch and learn more about the Sisters of Mercy in health care.
175th Anniversary in the Media
Catherine McAuley, the 175th anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy's arrival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Mid-Atlantic Sister Karen Schneider, RSM, are featured in a recent article in the Global Sisters Report.
Explore the 175th Anniversary page of the Institute website for more!
This Week's News
A Letter from the President
Please read this letter from Mid-Atlantic Community president Sister Patricia Vetrano, RSM.
A Story!
from the Critical Concerns Committee
Little Pedro and Juan were finally on their way to the BIG church. Their long-awaited wish coming true. Their treasure, a small coin, safely tucked in Juan’s pocket. A gift to the infant King. Will the church bells ring? Elders say it happens when the right gift is given. One hundred years, no bells. Many offer gifts. No bells! The king offers a gift! No bells. An elder falls. Pedro lends an arm and they move forward slowly. Juan goes on ahead with their coin. The church is so big. Little Juan slips up to the manger, the coin is given with a tiny ping. He bows, backs away unnoticed. A pause, heads turn, heads move, the sound? The bells! The bells ring! But how? What gift? Pedro and Juan lift their heads to the sound and begin to journey home.

Will the bells ring in your Christmas?

We live a simpler life in the way we focus our lives. When we keep things manageable and uncomplicated, we have good energy to approach the surprises that come upon us. Let’s imitate Pedro and Juan in having a straightforward focus and move in that direction. We continue, during this quarter, to reflect on Consumerism: Personal Needs and Wants. May we live gratefully and simply today.
Mercy Neighborhood Ministry Opens New Adult Education Center
Sister Maureen Conklin, RSM, (far right) is the coordinator of adult education at Mercy Neighborhood Ministries.
On Tuesday, December 4, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, opened “The Burton R. Cohen Education Center,” which includes new classroom space for adult education and workforce development. Located in the lower level of the Mercy Family Center (1939 W. Venango Street), the construction was made possible by The Burton and Mindy Cohen Foundation, generous supporters of the organization’s mission who have been inspired by the “passion, mission, and sincerity of Sister Ann Provost, RSM, the executive director.” Adult education provides a much needed service to a community where only 2% of the population holds a four-year degree. If you are interested in volunteering and tutoring students and preparing them for future success, please contact Sister Maureen Conklin, RSM, at [email protected] .
Attend a Gathering
Sisters, the NyPaW Community is inviting two sisters from each community to join their June weekend gathering, “Living Mercy Now and Into the Future,” which will feature Sister Elizabeth Davis, RSM, the congregational leader of the Sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland. Participants should plan to attend the entire three-day meeting from Friday, June 28, to Sunday, June 30, 2019, at the Millennium Hotel in Buffalo, New York. A lottery will be held to decide which two sisters from the Mid-Atlantic will attend. If you are interested in participating, please contact Ricki Bonnard at 610.664.6650, ext. 320, or [email protected] by Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Act with Compassion for All
from the Mid-Atlantic Community justice coordinator






Sisters of Mercy from the Mid-Atlantic Community joined a postcard initiative. Artwork created by Sister Lisa M. Perkowski, IHM.
Sisters of Mercy from the Mid-Atlantic Community recently participated in a postcard initiative begun by the IHM community from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Postcards were mailed to President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence with these words on the back:

"During this Advent/Christmas Season, we wish you and your family well. We wish all people well, including those who seek our human compassion. As U.S. citizens we demand:
  • The U.S. government respect the human right to migrate and seek asylum.
  • An end to the border militarization. Listen to border communities; revitalize, not militarize their communities.
  • An immediate end to the immoral detention and deportation of over 40,000 immigrants."

Using a postcard or Christmas card, consider taking a similar action this holiday season and mailing to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.

Please explore these additional items:
Gifts from Santa
Santa made a special visit to McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung, New Jersey. Here he shares a gift—and photo op—with Sister Dolores Targiano, RSM.
Merry Christmas!
The next Mid-Atlantic Messages will be published on Thursday, January 3, 2019. On behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Community communications office – Debbi Della Porta and Clara Lombardi – may you have a blessed Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
"Politics is an essential means of building human community and institutions, but when political life is not seen as a form of service to society as a whole, it can become a means of oppression, marginalization and even destruction."

– Pope Francis, Message for the 52nd World Day of Peace, January 1, 2019

Publications and Website Links
There are no ministry openings this week.

Here is this week's
the weekly newsletter of Mercy International Association.

Here is this week's
the weekly newsletter of Mercy Education System of the Americas.

Here is the December 2018
an update from Mercy Investment Services.
Upcoming Events
Spring 2019
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Dallas, Pennsylvania
Watchung, New Jersey

Saturday, March 9, 2019
Merion, Pennsylvania
Syosset, New York

Fall 2019
Friday, November 8, 2019, to Sunday, November 10, 2019
Parsippany, New Jersey
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