When Sisters of Mercy profess their vows, they profess a fourth vow unique to them: the vow of service to those in need.
That service may take them across Western Europe, to a deplorable hospital in Turkey to nurse dying soldiers. Or to the border of Paraguay and Argentina, a hotbed of human trafficking, to care for victims of violence and to challenge the dangerous machismo culture. Or to the streets of Sacramento, California, to accompany people experiencing homelessness.
Wherever, whenever Mercy calls, Sisters of Mercy respond.
In Dublin, Ireland, on September 24, 1827, Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, opened the doors of her House of Mercy on Baggot Street to address the unmet needs of poor children and women. Soon, other women came to live and serve alongside Catherine. On December 12, 1831, Catherine and two others professed their vows as the first Sisters of Mercy.
Catherine’s original companions came together for a mission that could change on a moment’s notice. One of these “first responders” was Georgiana Moore, who came to reside permanently at Baggot Street in June 1830 when she was just 16. She was received as a novice, taking the name Mary Clare, when she was 18; a year later, she professed her religious vows as a Sister of Mercy. With Catherine McAuley, she founded Mercy communities in Cork, Ireland, and Bermondsey (London), England, in 1837 and 1839, respectively.
In 1854, news began to reach London about the suffering of injured servicemen who were fighting in the Crimea; there, they were subjected to a shameful lack of proper medical care. The bishop requested that Clare and some of her sisters travel, on three days’ notice, to Scutari Hospital in Turkey. The hospital was grossly understaffed with never-enough food, fuel, linens or medical supplies. It was these horrendous conditions that inspired the legacy of Florence Nightingale, who supervised the work of Clare Moore and her sisters at Scutari.
Despite all that was lacking, Clare and her sisters served the wounded men with compassion and dignity. Florence Nightingale later wrote to Clare:
“I cannot express to you, dear Revd Mother, the gratitude which I and the whole country feel to you for your goodness. . . . without you, I do not know what would have become of the work.”
Clare Moore’s steadfast commitment to Mercy forced her to step into the unknown, to serve despite tremendous obstacles and to assure people long neglected that they are never forgotten in the eyes of God. We hear echoes of her fortitude and tenacity in countless contemporary Mercy ministries that respond to unmet needs.
"Thirty five years ago when I was in the novitiate, I visited a woman who was suffering from violence named Ramona. She ended up in the hospital due to the blows she received. I visited her at different times," recalled Sister Estela Gómez. "The day before my vows profession she told me something that moved me and has stayed deep in my heart." She said:
“Don’t forget me tomorrow while you profess your vows.”
“That meant so much to me. Sadly, she died, but her words are still strong within me,” Estela said.
Those same strong words continue to inspire Sister Estela in her ministry at Ñande Roga Guazú. Located in Clorinda, Formosa, Argentina, close to the border of Paraguay, Ñande Roga Guazú—which in Guarini, an indigenous language of Paraguay, means “our welcoming home”—provides direct help to women who have been abused and raises consciousness about gender violence in the local community.
The ministry was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 2000, with Estela at the helm since 2007. On paper, the challenges facing Estela and her team seem insurmountable:
- A dangerous and deeply ingrained machismo culture which renders women as little more than property.
- A dysfunctional education system in which low-income students are often targeted by human traffickers.
- A broken healthcare system, making it difficult for victims to get the medical help they need.
- A discriminatory court system in which traffickers and abusers often receive little or no justice for their actions.
But these challenges only fuel Estela’s determination to confront the crisis head-on. Her work includes programs at schools to educate children about gender violence; workshops to empower women who are victims of or at-risk for abuse; and radio and television spots to help raise the community’s awareness.
The women who turn to Ñande Roga Guazú need so much—many have no family who will support them if they leave their abusive partner, and they lack education and job training. Estela shared about one woman who supported her family, including her abusive husband, by selling food on the street. Ñande Roga Guazú helped connect her to scholarships so that she could study computer education. After she earned her teaching degree and found work, she was able to leave her partner and support herself and her children. At school, the woman’s son was asked to draw a picture of his mom at work, and Estela recalled that, “with great pride he drew a picture of his mom on the computer.”
Though her ministry can be isolating, located in a rural area with such great sociological, political and economic difficulties, Estela said:
“What gives me strength is the support of my community. I am not alone. The God of Mercy is present in the options the community makes.”
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For 20 years, Sister Libby Fernandez had been working at Sacramento Loaves & Fishes, which serves hot meals daily to 800 people experiencing homelessness.
In this city where 6,000 people are considered homeless, at least 4,000 live on the streets due a lack of affordable housing and limited space in emergency shelters. So Libby knew that if they were serving 800 people each day, there were thousands more who simply could not make it to Loaves & Fishes for a meal. “I thought, how can I reach those people?”
The idea came to her: Mercy Pedalers, a ministry of volunteers pedaling through the streets of Sacramento to connect with women and men who are experiencing homelessness.
Why cycling? “You can cover a lot of distance, and it’s easier to access the people who need our help,” Libby explained. The pedalers, all volunteers, load their bikes and trikes with items of hospitality (hot coffee, sugar, creamer) and items of necessity—nutritional bars, hats, gloves, socks, toiletries and more. They also carry updated information about local resources, including recovery programs for those struggling with addictions and treatment centers for those with mental illness.
“Mercy Pedalers provides direct service following the Works of Mercy. Our motto is, ‘Bringing Mercy to the streets,’” Libby said.
“When we connect with people one-on-one, we are lifting their self-esteem and giving them a sense of worth and value. They know we will be coming to check on them. They start to feel good about themselves, and that helps them make changes in their lives.”
Oftentimes, these relationships continue even after people find housing.
“One of our homeless guests got into housing, and now she volunteers as a pedaler,” said Libby. “She has the experience. She has been clean and sober for two years, and she knows what it’s like to be on the streets. She encourages people and tells them the steps they need to take. We all learn a lot from her.”
In addition to their work on the streets, Mercy Pedalers looks at the macro picture of homelessness and participates in advocacy work for initiatives including affordable housing, access to portable bathrooms, mental health care and more.
Thanks to more than 100 volunteers, the Mercy Pedalers community is growing rapidly, and so is its outreach. But Libby emphasized that you don’t need a bike or trike to participate.
“The Works of Mercy are things anyone can do,” she said. “Being present to someone, giving them a nutritional bar, being supportive of them. And these simple actions can make a big difference in a person’s life.”
Sisters of Mercy trust in God to inspire them with creative and daring ways to address the unmet needs in our world today. But their compassionate works of service and advocacy present an invitation and a challenge to us all:
- Whom do we see at the fringes of our society?
- How can we help?
- What has caused them to be isolated, and how can we start to change it?
We pray: Jesus, help us to increase our understanding of the needs of our brothers and sisters and give us the courage to confront the social conditions that contribute to their suffering. May our faith be practical, measured by our deeds as well as by our words (Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy, 254).
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Credits:
All photos were provided to the Sisters of Mercy for use.