For the past five years an important part of our Mercy Associate ministry has been a yearly weekend Retreat which is held in September. We rent a house in a community which can accommodate eight to ten people. We use our private vehicles and travel as a group.
From 2021 to 2025 we have held our retreats in the following communities in Newfoundland and Labrador:
2021 –Woody Point
2022 –Herring Neck
2023 –West Bottom
2024 –Cox’s Cove
2025 –Tilting, Fogo Island
This year, September 2025, 8 (eight) of our associates attended the retreat (one associate came from Deer Lake and one from St. John’s). We arrived at the community of Farewell at 10:30 a.m. to catch the ferry to Fogo Island. It was a beautiful day, and we very much enjoyed the ferry ride. Upon arrival we went to the famous Fogo Island Inn, where we had scheduled a tour. We enjoyed the tour and our tour guide was wonderful. Associate Geraldine Drover then gave us a tour of the community of Tilting, which was her hometown. After settling at the B&B we rented, we enjoyed a relaxing meal. We had prepared all our meals beforehand. Then we had a delightful evening of fellowship after an adventurous and full day.
We began Saturday by gathering for brunch; and then prepared ourselves for the Spiritual Program that was to follow. The Retreat was facilitated by our Mercy Associate, Sarah Mercer. The chosen theme was “Mercy”. Discussion focused on how we can show mercy to others in our lives and how we can be instruments of mercy to our family, our parish and our community at large. Our afternoon retreat ended with attending Mass in the community of Joe Batt’s Arm. The choir and parish priest appreciated our participation with the singing. We certainly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in our group.
God works in strange ways! In mingling with some parishioners after Mass, we discovered that the choir leader had roots in the community of Coachman’s Cove – which is a small community near our home, Baie Verte. She was related to one of our associates and they had never met. What a blessing! What a beautiful union it was! We believe this was one of God’s miracles to us!
Once back at the B&B, we enjoyed another lovely meal together. The evening brought laughter and relaxation. It was quite a day! Sunday morning was a flurry of activity as we headed home. Geraldine Drover was off to St. John’s, Anna Hoven to Deer Lake and the rest of us to Baie Verte.
It was a fantastic weekend of “God is Good”! We are already anxiously awaiting and planning next year’s retreat! Amen!
Ellie Gavin, Group Facilitator
Seeds of Mercy, Associates
Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Anastasia was received into the novitiate on July 2,1855 and given the name Sister Mary John Baptist. Sister M. Francis Creedon presided over the reception ceremony although she was very ill at the time. Her death two weeks later on July 15 left the four remaining young sisters – M. Vincent Nugent, M. Francis Xavier Bernard, M. Elizabeth Redmond and M. Baptist Tarahan – in a very precarious situation. A letter from the four was quickly sent to the superior at Baggot Street, informing her of Sister M. Francis’ death and pleading for help. In this letter the grief and desolation of the little community is almost palpable and their request for assistance is very clear: “to prevent a convent which promises to give such glory to God from failing, for want of a few nuns capable of governing it.” The letter can be found in the Archives of the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, but as far as is known, it was never acknowledged and no sisters were sent from Ireland to help the situation.
Download the prayer service 
Join us in celebrating 194 years of committed service to the poor, the sick and the uneducated using our reflection, exploring 
