Sister Mary Fabian Hennebury

Sister Mary Fabian Hennebury (1916 -2009) was the Public Face of St. Clare’s Mercy hospital for nearly three decades.

It is fitting that having celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of St. Clare’s that we profile a woman who was the public face of St. Clare’s for twenty-six years.

Mary Hennebury, known to us as Sister Mary Fabian, was born in Bonavista in 1916, the eldest of eight children. Her mother died when she was nine and Mary learned to accept responsibility at an early age. During the two years she spent at St. Bride’s College after leaving Bonavista, she was inspired by the sisters’ lives and their dedication to helping others, and it was here that she began to think about religious life as an option for herself. In 1935 at the age of nineteen, Mary entered the Sisters of Mercy.

A year after her profession, in 1939, she began nursing studies at the newly opened St. Clare’s School of Nursing. She went on to do post­graduate work at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and upon her return to St. John’s was appointed supervisor of pediatrics at St. Clare’s. Her excellent academic qualifications and her Toronto experience had prepared her well for this ministry, which remained dear to her heart all through her life.

Meanwhile, Sister Mary Fabian was asked by the Congregation to enroll in a two-year correspondence course in hospital organization and management, given by the Canadian Hospital Association. She enrolled in a similar program with the American Hospital Association and received certification in both programs. Well-equipped academically and professionally, she was more than ready to assume the role of administrator of St. Clare’s in 1955. This marked the beginning of a period of unprecedented growth for the hospital, not only in the size of the physical plant, in the services offered, in its outreach programs, but also in the qualifications, expertise and reputation of the people who staffed the hospital.

Sisters and lay staff were given opportunities to pursue studies at home and in other parts of Canada in order to get the required competencies for the hospital’s expanded services. Sister Fabian herself was a lifelong learner, always keeping abreast of new approaches and developments in the delivery of health care.

Sister Mary Fabian oversaw two extensions to the hospital and initiated many new programs and services. Among these were hospital accreditation, pastoral care, social work, respiratory services, physiotherapy, and a rheumatology unit. As one department was established, new needs presented themselves and Sister Mary Fabian was quick to recognize and respond to these changing needs.

Almost immediately after assuming her position, Sister Mary Fabian began working on setting up a Board of Directors and a Medical Advisory Committee, both of which she saw as absolutely necessary for the growth of St. Clare’s into a first-class hospital. From the beginning the new Board worked tirelessly with  Mary Sister Fabian to continue the tradition of Mercy and to ensure quality care for the patients. The incorporation of the hospital in 1960 not only gave St. Clare’s legal status, but the means to ensure that its mission and values were sustained. Sister Mary Fabian also made and maintained connections with many organizations and groups in the city with a view to enhancing the reach of the hospital into the broader community. One such negotiation resulted in St. Clare’s being recognized as a teaching hospital with a formal affiliation with the Medical School of Memorial University.

Sister Mary Fabian’s role as administrator of an inner- city hospital made her keenly aware of the helplessness of many people suffering from addiction to alcohol. In the mid-1970s the Department of Health approached St. Clare’s with a proposition that could respond to this pressing need, which was being recognized as a priority in the city. Government was prepared to finance a detoxification center, if St. Clare’s would find a site for it and administer it. Sister Mary Fabian, her Board and the Congregation, wholeheartedly accepted the challenge. The Sisters purchased a property on Deanery Avenue in St. John’s and turned it over to St. Clare’s. Talbot House, under the guiding hand of Sister Mary Fabian, provided treatment, self-help programs and a safe haven for people fighting the disease of alcoholism.

Another huge venture initiated by Sister Mary Fabian was the establishment of a Palliative Care Unit at St. Clare’s. The groundwork for the project involved several years of intense negotiation and planning, a process in which Sister Mary Fabian played a major role. On October 1, 1971, largely as a result of her vision and with the financial assistance of the Sisters of Mercy, St. Clare’s opened the first Palliative Care Unit east of Montreal. In the ensuing years, this unit gave comfort, hope and dignity to hundreds of patients and their families in their darkest hours. The first Sister of Mercy to die in Palliative care was Sister Mary Mark Hennebury, Sister Mary Fabian’s sister.

Although Sister Mary Fabian received national and international recognition for her progressive stance and her contributions to health care at home and abroad, she always insisted that she did not do it alone.  Invariably, she credited her Board of Directors, her congregation and the staff with whom she worked as her invaluable support system, enabling her to carry out her part of the overall mission of St. Clare’s. Undoubtedly however, she played a major role in ensuring the position of St. Clare’s as a general hospital with the highest accreditation, while at the same time ensuring that it held firmly to the mission and values of our founding charism. In her ministry of 38 years at St. Clare’s, Sister Mary Fabian embodied the spirit of Mercy and by her visionary, wise and energetic leadership, established at St. Clare’s a standard of excellence in the delivery of compassionate care that was a model for her successors.

On her retirement from the health care system, Sister Mary Fabian ministered at McAuley Convent, sitting with the elderly sisters, watching and praying with the dying, answering the door, welcoming visitors and doing the many small routine tasks that needed to be done. Throughout her whole life, she lived the motto of St. Clare’s “Mercy Above All”.  She entered into eternal life on March 31, 2009.

 

        (Article written by Sister Charlotte Fitzpatrick, RSM)

Sister Mary Bernard Gladney

Sister Mary Bernard Gladney (1902- 1974) was the First Administrator of St. Clare’s and Rural Nurse extraordinaire.

Alice Maud Gladney, known to us as Sister Mary Bernard, was born in Portugal Cove in December of 1883. Her reception into the Sisters of Mercy in April 1902 was the first of many reception and profession ceremonies to take place in the new Littledale chapel, constructed in that same year as part of the Talbot Wing on the Littledale property..

On September 29, 1913 Sister Mary Bernard was assigned to be part of the first community of St. Clare’s Home, a hostel for working girls, located in the White House on LeMarchant Road, St. John’s, which came to be known as St. Clare’s Mercy Convent. The Home operated for nine years and although the need for such a ministry was still there, the need for a Catholic hospital became even more urgent. Sister Mary Bernard’s dream was to become a nurse, and she was overjoyed when Archbishop Roche arranged for her to study nursing in Ireland in preparation for opening a hospital run by the Sisters of Mercy. The outbreak of World War One made it too dangerous for her to travel overseas, and eventually she began a three- year nursing program at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.

In October 1921, Sister Mary Bernard returned to St. Johns as a registered nurse, having completed extra studies in radiography, anesthesia, and laboratory, leaving her well-equipped to handle any emergency. She was assigned again to St. Clare’s Home, remaining there until it closed in May of 1922 to make way for the new hospital. In a mere three weeks the Home was adapted to a 20-bed hospital and Sister Mary Bernard became its first administrator. The first staff of the new St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital consisted of one more RN, Alice Casey, and two nursing assistants, Sisters Catherine Greene and Gabriel Fleming. With such a small nursing staff, Sister Mary Bernard was delighted to have the on-call services of twelve of the most competent doctors in the city. However, without such supports as regular hours or days off, Sister Mary Bernard often worked well into the night, until overtired and overworked, she succumbed to tuberculosis little more than a year after this critical ministry began. What a cross this must have been for her, for Archbishop Roche who had such dreams for St. Clare’s, for the Sisters of Mercy and for the fledgling hospital itself. The congregation arranged for Sister Mary Bernard to go to a sanitarium in New York for rest and treatment, and St. Clare’s closed its doors for several months. Two Sisters from Mercy Hospital in Baltimore came on loan to St. Clare’s to get the hospital back on its feet.

Interestingly, when Sister Mary Bernard returned to St. John’s she was appointed, not to St. Clare’s, where Sister Mary Aloysius Rawlins had already been named superior and hospital administrator, but as staff nurse to Belvedere and then to St. Bride’s Boarding School. Her next assignment was St. Lawrence and it was here that she found the greatest scope for her nursing skills and for her strong desire to help people in need. St. Lawrence had been without a doctor for six years and government’s repeated attempts to procure a medical resident had proved fruitless. Mother Philippa’s visitation to the convent in St. Lawrence in the summer of 1934 enabled her to get a first-hand look at the needs of the area. After assessing the dire situation, she and her Council named Sister Mary Bernard superior of the convent in St. Lawrence, a decision that proved to be providential both for the town and for Sister Mary Bernard, who became the area’s medical officer. Sister Mary Bernard’s medical knowledge and her well­ honed nursing skills were just what the town needed, and she responded with eagerness but perhaps not without a tinge of trepidation to this huge challenge. With her companion, Sister Mary Borgia Kenny, she cared for the sick in St. Lawrence and surrounding areas for the next six years. My mother was employed at the convent for part of that time, so I heard firsthand of the exploits of these two brave and dedicated sisters.

Upon arrival in St. Lawrence Sister Mary Bernard had converted a small room at the convent for use as a clinic, where people could come for medical advice and treatment. She set broken bones, pulled teeth, delivered babies, stitched open wounds, cared for miners in times of accidents, listened kindly and patiently to people’s problems and did whatever needed to be done for her people. With wonderful insight for the town’s future well-being, she trained a group of local women in midwifery. Sister Mary Bernard would often bring a sick patient to stay at the convent if the home circumstances could not provide the necessary care and attention. She and Sister Borgia devoted several hours each day to home visitation – on foot, by open boat, or in winter by horse and sleigh. Reminiscing about her days in St. Lawrence, Sister Borgia recalled instances of clambering down into a tossing dory in the middle of the night on their way to deliver a baby or attend to a medical emergency, with Sister Bernard holding tightly to the skirt of her white habit. These two valiant women of Mercy answered all calls in all weathers and the people knew that their every request would be attended to with grace, kindness, and competence.

But Sister Mary Bernard was not only superior of the convent and chief medical officer for the area. She immersed herself in the life of the community, staging many concerts and even operettas. In the mid -1930s the people of St. Lawrence were still suffering from the effects of the tidal wave of 1929 and were in the throes of the Great Depression. Life was very difficult for families, and government aid amounted to a mere six cents a day per person. Sister Mary Bernard was all too aware of the misery surrounding her, but she knew the power of music and drama to uplift the spirits of the people and give them a respite from the struggles of daily life. In her recollections of life in St. Lawrence in the 1930s and 40s, Mrs. Ena Farrell-Edwards, a local historian, spoke of Sister Mary Bernard as a shining light in dark and difficult times, calling her the Mother Teresa of St. Lawrence.

After her return from St. Lawrence in 1940, Sister Mary Bernard went to Belvedere where she spent the next 34 years of her life. There, her surgery became a refuge for many children who just needed to hear her say God bless you, my pet. Many would fake an ailment as an excuse to visit this gentle, compassionate sister who knew how to soothe every ache or pain. Those of us who knew her remember a kindly countenance, a welcoming smile and a warm, listening heart. Being in Sister Mary Bernard’s presence gave one the feeling of being special, worthy of all her attention. Day in and day out, she lived her gift of compassionate presence, that quality of Mercy that is at the heart of what it means to be a Sister of Mercy.

Sister Mary Bernard died in 1974 and remains a shining light in the story of Mercy in Newfoundland.

 (Article by Sister Charlotte Fitzpatrick, RSM)

Care for Incarcerated Women

Sister Margie Taylor is proud to collaborate with the Stella Burry Community Services Association over the past couple of years. She feels that the vision and charism of Stella Burry, the namesake of this association, have so much in common with the vision and charism of Catherine McAuley. They were two pioneer women who were passionate in their goal to assist the poor and did not stop even when they faced considerable obstacles. Both were women who sought to “walk with the people.”

From 2001 Margie worked for six years with women in the correctional centre in Clarenville, Newfoundland. In her presence and ministry there she presided at ecumenical prayer services, facilitated the Twelve Step Program and other personal development and social programs meant to enhance the quality of the life of these women. Through her ministry at the correctional centre she was first introduced to the Stella Burry Association and learned of their support system, especially in the area of education and housing.  Margie was impressed with the mission of this group: Stella Burry Community Services provides support and opportunities for renewal and self-discovery through programs that affirm every individual’s strength and abilities, restoring their sense of self-worth and capacity for change.”

Stella Burry

Stella Burry
Portraits Collection, “Miss Stella Burry, Emmanuel House, St. John’s, Nfld.” 76.001P781, United Church of Canada Archives.

Stella Burry was born on August 11, 1897, in Greenspond, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and is remembered in the history of the United Church of Newfoundland as “one who has made an outstanding contribution to church and community.”  Stella Burry began teaching at the age of 17, but the overwhelming poverty she encountered in rural Newfoundland led her to reconsider her career and in 1922, she moved to Toronto to pursue studies in social work.  After graduating in 1924, she stayed in Toronto for the next decade.  She returned to Newfoundland in 1938 and began a life of work that characterized her as a “pioneer social worker” in her native province.

She believed people needed a “hand up” and not a “hand out” so she secured the funds necessary to create Emmanuel House as a safe haven and community centre for young women coming to St. John’s.    She lobbied for changes in policy that would help women find suitable employment.
The vision of Stella Burry is “to provide supportive affordable housing in an inclusive community that provides opportunities for real work and citizen participation.”   Stella Burry initiated many programs and her achievements during her lifetime were numerous.  She died in 1991 at the age of 93 but her legacy of outstanding advocacy and concern for people lives on in the organization that bears her name today, The Stella Burry Community Services.
The Stella Burry Community Services, established in 1995, is an incorporated body of the United Church of Canada.  It is governed by a volunteer community-based Board of Directors and an Executive Director.  SBCS oversees the programs and services offered through Emmanuel House, Naomi Centre, Carew Lodge, New Beginnings, a Community Support Project, a long-Term Housing Project and an Employment /Education Program.  SBCS is recognized as a leader in this province for the development of supportive housing for people with complex mental health needs and for employment programs that offer real work experience.

Ministry with Women

The Stella Burry Association is very supportive of women and men who have been incarcerated.  Sister Margie is presently volunteering in a support group which meets every Tuesday evening at the Hungry Heart Cafe (another enterprise of Stella Burry Community Services).  The goal of this group is to assist women in re-entering society after their time in prison.  The group is presently working on a DVD that will depict how women become involved in the prison system, a description of the supports or lack of supports and programs offered by the system, and the assistance which is available once they are no longer incarcerated.  Sister Margie says, “The ministry with these women and the staff of Stella Burry is a real blessing in my life.  Many times there is much hurt and pain when one of the women goes back on drugs/alcohol, returns to an abusive relationship or tries to commit suicide. But that is when the supports and encouragement are most needed. The Stella Burry Community Services is there to help women help themselves and to re-gain their life.”
For more information about Stella Burry check website: Stella’s Circle

La Hermana Margie Taylor está orgullosa de haber colaborado con la Asociación de Servicios Comunitarios Stella Burry durante los dos últimos años. Siente que la visión y el carisma de Stella Burry, la homónima de esta asociación, tienen mucho en común con la visión y el carisma de Catherine McAuley. Fueron dos mujeres pioneras que se apasionaron en su objetivo de ayudar a los pobres y no se detuvieron ni siquiera cuando se enfrentaron a obstáculos considerables. Ambas eran mujeres que buscaban “caminar con la gente”.

Desde 2001 Margie trabajó durante seis años con mujeres en el centro correccional de Clarenville, Terranova. En su presencia y ministerio allí presidió servicios ecuménicos de oración, facilitó el Programa de Doce Pasos y otros programas sociales y de desarrollo personal destinados a mejorar la calidad de vida de estas mujeres. A través de su ministerio en el centro correccional, conoció la Asociación Stella Burry y su sistema de apoyo, especialmente en el ámbito de la educación y la vivienda. Margie quedó impresionada con la misión de este grupo: Stella Burry Community Services proporciona apoyo y oportunidades de renovación y autodescubrimiento a través de programas que afirman la fuerza y las capacidades de cada individuo, restaurando su sentido de autoestima y su capacidad de cambio”.

Stella Burry

Portraits Collection, “Stella Burry” 1976.001P/780, United Church of Canada Archives.

Stella Burry nació el 11 de agosto de 1897 en Greenspond, Bonavista Bay, Terranova, y es recordada en la historia de la Iglesia Unida de Terranova como “una persona que ha hecho una contribución excepcional a la iglesia y a la comunidad”. Stella Burry empezó a enseñar a los 17 años, pero la abrumadora pobreza que encontró en la Terranova rural la llevó a reconsiderar su carrera y, en 1922, se trasladó a Toronto para cursar estudios de trabajo social. Tras licenciarse en 1924, permaneció en Toronto durante la década siguiente. Regresó a Terranova en 1938 y comenzó una vida de trabajo que la caracterizó como “trabajadora social pionera” en su provincia natal.

Creía que la gente necesitaba que le “echaran una mano” y no que se la “dieran”, así que consiguió los fondos necesarios para crear Emmanuel House como refugio y centro comunitario para las jóvenes que llegaban a St. Abogó por cambios en la política que ayudaran a las mujeres a encontrar un empleo adecuado.

La visión de Stella Burry es “proporcionar viviendas de apoyo asequibles en una comunidad integradora que ofrezca oportunidades de trabajo real y participación ciudadana”. Stella Burry puso en marcha muchos programas y sus logros en vida fueron numerosos. Murió en 1991 a la edad de 93 años, pero su legado de extraordinaria defensa y preocupación por las personas sigue vivo en la organización que hoy lleva su nombre, The Stella Burry Community Services.

Los Servicios Comunitarios Stella Burry, creados en 1995, son un organismo incorporado a la Iglesia Unida de Canadá. Se rige por un Consejo de Administración voluntario de base comunitaria y un Director Ejecutivo. SBCS supervisa los programas y servicios ofrecidos a través de Emmanuel House, Naomi Centre, Carew Lodge, New Beginnings, un proyecto de apoyo comunitario, un proyecto de vivienda a largo plazo y un programa de empleo/educación. SBCS es reconocido como líder en esta provincia por el desarrollo de viviendas de apoyo para personas con necesidades complejas de salud mental y por los programas de empleo que ofrecen experiencia laboral real.

Ministerio con mujeres
La Asociación Stella Burry es muy solidaria con las mujeres y los hombres que han sido encarcelados. La hermana Margie es actualmente voluntaria en un grupo de apoyo que se reúne todos los martes por la tarde en el Hungry Heart Cafe (otra empresa de los Servicios Comunitarios de Stella Burry). El objetivo de este grupo es ayudar a las mujeres a reinsertarse en la sociedad tras su paso por la cárcel. El grupo está trabajando actualmente en un DVD que mostrará cómo las mujeres se ven envueltas en el sistema penitenciario, una descripción de los apoyos o falta de apoyos y programas ofrecidos por el sistema, y la asistencia que está disponible una vez que ya no están encarceladas. La hermana Margie dice: “El ministerio con estas mujeres y el personal de Stella Burry es una verdadera bendición en mi vida. Muchas veces hay mucho dolor y sufrimiento cuando una de las mujeres vuelve a las drogas/alcohol, vuelve a una relación abusiva o intenta suicidarse. Pero es entonces cuando el apoyo y el ánimo son más necesarios. Los Servicios Comunitarios Stella Burry están ahí para ayudar a las mujeres a ayudarse a sí mismas y a recuperar su vida”.

Más información sobre Stella Burry en la web: Círculo de Stella

Prison Ministry

From our earliest days  in Newfoundland a number of Sisters of Mercy visited inmates of the various prisons in the town of St John’s and at the Salmonier prison farm.

Sisters are involved in the prison system as advocates, teachers, and pastoral care-givers. They provide spiritual and social activities to enhance the quality of the lives of the inmates by leading worship and prayer, by teaching sessions on self esteem, self-awareness and personal growth. They advocate for the basic needs of life, food, shelter, clothing for those who are leaving the prison and those who are trying to make a new life for themselves.

At the present time sisters go regularly to the men’s prison in Stephenville. Occasionally sisters visit the minimum security prison in St. John’s. Sometimes sisters accompany persons to the courts and serve as support, advocate and as witness.

Desde nuestros primeros días en Terranova, varias Hermanas de la Misericordia visitaron a los reclusos de las diversas prisiones de la ciudad de St John’s y de la granja de la prisión de Salmonier.

Las Hermanas participan en el sistema penitenciario como defensoras, maestras y cuidadoras pastorales. Proporcionan actividades espirituales y sociales para mejorar la calidad de vida de los reclusos dirigiendo el culto y la oración, impartiendo sesiones sobre autoestima, autoconciencia y crecimiento personal. Abogan por las necesidades básicas de la vida, la alimentación, el cobijo y la ropa de los que salen de la cárcel y de los que intentan forjarse una nueva vida.

Actualmente, las hermanas van regularmente a la prisión masculina de Stephenville. Ocasionalmente, las hermanas visitan la prisión de mínima seguridad de St. A veces las hermanas acompañan a las personas a los tribunales y les sirven de apoyo, de defensoras y de testigos.

 

Our Ministry in Peru

The Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland arrived in Peru in November 1961 – when a group of six sisters took the long journey to participate in the mission of the Archdiocese of St. John’s in Monsefu, Chiclayo.

Sisters of Mercy from Newfoundland and Peru now minister in two areas of the country – in Puerto Eten, Reque and Eten, in the Chiclayo region and in Huarmey, Casma, Ancash.  Eight sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland (including four native Peruvians) work with the people, especially poor people, in towns and small villages in these two regions of Peru.

The sisters in Peru work closely with the people in catechetics, adult education, and in the various aspects of parish and liturgical life. They serve as teachers, social workers, advocates and champions of social justice.

In 2017 devasting floods and rains destroyed large areas of Peru.  Damage in Huarmey was caused by overflowing rivers of water and mud that filled the streets and homes of the pueblos.  In Puerto Eten and area peoples’ homes did not have adequate roofing to keep out the rains.  Households were flooded and meager beds and furniture were destroyed.   The Sisters of Mercy and the Presentation Sisters in Newfoundland, along with some of the religious orders in Peru provided financial resources to obtain furniture and roofing for the people.  Other aid came from the Peruvian government and other international agencies.

Supporting the Ministry – Misericordia Mission Fund

Donations to the Misericordia Mission Fund, a registered charity established by the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland, are used in Peru to provide basic needs for poor families – food, clothing, fuel, medicine, education and shelter. Many children receive basic education and sometimes post secondary education through donations to the fund.

Educational programs and materials, e.g. reading materials,  computers, student supplies are made available when resources allow. Emphasis is placed on working with women in areas of family care, health, nutrition, sewing, gardening, etc.  Opportunities are provided for men and women to develop skills in carpentry and farming of family gardens – a cooperative venture to help people help themselves. Medical needs in the form of prescription drugs, diagnostic tests, x-rays, and special procedures or treatments are also provided through the fund.

Educational programs and materials, e.g. reading materials,  computers, student supplies are made available when resources allow. Emphasis is placed on working with women in areas of family care, health, nutrition, sewing, gardening, etc.  Opportunities are provided for men and women to develop skills in carpentry and farming of family gardens – a cooperative venture to help people help themselves. Medical needs in the form of prescription drugs, diagnostic tests, x-rays, and special procedures or treatments are also provided through the fund.

All donations to the Misericordia Mission Fund are used in their entirety for the needs of poor people. Donations are received by the Misericordia Mission Fund in Newfoundland and are distributed by the Sisters who are ministering in Peru. Income tax receipts are issued for all donations to the fund.

Misericordia Mission Fund
P.O. Box 1757
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 5P5
Telephone: 709-726-7320
Fax: 709-726-4414
E-mail: mercygeneralate@sistersofmercynf.org

 

Our Ministry in Peru

The Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland arrived in Peru in November 1961 when a group of six sisters took the long journey to participate in the mission of the Archdiocese of St. John’s in Monsefu, Chiclayo.

Our Sisters of Mercy now minister in two areas of the country – in Puerto Eten, Reque and Eten, in the Chiclayo region and in Huarmey, Ancash.  Six sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland (including four native Peruvians) work with the people, especially those made poor, in towns and small villages in these two regions of Peru.

The sisters in Peru work closely with the people in catechetics, adult education, and in various aspects of parish and liturgical life. They serve as teachers, social workers, advocates and champions of social justice.

During the years of Covid 19 the Sisters were challenged to look for ways to respond to the numerous needs that arose at that time. Peru was affected enormously by the onslaught of Covid and its health system collapsed totally. Together with our co-workers, the Conference of Religious of Lima, and The Conference of Religious of Chimbote, plans were made to look for and purchase an Oxygen Plant for the city of Chimbote.

In the Diocese of Chiclayo the Sisters had much support from Caritas organization, along with many individuals and NGOs, especially for their outdoor neighborhood kitchens .  These kitchens are the main way people receive a hot meal each day.

An additional threat to the Peruvian people is the advent of Dengue Fever spread by mosquitos.  This is undoubtedly due to the recent rains and floods.  Climate change is certainly obvious.

It´s important to add that during these years as well much effort has been dedicated to help individuals and families to begin small jobs or businesses. Thus they become more independent and able to provide for their families. This includes raising small animals, beginning a store, providing a kiosk so that a person can sell food, selling products on the street, helping seamstresses by providing sewing machines, etc.

In the Diocese of Chiclayo the Sisters had much support from Caritas organization, along with many individuals and NGOs, especially for their outdoor neighborhood kitchens .  These kitchens are the main way people receive a hot meal each day.

An additional threat to the Peruvian people is the advent of Dengue Fever spread by mosquitos.  This is undoubtedly due to the recent rains and floods.  Climate change is certainly obvious.

It´s important to add that during these years as well much effort has been dedicated to help individuals and families to begin small jobs or businesses. Thus they become more independent and able to provide for their families. This includes raising small animals, beginning a store, providing a kiosk so that a person can sell food, selling products on the street, helping seamstresses by providing sewing machines, etc.

The Sisters of Mercy and the Presentation Sisters in Newfoundland, along with some of the religious orders in Peru, provided financial resources to obtain medical supplies and food for the people.  Other aid came from the Peruvian government and other international agencies.

The Sisters were lead to recognize what they have lived through and are living through: the climatic disasters, the political instability, the insecurity, the corruption and terrific rise in violence.  All of these factors affect them and their ministry.  On the other hand they recognize the incredible resistance, resilience, courage and faith of the people shown and lived this past year.  The gestures of solidarity at all levels has been quite visible.

Like all Sisters of Mercy, who live out the charism of Catherine McAuley, the Sisters in Peru continue reflections on questions, concerns and themes.  They strive to “relieve misery, address its causes, and support all persons who struggle for full dignity” (Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy, page 393)

Supporting the Ministry – Misericordia Mission Fund

Donations to the Misericordia Mission Fund, a registered charity established by the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland, are used in Peru to provide basic needs for poor families – food, clothing, fuel, medicine, education and shelter. Many children receive basic education and sometimes post secondary education through donations to the fund.

These last couple of years the Mission Fund has been able to respond to many needs caused by anti-government protests in the country when people could not work as usual; then the very heavy rains and floods have taken away not only peoples place of work, but many have lost homes and possessions. The fund has been used to form comedores and ollas communes (dining areas and common pots) and was able to lessen hunger and disease in many pueblos. Migrants, older people, and children are a special concern for our communities and the Mission fund works constantly with our lay people and coordinators to identify their needs and respond.

All donations to the Misericordia Mission Fund are used in their entirety for the needs of poor people. Donations received by the Misericordia Mission Fund in Newfoundland are distributed by the Sisters who are ministering in Peru. Income tax receipts are issued for all donations to the fund.

Misericordia Mission Fund
P.O. Box 1757
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada  A1C 5P5

National Volunteer Week, 16-22 April

This week celebrates our individual and collective actions in helping to make a better world for all.  The theme of this year’s Volunteer Week is: Volunteers Weave us Together.

We were delighted to see Sister Rosemary Ryan and Sister Margie Taylor featured on The Gathering Place social media.

The Facebook entry that accompanies the picture reads as follows:

Sister Margie and Sister Rosemary volunteer in our dining room serving meals and smiles to the Guests every week. As members of the Sisters of Mercy, they’re a part of the kind and wonderful foundational history of The Gathering Place. Today we celebrate their contribution and how they connect with the Guests we serve every week.

We thank Rosemary and Margie and all our sisters, associates and colleagues who give of their time and talents in a variety of ways to make a difference in the lives of people, especially the most disadvantaged.

Esta semana celebra nuestras acciones individuales y colectivas para ayudar a hacer un mundo mejor para todos. El tema de la Semana del Voluntariado de este año es: Los voluntarios nos unen.

Nos ha encantado ver a la Hermana Rosemary Ryan y a la Hermana Margie Taylor en las redes sociales de The Gathering Place.
La entrada de Facebook que acompaña a la foto dice lo siguiente:

La Hermana Margie y la Hermana Rosemary son voluntarias en nuestro comedor sirviendo comidas y sonriendo a los Huéspedes cada semana. Como miembros de las Hermanas de la Misericordia, forman parte de la amable y maravillosa historia fundacional de The Gathering Place. Hoy celebramos su contribución y cómo conectan con los Huéspedes a los que servimos cada semana.

Damos las gracias a Rosemary y Margie y a todas nuestras hermanas, asociados y colegas que ofrecen su tiempo y talento de diversas maneras para marcar la diferencia en la vida de las personas, especialmente de las más desfavorecidas.

 

Sr Betty Morrissey: Chaplain to the Rogues Basketball Team

On Thursday, 20 April, CBC radio Morning show featured an interview with Sister Betty Morrissey about her role as Chaplain to the Rogues basketball team.  Chrissy Holmes named her “the incredible Sister Betty Morrissey”! 

This interview was recorded with Jeremy Eaton of CBC last week at the Rogues game:

“The roar of the fans in a stadium may provide motivation and fuel for some basketball players, but Sister Betty Morrissey believes that true power lies in silence.

“I go in the dressing room, I say a prayer before and I say a prayer after,” Morrissey says. “And when I go in … they’re very quiet and you know their souls are being listened to.”

Morrissey is the chaplain for the Newfoundland Rogues basketball team, which was established in 2021 and in its current season competes in the TBL, or The Basketball League.

Morrissey is at every home game at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s, in a seat behind the visitors’ section. She proudly wears a yellow Rogues jersey with the number 21 on the back. Draped around her neck, hanging down her front, is a necklace with a crucifix.

Her all-access pass simply says “Sister Betty…”

Read the rest of the interview here

Watch a video clip from the interview. It was aired on CBC television Here and Now .

El jueves 20 de abril, el programa matinal de la radio CBC ofreció una entrevista con la hermana Betty Morrissey sobre su papel como capellán del equipo de baloncesto Rogues. Chrissy Holmes la llamó “la increíble Hermana Betty Morrissey”.

Esta entrevista fue grabada con Jeremy Eaton de CBC la semana pasada en el partido de los Rogues:

“El rugido de los aficionados en un estadio puede proporcionar motivación y combustible para algunos jugadores de baloncesto, pero la Hermana Betty Morrissey cree que el verdadero poder reside en el silencio.

“Entro en el vestuario, rezo una oración antes y otra después”, dice Morrissey. “Y cuando entro… están muy callados y sabes que sus almas están siendo escuchadas”.

Morrissey es el capellán del equipo de baloncesto Newfoundland Rogues, fundado en 2021 y que en la temporada actual compite en la TBL, o The Basketball League.

Morrissey asiste a todos los partidos en casa en el Mary Brown’s Centre de St. John’s, en un asiento detrás de la sección de visitantes. Lleva con orgullo una camiseta amarilla de las Rogues con el número 21 a la espalda. Alrededor del cuello, colgando por delante, lleva un collar con un crucifijo.

Su pase de acceso simplemente dice “Hermana Betty…”.

Lea el resto de la entrevista en inglés aquí

 

 

Explore the Readings of the Easter Season

Each week on our website Elizabeth Davis rsm provides a written reflection on the Sunday readings. These reflections contain insights and images, poetry and prose, wisdom and scholarship.

Sister Elizabeth’s reflections are published online in the Spirituality section under the appropriate liturgical season. They can be read online or downloaded.

As we journey through the Easter Season, Sr Elizabeth will open up for us these scripture readings in a fresh way using modern biblical scholarship.

We invite you to join us in this exploration here

Cada semana, Elizabeth Davis rsm ofrece en nuestro sitio web una reflexión escrita sobre las lecturas del domingo. Estas reflexiones contienen ideas e imágenes, poesía y prosa, sabiduría y erudición.

Las reflexiones de la Hermana Elizabeth se publican en línea en la sección Espiritualidad bajo el tiempo litúrgico correspondiente. Pueden leerse en línea o descargarse.

A medida que avanzamos en el tiempo de Pascua, la Hermana Elizabeth nos abrirá estas lecturas de las Escrituras de una manera fresca, utilizando la erudición bíblica moderna.

Les invitamos a unirse a nosotros en esta exploración aquí

 

Newfoundland Sister of Mercy Honored

Recently Sister Kathrine Bellamy was honored for her dedicated and outstanding service to the Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Sister Kathrine was one of two recipients of the Papal Honour of the Cross, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, during the parish celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist on Sunday, September 10, 2006.

Before the presentation of the medal and the certificate by Archbishop O’Brien, it was noted that Sister Kathrine had been central to the music ministry of the Basilica-Cathedral, having served as music coordinator, choir director and organist for parish functions and parish liturgies for twenty-four years. Presently she continues to be organist for one of the weekend liturgies in the parish and uses her gifts and talents in the service of the Archdiocese and the parish by composing sacred music for liturgies. One of her recent compositions was that of music for the Proclamation of the 150th anniversary of the Cathedral celebrated in 2005.

Of particular mention, was her concern, care and ministry to the poor. In 1980 Sister Kathrine became director of Outreach to the Poor of the Basilica Parish, of which one division was the Family Care Centre. In 1994 she initiated an ecumenical endeavour, whereby two Roman Catholic and three Anglican parishes united in their efforts to form Emmaus House, an interdenominational Centre serving the poor of the area.

Following the Liturgy, a Reception was held in the Episcopal Library where the Hospitality Committee of the Basilica Parish served refreshments and many parishioners and Sisters of Mercy came to express gratitude and congratulations.

Recientemente, la Hermana Kathrine Bellamy fue honrada por su dedicado y destacado servicio a la Basílica-Catedral de San Juan Bautista, St. John’s, Terranova y Labrador.

Sister Kathrine fue una de las dos galardonadas con la condecoración papal de la Cruz, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, durante la celebración parroquial de la Liturgia de la Eucaristía el domingo 10 de septiembre de 2006.

Antes de la entrega de la medalla y del certificado por parte del Arzobispo O’Brien, se señaló que la Hermana Kathrine había sido fundamental en el ministerio musical de la Basílica-Catedral, habiendo ejercido como coordinadora musical, directora del coro y organista de las funciones parroquiales y de las liturgias parroquiales durante veinticuatro años. Actualmente sigue siendo organista de una de las liturgias de fin de semana de la parroquia y utiliza sus dones y talentos al servicio de la Archidiócesis y de la parroquia componiendo música sacra para las liturgias. Una de sus composiciones más recientes fue la música para el Pregón del 150 aniversario de la Catedral, celebrado en 2005.

Mención especial merece su preocupación, cuidado y ministerio con los pobres. En 1980, la Hermana Kathrine se convirtió en directora de la Ayuda a los Pobres de la Parroquia de la Basílica, una de cuyas divisiones era el Centro de Atención Familiar. En 1994 inició un esfuerzo ecuménico, por el que dos parroquias católicas romanas y tres anglicanas unieron sus esfuerzos para formar Emmaus House, un centro interconfesional al servicio de los pobres de la zona.

Tras la Liturgia, se celebró una Recepción en la Biblioteca Episcopal donde el Comité de Hospitalidad de la Parroquia Basílica sirvió refrescos y muchos feligreses y Hermanas de la Misericordia acudieron a expresar su gratitud y felicitaciones.