Mercy Sisters launch effort to build more merciful world

Like "ripples in a pond," works of mercy can spread out in ever-widening circles, affecting more and more people.

At least, that's what the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas believe as they kick off a year-long program called "Let's Bring Mercy to the World."

The international campaign, which plays on the name of the religious order, aims to promote the universal qualities of compassionate service, joyful community living and prayer, coupled with action to people in this country and overseas -- wherever Sisters of Mercy work.

Mercy beaucoup

The campaign incorporates the qualities of mercy into three models of behavior that will be presented over the next 12 months. The first phase, "building," begins with promotional packets being mailed to regional communities of Sisters around the globe; the packets include a poster that features a nun from the Albany Diocese.

Sister Susan L. Wieczynski, pastoral associate for youth ministry at Corpus Christi parish in Round Lake, is shown wearing a hard hat and working on a housing construction site with other volunteers from Habitat for Humanity.

"In this particular model of building, we wanted to show how our Sisters of Mercy perform community service in a non-traditional way," said Chloe Van Aken, director of communications for the Sisters of Mercy in Albany.

The packets also include note cards and several bookmarks that the sisters can use to initiate the campaign among their family, friends and people they come in contact with.

Improved world

Mrs. Van Aken said the purpose of the campaign "is to make a better world for everyone, while inviting people to think about the way they live, recognize opportunities for performing small acts of mercy in their daily lives, and make choices that are consistent with their values and the world in which they would like to live.

"We are very excited about this campaign. This is not an appeal of any sort. We just wanted to try to make our world a better place, and this seemed to be the ideal way in which we could get that message out."

Mrs. Van Aken explained that "building" highlights a need in communities to build not just homes, hospitals and schools, but also such intangible structures as compassion and mercy for one another. Performing such acts of mercy as volunteering, teaching someone a new skill, boycotting violent movies or becoming a letter-writing activist are examples.

"Campaign materials are also being sent to elected officials throughout the country," she said, "in the hope that they will remember to bring mercy and compassion to their job of balancing the global needs of government with the critical needs of the people they serve."

(The other two parts of the campaign, with the themes of "dancing" and "growing," will be inaugurated in the summer and fall, respectively.)

(02-20-03)