Fall 2011
Dear Friends in Mercy,
Our appeal for support this year coincides with the commemoration of the 180th anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy, and the 170th anniversary of the death of its foundress Catherine McAuley. Visionary, advocate, and spirited woman of faith and action, Catherine dedicated her life in service to the poor, sick and uneducated. It is in that legacy and tradition that Mercy Center at Madison is rooted, offering hospitality and programs for personal, professional and spiritual growth and renewal since 1972.
In 2010, we welcomed more than 14,000 people to Mercy Center for spiritual retreats, educational programs, corporate meetings, or individual days of solitude and reflection. All who visited have found that Mercy Center is – as the first house that Catherine established on Baggot Street in Dublin has become – a “center of hospitality, heritage, pilgrimage, and renewal.”
As the renovations of our main building near completion, plans are moving forward to also expand our programming in the Mercy charism so that we can welcome an even more diverse audience and provide a place apart for contemporary contemplative conversation, exploration, renewal, and enrichment. In addition to strengthening our core program – the McAuley Institute for Spiritual Formation – we are also planning for programs focusing on creative expressions such as art, music, dance, poetry, singing and chanting. We will also revitalize our ecology programs and include opportunities to fully utilize Mercy Center’s 33-acre property and its five eco-systems. New programs on ethics and leadership in business will also be added.
We remain ever-grateful for everyone’s support of Mercy Center – whether you attended a program, said a kind word, or sent a donation. YOU are Mercy Center. As you can imagine, it takes a tremendous amount of resources to operate Mercy Center on a daily basis, especially in the face of rising utility costs, and to maintain the natural beauty of our expansive campus. This is why we need your help.
This year’s Annual Appeal offers another option for our donors; in addition to making a donation to our annual fund for operations, you can also contribute to the welcoming environment of Mercy Center with a gift to our Furnishing Mercy campaign that will allow us to outfit our newly renovated bedrooms, conference rooms, and common areas with materials that ensure those who visit are comfortable and refreshed with Mercy energy in order to return to their families, businesses, places of worship and ministry, and communities with renewed vigor and spirit. Gifts of $250 or more will be listed on a donor-recognition plaque. This is a perfect opportunity to make gifts in honor or memory of loved ones.
On behalf of all who will benefit from your generous gift, thank you so much for partnering with us to Furnish Mercy today and into the future. Your gift makes a difference, serving to make Mercy a reality and keeping Catherine’s dream alive!
Gratefully,
Charles Frey
Executive Director
To make an on-line donation to our Annual Appeal, please click here.
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