Reflections on the Sisters of Mercy Institute Chapter

By By Eileen Dooling, RSM, Executive Director

Posted on 7/24/2017

In late June, I attended the Sisters of Mercy Institute Chapter in Buffalo, New York. About 300 Sisters of Mercy gathered to discuss current issues, set future direction and elect the Mercy leadership for the next six years. Among the 300 were Sisters of Mercy from Jamaica, Guam, the Philippines, Belize, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Guyana, Panama, Honduras and the United States. In reflecting on my experience, three basic themes emerge:

The Intercultural Experience: We Americans found ourselves needing to slow down, speak slowly and spend time in relational processes, which are sometimes a challenge for those of us from the United States. Seated at the tables were women of different cultures, ages and life experience, and the process of getting to know one another took time and patience. How small my problems seemed when I listened to our sisters from the Philippines speak about ISIS’s frightening advance there. I heard from our sisters in Panama about American companies unjustly profiting from Panama’s natural resources. Our sisters from Honduras, the most violent country in our hemisphere, shared about the daily threat and experience of violence. Hearing all this made me realize again — but more acutely — how hollow, insular and isolating the motto, “Make America Great Again” is.

The Community Experience: In this sacred time of Chapter, all are equal at the table. The authority of the community which resides in elected leadership is suspended for the duration of the Chapter, and the authority lies in the Chapter body. All countries and cultures have equal say. What individuals articulate is important and we struggle to really hear each other. It is obvious that leadership is a ministry of service. Women who have served as our leaders for six years graciously step aside and re-enter the fray of the ordinary.

Consensus Experience: Decisions are made by consensus, not by the “tyranny of the majority.” This is both frustrating and rewarding, time-consuming and patience- requiring. The old adage comes to mind:

In essentials, unity.

In non-essentials, liberty.

In all things, charity.

When finally I returned home to my Mercy ministry at Mercy by the Sea and reflected on all that happened, especially within me, I wondered if there is something that religious communities have to say to the world about staying at the table and listening to the most vulnerable before decisions are made; about the value of respect and love for the differences among us; and about leadership as service, not power. Of course, the Mercy community is comprised of people with the same foibles and sins as the rest of humanity, but it becomes obvious to me that when people of good will gather in a shared enterprise, the world opens and the common good can be served. I realized that when we Chapter delegates experienced the challenge of being open to the other, we became aware that there is no other. There is only us. And we are in this together.

I am grateful for my community of the Sisters of Mercy and my community of Mercy by the Sea. These communities have taught me about service and differences, respect for the other, vulnerability and the humility that is inherent in our struggle to be better people. May God bless all of our efforts in these troubled times.