While presently serving as a counselor for women in a GED [General Educational Development ] program, I continue to be actively involved in my previous ministry of many years, Mercy Center in the South Bronx . This ministry is a direct response to the Direction Statement of the Sisters of Mercy, focusing on the empowerment of economically poor women through transformative community and skill development. Over my 43 years in religious life, I have been involved in various ministries: teaching on the high school and college levels, retreat ministry, spiritual direction, counseling, parish ministry, and administration.

I was attracted to the Sisters of Mercy by the prayerful, courageous, lively spirit of the sisters I met, by their vow of service, and by the expansive vision that came from their internationality. I saw the Sisters of Mercy as a community of women who were committed to work towards the liberation and empowerment of all people, especially economically poor and oppressed women.

What energizes me in Mercy today is very much what first attracted me to Mercy. I am excited about the new expressions that the vow of service is calling forth, both in direct service and in advocacy. I resonate with the always-developing vision that includes not only the whole human family but also the entire cosmos. I rejoice to be in a community of women living in Catherine McAuley’s spirit of union with God and service of others.

If you think God might be saying to you to “Come, follow me…”  as a Sister of Mercy, I encourage you, first, to continue praying. Pray to be open to whatever way God might be inviting you to “live life to the fullest.” Talk it over with a Sister of Mercy. Visit Mercy communities and ministries. You might even volunteer in a Mercy ministry. And, in all of the process, follow Catherine McAuley’s advice to always trust in God's providence and love.