Consider the Origins and the Personal Costs of Consumerism
from the Critical Concerns Committee
On the third Thursday of each month, an educational component will be provided to complement the reflection questions accompanying each three-month consumerism examen theme. The first theme, introduced on October 6, is Personal Needs and Wants. For an understanding of the origins and expansion of the pervasive socio-economic culture in which we live, see the following. The article "Ten Shady Origins of Consumerism in the US" highlights advertising's expertise in the art of psychological seduction. Similarly, the video The High Price of Materialism offers a thought-provoking overview of not only the obvious costs (in dollars and cents) of an economic order predicated on individuals consuming materials in excess of their basic needs – but its hidden costs as well. These educational resources lend additional energy to our ongoing personal and communal reflection and decisions as we join others in "The Great Turning" toward gratitude and simplicity.
Take Action to Protect Creation
by Suzanne Gallagher, RSM, justice coordinator
Climate change affects our common home and humanity, especially the most vulnerable living in fragile homes and those whose livelihoods depend on nature. A step in addressing climate change on a global level is the Paris Agreement which President Obama signed in early September and the European Union signed this week. To urge leaders in Congress to honor the U.S. commitment so aligned with the moral calls of Pope Francis in Laudato Si and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), please take action and sign the petition from the Catholic Climate Covenant. Although this critical topic has been ignored in the presidential debates this election season, this guide outlines what is espoused in the major party platforms and in the USCCB's voter guide Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.
Mid-Atlantic Sisters Receive Award
Sisters Ann Provost, RSM, Mary Anne Basile, RSM, and Patricia Smith, RSM (left to right) (Photo courtesy of Sister Kathleen Lyons, RSM)
Mid-Atlantic Sisters Patricia Smith, RSM, and Mary Anne Basile, RSM, were presented with the Heart of the Neighborhood Award at a luncheon held on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at the Mercy Family Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were recognized, along with fellow founding board members, for their 20 years of service to Mercy Neighborhood Ministries in Philadelphia. Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, whose executive director is Sister Ann Provost, RSM, a member of the Mid-Atlantic Community, creates partnerships and services that respond to the needs of those who are poor in the North Philadelphia community, especially women, children and persons with special needs.
Read Mercy Now!
Sister Suzanne Gallagher, RSM, Mid-Atlantic Community justice coordinator and a member of the Extended Justice Team, participated in an immigration immersion experience earlier this month in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, along with eleven other Mercy sisters, associates and co-workers. For the complete story and to view pictures, read this week's Mercy Now, the Institute's bi-weekly newsletter. A note from the Institute Leadership Team includes Mid-Atlantic Community president Sister Patricia Vetrano, RSM, who was part of a group which met with the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome, Italy.
Read Mercy E-News!
Read this week's Mercy E-News to find how to subscribe to The MAST Journal. Contributors to the current issue of The MAST Journal, which is published three times a year by Mercy Association in Scripture and Theology, include Mid-Atlantic Sisters Marie Michele Donnelly, RSM, and Mary Scullion, RSM.
Mid-Atlantic Sisters in the Media
Sister Camille D'Arienzo, RSM, was featured in the New Jersey Courier News for her recent presentation "Stories of Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World" at Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer in Watchung, New Jersey. Also featured are Mid-Atlantic Sisters Eileen Smith, RSM, and Mary Jo Kearns, RSM.
Senior Olympics Held at Whitestone
Sisters Dorothea Gillen, RSM, and Maureen Gregory, RSM (front, left to right) compete in the Senior Olympics at Whitestone as Sister Mariette Schmidt, RSM, watches. (Photo courtesy of Sister Christi Ferrera, RSM)
A day of games for seniors was held at the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Whitestone, New York, on Friday, October 14. Over 40 sisters attended the event, including a team from Marian Woods in Hartsdale, New York.
A Door of Mercy: Waldron Mercy Academy
Rooted in the gospel values of mercy and justice, Waldron Mercy Academy, a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, is a co-educational school serving preschool through grade eight. A twice-recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, Waldron is dedicated to an arts and integrated STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum. Students are encouraged to make connections between literature, historical events, scientific process, and mathematical reasoning. They learn to question, reason, and problem solve, and they learn to address the needs of others through acts of service, not merely out of charity, but from a developing sense of social justice.
Mid-Atlantic Community