Sister Acts: Mercy Then and Now
Marie Michelle, RSM and Catherine McMahon, RSM ' 71
The Sisters of Mercy’ s presence is felt on campus every day, despite few Sisters of Mercy living or teaching on campus at this time.
“ My primary goal here is to ensure that that mission and legacy of
the Sisters of Mercy continue at GMercyU,” President Deanne H. D’ Emilio, JD said to the faculty, staff, and students who gathered for a special event during this fall’ s Mercy Week.
The event, called Mercy Then & Now, was sponsored by the Mission Leadership Academy and hosted by President D’ Emilio, Sister Catherine( Kati) McMahon’ 71, RSM, and Sister Marie Michelle, RSM, who shared stories of the inspiring visionaries who shaped GMercyU.
In the years after Mother Mary Bernard Graham founded Gwynedd- Mercy College in 1948, the Sisters met the challenges they encountered while building the school from the ground up. In addition to teaching, they were the janitors, bus drivers, registrars, administrators and everything in between, Sister Kati explained.
“ Did they have the credentials for all of that? Maybe, maybe not,” said Sister Marie Michelle with a smile.“ But they got it done.”
Sister Marie Michelle was hired in 1982 as a full-time teacher. True to the Sisters of Mercy“ get it done” mentality, she removed a hurdle that many potential students had – as mothers, they needed childcare to attend classes. Sister Marie Michelle was proud to establish on-campus babysitting services for the“ OWLs”-- older, wiser learners.
Sister Kati was assigned to be the Director of Counseling Services back in 1983. After decades of teaching and serving students at GMercyU, she retired as Vice President for Mission and Ministry as the one of final Sisters of Mercy on campus, but not before solving the problem of who would carry on their mission at GMercyU.
In 2012, Sister Kati launched the Mission Leadership Academy to establish a community of both faculty and staff mission leaders who foster and sustain the mission far into the future. Since its inception, more than 200 community members have participated.
As they reflected upon GMercyU’ s 76-year history, Sister Kati and Sister Marie Michelle marveled over the progress the University has made.
“ And now when we look at the HIC, I don’ t think anyone could have conceived of that,” said Sister Marie Michelle of the new Frances M. Maguire’ 55 Healthcare Innovation Center.“ We’ ve come a long way!”
What does MERCY mean to YOU?
“ Dig in to those annals, they are so much fun to read.”
Mercy is the break you don’ t deserve.
– SISTER MARIE MICHELLE
“ Mercy meets the next unmet need.”
– SISTER KATI
SISTER MARIE MICHELLE
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