Mercy Associates Weekend Nairobi
It was a very special weekend of sharing and being together at Dimesse Retreat Centre Karan for 40 Mercy Associates in Nairobi, Kenya .
Three Groups of Mercy Associate were gathered on that date: Mater/ Makadara Group, Ngarariga Group, Mutomo Misssion Hospital Group, coming together to deepen our knowledge of Catherine, her life, mission and spirituality. Our emphasis was on the living out of the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy.
Mercy Associate Anita McTernan, an Irish volunteer who has spent the last 20 years working in Mutomo Mission Hospital Kitui, has promoted the Mercy Associates in Mutomo Mission Hospital Kitui since coming to Kenya and is a staunch supporter of our Foundress Catherine McAuley. She writes:
My Journey as a Mercy Associate for 2019
'Prior to participating in the Mercy Associates week-end Retreat in mid -February, being a long term Mercy Associate, for me was simply being a member of a group, that was willing to meet regularly to pray together and as group to identify opportunities to engage in the corporal works of Mercy and to a lesser degree in the spiritual works of Mercy. Many of us had limited understanding of the “Charism of Mercy’ that has been passed on to us from Catherine Mc Auley through our contact and working with the congregation of the Sisters of Mercy. They are our role models and while we aspire to live that ‘charism’ we often fail to see and use opportunities for us to do so in our day to day lives.
During this retreat the focus on the life and values of Catherine Mc Auley and the scripture passages focusing on mercy and compassion highlighted for me that Catherine used Jesus as her model, she was always ‘tuned in’ to God and she acknowledged that her success was through her trust in Divine Providence.
Undoubtedly, being a Mercy Associate has helped me to nurture my spiritual life with daily prayer, daily Eucharistic celebration, my belief in and my experience of Divine Providence making the impossible …possible in so many instances, the opportunities that come my way daily from needy people seeking help to solve a problem.
Since that retreat I acknowledge that I am well –placed to do better as a Mercy Associate in my workplace by:
- Collaboratively discussing and agreeing on Terms of Reference (TOR) in our Mercy Associate Group, on how to promote the Mercy Charism in our respective Ministry – starting in March meeting.
- Outline how we will do it – talks, videos, peer influence, nurturing and highlighting of soft skills, caring and supportive behaviours.
- What groups will we target – Nursing School Students, Y.C.S groups in the Parish.
- Promotion of our Hospital Logo for all employees “A compassionate Presence” - what does that mean to each individual staff member?
- Honoring our commitment as Mercy Associates
- Recruit new members to expand the Mercy Association
We will evaluate our progress at the meeting on the last Sunday of June.'
- Anita
As part of the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, Anita and her group of 15 Mercy Associates visited the Zion Centre Orphange adjacent to Mutomo Kitui, bringing with them food, clothes, toys and footballs for 60 children. The Zion Centre is run by a Pastor and his wife with support from a Church in USA and was started over 2 years ago. The Mercy Associates of Mutomo were the first local visitors to go and visit and show an interest.
Messages to Brigid Marnane rsm