Social Justice Efforts of New Hampshire Mercy Community Bear Fruit

At a joyful celebration on June 22, the Sisters of Mercy were honored by the New Hampshire Coalition Against the Death Penalty for the key role the Mercy community played in making New Hampshire the 21^st state in the country to abolish the death penalty. Sisters Eileen Brady, Mary Ellen Foley, and Madonna Moran were present at the event at the Kimball Jenkins Estate in Concord to receive the recognition and celebrate with the large crowd.

The Sisters of Mercy in New Hampshire have long played an active role in opposing the death penalty. In December 1997, the community adopted a Corporate Stand Against the Death Penalty. Since then many sisters have served on committees, petitioned legislators, penned letters to newspaper editors, testified at legislative hearings, participated in rallies and prayer vigils, and prayed that the death penalty would be replaced by restorative justice. On May 30, their efforts bore fruit when New Hampshire State Legislature overrode the governor’s veto of a bill to repeal capital punishment.

“Be not lax in celebrating… Be ablaze with enthusiasm!” On June 8, Sister Rosemary Burnham recalled these words of Hildegard of Bingen, the 12^th century mystic, in accepting, on behalf of the New Hampshire Mercy community, the 2019 MICAH Voice of Justice Award from the Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP), the state’s largest grassroots organization. A founding member of GSOP, the community works with other members and friends to promote a living wage in New Hampshire, support families in danger of deportation, alleviate poverty and homelessness, and change death penalty laws. GSOP’s motto is, “To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” – Micah 6:8

Messages to: New Hampshire Mercy Community c/- Cathy (Catherine) Walsh - Communications Specialist, NE Community