Mercy Circle and Mercy Meeting Rooms Blessing and Dedication
Mercy Circle and Mercy Meeting Rooms Blessing and Dedication
Welcome
Sister Laura Reicks, RSM
President
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas West Midwest Community
September 8, 2014
Good afternoon,
It is my honor to welcome each of you to this joyful occasion of the Blessing and Dedication of Mercy Circle and the new Meeting Rooms of the Sisters of Mercy on this special feast of Our Lady. On behalf of all the Sisters of Mercy gathered here, we are pleased to welcome Your Eminence Francis Cardinal George, and Bishop John Gorman as well as our Sister friends and brother priests, leadership from the campus schools, representatives from our civic community, business associates, neighbors and all of you as our guests.
A quote of Catherine McAuley, our Foundress, was included in your invitation. Catherine said, “We should be as the compass that goes round its circle without stirring from its center. Our center is God, from whom all our actions should spring as from their source.”
Look around you in this circular Chapel, and into your hearts which are centered in God, to make her statement real for us today in this gathering. Taking the image further, our Chapel is filled with people who refer to geometric shapes every day, whether creating shapes and designs that are pleasing to the eye through physical structures, or finding the best ANGLE to look at financial or legal issues, or lining up plans for the diocese, parish, educational institutions, city or state, we understand that shapes give dimension to life. As a Circle of Mercy, with God as our center, we are in a welcoming Community for “women and men religious” to meet their housing, health care and pastoral needs as they grow in age, wisdom, and grace.
It seems to me that everyone here may fit into one or more of the following roles in moving this project from a dream to completion. There are the Planners, the Doers, the Supporters, and the Advocates.
Thank you to all those who were the Planners: This group includes everyone who worked to get us to the point of putting the shovel in the ground, and then beyond! We are grateful to the former Chicago Regional Community leadership team led by Sister Betty Smith, the WMW Community Leadership team, with special acknowledgement of the work of Sister Sheila Megley, and the many staff personnel from both the Central Office and here in Chicago, who spent innumerable hours in getting the project underway. We welcome Senator William (Bill) Cunningham and Commissioner John P. Daley who provided special assistance, Alderman Ginger Rugai, Representative Kelly Burke, Representative Fran Hurley, and Commander Daniel Godsel and Officer Rita Kennedy from the Chicago Police, 22nd District and other civic officials to be with us today as we bless this new work of mercy. We are also grateful to the attorneys who worked with us through every phase; Jack George here in Chicago, and the Koley Jessen firm in Omaha, as well as the bankers from First National Bank.
Next are the Doers who got in there and designed it and built it! This group includes the architects, contractors, and laborers. We thank Ann D’Acquisto and her staff at AG Architecture. We are grateful to Henry Brothers Company, with whom the Sisters of Mercy have a long history through Mr. William Callaghan, Sr., and have continued that relationship under the leadership of Bill Callaghan and George Ferrell as well as other key personnel from your company. To Dave Fodness, thank you for the way you brought Mercy Circle to reality. Thank you to everyone who lifted a hammer, a paint brush, a floor tile – and everything in between.
Then we have the Supporters, whether you supported us through professional, behind the scenes support, monetary donations, action at the city and state levels, our spiritual supporters through the local parish and the Archdiocese, our neighbors at Saint Xavier University, President Christine Wiseman, and Mother McAuley High School, Mary Klingenberger, Brother Kevin Burns from Brother Rice High School, our Sisters in neighboring communities, Sister Sharon Walsh, local health care providers and without a doubt the staff who stood by our side and pitched in with all the transitioning. Supporters of Mercy Circle have now expanded to include CHE-Trinity Senior Living Community; Cindy Cieciwa, and our Executive Director Mary von Goeben. We are grateful!
The final category is our Advocates! This group is led by the Sisters and Associates. From the Sisters who first had the vision for Mercy Circle, to those who worked so long enduring so many unexpected obstacles to bring it to fruition, and those who watched the construction progress, gave advice, and prayed and prayed and prayed that this day of blessing might arrive and Mercy Circle and the Mercy meeting rooms would indeed be launched into a future of Life with Spirit.
We are grateful that you are here. We are so grateful to our God from whom all our actions spring. This is the day the Lord has made!
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