Celebrating two icons in one week, as we Mercies did, yielded amazing reflections. Although living in opposite hemispheres of our planet Earth, and divided by almost two centuries, Catherine McAuley and Mandela seem like twin souls.
In July we have just celebrated our beloved Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday. Madiba has become an international icon for democracy, freedom and unity. His giving of his life for the fullness of life for all the peoples of South Africa has become an inspiration for all humankind and the 18th July, his birth date, has become an international day of ‘looking out for the neighbour’, each person being challenged to donate 67 minutes (derived from Mandela’s 67 years of public service) of their time to caring for the ‘other’.
From dawn to dark a dedicated TV channel presented groups and individuals, across the world, but particularly in South Africa, reaching out to their less-well-off neighbours in myriad ways, accompanied by the joy and gratitude of the recipients. For one day, South Africa was united across lines of colour, race, religion, age, etc. in acts of love and mercy. We Mercies were not left behind. To honour the call from our General Chapter 2012, which urged us to ‘to respond anew, in hope, to our call to be a compassionate presence of God in our differing realities’ and Mandela’s challenge to national healing and reconciliation, as well as our country’s unfortunate practice of xenophobia, we, as a Province, made a contribution to the Bienvenue Shelter for Refugee Women and their Children. This organization is run by the Scalabrini Sisters and in the past year has provided a home from home for 192 women and their children, a crèche for fifty plus children and other developmental activities touching the lives of 1,799 refugees.
Children enjoying a story together.
In addition, each community did its own thing, as did each individual Sister. Many normally disregarded groups, such as the homeless, and work-seekers hanging around street corners and those whose service often goes unnoticed like taxi-divers and the women of the St. Anna Sodality, were gifted, to their surprise and delight, with teas and lunches. Soft toys went with love to children suffering from separation syndrome, while other needy children received scarves, shoes (it’s mid-winter here now!!) and sandwiches. Older learners read to younger ones and books were donated to a fund for distribution to those who cannot afford to buy such a luxury. Some spent 67 minutes in a hospice while a happy woman was taken to do her weekly shopping and had the bill paid from Sister’s personal budget! Prayer and fasting also marked the day as our Sisters kept a watch before the Blessed Sacrament from dawn till dark and remembered the Mandela family at the Eucharist. Neither was ‘Mother Earth’ forgotten as we planted roses, (Mandela got permission to tend a garden while in prison, and said everyone should do likewise), reduced our use of electricity and recycled waste.
“Madiba” bookmarks
Thus we celebrated Madiba’s 95th Birthday in the 19th year of our new democracy. This celebration was all so very MERCY at heart, our country resembled a huge, extended Mercy community. Four days earlier we had celebrated the 19th Birthday of our Congregation which, not unlike our country, has passed through and continues to pass through both ecstasies and agonies, and this is where my reflection on the comparison of the two icons began.
We know and have been inspired by Catherine McAuley’s love for young people and her vision for education for 180 years. ‘The Sisters shall be convinced that no work of charity can be more productive of good to society or more conducive to the happiness of the Poor than the careful instruction of women.’ Rule & Constitutions 6, in discharging the great duty of teaching (15.03). In every area in which the Congregation was established, education of youth in its many facets, became identified with the Mercy presence. Quotes from Mandela: (i) There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children. (ii) We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in any society, a life free from violence and fear. On becoming President, he pledged a third of his salary to start a fund for the well-being of children. Nineteen years later, the plan for the fund which began more or less as a grant-making organization being everything to everyone, ‘is not only to strengthen proven models of child care and youth development and then advocate for their application on a national scale by the government, but also to build a country-wide child rights movement.
Sharing a lunch with men looking for work
Catherine’s approach to leadership was certainly prophetic, not only for her day but right up to the present. Her sending out Sisters to form fully autonomous communities which ultimately became independent Congregations was truly amazing. While she lead from the front, always accompanying the community to their new home and encouraging them as they settled in, she lead from the back. Yes, after a brief stay with each newly established community she returned to Dublin and having given full independence to the new community, she constantly wrote letters of encouragement and advice. We know from her letters, especially those written to Francis Warde, that she had disappointments and worries about some of the foundations, but she did not exercise any control. She ‘let go’, she prayed and trusted the whole project to the loving Providence of God. As she lay dying, she left the future leadership of the Congregation in the hands of the Sisters, making neither appointments nor suggestions. Total trust in Providence. Mandela too, believed in leading from the front, he said: “Leaders should lead, and they should be seen leading” – and indeed the world witnessed his living out those words. But he also was a great team builder, always encouraging and empowering others. He exemplified for leaders in Africa, the lesson that power is not the goal; the goal is a more just and democratic society. He stepped down after one presidential term, something unheard of on our continent.
One of the things that we all admire in Nelson Mandela is his power to forgive. One can never forget the image of his embracing his gaoler on the day of his inauguration as President. He had the ability to let go of resentment and work for reconciliation, while adamantly holding onto his principles of social, racial and economic justice. In less dramatic ways, Catherine had her share of bearing injustices from her family, the clergy and other Congregations. “A menacing cloud was gathering over the house. Some Dubliners began to murmur”. Matthias Kelly is said to have had ‘no idea that the unlearned sex could do anything but mischief by trying to assist the clergy.’ (p.68)…. Catherine was seen by many well-disposed Catholics to be detracting financially and otherwise from support of bona-fide religious congregations, especially the Sisters of Charity” (p. 86 The Path of Mercy, Mary C. Sullivan).
Think also of her handling of the chaplaincy issue with Dr. Meyler. “We can never be happy or feel as we ought until we bring ourselves to the conviction that we are treated by everyone better than we deserve.” (p.87 Ibid) Out of what depth of forgiveness could such words emerge!
Integrity, total, utter, absolute integrity is the word that says it all for me when I reflect on these two most inspirational characters: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” (Mandela)
Mercy – the principal path pointed out by Jesus Christ to those who desire to follow him – (Chapter 3 of the Rule Visitation of the Sick). Ought we not persevere and confide in his Providence? … Put your whole confidence in God (Charleville crisis) My God I am yours for time and eternity. (Catherine McAuley)
Goretti Rule rsm
South African Province
