As I reflected on our call, charism and heritage, I was going to write about the many projects undertaken by the Mercy Girl Effect which have transformed lives in many parts of the world.  I decided instead to reflect on how being part of the Mercy Girl Effect has changed the lives of participants, by asking them to articulate WHY they engage with this work.

Hundreds of young people have been part of our movement over the past 20 years, but in the interest of space, I will share three stories which have deeply moved me as I reflect on our ministry of Mercy and God’s loving kindness in every age.

Sophia is 16 and lives in New Jersey, USA.  After I addressed a whole school assembly, Sophia contacted me and said:

“When I heard the story of the Water Carriers, I knew I had to act.  I was saddened to learn that girls are walking miles every day to collect water for their families and, as a result, miss school.  I knew I wanted to help these girls.  I have a passion for sustainability, especially in relation to the fashion industry.  I know too that it takes a lot of water to make a dress and the dyes pollute the water.”  Sophia started “Dress Express” by asking her peers to donate their gently used formal dresses.  The idea was simple: to collect the dresses and sell them for a donation towards a well in a village with no access to water.  She said, “By doing this, I believe I have lived out the core values of the Sisters of Mercy.”  Sophia’s efforts enabled the construction of two wells!  Indeed, God’s loving kindness is alive in every age!

William was 15 when he attended a Mercy Girl Effect seminar at the United Nations.  After the tour of the building, students were offered hospitality before they embarked on the long journey back to a Mercy co-educational school in Philadelphia.

I noticed him holding back as other students selected what they wanted to eat for lunch.  He approached me and said, “Sister, instead of lunch, could I have the value of my lunch to buy a small gift for my little sister who is very sick?  I told her I would bring her a United Nations teddy, but I don’t have enough money.”

I told William to select his lunch and then meet me afterwards in the gift shop.  I had witnessed a young man who understood compassion and mercy and knew that sometimes empathy costs!  Indeed, God’s loving kindness is alive in every age!

Aoife attends a school in the north of Ireland.  “After attending the Mercy Girls Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, I knew my responsibility was to raise awareness around the issue of water as a human right.  During a school assembly, I highlighted our responsibility to care for each other and our common home.  Through organizing a social media ban in the senior school, we raised significant funds to help build a well in Nigeria.  During our assembly, we stressed the importance of water as a finite resource, which too often we take for granted.  As a Mercy Leader, it is extremely rewarding to be part of the change that impacts the lives of others.”

Indeed, God’s loving kindness is alive in every age!

The stories described above could be multiplied many times and are a record of the impact that being part of the Mercy Girl Effect has had on participants.  As a Jamaican Sister of Mercy said, “Those whom we think we are liberating are in fact our liberators.  We cannot be liberated without each other.”

-Messages to: Deirdre Mullan, Northern Branch

Coordinator – Mercy Girl Effect in association with UNICEF