pathways, March 2009
A new Church entity has been approved by Rome to take the four congregations of the Sisters of Mercy confidently into the future.
Mercy Partners has been established as an ecclesial Public Juridic Person (PJP) by decree from the Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It is dated November 17, 2008.
According to Sr Berneice Loch, Congregational Leader of the Rockhampton Sisters of Mercy, it was welcome news to each of the Mercy Congregations of Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Brisbane as they had been working towards this outcome for the past few years. The support of the Queensland Bishops in making the application to Rome also was greatly appreciated by Sisters, she said.
This new entity, Mercy Partners, had been formed to take into the future the responsibilities the four congregations have for a wide range of ministries in health, aged care, education and community services.
"Approval from Rome is an important first step, but the committee responsible for the development of Mercy Partners knows there is a great deal of work yet to be done," Sr Berneice said.
"It has been agreed by the four Congregation Leaders that any particular ministry will be considered for transfer to Mercy Partners on a time-line which recognises the need for thorough preparation.
"Dialogue among the leadership teams of the congregation currently holding responsibility and the board, executives, and staff of a ministry is recognised as a critical factor in determining what the time-line should be."
The Sisters are excited by the approval.
"These are exciting times" Sr Berneice said.
"Mercy Partners, as one of only a small number of Public Juridic Persons with pontifical approval world-wide, is a significant development in the Church.
"It offers lay people the opportunity to take responsibility for leadership of church ministries at all levels.
"It is the quality and commitment of lay leaders of ministry that has encouraged the Sisters to take this critical step. They do it with great hope for the future," she said.
photo: Queensland Sisters of Mercy Congregational Leaders, from left, Berneice Loch (Rockhampton), Sandra Lupi (Brisbane), Marie Melville (Townsville) and Faye Kelly (Cairns) read the decree of approval setting up Mercy Partners as a PJP.
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