Representatives from the four Mercy Ministerial Public Juridic Persons in Australia and New Zealand held their first-ever in-person meeting in February in Melbourne.
Joining their Mercy Ministry Companions hosts, were two Trustees/Stewards from each of Mercy Care, Mercy Partners and Whānau Mercy Ministries.
The Alliance was formed in 2021 after several years of discernment and dialogue, with the purpose of strengthening our collective expression of the Mercy mission in contemporary contexts in our part of the world. We do this by collaborating on leadership, formation and governance and working together to ensure the Mercy charism continues to flourish.
Since 2021, we have built strong relationships, shared formation resources and opportunities, learned from each other’s governance structures and strategic challenges and participated actively in wider Mercy networks and initiatives.
Having met solely on-line from the beginning, we agreed to covene in person for a deeper dive into our current challenges and insights.
One highlight from our time together was meeting with leaders from one of Mercy Ministry Companion’s ministries: MacKillop Family Services. Robyn Miller (CEO) and Esmai Manahan (National Director of First Nations Practice and Partnerships) talked us through the creation of their Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which outlines a three-year program of listening, respecting, relationship building, truth-telling, healing, culture-change and accountable initiatives. The RAP is part of a wider campaign to close the gap in participation and achievement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over a range of dimensions to ensure healthy, safe and flourishing children, young people, families and communities. They described an extensive process of engaging with indigenous elders and community organisations to enable deep listening, truth-telling, cultural insight and trust-building. What was most impressive was their commitment to go local, meet with indigenous people in their own place and on their own terms and take the time to listen, learn and understand.
Another highlight was our time with Gaby Kinsman, who coordinates Young Mercy Links in South Australia. Gaby was appointed to the Board of Mercy International Association in May 2024, so she was able to update us on their strategic priorities leading into the bi-centenary of the House of Mercy. We talked about our shared commitment to opening the doors of Mercy to a world hungry for welcome, connection, encounter, justice and care for our common home. We also talked about initiatives to form lay people in the Mercy charism, while fostering community and engagement in mission.
Other common priorities we discussed included opportunities for joint formation, measuring the mission impact of our ministries, finding and developing future Mercy leaders and ways of describing and expressing our Catholic identity.
Our convenor and Chair of Mercy Ministry Companions, Margaret Bounader, reflected at the close of the meeting on the palpable sense of shared stewardship of the Mercy charism and values that was present in our discussion. She also spoke of the importance of encounter to relationships, shared understanding and commitment to collaboration. We left with a full agenda for the next year or two and a renewed appreciation for the genius of Catherine McAuley, who continues to challenge and inspire 200 years after opening the House of Mercy.
