Can you make a difference with your life? Could you find fulfillment as a sister?

 

Are religious sisters relevant today? They are present in schools, hospitals, monasteries, adoration chapels, orphanages, nursing homes, convents, prisons, pregnancy help centers, missions, churches, cloisters, college campuses, and homes for the youth.

 

Pope Francis said in his address to women religious superiors,

 

"In short, the centrality of Christ and of his Gospel; authority as a service of love; "thinking" in and with Mother Church. These are the three indicators that I would like to leave with you, to which I add yet once again, my gratitude for your work, which is not always easy. What would the Church do without you? She would lack your motherhood, warmth, tenderness and motherly intuition!"

 

As Pope Francis reminds us, Christ and his Gospel are central to the work of religious sisters. Often overlooked or misunderstood by the world, the consecrated life remains relevant today. Sisters are active in performing the corporal works of mercy - feed the hungry, visit the sick - as well as the spiritual works of mercy - instruct the ignorant, pray for the living and the dead. In these ways, the religious take part in the Church's work of evangelization, and act as the hands and feet of Christ to others.  

 

In fact, Pope Francis announced 2015 to be the Year of Consecrated Life, in honor of these men and women who so faithfully carry on the mission of Christ and his Gospel.

  

As women, we bring a special charism of motherhood to religious life. While priests act as spiritual fathers, sisters use their gifts to act as spiritual mothers. In some countries, such as Mexico, sisters are called madres, or mothers.As Mercedarian Sisters, our sense of motherhood is expressed through our work in the Catholic schools and our prayer center. 

 

Would you like to learn more about the religious life? Is the possibility of becoming a sister tugging at your heart? Come visit us for a day or two, or stay overnight during our open house, which runs April 10-17, 2014. 

 

Young women will have the opportunity to visit our Cleveland home and "shadow us" as we go about our prayer life, community life and apostolate. If you are interested, please register online.