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You may have had this experience. You come across a book that you have ignored, and it is very helpful. As I was preparing this reflection, I reached for such a treasure: Jesus and the Gospels by Denis McBride. Not only is it an approachable…

In this paper, I examine the root of the word courage before using Catherine McAuley's writings to offer a different model for courageous leadership, focusing on Catherine’s courage to encourage.

As we bring this sacred day to closure, may the peace and blessings of God be with us. I’d like to begin with a memory from my days as a young teacher. I introduced my students to working with salt ceramic. It was an experience…

Reflecting on more than 70 years of knowing Lorita—as a schoolmate, fellow Sister of Mercy, and friend, I struggled to know what to say today in this reflection. Though I was especially close to her during the last years of her life, I was keenly…

“Let those whom Jesus Christ has graciously invited to assist Him in His suffering poor, have their hearts animated with gratitude and love.” — Catherine McAuley Always there is spiritual direction because God is always directing us. Every day is new, and we find ourselves…

I was first introduced to the phrase “thin places” during a lecture on religious life by Sister Marie McKenna.1 A “thin place” is a sacred space where the distance between heaven and earth seem to collapse, and we’re able to catch a glimpse of the…

Dear Sisters, Associates, Companions and Friends of Mercy, The inspiration for this issue of The MAST Journal, “Synod and Synodality,” was inspired by the opening of the Synod by Pope Francis almost three years ago. As this issue goes to press, the Synod on Synodality…

The current Synod on Synodality is providing us with an unprecedented example of the sensus fidelium, i.e., the Spirit-guided intuition of the faithful. As we have been taught, Church teaching develops in response to the promptings of the Spirit in the hearts and minds of…

The coronavirus originated in China and spread rapidly throughout the world in 2019. By March of the following year, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic and recommended masking, social distancing and enclosures. These restrictions heightened the rising diversity observed among political and religious…

The group submitting this Synod process is part of the larger Maryknoll community, a Catholic non-profit mission movement now comprised of four expressions: the Society of Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful (more commonly known as Maryknoll Lay Missioners), and…

Firstly, I felt affirmed that many of the aspects of the church that have concerned me, also concern many others such as: the role of women, clericalism, power imbalance, clergy formation, mandatory celibacy, lack of accountability and transparency, lack of lay involvement in decision -making,…

Participants: Eight laywomen who have been meeting weekly as “Pete’s Pals” for 40 years. They belong to several different parishes in the San Francisco Archdiocese, but come together at a central meeting space in a Bay Area city’s civic center. Where and How Do You…

Introduction At Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, in San José, we had multiple Synodal Listening Sessions in both Spanish and English. There were four sessions in English at various times within a two-week window, three in-person and one Zoom meeting. In addition, during an English…

What kind of a Church do we want for our future? What do we need to DO as Catholics and Church members to bring a desired future Church into being? We can’t and ought not to simply sit in the pews. God the Spirit lives…