The Sisters of Mercy (RSM)
Not quite the rock group.
California Daily reports the religious women of the Sisters of Mercy will consolidate communities in an effort to reorganize their Congregation, which was founded in Dublin in 1831. Today the average age of the sisters is 73 and the order has not been attracting vocations, mainly because they have long lost a truly Roman Catholic identity.
The Institute’s six California communities will merge with communities in the West and Midwest into an Omaha, Nebraska-based organization called the West Midwest Community. The restructuring was approved at a meeting in Chicago, March 24-30, and will take effect July 1.The new organization will bring together 861 Sisters of Mercy and 525 associates. The Institute itself, covering the Americas, Guam, and the Philippines, numbers 4,194 sisters and 2,800 associates. The average age of sisters in the institute is 73. - California Daily
I’m sure other orders of like-minded women religious will follow suit. Throughout the ages, religious communities and monasteries of monks and nuns have dissolved when the original charism is either lost or the religious observance has grown decadent.
Of course, the Holy Spirit seems to raise up new communities in every age, and will occasionally renew existing communities that appear to have lost their original charism.
NOTE: This group is not to be confused with the thriving Religious Sisters of Mercy, a separate institute sharing the same foundress. (Thanks to S.B. for the heads up.)
[Photo: Mother Catherine McAuley, foundress of the RSM. The remaining members of her Congregation promote the beatification of their foundress who had been declared venerable by John Paul II. Interestingly, the Congregation often uses an image of the foundress dressed in secular clothes, much like the contemporary sisters dress.]
April 28th, 2008 at 9:11 am
These RSM are not to be confused the the Religious Sisters of Mercy - who split from the RSM and still wear habits and are very orthodox. They have the same founder, but very different charisms. I used to work in a clinic owned and run by these sisters. The Religious Sisters are Mercy are not having a vocation shortage.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Sanctus - Thanks vey much for your clarificaion. So it is just the “unfruitful branch” of the order that is being pruned.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I went to the page you linked to and I think the average age of the thriving order is about 27 !!!! Makes me happy!
April 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I volunteer at a facility run by the “unfruitful branch.” I stopped donating money to them when I observed that funds intended for patient care were diverted to dinners at fancy restaurants, the best liquor one can buy, and gambling addictions (lottery tickets, Atlantic City, etc.) Not what Mother McCauley had in mind!
April 28th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Yesterday at Mass, an aging sister of a dwindling order was making a plea for money so that the senior sisters could retire with “dignity”. This word was used over and over again in her appeal, but I almost gagged when she stated that the retirement fund for the 54 sisters was 4 MILLION dollars under budget and they needed help! Come again? Four million dollars under budget?
I’m still having a hard time processing this. In my vocation, I’ve scraped and scratched to raise and educate four children with not much leftover to put towards retirement. I figure it comes with the territory and I have to trust God for the outcome. But, when you actually take a vow of poverty what can you reasonably expect?
I can’t help but think that this might be the next “crisis” the Church faces.