Gulf Pine Catholic

14 Gulf Pine Catholic • September 27, 2024 Sisters of Mercy celebrate jubilees of 70 years On Saturday, September 7, at Corpus Christi Church in Mobile, AL, Sister Teresa Cusack and Sister Mary Chabanel Finnegan, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, commem- orated the day of their entrance into reli- gious life. The Eucharistic Liturgy was cele- brated by Rev. Tommy Conway, Diocese of Biloxi, with Rev. Greg Barras, Rev. Marcin Dudziak, and Rev.Tony Arguelles, as con- celebrants. Founded by the Venerable Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, 1831, the Sisters of Mercy, are distinguished by a fourth Vow of Service to those who are poor, sick, and/or uneducated. The Jubilarians embodied and modeled this throughout their religious life, together representing 140 years of service to and with God’s people. Born in Galway, Ireland, Sister Teresa Cusack is celebrating 70 years as a Sister of Mercy. As she says, “I knew I was going to be a religious, but I wasn’t sure where I was going to enter.” As Sister was finishing secondary school, Father Kevin Reed, from the Diocese of Biloxi came to invite young women who were discerning a vocation to religious life to come to Mississippi and join the Sisters of Mercy. “The morning I learned I was immigrat- ing to America, I heard plainly in my heart, ‘This is it,’” Sister Teresa recalled. Sister Teresa’s bother, Monsignor Frank Cusack, was a priest here in the Archdiocese of Mobile. In January 1955, at nearly 20 years old, she arrived in New York and then came to Mississippi. Sister ministered for many years as a teacher in Mississippi and Louisiana. With a bache- lor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in the art of teaching mathematics, her spe- cialty became teaching “new math” to seventh and eighth graders. She also began following sports and became a spirited NewOrleans Saints’fan. “Teaching eighth grade boys, you had to know your sports, ” Sister Teresa remarked. Later she ministered in hospital and hospice chaplaincy and as a pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Parish in Pascagoula. Sister spent eight years at St. Thomas Parish, Long Beach, often helping engaged couples prepare for marriage and serving as a Spiritual Director for those seeking a closer rela- tionship with the Lord. Now living at Convent of Mercy, Sister Teresa volunteers at Mercy LIFE, a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly and in her spare time, enjoys reading, doing word search puzzles and TV game shows. “From an early age, I felt called to religious life,” says Sister Mary Chabanel Finnegan. “In addition to feeling that God wanted me to be a Sister of Mercy, I have always had a feeling that I wanted to be a nurse.” Celebrating 70 years as a Sister of Mercy, Sister Chabanel ministered for decades as a nurse and in healthcare. Born in Rose Hill, Mississippi, she was baptized and attended St. Michael’s Catholic Church in nearby Paulding along with many extended family members. Their faith was strong. Sister Chabanel is among some ten women in her family who became Sisters of Mercy, including two aunts, a grandaunt and cousins. Her younger brother, Martin, became an ordained deacon of the Diocese of Biloxi. Many of Sister Chabanel’s family live in the Diocese of Biloxi. “I have always known it as a gift, and this is where God wanted me.” Her ring motto, “Heart of Jesus be my strength,” gave her everything she needed. One of her favorite ministries was cardi- ac nursing. But through the years, she min- istered in bedside care, administration and Mission Integration. Sister Chabanel also received master’s degrees in healthcare eth- ics and Christian spirituality. Later minister- ing in Formation, her education in nursing, healthcare, spirituality and ethics came together to strengthen all her service. She spent most of her life ministering in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Springfield, Missouri. Sister Chabanel continues her contact with healthcare by serving on the Board of Mercy Health System, Chesterfield, Missouri. Currently ministering as Assistant Sister Life Minister at Convent of Mercy in Mobile, Alabama, she enjoys reading, walk- ing and playing Rummikub. Presently there are 1,842 Sisters of Mercy of the Americas ministering in the Caribbean, Central American, Pacific Rim, South America, and the United States. In addition there are 3,030 Mercy Associates and thousands of co-ministers continuing the Mission of Catherine McAuley “to heed the call of Jesus to reach out with courage and love to the needy of her time.” Submitted by Sister Deborah Kennedy, RSM, and Karel Lucander, freelance writer for the Sisters of Mercy . Sisters Mary Chabenet Finnegan (left) and Teresa Cusack (center) celebrate 70 years, and Mary Zoe Keller (right) celebrate 75 years as Sisters of Mercy. Pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Diocese of Biloxi by visiting www.invisiblemonastery.com