Description
Book SynopsisConnolly examines the history of the Chicago Sisters of Mercy, from its establishment in 1846, expansion in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and development in the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty-first century, with a special focus on changes of Sisters Formation Movement and Vatican II.
Trade Review"Connolly offers a well-constructed historical survey of the Chicago Sisters of Mercy from their beginnings in 1846 until 2008...The book's strength is its focus on the women themselves-- their community, spiritual lives, and ministry...Copious notes, a helpful glossary, and an appendix render the sources accessible to researchers.--Recommended" -Choice Magazine "Fraser Connolly's informative history of the Chicago Sisters of Mercy presents a wealth of new research that not only adds to our understanding of one congregation, but enhances our knowledge of the larger story of women religious in the United States." -- -Margaret M. McGuinness Neighbors and Missionaries: A History of the Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine "Mary Beth Fraser Connolly has written an important book: scholarly in depth and scope, and yet clearly accessible to general readers. Women of Faith does much more than most such histories to explore the faith dimension of a modern religious community and its ministries--something which, surprisingly, too many researchers ignore or minimize. She "gets" what the Sisters of Mercy are all about, and her work should serve as a model for others doing research on contemporary women's congregations." -- -Margaret Susan Thompson Syracuse University "A timely and probing analysis of the Chicago Mercys and how they met the unremitting challenges of both growth and restructuring over their 150 year history. The particular strength of Mary Beth Fraser Connolly's book, Women of Faith: The Chicago Sisters of Mercy and the Evolution of a Religious Community derives from its in-depth examination of the events and decisions arising from Vatican II. The process of change and adaptation was demanding offering no easy answers. This research contributes much to our understanding of Catholic women's identities, feminisms and leadership." -- -Carmen M. Mangion Birkbeck, University of London "A capacity for generosity and zeal underlay the modest appearance of the young Sisters of Mercy who, from humble Irish origins, quietly created a safety net for the poor in nineteenth-century urban America. As they adapted their makeshift, wide-ranging ministries to local needs, they became familiar neighborhood figures and over time shaped the landscape of cities and towns with larger, more visible institutions. Today there are many histories of Catholic sisters, but few focus fully on the Mercys. Mary Beth Fraser Connolly's Women of Faith: The Chicago Sisters of Mercy and the Evolution of a Religious Community seriously and smartly does. She gives us a better understanding of the binding ties between gender, faith, and region, while enlarging our understanding of the sisters' lives in community and their contributions in education, health care, and social welfare in Chicago as well as Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa." -- -Suellen Hoy Good Hearts: Catholic Sisters in Chicago's Past
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: "One Solid Comfort" 1 Part I: "Charity Embraces Those Who Abound": The Spirit of Mercy Comes to America, 1846 to 1929 1. "The Spirit of our Institute is Mercy, as its Name Denotes": The Nature of Mercy in Nineteenth Century America 2. "Not Bound by Enclosure": The Sisters of Mercy Respond: 1846 to 1929 Part II: "This Mutual Love and Union": From Amalgamation to a Post Vatican II World: 1929 to the 1980s 3. New Community, Same Spirit 4. Demanding Decades: Mercy Response to the Clergy and the Laity: 1928 to 1962 5. "Change is Blowing Hard": Renewal of Religious Life in the 1960s and 1970s 6. Reinventing Community and Service to the World Part III: New Life, New Paths, Same Spirit: Carrying Mercy into the Twenty-First Century, 1980s to 2008 7. "This Far by Faith": Reimagined Religious Life and the Sisters of Mercy Epilogue: West Midwest and the Legacy of the Sisters of Mercy Chicago Regional Community Appendixes A. Parish Grade Schools, Academies, High Schools, Universities, and Alternative Schools B. Hospitals, Facilities, and Residences Owned and/or Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Chicago Regional Community Notes Glossary Bibliography Index
