Abstract

Chapter six examines the legacy of the Sister Formation Conference and Renewal on how sisters saw their ministry, their local community living, and their identity as women religious in the late 1960s through 1980s. This chapter contains sections concentrating on ministry, community living, and efforts to redefine or rearticulate Mercy religious identity. Case studies and examples illustrate how sisters investigated new ministry choices or reinterpreted existing ministries as well as how they experimented with small group living and the reactions to these experiences. Finally, the chapter explores how the changes to ministry and living opened discussion about how Mercys saw themselves and their spirituality in relation to one another and their place within the Catholic Church (among both hierarchy and laity).

Share