Sr. Mercy begins her statement with the following observation: “Through my experience in pastoral care, safeguarding, and trauma-informed accompaniment in African church contexts, I have come to understand the church’s response to the crisis of abuse as a continuing journey of conversion into the heart of Christ. At the center of this journey is the Good Shepherd who bends down to carry the wounded sheep, drawing the church into deeper truth, compassion and healing.”
She adds: “Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis that the most vulnerable must remain “at the center of the Gospel,” and that the poor are “creative subjects who challenge us to find novel ways of living out the Gospel today,” speaks directly to what I have encountered in communities shaped by both suffering and resilience.”
Background:
Sr. Mercy lives and works in Zimbabwe. She is a registered professional clinical social worker, a theologian, spiritual director, safeguarding consultant, narrative therapist, researcher and writer. Sr. Marcy has been working as development officer for the Arrupe Jesuit University and currently serves as the CJ’s mission developmental director in the Zimbabwe Province. She also is a university lecturer on social work, theology, and spirituality.
