Story by Anna Youell
LINCOLN (SNR) - The Sisters of Mary, Queen of Mercy (CMRM) hosted a celebration Oct. 8 for the 10-year anniversary of their convent in Lincoln and the dedication of its recent expansion.
Bishop James Conley celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving. Bishop Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz and several other priests attended as well.
Bishop Bruskewitz has a close place in the sisters’ hearts. “Bishop Bruskewitz established us in the Lincoln Diocese May 4, 1999,” said Sister Rosaria, CMRM.
The expansion of the convent included more rooms for the sisters. It created a living room, secretary office, family rooms and more walking room. One of the most important rooms to the sisters was the social hall. Sister noted that they use the social hall especially for their Little Flower Childcare Center, a daycare the sisters run.
“We have five and six events during the year for the daycare,” said Sister Rosaria. “We invite parents, grandparents, siblings.”
“Expanding the building for the future” was something Sister Rosaria mentioned. “Right now we don’t use all of those rooms.” But in the future, they hope to need the extra room, as their mission of serving the Church continues to grow.
The Lincoln convent is the only convent for the Sisters of Mary, Queen of Mercy. It was built in 2011 near present-day St. Michael Parish in Lincoln and dedicated in 2012.
The order stems from their mother community in Vietnam, the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Mary, Queen of the World, located in Saigon. Some sisters moved to Australia in 1975 to escape the Vietnamese Civil War. From there, they came to Springfield, Mo. The sisters eventually landed in Lincoln.
The sisters serve the Diocese of Lincoln through various areas of mission work. In addition to their primary work with the Little Flower Daycare Center, the sisters teach in various capacities. Some teach at grade schools in the diocese. Others teach at Pius X High School in Lincoln. They teach CCD at Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Vietnamese parish in Lincoln. Other apostolates include working at the bishop’s residence and visiting the sick in hospitals.
When asked about the mission of the Sisters of Mary, Queen of Mercy, Sister Rosaria answered first, “We nurture the little ones. We take care of the very young.”
The sisters live the charism of "Evangelical Spiritual Childhood." It is centered on Jesus and His words: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The spirit consists of living out the privilege to be children of God.
For more information visit www.queenmercysisters.org and www.facebook.com/queenmercysisters. For more information on the Little Flower Childcare Center, visit www.queenmercysisters.org/little-flower-childcare-center.html.
