Dear Friends, Alumni and Benefactors of the Mercy Center for Healing the Whole Person,
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
On behalf of all those men and women, clergy and religious, lay pastoral ministers, missionaries from around the world, vocation and formation directors, major superiors in transition and our lay brothers and sisters who have benefitted from the Mercy Center programs and resources: Thank you!
The Mercy Center for Healing the Whole Person was founded in 1988 on a prayer and a dream and Fr. Bill’s credit card. 31 years later we agree with the author Jim Rohn that if you “begin with gratitude you can watch the miracles flow your way.” Throughout our history we have had the privilege to host Mercy Center program participants from over 65 nations. The staff, Board of Directors, and our volunteers are forever grateful to the many archbishops and bishops, major superiors and monasteries, Catholic churches and their pastors and pastoral leaders who have called upon the services of the Mercy Center Inc.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” (William Arthur Ward)
Each year the Mercy Center awards over $70,000 in tuition assistance for international participants especially those serving in difficult and challenging 2nd and 3rd world ministries. In the past few years we have noticed an increase in many Christian churches who provide a Sabbatical and renewal program for their pastoral staff seeking the gifts of healing, wholeness and well-being. Our Summer 5-week Spiritual Direction Training Program has had attendees from a variety of religious denominations, seminarians, vocation and formation directors and clergy and religious who now can receive three Master level credits from Ashland University.
The financial support we receive from you our friends, alumni, and benefactors allows us to scholarship those men and women who put their lives at risk to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are living testimonies of the mercy of God. This year we learned just how much the many silent missionaries in China have multiplied the growing Christian church. Of the two religious sisters who joined us from China their stories of witnessing the Gospel at the expense of imprisonment left us all in astonishment and awe. Help us to continue to support those who are in the trenches of evangelization, helping and healing those hungering for the Gospel message of God’s mercy.
Fr. Bill continues to travel and provide retreats and workshops, parish missions and retreats, Diocesan conferences and clergy days of study that help us sell our books and CD’s so that we can continue to fund scholarships for those in need of our financial assistance.
Please pray for our ongoing success and that God will bless the work of our hands.
Rev. William J. Jarema
International Director – Mercy Center Inc.