Moments of Mercy online exhibit – Week 7
Early in 1951 the Sisters went to Pusan to help the thousands of refugees from North Korea who were flooding the area. Working with many volunteers, religious and lay, they were soon treating what the press called “the longest charity line in the world.” The book, Her Name Is Mercy, tells the story of those years in Korea. In 1952, Marquette University honored Sister Mercy with the degree of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, “for the example of courage and charity she affords for this troubled world…” When she left Korea in 1955, she was cited by the Mayor of Pusan for her selfless service to the Korean people and for “…the great example she has given of the practical workings of the faith she represents.”
“Each patient is an adventure in grace. One of them, Maria, as she lay gasping for breath, handed me some money in an envelope. As I was about to gently return it, she said, ‘Sister, that is not to pay for your services. It is for you to give to some poor patient who needs it more than I do.'”
“As the people come with such confidence, I am always mindful of how our Lord was pressed by similar multitudes. Thanks be to God that we are permitted to help.”
