Formation across Mercy Partners continues to be shaped by a growing sense of connection — connection with our ministries, with boards, and with those entrusted with spiritual leadership across our communities. At its heart, Formation is not an “add-on” to leadership or governance; it is a shared commitment that supports discernment, integrity and faithfulness to mission, vision and values, particularly in complex and contested contexts.
Over recent months, Formation has been intentionally focused on strengthening our partnerships with boards across Mercy Partners ministries. Central to this work has been listening deeply to understand the realities of governance within each ministry and discerning together what Formation will most meaningfully support boards in their stewardship of mission. When boards are well supported in Formation, decision-making is not only sound and compliant, but consciously shaped by purpose, compassion and values that uniquely express the founding charism and our shared Christian foundation.
A recent example of this collaborative approach was our work with the Our Lady of Mercy College Board, where Formation began with a “taster” of the Partners in Mission session. This provided board directors with the opportunity to revisit the ministry’s mission statement and to reflect together on their own unique contribution as governors of a Mercy work. The session created space for conversation, shared language and renewed clarity about how governance itself is an expression of mission. It was a powerful reminder that Formation is most effective when it is contextual, relational and integrated into the life of the board.
It has been deeply encouraging to see the level of engagement from boards across Mercy Partners. There is a growing recognition that mission-aligned governance requires ongoing reflection and Formation, and I am sincerely grateful for the openness, generosity and commitment that boards continue to bring to this shared work.
This same spirit of connection was evident at our recent Mission Leaders Gathering, held at Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre and shaped by the theme, The Disruptive Pilgrim. The gathering offered Mission Leaders time to reconnect — with one another, and with the deeper questions shaping Church and society today.
Fr Frank Brennan SJ set a thoughtful and challenging tone, inviting participants to engage more deeply with current and emerging needs within the Church and the broader community. His reflections, including a focus on women’s participation and contribution, called us to consider how we respond to injustice and exclusion with courage, integrity and hope.
Mark Walsh’s session on Dialoguing in Contested Spaces offered Mission Leaders practical and theological tools for navigating complexity, difference and disagreement — realities that increasingly shape leadership in our ministries and our current global context. Alison Stone’s reflection on Living the Gospel in a Franciscan Way invited participants to consider how simplicity, humility and relational leadership can ground our response to contemporary challenges. Together, these sessions reminded us that disruption, when held within faith and relationship, can be deeply generative.
Prayer and reflection led by Ana Pintos and Cath Bartolo created space for spiritual nourishment and renewal, while shared conversations strengthened the network of Mission Leaders across Mercy Partners.
The role of the Mission Leader is both demanding and essential. Mission Leaders hold the spiritual heart of their communities, accompanying others and fostering cultures where mission can flourish. I extend my heartfelt gratitude for their leadership, wisdom and faithful service.
As Formation continues across Mercy Partners, I am energised by what is possible when we work together — boards, Mission Leaders, ministries and Mercy Partners — walking a shared path as pilgrims committed to leadership that is courageous, connected and grounded in the lived experience of the Mercy of God.
