In honor of her vision and her compassionate work with the residents of Misericordia for the last 54 years, Sister Rosemary is being awarded the Laetare Medal, which is considered the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics. Established in 1883, the Laetare Medal was conceived as an American counterpart of the Golden Rose, a papal honor that antedates the 11th century. Past Laetare recipients include President John F. Kennedy, Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day, novelist Walker Percy, Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner.
by Deborah Early
When Michael entered Misericordia Home, he had attended church but was not Catholic. We encouraged him to attend Mass and participate in any religious events on campus. Michael immediately became interested in the Mass and was intrigued with the concept of carrying the cross. Father Jack told him there was a long wait list. After a few years and a lot of pestering from Michael, Father Jack explained that he had to be Catholic to serve at Mass. Michael’s response? “How do I become Catholic?” When asked if he really wanted to do that, he expressed an interest in learning more about it and then making a decision.
Sponsorship and Ad Book forms are available...do it now!
💡 Become a Benefit Sponsor by purchasing an ad for $5,000 or more
💡 Become a Benefit Contributor by purchasing an ad for less than $5,000
Here's how!
💡 Complete the online Sponsorship/Ad Book Contribution form (click HERE), or
💡 Print the paper form (click HERE) and mail with payment to Misericordia, or
💡 Pick up a paper form at Thome reception and mail with payment to Misericordia
And, please help us identify businesses and individuals who could be major Benefit donors. Contact the Sponsorship Committee: Rick & Connie Nash at
Any questions? Contact Patty Ramirez, Ad Book Committee Chair at
Submission deadline is April 16, 2023
by Ann Wilson
Under the auspices of Fr. Jack Clair, Misericordia’s Administrative Team has gone through a restructuring. In October 2022, long-time employee Chris Hegg-Krackenberger was promoted to Vice President of Residential Services.
Introduced to Misericordia in the summer between her sophomore and junior years of college, Chris says, “I worked in a program called ‘Summer Service Learning’ which involved an 8-week volunteer commitment at a non-profit. Misericordia was one of 200 sites across the country, and I felt called to choose this site and loved it! I came back to Misericordia after I graduated in the Summer of 1991. I was not planning on staying long, but I really fell in love with the work I was doing, the residents I worked with, and the people I worked alongside. I decided to stay and here I am almost 32 years later.”
Thank you to each and every one of you who attended our Annual SIBs meeting. It was wonderful seeing everyone and catching up afterwards at our social hour. We also hope the meeting was informative and gave you confidence that the staff of Misericordia is doing everything in their power to provide an environment that is safe and meaningful for your sibling.
With the pandemic moving further back in our rearview mirror, we are excited and committed to re-vitalizing and re-engaging our board. One of our commitments is to communicate and provide information on a regular basis. We know how busy everyone is and we promise to keep our information succinct and with links to enable you to more easily sign up for volunteer activities.
by Ann Wilson
Since Father Jack Clair took on the responsibilities as President/Executive Director of Misericordia Home, he found he had less time for his ministry duties. Consequently, Misericordia welcomed Father Bart Winters to its Ministry Team in April 2022. In addition to collaborating with Andrew Blomquist and Kathy Morris in Ministry, Fr. Bart also works with Bob Myers in promoting the mission and values of Misericordia among its dedicated staff.
On any given day, Fr. Bart may meet with small groups and participate in spirit-sessions. He is delighted and grateful to be a part of this community. Fr. Bart says, “Misericordia truly is a sacred place where God’s presence is tangible and real.” But how did he find himself at Misericordia?
The Misericordia Family Association 63rd Annual Benefit Raffle ticket sales are now live!
3 fabulous prizes! Cash! Car! Grand!
Click here to learn more about the prizes and purchase Raffle tickets.
Click here to download the Cash/Car/Grand Raffles Flyer/Solicitation Letter to send to your family, friends and work colleagues to help the MFA generate more raffle sales.
Go to www.mfabenefit.org to learn more about the Benefit.
During March, the following departments are being recognized and there will be an appreciation luncheon on Wed, March 22nd.
Maintenance/Building Operations who work tirelessly in every season to keep the campus safe and beautiful for everyone.
Human Resources/Staff Development who recruit, train and work hard to retain the Misericordia staff. They hold specialized trainings and provide resources for the staff.
Reception covers the all-important Thome and McAuley reception areas. The receptionists are great ambassadors for Misericordia.
Behavior Services support the mental and behavioral well-being of the residents. Services include individual and group work to enhance the social, communication and interpersonal skill development of the residents.
Social Services maintains funding and compliance for all Misericordia residents. This includes working with families, scheduling staffings/meetings, working with state agencies and maintaining records.
In October 2022, CMS visited Misericordia and conducted a heightened scrutiny review to determine if Misericordia's Community Day Services (CDS) setting complied with the home and community-based services settings criteria. After three months of patiently waiting, Misericordia learned that the CDS inspection was passed, and Misericordia was noted strongly in the "Promising Practices" section of the report.
CDS Passes Federal Inspection by Michael Diaz
In October ’22, as part of a years’ long process, Misericordia’s Community Day Services was inspected by a team of federal and state authorities. As one of only three campus-based facilities surveyed in Illinois, the purpose of the inspection was to determine if the CDS program had any “isolating” qualities in services provided to the residents, due to services originating from campus.
Misericordia is once again recognizing the hard work and dedication of its Staff this year. Different departments are recognized each month with a catered lunch, staff gifts and raffle drawings. The calendar below shows the schedule for the year. In addition to asking Misericordia families to provide e-mails of thanks and appreciation for the departments, we will be asking for volunteers to help with the events. Please check Mis Biz at the beginning of each month for additional information.
In addition, volunteers will be needed to help with other Appreciation events throughout the year, including the Bakery Truck, food trucks, t-shirt folding and Resident appreciation event.
Thank you,
Lisa Masucci & John Butler
MFA Staff Appreciation Coordinators
Page 1 of 18