The April MFA General Membership Meeting is an in-person event for families to engage with our Misericordia community. By attending, you'll learn about new initiatives, supportive resources, and feel that great sense of belonging!
We will be taking attendance of MFA members. Please remember to sign in at your Site table when you arrive.
We are providing two options to make attendance easier:
Mass in the Chapel at 9:30 am.
A rideshare program for those in need of transportation. WOULD YOU LIKE A RIDE? Contact David Brennan at
WHEN? Sunday, April 12th
WHERE? Misericordia’s Jean Marie Ryan Center
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
9:30 Mass in the Chapel - Click HERE to RSVP for Mass attendance.
10:00 Check in/Attendance
Benefit Collections/Purchases - Benefit Book/Sponsorship Deadline, Gift Card Collection, Raffles, Giving Tree, Coffee and Bakery Sales.
11:00 MFA General Meeting
Election of new MFA Board Members, Click HERE for the Slate of Candidates, Benefit updates, News from Senior Staff, Father Jack’s remarks.
THERE’S MORE!!
12:00 Social time: beer, wine, soft drinks, and award-winning SUPERDAWG'S hot dogs and fries.
Although Misericordia’s Dental Clinic is staffed by highly skilled and compassionate professionals, it has been challenging to keep up with cleanings and treatments for the current residents attending the dental clinic. From a compliance standpoint, we meet the requirement of annual cleanings; however, the recommended standard of care is every six months. At this time, the clinic is not able to provide cleanings twice per year and cannot accept new residents.
Some parents have asked about dental providers outside of Misericordia with whom families have had positive experiences. If you work with a dentist you trust who serves your family member well, we would greatly appreciate your sharing that information. We will compile the contacts and share them with the MFA.
Please include the following details:
by Linda Buchalo
Every day, we see Misericordia staff in action as they care for and work with our family members. It’s awe-inspiring to see how smoothly the process runs, given that many of the residents need a lot of supervision and may have difficulty following directions. Yet, day after day, life goes relatively smoothly for over 600 residents, both on and off campus. We can thank the amazing planning capabilities of Misericordia administrators and staff for this minor miracle.
What happens when an unexpected event causes a glitch in the daily routine? Think about situations that you have experienced in your own life—medical emergencies, severe weather conditions, hazardous spills that require evacuation, and so on. Imagine having to deal with situations like these for 600+ residents and 1600+ staff.
by Barb Quaintance and Julie O'Sullivan
Most Misericordia families have a favorite Misericordia event: the MFA Benefit, Family Fest, Candy Days, and the Women’s Ball. My favorite is the Artist in All. It’s a spectacular event, and the residents are the stars of the show.
I wanted to learn more about the history of the Artist in All (AIA) and what it takes to pull off this memorable evening, so I talked to Julie O’Sullivan, Director of Events and Public Relations for the Misericordia Foundation. Julie is instrumental in making AIA the success it is, and she has a lot to share.
The MFA Board called for nominations for MFA Board member positions, which are ending July 31, 2026. The nominations were received and considered by the Nominations Committee, which met on March 11, 2026. The Nominations Committee endorsed the following slate of candidates for the open Board positions. This slate will be voted on by the entire membership at the April 12th General Meeting.
Slate of Candidates for MFA Board Positions - Term of service: 8/1/26 - 7/31/28
Note: Lisa and Barry Cruse were elected last year as Chairs-Elect and will become MFA Chairs on 8/1/26.
by Barb Quaintance
Siblings have lifelong relationships that can bring great joy. But there are also challenges in any relationship, including relationships with our special family members. The Misericordia SIBS organization celebrates those sibling relationships. Its members are actively engaged in the lives of their brothers and sisters and in the broader Misericordia community.
The SIBS organization has four core elements:
Beautifying and Expanding the Misericordia Campus: The Notre Dame Study
by Barb Quaintance
If you ask, they might just say yes.
When Father Jack and Sister Rosemary went to Notre Dame for Sister Rosemary to accept the 2023 Laetare Medal, they were joined by Matt and Joyce Walsh. The Walshes had not only funded an architecture school at Notre Dame, but they also have a niece who resides at Misericordia. Knowing this, Father Jack and Sister Rosemary asked the Notre Dame architecture department if they would conduct a study of the Misericordia campus, recommending improvements and enhancements. And Notre Dame said, "Yes"!
The Dean of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture came to Misericordia to explore possibilities. He was immediately impressed by the campus and assigned a team of architects to work on the study. The scope of the study was the physical plant, not services or current residences. Their focus was on using the campus most efficiently and building/modifying structures to meet Misericordia’s evolving needs.
Support Misericordia at the register throughout the month of March at all 188 Jewel-Osco locations! Help keep #MisericordiaStrong! Don't forget the register says: "Would you like to donate to Support People with Disabilities? All proceeds go to the Misericordia."
Misericordia has partnered with Camp Courageous to offer a camp experience exclusively for our residents from July 26–31, 2026. Camp Courageous is located about 3.5 hours away in Monticello, Iowa. Misericordia will be arranging transportation for our campers.
Misericordia needs to gauge the level of interest, so if you think you might be interested and would like to learn more about Camp Courageous, click here to sign up for an Information Session by March 13th.
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