On Saturday, October 15, the Misericordia Women’s Board will break out the bubbly and welcome guests back to the International Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago for its first live Heart of Mercy Ball since our last in-person gala in 2019. Our theme, Hearts + Home United, will bring us together to celebrate both people and place, as we recognize our 2022 honorees and highlight Misericordia’s beautiful homes that provide a loving environment, quality of life, and a continuum of care for residents.
In 2021, the Women’s Board observed Misericordia’s Centennial Anniversary with a Virtual Ball that recognized Sister Rosemary Connelly’s visionary leadership of more than five decades and honored the McGuire family, paying tribute to Frances McGuire, who founded the Women’s Board in 1921. As Misericordia begins its second century in 2022, the Women’s Board is privileged to present three awards of distinction to longtime friends of Misericordia:
July 25, 2022
Dear Families: (This only applies to residents in campus housing and does not apply to residents in CILAs or Shannon Apartments.)
I am writing to inform you that you will be receiving a letter from an Independent Service Coordinator (ISC) regarding your family member living at Misericordia. The ISC is a contractor for the State of Illinois; he or she is not an employee or representative of Misericordia. The ISC will follow up his or her letter with a phone call, email or text to you.
The purpose of this contact is to inform you of the availability of home and community-based services (HCBS) as an alternative to Misericordia’s campus homes. Illinois is reaching out to the guardians of all men and women who live in Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) in the state to make sure they are aware of community-based services and other living options. The homes on Misericordia’s campus are ICFs (except for Shannon Apartments).
You will be given the opportunity to meet with the ISC to discuss HCBS services. It will be up to you to decide if you wish to meet with the ISC to discuss these alternatives for your family member. If you choose to pursue such a placement for your family member, the ISC will put your family member on the state’s waiting list for HCBS services. This outreach will be done annually.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Mary Pat O'Brien
Assistant Executive Director
We are always looking for interesting articles for the MFA-Sibs website. Join us in telling the Mis story! There are two kinds of writing opportunities:
Please note: We are looking for articles that are upbeat and reflect the wonderful place that we know Misericordia to be.
If you would like more information about writing for the website--or would like to submit an article--please contact Barb Quaintance,
July 2022
Dear Friends,
After a two-year pause, we are pleased to announce that Misericordia will hold its 40th Family Fest on September 11, 2022. As in the past, we honor the memory of our dear friend Pauline Greco, who was called home to God on December 3, 2016. Pauline was the driving force for the success of our annual Car and Cash Raffles. We remember her with fond memories and grateful hearts. The Greco Family and Friends Committee will continue this tradition in raising the private dollar that is desperately needed to provide quality care for more than 600 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Greetings Misericordia SIBs,
I am writing to let you know that we are currently in need of volunteer assistance with our Sunday brunches in the on-campus restaurant, the Greenhouse Inn. Volunteers work with our staff members and residents, and help us in a variety of roles including seating guests, waiting on tables, assisting at the carving station, and washing dishes. The Sunday brunches have historically been staffed primarily by the SIBs, so we are really hoping that you, your friends and family will be able to step up and help us by signing up for at least one Sunday. This is a great opportunity for high school students 16 and older to complete service hours too!
At this time all volunteers are required to be up-to-date with vaccinations against COVID, and a digital copy of your vaccination card must be sent to our volunteer office before your shift. You can read more information about volunteering at the brunches as well as sign up for shifts at this link -
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4eadac29a57-sunday1
Thank you
Paul Schwartz
Misericordia Home Volunteer Coordinator
773-273-4161
Click play and enjoy! ->
You can still donate to the Giving Tree and the Misericordia Ministry at www.mfabenefit.org until July 7th. The Ad Book is available to view on the website also.
Here are the results of the Misericordia Family Association Benefit Raffles. Congratulations to the winners! You will be contacted soon.
You can still donate to the Giving Tree and the Misericordia Ministry until July 7th at www.mfabenefit.org. The Ad Book is available to view on the website also.
During June, Misericordia is recognizing the following departments with Appreciation Events, including a catered luncheon, staff gifts and raffles.
June 9, 2022
Dear Families and Staff,
As promised, we want to keep you informed about changes that are occurring here at Misericordia. As we indicated previously, our organization changes are stemming from the need to continuously work on recruiting, retaining and offering development and growth opportunities for our staff. The staffing shortages continue to be our number one focus. In looking at the current leadership capacity, it is clearly evident that we need to reduce the scope of responsibility for several key positions. It will allow us to keep the residents at the forefront of what we do while we are taking care of the staff that take care of our residents. It will also allow opportunities for implementation of growth and development plans to ensure we continue to have a pipeline of leadership for now and the future.
May 11, 2022
Dear Misericordia Families,
This seems to be a year of changes. Early in December was the inception of the Misericordia Foundation. This was an exceptional move in that it ensures the Misericordia Foundation will focus on fundraising for the future in order that we continue to provide quality care to those we serve. This also has driven changes in our leadership given Misericordia Home is a separate entity from the Misericordia Foundation. With Denise Tigges recent announcement regarding her retirement and given her longevity, it seems to be a catalyst for some changes to keep Misericordia Home moving forward. As I noted at the MFA meeting, our overall strategic plan includes development of new leaders to ensure continuity in the services we provide. As with any organization we have done our due diligence in succession planning. We have also sought counsel from a professional consulting firm regarding succession planning and change management. They have guided us through the process and continue to do so. The addition of Misericordia Foundation and Denise’s recent news has prompted us to look at the structure of our current leadership to ensure we are effective in the critical areas of Residential Services, Clinical Services and Program Services as well as HR and Staff Development.
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