The third annual Mercy Ministry Companions Conference was held from 14-15 October at the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne. The Conference brought together over 100 leaders from MMC Ministries, Trustee Directors and MMC Staff, Directors and stakeholders and representatives from the wider Mercy world. The theme of the Conference was Expanding Horizons.
Ian Hamm, a Yorta Yorta man who has extensive experience in governance within both the government and the community sectors, presented the first Keynote address: Our relationships with the people we serve: whose horizons need expanding – ours or theirs?
Sheila Curran RSM, a Sister of Mercy from Ireland who works as a practical theologian from an eco-feminist perspective, presented two sessions at the Conference: Re-envisaging the Corporal Works of Mercy: Why Love, Care and Solidarity Matter and Shifting Landscapes: Expanding Horizons.
Both speakers discussed the global issues of reconciliation, justice and peace. Participants were then invited to attend one of six workshops facilitated by each of the ministries to reflect on the call of the gospel and the Conference theme. Workshops focused on advocacy and outreach programs and initiatives underway in each of the ministries to respond to those in need.
For the first time, the Conference included vignettes which enabled participants to hear the voices of people with lived experience, in conversation with Conference facilitator, Angela Scaffidi.
Participants valued the interaction with colleagues from other ministries and sharing ideas for potential collaborations. They were challenged by the keynote speakers and encouraged by workshop facilitators to extend their own horizons and discuss what problems we might solve together in our communities.
A special thanks is given to Angela Scaffidi, Conference Facilitator; the students and staff of the ministries who facilitated workshops and to the Conference Planning Committee of Annette Schneider RSM, Belinda Cooney, Felicity Pringle, Amanda Robertson, Rosie Busuttil, Alison Steel, Chris Bence and Judith Weir.
