by Linda Buchalo
This past year has given me much time to think about a lot of things, among them how truly blessed I am to have found a home for my son Andy at Misericordia. I’ve also thought a lot about the past, including life before Mis, with school staffings and services from other organizations. As I ponder these memories, I think how much better life is for Andy now, despite the pandemic and all its restrictions.
I’ve come to appreciate even more how different Misericordia is from many other organizations that offer services for people with disabilities. And other parents have shared with me how pleasantly surprised they were in making the transition to life at Misericordia.
As I think back to the days of Andy being in school, I remember good times, but I also remember the torture of staffings—my husband and I facing a panel of “experts” who listed all the areas where our child was deficient. I always walked away feeling sad that no one appreciated my son’s abilities.
by Linda Buchalo
As part of our series covering the Misericordia Executive Team, this article highlights Lois Catinella Gates, who is celebrating her 50th year as a staff member at Misericordia Home.
In 1970, Lois volunteered at Misericordia while waiting for her acceptance as a stewardess. When called to follow her originally chosen profession, she declined and chose to remain at Misericordia, thus beginning her life-long love affair for Sister Rosemary and the residents. She officially became a staff member in 1971.
One of the reasons Misericordia is near and dear to Lois is that her brother Fred lived there for 16 years before he passed away in 2001. Lois is forever grateful to Sister Rosemary and the staff who nurtured, cared for, and loved Fred, and provided him with a life of dignity. Fred often told her “Sis, Misericordia is Heaven on Earth!”
By Julie Carpenter
Misericordia celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2021 with the venerable Sister Rosemary Connelly also recognized for her decades of leadership and compassion, serving the Misericordia community as Executive Director for more than 50 years!
Looking back on this past year, it is possible that this was likely one of the most challenging years to date in Misericordia’s history. As we round the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, we join Sister in her gratitude for the miracle of a life-saving vaccine, and her prayers for the promise of a new beginning and the return of the “ordinary” day.
by Ernie Stark
Assistant Executive Director for Residents and Programs, Mary Pat O’Brien, is a person for whom family is paramount. Born in Evanston and raised in an Irish Catholic family, Mary Pat cherishes her relationships with her two brothers, two sisters, and their spouses and children. With eleven nieces and nephews, along with five great nieces and nephews, Mary Pat’s personal life is enriched by the familial love she gives and receives.
Early in her life, Mary Pat’s family moved and settled in LaGrange. Here Mary Pat attended St. Cletus Elementary School and Nazareth Academy during her high school years. She went to Bradley University in Peoria where she majored in Psychology. During her collegiate years, her future plans included early childhood care or childhood intervention care.
by Therese Burke
The Misericordia Women’s League’s annual Heart of Gold benefit may have looked a bit different this year, but the fun and enthusiasm was felt across the country.
With over 300 supporters tuning in all the way from New York to California, the virtual event, A Night at the Races, was a huge success, raising $725,000.
The evening featured celebrity drop-ins from actress and Chicago native Jane Lynch, Chicago athletes Connor Murphy and Jim Thome, local broadcast stars and even more special guests sharing their love for Misericordia.
by Ernie Stark
One of the areas of administrative responsibility of Associate Executive Director Father Jack Clair is campus security. Recently, I asked Father Jack about how Misericordia keeps staff and residents safe.
Over the past few years, many things have changed. Some are best kept confidential. Others are quite visible: Locked doors are now the rule throughout the campus not only on all residences, but the Ridge entrance, to areas beyond the Greenhouse Inn, business office and laundry. Elevator access requires ID activation. To enable staff to lock down areas if needed, many doors required new locks to be installed. Bullet proof glass has been installed at public entrances.
Written by Ernie Stark
Consider the task: ensuring that 600+ residents have nutritious food that meet their individual needs. That’s the mission of the Food Services Department, led by Director Bob Noga, his assistants Jim Ahlfeld and Kyle Rhone, as well as Head Chef Sammy Johnson and Head Baker Freddy Fernandez. Food Services reports to Father Jack, who said “They do all the work.”
The task of feeding Misericordia residents is a complex job, which requires a great deal of organization. Think about the different types of residences on campus and the variety of residents’ needs. For example, some residents can eat typical food while others need their food pureed. Some have dietary restrictions. Some can eat independently, some cannot. Other residents receive tube feeding. There are almost as many specific needs as there are residents.
Two staff dieticians create recipes and plan the meals, meals that can be adapted in a variety of ways that meet the residents’ needs. Purchasing food and other supplies is also part of Food Services. In addition to three chefs and seven cooks, the kitchen staff includes those who prepare the food, scullery personnel and the drivers who deliver meals to the residences.
by Ernie Stark
Many of us have attended Mass with Father Jack or seen him at various campus events. Did you know that Father is responsible for several departments that keep Misericordia running? These include Food Services, Maintenance and Security. Look for subsequent articles about these important departments.
Most of us do not know Father Jack’s personal story or what brought him to Misericordia. Let’s hear that in Father’s own words.
“I was adopted by an Irish Catholic family on the Northwest side of Chicago. My father was a Chicago policeman who grew up on the South side. One of his police duties was to be a crossing guard at a public school where my mother taught kindergarten. That’s where they met. In their 30s, they found out that they were unable to have children. They went to Catholic Charities where they adopted my sister, Sheila, and several years later they adopted me.
by Julie Carpenter
For nearly two decades, Bob and Madge Erlenbaugh have shared their gifts, enriching the lives of Misericordia residents through music and their tireless leadership as volunteer choir directors for Misericordia’s Heartzingers Choir. The Heartzingers are a choir of 50 residents, led by Bob on guitar and Madge guiding residents who participate through sign language. It is a group that has found a common bond through music, forming a tight-knit family within the broader Misericordia family, for whom the choir’s music brings comfort, spiritual inspiration, joy and profound happiness.
by Linda Buchalo
An important part of the Community Day Services program, the Misericordia art department offers residents the chance to explore various forms of art. If you’ve attended the Artist in All event at the Art Institute, you know that Misericordia residents are bursting with creativity and that the staff in the art department have a knack for bringing out that talent.
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