by Camille D'Arienzo
NCR Contributor
Redemptorist Fr. John Collins
Age: 56
Who he is: Redemptorist priest and chaplain to the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy
Lives in: Gwynedd Valley, Pa.
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You are cherished as chaplain to the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy. How did that come about?
I was working in NYC, primarily in a counseling/mental health ministry, when a Sister of Mercy that I'd previously known from New York told me that Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania was looking for a chaplain. My community gave me permission to accept the position after interviewing for it. I had previously helped out on some occasions at the Convent of Mercy at Merion, so I was not totally unknown when I started at the university in 2001. I had also known some of the Mercy sisters who founded and ministered at Mercy Center in the Bronx through my years in NYC.
Being associated with and a part of a Mercy ministry at the university gave me many opportunities to establish ongoing relationships and to collaborate with the sisters and their associates on retreats, workshops, and other mission/ministry programs. I am grateful for all the blessings that have come from my life and ministry in Mercy.
What gifts do you bring to them?
I hope that I bring a deep sense of appreciation for their lives of service and their generous and profound witness to God's mercy.
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