“It Takes A Village!”

By Michelle Kovach, Director of Campus Ministry, Mount Saint Mary Academy (Watchung, New Jersey)

“It takes a village” is a sentiment we’ve all heard, but perhaps rarely feel like it’s something we can call upon. So often it feels like we need to do everything ourselves or that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Not only do we have to do it alone, but we are also told by the world that we need to do it all. I don’t know about you, but that sounds exhausting to me. Yet, it was a mindset I struggled to shake for a long time.

At the beginning of my career in education, I fell into the trap of saying yes to everything asked of me and spending every waking second working. I wanted to appear driven and sure of myself. I feared that if I said no, I’d seem selfish or uncommitted. If I asked for help, I’d look incompetent.

Thankfully, God put angels in my life who began to change my perspective. From my very first week of teaching, a colleague took me under her wing and spent many of her prep periods helping me feel prepared.  When another colleague expressed concern about my over-eager accepting of tasks, I responded with what I thought was a pretty smart, theological answer: Mary told us to “do whatever he [Jesus] tells you” (John 2:5). The colleague, an IHM sister, wisely reflected back to me, “Yes, we must respond generously to what God is calling us to do, but not every person who asks something of us.”

Since my time in Mercy education at Mount Saint Mary Academy, I have learned to embrace the adage “it takes a village.” I have been blessed beyond measure by having the opportunity to work with a truly faith-filled and merciful Theology department. At the heart of Mercy charism lies a commitment to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Catherine McAuley devoted her life to caring for every person as a child of God. In my co-workers, I see this same love on display every day. They are always willing to lend a hand to make an event a success, or lend an ear to listen to the things weighing on my heart. They challenge our students to open their eyes to the needs of others as well as to practice self-care.

Beyond the campus grounds, I’ve also been blessed with another part of my “village,” the Mercy Education Campus Ministers and Theology Teachers Cohorts. I always leave the virtual meetings feeling more hopeful and encouraged. A few years ago, the Campus Ministers Cohort had the opportunity to meet in person for a retreat. What I treasure the most from that experience was the time spent with one another at mealtimes or conversing over late night snacks. In these moments, we discovered that we were not alone. Our virtual sessions have continued to be a place of companionship and faith.

I’d like to think that this is exactly what Catherine hoped for as she formed the Sisters of Mercy: individuals gathering together, hearts on fire to bring God’s mercy to the world, learning and growing with one another. While Catherine had many ideas for how to live out mercy in the world, I don’t believe she ever thought she could do it all by herself. It was only working alongside her companions and advisors that the work of the Sisters of Mercy was able to spread not only all over Ireland, but now to over 30 countries. Catherine understood she was only a small part of a much larger picture.

At our cohort meetings this year, we have often come back to the prayer, “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own.” In it, we are reminded that:

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

… We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

… We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

Let us continue in our spirit of mercy, knowing we are all working together to bring forth God’s kingdom.