Sisters of Mercy celebrate jubilees of 70, 75 years

By Sister Deborah Kennedy, RSM and Karel Lucander
Three Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - Sisters Teresa Cusack, Mary Chabanel Finnegan, and Mary Zoe Keller who together represent 215 years of service to and with God’s people—celebrated their entrance into Religious Life during a celebration on Sept. 7 at Corpus Christi Parish in Mobile. The liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Tommy Conway of the Diocese of Biloxi.  
Founded by the Venerable Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, 1831, the Sisters of Mercy are distinguished by a fourth vow of service to those who are poor, sick, and/or uneducated. The Jubilarians have embodied and modeled this throughout their religious life.
Sister Mary Zoe Keller, celebrating 75 years as a Sister of Mercy, grew up in Mobile, attending the former Cathedral Elementary School and Bishop Toolen High School. Sister Zoe embraced the field of education. For more than 50 years, Sister Zoe taught mostly primary grades in numerous schools in Maryland, Florida and Alabama, including St. Mary, St. Joan of Arc (where she was also principal), St. Catherine and Corpus Christi Catholic Schools in Mobile. Upon retirement from teaching Sister Zoe became a familiar face at St. Pius X Parish.
Born in Galway, Ireland, Sister Teresa Cusack is celebrating 70 years as a Sister of Mercy As Sister Teresa was finishing secondary school, Fr. Kevin Reed of the Diocese of Biloxi came to invite young women who were discerning a vocation to religious life to come to Mississippi and join the Sisters of Mercy. Sister Teresa’s bother, Msgr. Frank Cusack, was a priest in the Archdiocese of Mobile.
Sister Teresa ministered for many years as a teacher in Mississippi and Louisiana. With a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in the art of teaching mathematics, her specialty became teaching “new math” to seventh and eight graders. She later ministered in hospital and hospice chaplaincy and as a pastoral associate at Sacred Heart in Pascagoula. Sister Teresa spent eight years at St. Thomas Parish, Long Beach. Now living at Convent of Mercy, Sister Teresa volunteers at Mercy Life, a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly.
Celebrating 70 years as a Sister of Mercy, Sister Chabanel ministered for decades as a nurse and in health care. 
Born in Rose Hill, Miss., she attended St. Michael Catholic Church in Paulding, Miss. Their faith was strong. Sister Chabanel is among about 10 women in her family who became Sisters of Mercy, including two aunts, a great aunt and cousins. 
One of her favorite ministries was cardiac nursing. But through the years, she ministered in bedside care, administration and mission integration. Sister Chabanel also received master’s degrees in health care ethics and Christian spirituality. Later ministering in formation, her education in nursing, healthcare, spirituality and ethics came together to strengthen all of her service. She spent most of her life ministering in Fort Smith, Ark., and Springfield, Mo. Sister Chabanel is currently ministering as the assistant Sister Life Minister at Convent of Mercy in Mobile. 
The Sisters of Mercy came to Mobile from New Orleans in 1884 at the request of Bishop Dominic Manucy, the third Bishop of Mobile, to open St. Joseph Catholic School. The Sisters immediately begin to care for those who were sick and poor, visited those imprisoned and instructed children. Over the years, Sisters of Mercy have staffed numerous elementary and high schools throughout Alabama and northwest Florida.  In the field of health care, the former Blessed Martin de Porres Hospital and Mercy Medical were served by the Sisters. 
Today there are 15 Sisters of Mercy residing in Alabama. There are 14 in the Mobile area and one in Birmingham. Many reside at Convent of Mercy Retirement Residence, where they continue their ministries of prayer and good works at Mercy LIFE, Alabama Arise, Corpus Christi and St. Pius X Parishes and various community outreach services.