Sisters of Mercy Invite Public to Day of Prayer Contact: Sr. Mary Geis, RSM 908-756-0994 ext. 4018 The public is invited to join the Sisters of Mercy and all members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in a day of contemplation and fasting on Thursday, March 1, at Mount St. Mary, Watchung. Three different sites on the grounds and a choice of appropriate times have been provided: McAuley Hall Health Care Center, 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.; Mount St. Mary Immaculate Conception Chapel, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.; and Mount St. Mary House of Prayer, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Throughout the country members of the LCWR and their congregations are participating in a "rolling fast" that will ensure prayer and fasting for the church and world every day throughout the year. In addition to the daily rolling fast, an LCWR Call to Contemplation statement invites "all who share our passion for restoring right relationships to join us in contemplation and fasting" on two national days of prayer - the first Friday in Lent, March 2, and the first Friday in Advent, December 7, 2001. The purpose is to highlight the Jubilee theme of right relationships and to hold in prayer those suffering from oppression and poverty, war and violence, and to hold in prayer the sacredness of the earth. "We are praying for a greater sense of communion in today's church and world," said Mary Mollison, LCWR President. The LCWR Call to Contemplation statement goes on to say, "In the spirit of Jubilee we want to let the land lie fallow. We want to find a space in time and place with a community of believers to pray and fast together. We want to enter into contemplation and stir our God-given creativity so as to imagine new ways of responding in love." The Leadership Conference of Women Religious has more than 1,000 members who are the elected leaders of their religious orders, representing 83,000 Catholic sisters. The Conference develops leadership, promotes collaboration with church and society, and serves as a voice for systemic change. The Sisters of Mercy, founded in Ireland in 1831 by Venerable Catherine McAuley, have been traditionally dedicated to the education and advancement of women and the poor. They have worked in many cities and towns throughout the State of New Jersey since 1873. The Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of New Jersey numbers 291 Sisters and 103 Mercy Associates serving in schools, parishes, social service agencies and other ministries. They joined 24 other regional communities of Mercy on July 20, 1991, to found the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, an organization of almost 6,000 sisters and 2,000 lay associates.