By Arlene and Will Sigle 

Located at Devon & Ridge Avenues in Chicago is a “home” for over 600 mentally and physically disabled children and adults from all ethnic, racial & religious backgrounds. Kathy Sigle, our 41-year-old daughter, has lived at this north side residence for the past 28 years. Kathy is functionally 16 months old. Residents at Misericordia range from profoundly retarded, wheelchair bound and tube-fed to those who live and work in the community at large. 

Every resident enjoys a program specifically tai-lored to his or her individual needs. The Developmental Training Center, where most of the residents go during the week, is located within walking or wheeling distance right on the campus. There, everyone enjoys work of some kind, whether it be learning self-help skills or occupation-al training along with physical, speech, music & art thera-py. Also right on campus are the laundry, the greenhouse, the pool, the chapel and a delightful restaurant and gift shop that are open to the public. These areas provide work and learning opportunities for many of the residents. Still others learn to work in the kitchen, bakery and the art and music departments as well as in various campus offices. They are paid salaries just as are those higher func-tioning residents who are able to work out in the community. Residents of all ability levels help one another every day, and every resident takes part in the various social activities that take place on campus, in the com-munity and even in the city and surrounding communities. 

Misericordia has been blessed with wonderful staff and has worked very hard at raising the private dol-lar in order to keep its programs top notch and to serve as many families as possible. We would like to share with you an excerpt from the November letter written by the Executive Director, Sr. Rosemary Connelly: 

Dear Friends, 

Everyone who is involved with Misericordia knows it is a very busy & life giving home. Although our most vulnerable citizens are doing well today, my concern for “tomorrow” lies in the uncertainties of govern-ment support. For several years there has been no increase in support from the government, state or federal. In fact, government payments have often been several million dollars in arrears. My greatest concern is the real possibility that, as the governments try to solve their deficit problems, Human Services like Misericordia will be victimized totally. 

If government should “pull the rug” from under Misericordia, we could probably maintain our high quality of care for approximately three to four years. Our fund-raising has always permitted us to give more to our residents than the government payments have ever provided alone. In 2011, we welcomed 54 new families and their children to our “home.” I wish you could all witness the happiness and gratitude of these families. Yet there are still 1hundreds of people with developmental disabilities who need residential care. Did you know that we currently serve more than 120 Wards of the State of Illinois? They have no families, yet receive all of the same wonderful care. 

You might ask, “why do we try so hard?” especially when everything is so uncertain today. It is be-cause we are Believers! We know that we are doing God’s work and the needs are great. People who are be-lievers also know that the way God’s work is best done is through their own individual involvement – the giv-ing of themselves. God has never let us down at Misericordia, and we believe and trust that He will continue to be there for our most vulnerable residents through you and through our own efforts. Please keep us in your prayers, and thank you for believing with us and in us. God’s blessings on you and yours. 

Gratefully, 

Sister Rosemary