As we come to the close of 2020 — Mercy Health’s centennial year — the extraordinary events of the past 12 months closely echo those the Sisters of Mercy lived through when the pneumonic ‘Spanish’ flu pandemic hit Melbourne in December 1918.
In the face of the deadly virus and sectarian religious prejudice, the Sisters forged ahead to open their first Victorian hospital in 1920 — St Benedict’s in Malvern — where the Mercy Health story began. The divine calling to care for and comfort the sick fuelled their determination and steered them through those dark days.
Group Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Professor Stephen Cornelissen
Similarly this year, we have navigated the great unknown of the coronavirus pandemic using Mercy Health’s mission ‘To bring God’s mercy to those in need’ as our compass and motivation. Undeterred, our staff have continued to provide compassionate care to those we serve. Lifestyle and pastoral care staff have comforted aged care residents who were missing friends and loved ones because of government-mandated visiting restrictions; Home Care workers have continued to visit and support people in their homes; hospital staff have worked around the clock to provide the best care for patients despite the physically gruelling demands of infection control procedures; cleaners have cleaned fastidiously and frequently; and everyone across the organisation has done their bit to practice good hygiene, work from home wherever possible and stay physically distanced.
In these acts of service, we seek to give hope and light to the people for whom we care. As Founder of the Sisters of Mercy Catherine McAuley said: “We should be shining lamps giving light to all around us.”
After spending much of the year apart from our loved ones, we can now enjoy Christmas with a deep sense of gratitude for the people in our lives. On behalf of the Mercy Health Board and Executive, I thank you for all you have done this year and I wish you all a hopeful, peaceful and safe Christmas and New Year.
Adjunct Professor Stephen Cornelissen
Group Chief Executive Officer
Last reviewed December 15, 2020.