Advocate for Care: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

“Through our influence we seek to relieve misery and address its causes and support persons who struggle for full dignity.”

Dignity is a key value in Mercy’s work. Like the Sisters of Mercy, we strive to be an effective voice for the economically poor and the underserved. We also support and partner with others in raising their own voices to seek justice and mercy.

These principles guide us in evaluating public policy issues:

• Our advocacy activities flow from Catholic social teachings and we constantly strive for a deeper understanding of them.
• Our choice of advocacy activities shall always reflect the dignity and welfare of those we serve as well as those with whom we minister, and are always influenced by our fundamental commitment to the preferential option for the poor.
• We work toward assuring the rights of each person for those things necessary for the proper quality of life and challenge others to join us in assuming responsibility for helping to meet social needs.
• Our advocacy activities shall focus on both the good of human persons and the common good of the community.
• We advocate to obtain an equitable distribution of resources, especially in the allocation of health care resources.
• Justice calls us to promote systemic change by working collaboratively with others in the public and private sector to address the needs of the most vulnerable persons.

Among Mercy’s sponsored ministries is the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program. For more information, please visit http://www.mhap.org/