During the summer of the Year of Mercy (2015-2016), we asked FaithND readers to capture and share photos that depicted mercy in action. This is what they came up with.
As the Father Loves
A collection of images that show what mercy looks like as it is experienced by the Notre Dame family, such as this picture of Meg Towle ’07 holding Lebo, a 2-year-old HIV-positive orphan, at Touching Tiny Lives in Mokhotlong, Lesotho. Lebo died a few weeks after this photo was taken.
God’s Name is Mercy
The second installment in our series that shows what mercy looks like enacted by the Notre Dame family, such as this photo from Rich D’Amour ’76. “Dad is slowly dying in an Alzheimer’s unit. He spends his days with his hands covering his face. He says it feels good. My sister Carolyn recently visited and was able to coax him into lowering one of his hands for a brief moment. The look on her face is pure love. I can’t look at this beautiful image without tearing up.”
An Oasis of Mercy
The third part of our series showing images of mercy comes from high school students participating in Holy Cross College summer Saints and Scholars program, such as this image captured by Colleen Schena of a moving moment she witnessed at the Grotto. “Spiritual works of mercy are so often overlooked, including the subtle act of comforting the sorrowful.”
The Balm of Mercy
The last part of our photo essay series showing images of mercy includes participants from this summer’s Family Volunteer Camp, such as Dan Turner ’95, who is shown here dancing with a resident from a South Bend non-profit organization serving those with special needs.