Sister Mary Ellen Broderick, IHM
Sr. Mary Ellen Broderick, IHM originally hails from St. Leo’s Parish in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia and is a proud St. Hubert High School “Bambie.” After her Profession as a Sister Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she was missioned to teach for the various elementary school grades in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Dioceses of Arlington, VA and Camden, NJ.
Her teaching assignments also sent her to Lima, Peru for four years teaching in the IHM’s Villa Maria Academy. Along with two other Sisters, she helped to open a Jesuit sponsored Fe y Alegria (Faith and Joy) school in Barranca, Peru. The founding philosophy of this network of schools is: We begin where the sidewalk ends. Upon return to the States, Sister participated in opening a full-time IHM Literacy Center at Incarnation Parish.
After 25 years of teaching, Sister, along with two other Sisters served at Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence, MA. Lazarus House is a multi-faceted Ministry for people who face economic hardship. Her mission was to work with the families and single guests who resided in the shelter to achieve stability in their lives. Also, while in Lawrence, she was part of a team that visited and presented Retreats to the women of MCI Framingham, MA.
Upon her return to Philadelphia, she was missioned to serve the people of Chester in the Food Pantry and Clothing Closet at St. Katherine Drexel Parish.
Later, she also had the opportunity to serve in St. Joseph Parish, Reading, PA doing Parish Visitation to the homebound parishioners and those in nursing homes and hospitals.
In 2015, Sister was invited to be a founding Board Member for Mother of Mercy House, serving the executive board as Secretary. Sister shares, “This ministry has been close to my heart. It has been an exciting yet challenging opportunity for me and the Board. I have been blessed to have so many invested lay people on the Board with me— their dedication has inspired and humbled me on so many occasions. I am grateful to my IHM Community for their dedication to MOMH and their desire to continue to have an IHM as part of the team who serves God’s Beloved living on the margins of K&A.”
Mother of Mercy House is blessed to have Sr. Mary Ellen Broderick as part of our core team!
In Sister’s own words:
Although there are multitudinous Scripture passages that teach and challenge me, the one which always calls me from my rut of a comfort-zone is found in Matthew 25: 31-46: my brother and sister in need is Jesus who calls out to me. Over the years, I have added another powerful adage, taken from Celtic spirituality: It is in the shelter of each other that people live.
My hope is that I may always be open to the Christ at my (MOMH’s) door and in the words of Pope Francis… “to learn from these guests the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.”