Leadership Taking Action

IHM Leadership Endorsements and Public Statements

Below you will find the most recent endorsements by the IHM Leadership Council of organizational sign-on letters and position statements on issues that are important to the congregation.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023

The IHM Sisters support the statement made by the National Black Sisters’ Conference on the death of Tyre Nichols
The IHM Leadership Council of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Mich., support the statement made by the National Black Sisters’ Conference on the death of Tyre Nichols. 

…Yet here we are again grieving the death of another young black man, Tyre Nichols, whose life was taken at the hands of five black police officers on a night in a quiet Memphis neighborhood. Tyre Nichols’ life at the age of 29 was taken before he had a chance to fulfill his purpose. This young man was not a person to be feared or perceived to be a threat. He was a son, father, and contributor to society; respected and loved by all who knew him. His only crime was being black in the wrong place at the wrong time….

Tyre Nichols’ death is evidence of the abuse of power and excessive force that communities of color too often experience at the hands of police.  We stand with the National Black Sisters’ Conference and demand justice for Tyre by calling for the following:

• Immediate passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 by Congress
• More progressive oversite and accountability of police departments by the Justice Department
• Local and State reform of policing
• The end to police brutality that continues to plague black and poor communities

We stand by our sisters and brothers of color and recommit ourselves to raising our voices and working for systemic change to build the Beloved Community. We pray for peace and comfort for the family of Tyre Nichols and for the countless other families before them whose lives were taken in similar acts of violence. We pray for strength and healing for all who have been traumatized in numerous ways by both individual and institutionalized brutality. We join you in calling for justice.

Thursday, Jan.19, 2023

The IHM Leadership Council calls for supportive action of the Oaks Shelter
We, the Leadership Council of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Michigan, are heartbroken by the announcement to close the Oaks of Righteousness Shelter. Nationwide, the number of homeless, hungry people seeking shelter are also dealing with serious mental health issues. Overnight shelters are not equipped to provide services for them.

Nine years ago, Pastor Heather Boone came to serve the people of Monroe.  She has mounted a superhuman effort to create Dr. King’s “Beloved Community.”  We highly respect the work of Pastor Boone and Oaks Christian Ministries and consider their services at the Oaks Shelter a blessing for those in need.  Even if the Oaks Shelter closes, the residents that Pastor Boone and her staff now serve will remain in our community. Where will they go? What will happen to them?  We cannot look away when our brothers and sisters have so many unmet needs.

We live with the hope that the Monroe County Mental Health Services and local authorities will take action to prioritize the mental health issues affecting the Oaks Shelter as well as other social service providers in our city.  We encourage our congregation, families and friends to support the work of the Oaks Shelter.

The IHM Leadership Council
Margaret Chapman, IHM – Treasurer and Mission Councilor
Marianne Gaynor, IHM – Vice President and Mission Councilor
Mary Jane Herb, IHM, President
Patricia McCluskey, IHM – Mission Councilor
Ellen Rinke, IHM – Mission Councilor