A shared moment over a simple frozen treat marked the end of a year built on connection, service and unexpected friendship.
Residents and students from Mother McAuley High School gathered recently at Mercy Circle, a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community on Chicago’s Southwest Side sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. It is the only faith-based senior living community of its kind in the area and operates without an entrance fee.
The gathering marked a wrap-up celebration of Macs with Mercy, a yearlong collaboration built on friendship, service and steady creativity. The program brought together generations each month to assemble small handmade gifts for families supported by Pat’s Pantry.
The final session ended the way many of the meetings do, with laughter, conversation and a serving of Rainbow Cone shared among participants. For many, it felt less like a conclusion and more like a reminder of what had been built over the year.
Macs with Mercy was launched in 2022 by 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea as a way to connect students and seniors through service. Each month, participants created handmade gifts that were placed into grocery bags distributed by Pat’s Pantry, which serves about 70 families in need.
O’Shea said the year-end gathering has become an important tradition.
“I like to wrap up the sessions with a Rainbow Cone treat for all who have participated during the school year and celebrate the work the Mercy Circle residents and McAuley students have done together,” he said.
While the project centers on giving, participants said the impact often runs both ways. Conversations between students and residents have ranged from school pressures to life experience. Sister Nancy Kennelly, RSM, said she often hears McAuley seniors worry about choosing the right college courses or making the wrong decision about their future.
From her perspective, she tells them there is more room for grace than fear.
She said she believes each student will do more than they imagine and that there are no wrong choices, only different paths forward.
That message has become part of what students take with them as much as the handmade gifts they create.
Macs with Mercy has grown into a steady rhythm of connection, building bonds between residents at Mercy Circle and students while supporting the mission of Pat’s Pantry.