January 6, 2009

Guest: Bob Ravenscroft, President of the Mercy Foundation
Featured Saint of the Day: St. Gregory Nazianzen

Today Deacon Rick and Jenny spoke with Bob Ravenscroft, President of the Mercy Foundation. Bob shared with us some of the Mercy Foundation's goals for this new year. A big focus this year will be on obtaining scholarships for students attending Mercy College. Bob told us that 90% of students at Mercy College require financial assistance and many are parents who are also working while they are in school.

A project that Mercy is involved in is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Once a year Mercy physicians go to Yucatan, Mexico and screen the children there. They then have to decide, from those children in need of open-heart surgery, which ones are fit enough to make the trip back to Mercy to receive care. Each year between 30-50 children receive open-heart surgery from this program. The children and their family are all transported to Des Moines for the procedure.

In this time of economic crisis, Mercy is determined to do God's will through their endeavors. Bob quoted Sr. Martina Wolfe who said, "If it's God's will, it will get done."