A day of peace,
quiet and friendship

By Julian Walker
Times Staff Writer

Sister Ann Trainer, director of the Cranaleith Spiritual Center, likes to describe the retreat facility at 13475 Proctor Road as a quiet place where "people can reflect on their own lives, find some strength and inner peace."
Nestled in a green patch of Somerton near the Bucks County border, Cranaleith was established in 1998 by the Sisters of Mercy Order of Merion, Pa. Its bucolic settings seem the perfect place for people to do just that.
But peace and quiet aren’t always literally and rigidly defined.
Last Wednesday afternoon, Cranaleith played host to about 60 people from several Philadelphia non-profits who visited the grounds for a day of picnicking and fun in the sun.
The event was lively, the air was filled with sounds of happy chatter, oldies tunes played on a nearby radio, and burgers and hot dogs sizzled on the grill.
The true guests at the picnic were participants of the Mercy Neighborhood Ministries’ adult day program based in North Philadelphia.
For those folks, peace and quiet seemingly is an afternoon of frolicking.
Like Cranaleith, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, which also offers before- and after-school programs for children and services to area women, is a mission of the Sisters of Mercy order.
It was established nearly 30 years ago and served an even more critical need when the Philadelphia State Hospital, a psychiatric institution in the Far Northeast commonly known as Byberry, was phased out in the early 1990s.
As the state closed the hospital, patients were scattered throughout Philadelphia, with many taking up residence in some of the city’s poorer neighborhoods. Some of them settled in North Philadelphia, where Mercy Neighborhood Ministries is based at 19th and Tioga streets, in the basement of Our Lady of Hope Parish.
"It is a structured program, a safe haven where people can come every day, have a good time and be involved in activities," said Sister Katherine Sonnie, director of the Mercy adult day program, which operates five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. "We look at the whole person and try to meet their needs socially, physically and through mental stimulation."
The program serves about 45 men and women, most of whom live in personal-care facilities and suffer from some form of mental illness or retardation. For many participants, it is their only contact with the outside world. Without it, many would be confined to their living quarters with little human interaction.
In addition to the participation of Cranaleith, which hosts about 1,200 people annually at varying types of retreats, last week’s party was sponsored by the Justice Frank J. Montemuro Jr. Lodge 2193 of the Sons of Italy organization.
The Northeast-based group is part of the national non-profit group Sons of Italy. It is an all-female chapter that got involved with Mercy Neighborhood Ministries after a member shared the story of the organization.
"This year we decided to do more outreach programs and get involved in a more hands-on way," said Marge Jordan, chairwoman of the charity outreach committee for Sons of Italy Lodge 2193.
"We usually just hand out a check," lodge president Jan Szostak said of the group’s past charity work.
Since getting involved with Mercy Neighborhood Ministries about a year ago, the local lodge has sponsored Valentine’s Day and Easter parties for adults in the program, along with last week’s picnic.
That involvement extends beyond party planning. The Sons of Italy lodge plans to help provide fund-raising expertise and some exposure to Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, which has designs on moving to a building at 20th and Tioga streets within the next year or so.
"These participants are domiciled in boarding houses in North Philly. Without this program, they would be sitting inside, watching TV. They would receive no socialization. Their lives would be bleak," noted Szostak.
At Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, their days are instead filled with games, conversation, music therapy, prayer service and home-cooked meals.
And, of course, there is the periodic field trip, like the one to Cranaleith, to brighten participants’ outlooks.
"The people treat you nice," said a smiling woman named Sandra Leland, an apparent social butterfly who gently grabbed a reporter’s arm to make sure her comments were recorded.
"The people there are very kind, and they have programs and trips, and we play games and have parties," she continued, smiling between bites of food. oo
For more information about Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, call 215-227-4393 or e-mail MCMNP@aol.com. To learn more about the Cranaleith Spiritual Center, visit the Web site at www.cranaleith.org or call 215-934-6206. To contact Sons of Italy Lodge 2193, visit www.womensfjm.org