Sr. Mary Scullion named a 'Most Influential' by Time
Sister Mary Scullion, the daughter of Irish immigrants who grew up in Irish enclave in Oxford Circle, entered the convent at 19.
Sister Mary Scullion, the daughter of Irish immigrants who grew up in Irish enclave in Oxford Circle, entered the convent at 19.
A member of the Sisters of Mercy, she taught parochial school, but it wasn't until she helped, in 1976, with the opening of Mercy Hospice, a shelter in Center City for homeless women and children, that she found her true calling.
Scullion was permitted to come to Mercy Hospice full time in 1978 and that mission set her on the path to becoming what some have called Philadelphia's "saint," a description the she angrily dismisses.
Despite her down-to-earth manner, Scullion, 55, has worked wonders in Philadelphia's homeless world, so much so that she has just been chosen one of Time magazine's "World's Most Influential People" of 2009.
"More than 95 percent of those who cycle through" the homeless program Scullion started with another woman, Joan McConnon, "have never returned to life on the streets - a success rate that has made the program a model for dozens of other U.S. cities," Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the book "Eat, Pray, Love," wrote in an article about Scullion in the current issue of Time.
According to a published biographical sketch, Scullion's social conscience was fired by the 41st Eucharistic Congress in 1976, held in Philadelphia and attended by one million pilgrims from 100 countries.
Among them were Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day, a well known Communist and co-founder of the Catholic Worker.
Known for her sense of humor and, now and then, a swear word or two, Scullion said she was "profoundly grateful" for being chosen by Time but accepted the honor "on behalf of the entire community of people committed to ending homelessness.
"Even while the nation and the city face tough economic times, this is an opportunity for us to make great progress," she said.
"We can't accept that our government can pour billions of dollars into failing corporations like AIG and not be able to fund permanent supportive housing which not only saves lives, but over time saves money."
Philadelphia has one of the lowest rates of people living on the streets among the country's largest cities, about 600, she said.
"We are so proud of Sister Mary," Mayor Nutter said.
"Her quiet dignity belies her willingness to speak up for the voiceless and fight for those who cannot stand up for themselves." *
