A pilot program intended to benefit women and children who live in developing countries or who are suffering from poverty will run for three months in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, thanks to Vicki Dhabalt Compton, director of the Office for the Missions. The program, entitled Women of Mercy, has been approved by Catholic Relief Services and will run in October, November and December.

“As we all know, we are in the midst of a Jubilee Year of Mercy as declared by Pope Francis,” Compton says. “In April our Holy Father challenged every diocese to establish a lasting tribute to the Year of Mercy. His words collided with an idea that had been brewing within me for a few months.” Compton’s idea was to establish a way for women in the United States Catholic Church to reach out in mercy and solidarity to lift up women and children living in poverty.

According to her plan, women will gather together at a convenient time at the home of a volunteer hostess. The groups will pray, read and reflect on Scripture, have some sort of discussion and then listen to a volunteer facilitator teach about a specific Catholic Relief Services project that is assisting women and children in a developing country. After the group has dined together (for example, on a light breakfast, simple meal or even wine and cheese) the women will be asked to drop a donation in a basket.

“All of the giving is entirely at the discretion of the donor,” Compton says. “Maybe it’s the cost of what they would have spent on a bottle of wine; maybe it’s what they would have spent if they had gone out to eat for a meal.”

Compton pitched the idea to Catholic Relief Services “who gave it the green light” — leaving Compton to prepare the prayer and educational materials for facilitators and of course, find women to participate in the program. Compton and Eliot Kapitan, director of The Office for Worship and the Catechumenate, worked together on the prayer for Women of Mercy.

The women who are taking part in the program — or who hope to participate in the future — are those who love their faith and have concern for women and children living in difficult situations. They should also want to spend some time praying and visiting with like-thinking women, Compton says. The women could be a group of friends, co-workers or fellow parishioners.

“I have six or seven groups who are piloting the program in our diocese,” says Compton. The first programs will likely benefit maternal health in Guinea Bissau; provide “water for life” to Bolivia; and combat trafficking in India.

After the three months of the pilot program are completed, Compton will collect feedback in January and February and prepare for an official launch if Women of Mercy “seems viable.”

“I think Women of Mercy could be a wonderful way to deepen faith, increase involvement in our local and global church and provide additional support for the work of Catholic Relief Services,” Compton says. “In the future we could organize trips overseas to visit projects supported by Women of Mercy.”

Compton, who has been the diocesan director for Catholic Relief Services for the past 14 years, says she has seen “the many wonderful ways that CRS has been the merciful face of Jesus to our brothers and sisters in 100 countries around the world.” She adds that CRS has a special concern for women and children in developing nations. She hopes that Women of Mercy will be “our lasting tribute to the Year of Mercy.”

Compton plans for Women of Mercy to follow the model of CRS Rice Bowl, which uses 25 percent of the funds collected to support local hunger-relief projects. Hopefully, she says, one month each year Women of Mercy could support a local organization that assists women and children.

To learn more about the Women of Mercy program, contact Vicki Compton at (217) 698-8500, ext. 120 or email .