The impetus to opening The Mary Ward Centre came from the third Call from the IBVM General Congregation in Lima, Peru in 2006: “Our Institute is called to sharpen its engagement with the Church and the World.” The mandate came with specific calls to action:
Take a credible and insistent stance for justice, peace, reconciliation and inter-faith dialogue
Challenge the misuse of power, especially as it affects women
Commit to building right relationships with people and the planet
These Calls to Action came along with the exhortation to “move into the heart of the fire and invite others to join us”.
Using the Earth Charter as an integrating tool, the vision of The Mary Ward Centre became clear: education, spirituality and justice. In its aim to inspire a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well being of the human family and the larger living world, the Earth Charter is a wonderful tool for promoting the charism and mission of IBVM and for urging toward action.
Mission Statement
We commit our energy and resources to promoting the dignity and liberation of all through education for justice, personal and spiritual development, reverent care for the earth and all of God’s creation.
The Mary Ward Centre will provide celebrations and experiences which nourish and deepen the spirituality of each person, recognizing the universal values shared by different faith traditions.
The Centre’s aim is to inspire agents of change, dynamic leaders who have the heart, wisdom and will to help build the world that God intends.
The Mary Ward Centre will encourage and enable all whom we encounter to be lovers of truth and doers of justice, creating networks to raise awareness that lead to change.