Just when you think things can’t get any worse…

Incredibly this phrase crosses my mind along with the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, upon waking each day. 

In the past when these feelings arose, I often resorted to the Serenity Prayer. But was it working for me anymore? Then I came upon The New Serenity Prayer by Fr. James Martin, SJ. We are pleased to offer this new take on a beloved prayer to you, our faithful readers. We hope you enjoy the blend of humor and sincerity as much as we do.

In this issue we are introducing a new feature “Our Serviam Legacy – Then and Now”. We think you will enjoy our first entry to this feature submitted by Adrienne Larkin, SAS ‘68 about a group of young women who heeded the call of service during a tumultuous time in our country. We look forward to hearing from all of you with stories of service from the past and present.

We chose Serviam as the theme for this year’s newsletter issues, to both honor our legacy of service as well as to promote The CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund. So many of you have already answered the call to financially support this important commitment - we hope you will continue to do so and encourage other alums to also contribute.

 

Adrienne Larkin, SAS ’68, credits her four-year experience as an undergraduate at the College of New Rochelle with teaching her the importance of service.

As Student Body President in the fall of 1967, she coordinated a service project in which CNR students baked, wrapped and mailed thousands of cookies to a U.S Marine rifle company in South Vietnam whose officer had asked for a bit of Christmas cheer for his soldiers. Click here to read the full spotlight. 

Our Serviam Legacy: "Then and Now"

Serviam (“I Will Serve”) was the College of New Rochelle’s motto since its founding in 1904.

Exactly 120 years later, in 2024, the CNR Legacy Council established the Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund to keep alive the college’s tradition of serving others. The funded scholarships will make it possible for Mercy students to transform their lives through higher education.

This issue of the CNR Legacy newsletter starts a new feature highlighting our Serviam Legacy: "Serviam Then" (Adrienne Larkin SAS ’68) and "Serviam Now" (Mary Sommer SAS ’71). 

Here and in issues to come, we will publish exceptional examples of how CNR students and alumni have practiced Serviam. To submit a brief (under 400 words) story of service, past or present, for consideration, please email to apr624@gmail.com and put “Serviam in Action” in the email subject line. 

Click Here to Read Adrienne Larkin: "Serviam Then"

Click Here to Read Mary Sommer: "Serviam Now"

 CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund 

The CNR Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund will honor the College of New Rochelle’s (CNR) rich history of service to others and will provide financial assistance to students pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree at Mercy University.

• Students must demonstrate a record of community service in keeping with the CNR motto of Serviam, which means "I Will Serve."
• Students must express a commitment to completing their degree at Mercy University.
• Incoming freshman student recipients as well as continuing undergraduate and graduate students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  
  

CNR Legacy Council Update 

The Serviam Endowed Scholarship Fund was the focus of CNR Legacy Council meetings held January 8 and March 5.

The Scholarship Fund was launched in September 2024, with a first-year goal to raise $100,000 by June 30, 2025, (the end of Mercy’s fiscal year) and $1 million in seven to 10 years.  As of March 1, CNR alums had contributed more than $109,000.

Because the first year’s goal was exceeded in the first four months of the campaign, the Steering Committee accelerated the goal of raising $1 million in seven years. Click here to read the full Legacy Council update.

Did You Know? 

Mercy University is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1950, Mercy College became a four-year college offering programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in 1961. Click here to read more about Mercy University's history, curriculum and academics, the Catalyst Program, the student literary magazine Red Hyacinth, news and events, and the Mercy Maverick Magazine. 

 

Prayer

A New Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.

And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.

Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you.

Amen.

- Fr. James Martin, SJ