By Eileen Jevis
Staff writer
Pope Leo XIV declared 2026 the Franciscan Jubilee Year to mark the eighth centenary of the passing of St. Francis of Assisi. This Jubilee year has special meaning to Sr. Cheryl Wint, OSF, executive director of Mothers & Children in Crisis (MCC).
Annual Spring Tea Party raises funds for Mother & Children in Crisis. Photos
courtesy of Sister Cheryl Wint, OSF
“A Jubilee is not merely symbolic,” she said. “It calls the Church to action: to restore dignity, to repair what has been broken, and to walk alongside those whose lives have been shaped by trauma, displacement, and loss.”
In this Franciscan Jubilee Year, called by Pope Leo as a sacred time of renewal and Repair, Sr. Cheryl said she is honored to reflect on the transformative work unfolding at Mothers & Children in Crisis.
MCC was founded in response to the concern of Friar Phil Kelly OFM CONV, (1931-2009) in the early 2000s that women — often mothers — were being arrested for prostitution while those driving the demand were never held accountable. In 2006, Friar Kelly hosted a series of meetings and a community inquiry revealed that between 100 and 150 women were arrested on average each year, affecting 104 children that year alone. To continue Friar Kelly’s vision and mission to open a treatment facility, the organization collaborates with community partners, leverages partnerships among the justice system, government entities, and private foundations, to provide programs that will give recovering mothers and their children the support and tools they need to become healthy, independent families.
“Every major city in New York state has at least one residential facility except Syracuse,” Sister Cheryl said. “There is a great need for family housing where mothers will receive in-patient care while keeping their children with them and their families intact.” Sr. Cheryl explained that currently, mothers in need of residential treatment are often forced to place their children in foster care, causing many more long-term problems for the family. Residential centers like this are known to be effective and can break the addiction cycle.
The vision of MCC is to build a 16–20-bedroom residential treatment facility, which includes an educational daycare component. The model ensures that mothers can receive inpatient addiction and mental health treatment without being separated from their children.
During the interview, Sr. Cheryl called to mind Revelation 21:5: “Behold, I am making all things new.” God then insists, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” “Renewal is rarely instant,” said Sr. Cheryl. “It unfolds through resilience, through small yet courageous acts of faith, and through communities that refuse to give up on one another.”
MCC is a secular nonprofit organization committed to empowering mothers and children impacted by domestic violence, human trafficking, prostitution, addiction rooted in childhood abuse, untreated mental health challenges, incarceration, and chronic instability. While not formally affiliated with a religious order or denomination, MCC’s openness to diverse expressions of faith reflects its deeply inclusive spirit — one that centers on dignity, choice, and healing.
“This Jubilee year invites us not to look away, but to rebuild together. The work of Mothers & Children in Crisis is living the Gospel — rooted in dignity, fueled by faith, and strengthened by empowerment,” said Sr. Cheryl.
The organization is sustained through community engagement and two signature events each year — the Back-to-School event and the Holiday event, which ensure that children are prepared, celebrated, and seen. MCC will also host its second annual Spring Tea Party Fundraiser on April 18, 2026. The event brings supporters together to invest in healing families and building futures.
To continue and expand this work, MCC actively seeks volunteers, especially a grant writer experienced in New York State and Federal grants, as well as support in fundraising, donor development, newsletters, and advocacy. “Franciscan spirituality teaches us that God dwells among the wounded and the ordinary. MCC’s ministry embodies this truth,” said Sr. Cheryl. “Every volunteer hour, every donated coat, every courageous mother choosing healing, becomes part of God’s promise made visible.
Visit https://www.mccsyracuse.org/ for more information and to learn how you can help.
