Mercy inspires giving for men's lacrosse

NEWPORT, R.I. - For the sixth consecutive year, the Salve Regina University men's lacrosse team has collaborated to compile a Thanksgiving basket, which included over 80 items donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, R.I.   The Martin Luther King Center provides, year round, vital community services for those in need.  The team shopped for the food, purchasing an assortment of canned vegetables, coffee, rice, stuffing, powdered milk, potatoes, and more.

This annual tradition honors the founding religious order of Salve Regina University, The Sisters of Mercy, and their strong devotion to the Works and Acts of Mercy. These are actions and practices which Christianity, in general, expects all believers to perform, and are a means of grace. The Works of Mercy have been traditionally divided into two categories, with seven elements each: the Corporal Works of Mercy, which concern the material needs of others, and the Spiritual Works of Mercy, which concern the spiritual needs of others. The first two elements of the Corporal Works of Mercy are to feed the hungry and to give drink to the thirsty.

"The players use our annual Thanksgiving event as a way to bring them closer together while helping out the community.  They go out in groups and purchase the items and had fun with our annual tradition. We are all so blessed and I am so proud of our guys and their continued efforts to help the greater Aquidneck Island community" said head coach Patrick Cooney. "The tenants of mercy are at the core of what Salve Regina is all about."  The team also took part in the annual SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) where lacrosse players pooled efforts to collect canned chicken.