When we tell the story of Mercy International Association, we see Trocaire ’81, the first international gathering of Sisters of Mercy, as a seminal moment. Trocaire ’81 marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Mercy Congregation, but in hindsight we can see that it planted a seed that would shoot up over a decade later as Mercy International Association.

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

In this 20th celebration year, we are reminded of the key events in date order of Mercy International Association Outreach. This week we look over the second decade (2004-14).

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

The calendar of programmes for 2014 is online (linked to this item) and a PDF of the programmes prepared for circulating by email, posting on noticeboards and including in mailouts, is attached here

We appreciate your assistance in promoting the 2014 programmes among your community members, associate groups, staffs, boards, friends...anyone you think may be interested in spending time at Mercy International Centre in 2014, the twentieth anniversary year.

Messages to: Mary Kay Dobrovolny rsm - Assistant Director Heritage & Spirituality

Volunteers for 2014 have been arranged. Anyone interested in being a volunteer in 2015, or wanting more information about becoming a volunteer at MIC, is invited to contact Sylvia Williams rsm.

Messages to: Sylvia Williams rsm- Assistant Director Finance & Administration

As we unfold the story of Mercy International Association, MIA gives thanks for all members of our Mercy family, living and deceased, who inspire us and teach us by their word and example, in story, song, music and image: our prophets and preachers, our speakers and thinkers, our poets and writers, our artists and musicians, our dreamers and do-ers...

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

We invite all our readers to participate in the mission of the Sisters of Mercy. The power of a single gift is proven in the inheritance William Callaghan left for Catherine McAuley. Everything we know today as Mercy was born from that one gift.

Messages to: Mary Waskowiak rsm - Director Fundraising-Development

M Carmela Cabactulan rsm, Superior of The Religious Sisters of Mercy (Philippines), has written to those in the Mercy community involved with opposing human trafficking about her intentions in tackling this major social issue.  'Please God, I can get our young people with us in school involved in protecting displaced families from Human Trafficking,' writes Sr Carmela. 'It is an enormous job but I will try to get Sisters and others with me to do it'. Sr Carmela also asks for the prayers of the Mercy community at this time, 'for courage and strength'.

With armed conflict flaring just days after a landmark peace deal was concluded in Mindinao, your prayers are asked for peace.

Messages to: M Carmela Cabactulan rsm

Mercy Sisters in the United States and in Ireland are involved in various high-profile campaigns to raise their concerns about and to prohibit hydrofracking.

Messages to: Mary Purcell - Assistant Director Mercy Global Action

Editor: 'Colón is an island. An island made from poverty and misery, hopelessness and decay.' So begins this article by recent visitors to Colón who, upon visiting the Mercy ministry MUCEC (Mujeres Colonenses en Camino, ‘Women of Colón Walking Together’) which helps some of the poorest of Colón’s impoverished inhabitants—abused women and children who have little or no income— are able to say, 'There’s a ray of hope in the spiral of misery: the Sisters of Mercy...'

Messages to: Barbara Ozelski rsm and Dina Altamiranda rsm

Editor: MUCEC  is this week's featured site

A day of celebration was declared on 8 December 2013 to mark the 125th anniversary of a significant occasion in the history of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta.  On that day in 1888, a small band of Sisters of Mercy newly arrived from Ireland, gathered around a simple altar and prayed for God’s blessing on their mission to Parramatta...

Messages to: Anne Ferguson - Coordinator, Office of Mission Animation

After 27 outstanding years leading Mercy Housing, Lillian Murphy rsm will retire from her position as Chief Executive Officer of the organization in June 2014. Mercy Housing’s National Board of Trustees has selected current Mercy Housing President Jane Graf as the new CEO effective on July 1, 2014.

Messages to: Lillian Murphy rsm - CEO Mercy Housing

Marcellin Wilson rsm has been named Wellingtonian of the Year for her work alongside others in setting up a homeless women's shelter. In this interview she recounts how the shelter came about and shares her views on other social issues.

Messages to: Marcellin Wilson rsm

Deirdre Mullan rsm has pulled together an amazing panel of experts to look at religion and genocide. The event Engaging Religions in the Prevention of Atrocities will take place at UN headquarters on 5 February 2014. This is a timely event given the continuing violence in CAR, South Sudan and Nigeria. Carol Rittner rsm who is a distinguished Professor of Genocide is among those who will speak at the event.

Anyone in the New York area is welcome to attend.

Download the programme here

Messages to: Deirdre Mullan rsm - Executive Director Partnership for Global Justice

Editor: As United Nations officials welcome the signing of an agreement to end the fighting in South Sudan, and humanitarian agencies continue their efforts, the account by Marilyn Lacey rsm of her initial and ongoing involvement with the people of South Sudan concluding as it does 'Please join me in praying for the whole country, especially its women and children, so dear to the heart of our God',  is particularly timely.

Messages to: Marilyn Lacey rsm - Mercy Beyond Borders

'...we come to the realization that this issue of climate change is not just one more on a list of justice actions we need to take. It is, rather, the over-arching justice issue. The consequences of climate change are at this moment exacerbating access to fresh water and food supplies, migration, trafficking, armed conflict, the health and welfare of women and children, and the integrity and viability of the whole of creation...'

LCWR Global Concerns Committee
Resolutions to Action
vol 22, no 4

This video summarises and visualizes several of the most significant statements in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) recent Fifth Assessment Report (04:05)

The origin of this very moving and poignant collection of personal stories, Stories of Hope, was a Mercy Justice Conference, with the theme 'Embrace the Other and Welcome Difference'. The conference was sponsored by the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia (ISMA) and held in Queanbeyan, near Canberra in November 2009.

'Mother Catherine was... a channel of God's Mercy and her doing of Mercy was in very fact her effort at "making the world more human." '

Angela Bolster rsm
Trocaire '81.

1923: Opening of Mercy Hospital, Young, New South Wales
1923: Convent opened in Parkes, New South Wales
1957: Foundation to Kunjingini, Papua New Guinea, from Brisbane

MUCEC (Women of Colón Walking Together, in English) is a project for poor women who wish to transform their lives and live in hope with their children.
MUCEC is a non-profit charity. Donations are tax deductible in Panama and the United States.