With all the rush of Christmas preparation and last minute shopping, it is all too easy to lose sight of the wonder of Christmas and all too difficult to find time to savour the time of Advent, a most beautiful phase in the Church’s Liturgical Year. This year Advent has particular significance for us as Religious, as it marks the start of the Year of Consecrated Life to which the Pope has called us...

Messages to: Berneice Loch rsm - President of MIA

Dear friends in Mercy,

We give thanks at the end of 2014 for all the wonderful ways in which Mercy persons across our globe entered into celebrating our 20th anniversary of being Mercy for our world through Mercy International Association.  The week of September 24 has inspired so many of us to envision future expressions of spirituality, community, service and social justice that connect efforts from our diverse Mercy congregations.  Our experiences of education, participation and transformation – in person and via technology – are formative and must be nurtured as we begin a new year...

Messages to: Pat McDermott rsm - for the Board of Directors, MIA

Christmas is a good time to count our blessings. How blessed we have been in 2014. It was a year of celebration of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy in Bermondsey celebrated the 175th year of Mercy crossing beyond the shores of Ireland.  Puno Mercy in Peru and Tongatapu Mercy in Tonga celebrated the 50th anniversary of Mercy crossing the Equator in both directions: Christchurch, New Zealand going north to Tonga and Burlingame, US going south to Peru. At a global level, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Mercy International Centre...

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

Christmas Greetings from Sisters, Associates, Mercy Congregations, Mercy Communities and Partners in Ministry across the Mercy world are linked to this item.

Messages to: the Editor

This is the final issue of Mercy E-news for 2014. All issues for this year have been archived online and are linked to this item.

Thank you very much to all those who contributed news items this year and so helped build the global Mercy community online. Thank you to all our readers for your ongoing interest, support, encouragement and feedback. We wish you, your community and your family a blessed Christmas and a peaceful and hope-filled New Year.

The first Issue of Mercy E-News for 2015 will be published on Wednesday, 21 January, 2015.
Please send your contributions to the Editor for the first issue of Mercy News by Friday, 16 January, 2015.

Messages to: the Editor

The Further Resources published in Mercy E-News throughout 2014 can be found linked to this item. If you hadn't time throughout the year to read, watch and listen to these, you might like to do so over the Christmas holidays and before Mercy E-news returns on 21 January 2015.

Note: Timebound news items, including UN observances, conferences and other highlighted events, have been deleted and monthly links to newsletters such as Stop Trafficking and LCWR's Update have been replaced by a link to the current/latest issue at the end of this list on #4

Messages to: the Editor

Image courtesy of BrianHolm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

'...The sound of angel voices penetrates the waiting time and the night gives way to the glory of God. The song is a song of peace. We are being lifted up out of the crumbling systems of lost perspectives into the freedom of the manger. Joseph is vindicated. Mary is raised up. History has a purpose and time is eternal. The rainbow and the cloud enshrine the victory of love. This is an unrepeatable moment where heaven and earth bow down in wonder as heart speaks to heart. The breath of animal and human is one, as the child is handed over for the repair of the world...'

Anna Burke rsm, Reflections for each Sunday of Advent 2014: Fourth Sunday

Christmas Eve 1965: Mission to Santiago, Chile from Rochester, New York
Christmas Day 1827: First Mass in House of Mercy, Baggot St, Fr L'Estrange
Christmas Day 1865: Death of M Vincent Mostyn, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Christmas Day 1866: Death of M Teresa Kelly, Foundress of Wexford

Submit a fact about the Story of the Sisters of Mercy for our online archive

Mercy Health (formerly Catholic Health Partners)– a Catholic healthcare ministry serving Ohio and Kentucky – has debuted Mercy Health: Helping You Be Well, a YouTube video series spotlighting key health issues and tips for healthy living. The first video – linked to this item – offers four tips to help restore peace to the festivities. (02:36)
An infographic with the four tips is available here

'...As we celebrate the birth of Christ, the bringer of peace, we might reflect on the causes of violence in order to expand our capacities to hear the cry of the poor in our world and respond in ways that make for peace.'

Veronica Lawson rsm, Reflection on the Gospel-Christmas Year B (Luke 2:1-14)

The Brotherhood of St Gregory Choir with The Sisters of Mercy Choir

Recorded at the Convent of Our Lady, Sussex, and St Mary's Church, Great Baddow, Essex with Singers from the Church of Our Lady Immaculate Choir, Chelmsford, Essex, The Brotherhood of St Gregory Choir and The Sisters of Mercy Choir.

Purchase online

Mercy International Association is an organisation of the leaders of Mercy Congregations, Institutes and Federations throughout the world, founded to serve the Sisters of Mercy, their associates and colleagues in ministry.

Visit the homepage of mercyworld.org to experience our Christmas reflection