As we gather around the world on Friday 11th November, we pray that each gathering will enjoy true Mercy hospitality.

In a beautiful reflection on the ‘Cup and Saucer’ brought by Catherine from Coolock to Baggot Street, Mary Wickham rsm connects encouragement, conviviality, bonds of kindship and hospitality with the image of the cup of tea, but at a deeper level she imagines that it also represents the gift of call and self- giving response.

Messages to Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

Editor: A list of suggested resources, as published in last week's Mercy E-News, can be accessed here. A suggested process for your event can be accessed here

Please send photos of your event and brief reports to mercynews@fraynework.com.au for inclusion on the website

There are now 1041 names on the MIA prayer list.

The names of those who have requested prayers from the Mercy community continue to be posted online (linked to this item) and are now also available in pdf format, able to be printed and placed in the Chapel, or on the Community noticeboard, or in a prayer book, or otherwise made available to those who cannot access these online.

The complete prayer list in pdf format has been created in readiness for Remembrance Day and will continue to be updated each month.

In praying for the intentions of those members of the Mercy family who have requested prayer, we remember also all those who have, like Catherine, entered into eternity.

Messages to:
Anne Hannon rsm - Vice postulator Europe and Africa
Sheila Carney rsm - Vice postulator Americas
Mary Duffy rsm - Vice postulator Australia, New Zealand, Philippines

Editor: Displacement of Peoples  has been a priority area of concern for Mercy international Association since the MIJN Conference in 2001. In the following paper, first published in Concilium, Dr Maryanne Loughry rsm AO shares the results of her reflections and research into the situation of forced migrants.

"Never before have there been as many international migrants and never before have the patterns of migration been as complex and intertwined. People on the move, be they trafficked people, asylum seekers, urban refugees, survival migrants or those displaced by disasters, are overwhelming existing protection and assistance mechanisms.

It is no longer possible to focus exclusively on particular groups of migrants because to do so is to risk missing a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences facing migrants today. Catholic Church teachings on the pastoral care of migrants have been refreshingly inclusive of people caught up in human mobility and instructive of how to respond to the needs of new categories of forced migrants that are emerging as a response to the challenges of our time. "

Published in Concilium International Journal of Theology 2011/3

Messages to Maryanne Loughry rsm

Editor: A video interview with Maryanne titled 'People on the move'  can be accessed on the Australian Mercy Institute website here The latest edition of Australian Catholics (Christmas 2011) focusses on our response to refugees. The Special Feature: Refugees - the compassionate solution highlights the work of Joan Kelleher RSM and the Jesuit Refugee Service of which Maryanne is an Associate Director and names Mercy Works Inc as one of four Catholic organisations supporting asylum seekers in Australia. In Mercy and Justice Shall Meet, the work of Sisters of Mercy engaged with refugees and displaced peoples is explored in Story six, 'Displacement to Resettlement'.

"Collections continue to arrive in Belmont, North Carolina at the newly renovated Mercy Heritage Center. As a stunning example of adaptive reuse of a previous college library, the Mercy Heritage Center is a state of the art archival repository. The Center will serve as the central repository for records of former regional communities throughout the United States..."

In his article Grant Gerlich, Archivist at Mercy Heritage Center, shares progress being made at the Mercy Heritage Center in receiving collections from the Institute office and from (former) regional communities. We are invited to 'Tour' the Center and to 'watch' the collections from Cincinnatti; Nashville, Knoxville and Louisville and Rochester as they are unpacked, and to look in on the Archivists Committee meeting.

Messages to Messages to: Grant Gerlich - Archivist, Mercy Heritage Center Belmont, North Carolina

As reported in Mercy E-News ( No 438, 03 November) , Mercy Network on Aging held its 14th National Conference, titled, A Gift...journeying with our wisdom figures, in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 6 - 8, 2011.

A highlight of the program was Sister Patricia McDermott's presentation asking, "What time is it?

The answer, she said, is very simple: it is the time for wisdom."   Pat went on to explore this question from five perspectives: 1) our culture; 2) our heritage and tradition as Christians; 3) our personal relationships and experience; 4) our Institute; and 5) our Mercy centers of aging.

The presentation is linked to this item.

Messages to Pat McDermott rsm - President, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Culture, community and commitment are words that spring to mind in relation to the celebration that took place in Tulla, Co. Clare when the Convent and School were handed over to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Gathering of Musicians of Ireland).

Plans are underway to develop the buildings into a Cultural Centre with particular emphasis on the cultural traditions of Clare. This centre - to be known as Cnoc na Gaoithe – will join a network of 16 other Comhaltas centers covering the whole island of Ireland. The Tulla centre will focus on culture, education and tourism.

Messages to Marie Stuart rsm

Students from Georgian Court University, a Sisters of Mercy sponsored ministry, along with Sisters of Mercy and Mercy justice leaders,  joined thousands of others in circling the White House on Nov. 6, urging President Obama to deny a permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. This proposed pipeline would carry oil from Canadian tar sands across six U.S. states as it travels to the Gulf Coast. The Sisters of Mercy oppose the construction of this pipeline because of the significant health and environmental threats it poses.

Messages to Pat Kenny rsm - Institute Communications

1841: Death of Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
1928: St Catherine's Orphanage transferred from Geelong to Highton - M Margaret Mary O'Brien
2011: Inaugural International 'Good Cup of Tea' Event
 

During the month of September Mercy Sisters in Great Britain had eight reflection days on 'Mercy'and 'Catherine' .

One of the talks, 'Mercy and Faithfulness have met...Meeting Mother Catherine McAuley and Cardinal John Henry Newman in their letters', given by Barbara Jeffery rsm, has just been added to the Spirituality section of the mercyworld.org website and is linked to this item.

Messages to Barbara Jeffery rsm

An authoritative source of information about Catherine McAuley, the Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, and the early years of the Congregation.

In last week's technical tip we referenced some of the features of Windows 7. Here are some more!
Source: Geeks.com