"Her [Catherine's] life of generous service to the needy, her deep faith and her trust in providence have been the inspiration not only for thousands of Mercy Sisters but also for their associates, families, friends, colleagues, co-workers and companions in ministry." Brenda Dolphin rsm, Postulator. Read complete article here.

Prayers through the intercession of Venerable Catherine are requested for the intentions of: Peggy, Ian McKella, Katie McGloin, Peter O'Reilly, Eleanor Moran, Trish Nash, Mary Blood and all those who have asked us for prayers.

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

Are you going to be in Dublin on Mercy Day (Monday 24th September)?

If so, you are invited to the celebration of the Eucharist at midday, followed by lunch, at Mercy International Centre, 64A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2.

Any Sisters of Mercy or Associates who would like to celebrate with us are most welcome. Those visiting Ireland for any reason are particularly welcome.
RSVP please by 20th September by phone +353 (0)1 6618061 or email

Messages to: Madeleine O'Hanlon - Receptionist MIC

The 2012 Paralympic Games ( 29 August - 9 September), claimed by organisers to be the biggest Paralympic games ever, with an estimated 4,200 athletes representing 165 countries, are a reminder that difference and diversity can be a cause for celebration, and ability within disability is a source for admiration.

MIA joins in wishing the participating athletes, as we did our Olympians (Issue 473), "fraternity, fairness and individual achievement".

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

Editor: Bernadette McCaffrey rsm shares her reflections on the involvement of her parish with the Olympics here

This week's reflections have been prepared for us by Janice McDrury (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Jean Dy Delgado rsm (Americas)

As you read each of their reflections, you are invited to consider and to share:

• How has your own Mercy story expanded and changed over time?
• Who is Catherine for you, today?

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

Editor:  Last week, the Portland Press Herald, an online publication from Maine published a piece from Glenda MacLachlan of Scarborough who retired from Mercy Hospital Maine in 2006 after working there for 20 years. Titled Catherine McAuley's work should not be allowed to falter, it provides a further insight from another Mercy voice on the question of Who is Catherine? Access the article here

The Mercy Day Greetings already received have now been posted online and are linked to this item.

All members and friends of the Mercy network are welcome to publish Mercy Day greetings on the mercyworld.org website. Greetings - text only- should be sent to mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie by September 21st to make sure they are published in time for Mercy Day.

Se invita a todos los miembros y amigos de la red de la Misericordia a publicar saludos del Dia De La Misericordia en la pagina Web. Saludos - en formato de texto solamente - deben ser enviados a mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie de aqui al de septiembre para cerciorarse de que sean publicados a tiempo para el Dia De La Misericordia.

Messages to: the Editor

Between 24 September and 12 December (the Season of Mercy), Mercy groups throughout the world are invited to join an international 'Good Cup of Tea' event. By supporting this event, you are helping Mercy International Association to keep the founding spirit of Catherine alive today.

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

When Mary Purcell asked me to share a story of one of the women I had journeyed with over the past number of years, I immediately thought of Anne. Hers is an agonizing story of hurts, hunger, homelessness but also one of healing and strength.
Through this writing I share something of my journey with Anne from her brokenness and bondage to freedom and dignity...

Messages to: Margie Taylor rsm

Each month the members of the International Canonisation Committee take it in turns to provide a reflection on aspects of Catherine's spirituality and ministry as a resource for E-News readers and mercyworld.org website visitors.

This month Annette McCartan rsm has provided a very timely prayer service (pdf) which has as its theme Catherine's words: The compass ... goes round its circle without stirring from its centre. Now our centre is God from whom all our actions should spring as from their source.

Messages to: Annette McCartan rsm

Having just completed a term as Provost of St. John’s University New York (2000-2012), Julia Upton rsm, Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies of St. John's, is on sabbatical, with plans to study, travel, write and be refreshed. She has been blogging about her experiences on her global Mercy learning journey and shares her learnings from her visit to Mercy communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Tonga.

Messages to: Julia Upton rsm

The September issue of Imaging Mercy Today, now online, reflects on aspects of the opening of the first House of Mercy in Baggot Street in 1827.

There are some strands that draw this reflection together. 'The poor need our help today, not next week,' must be one of them. There's a sense that, in some real way, the works of mercy form the business of our lives, and that being poor and vulnerable may involve not just shortage of cash, but the lack of whatever keeps people from being free to make the changes they'd like to see in their own lives or of those who are close to them.

Messages to: Katrina Fabish rsm - Communications Contact, Congregation Leadership Team

Marian College Christchurch has had a difficult 18 months, losing the use of their school site in the Feb 2011 Christchurch earthquake and moving to a new site this year. Now settled, in the spirit of Catherine McAuley and Mary MacKillop, the students started to look for local needs to meet in their new community . One need they identified was that cars in their new location are covered in dust from the ongoing building demolitions. Their idea? A free car wash every day after school for a week! A huge success, shown by the smiles on the faces of people leaving their carwash who have suffered so much over recent months. Watch their video

Messages to: Anna Nicholls rsm

Editor: Marian College is this week's featured website

Built on a half acre and designed to take advantage of Sacramento’s sunshine and Delta breeze, Mercy Housing’s 7th and H development in downtown Sacramento is a study in green construction and urban infill.

The green features make it an environmental showcase: 680 solar panels generate about half the power for the common areas and heat the water. Concrete construction and ventilated wall cavities keep the building cool. Windows are positioned to capitalize on prevailing winds to cool internal corridors. Low-pollutant paint reduces the environment impact...

Source: Sacramento Business Journal

Messages to: Lillian Murphy rsm - CEO Mercy Housing

Many people moving into housing after spending a significant period of time being homeless have few possessions.

The Mercy Foundation Sydney is an organisation that pursues excellence in the field of understanding, responding to and ending homelessness. Recently the Mercy Foundation hosted the Home for Good Gala Dinner to raise funds for our latest project, Home in a Box, and raised enough funds to roll out another 75 'Home in a Box' kits over the next 12 months. Details can be accessed here.

Home in a Box means that formerly homeless people can settle into their new home with the warmth and comfort of their own sheets, towels, pillows, kitchenware, utensils and other essential items that make a house a home.

A report on the fundraising event can be accessed here.

Messages to: Loreto Conroy rsm

ST. LOUIS– As students head back to school, nothing disrupts the rhythm like getting sick. For students and parents, it’s an unavoidable glitch that requires kids to miss school and parents to miss work in order to get to medical appointments. For Roosevelt High School students in St. Louis, access to medical care just got easier.

Thanks to a partnership between Mercy and St. Louis Public Schools, along with a grant from The Boeing Company, Mercy opened its first school-based clinic at Roosevelt on Aug. 13. Open during school hours, five days a week, Mercy Clinic at Roosevelt offers care for Roosevelt staff, students and the students’ children who participate in the school’s Parent-Infant Interaction Program.

Messages to: Bethany Pope - Media contact St Louis

1878: Pioneer newspaper in Big Rapids, Michigan announced that a Catholic academy was being built in town; Michigan administration moved here from Grand Rapids.

Editor: In Issue 478 ( 22 August 2012) we published the story on Misericordia Home in Chicago which has operated since 1921 to serve those with mild to profound developmental disabilities, many of whom are also physically challenged. nOw Genemarie takes up the story:

In the past year I have created an app for my place of ministry, Misericordia Home in Chicago. It was created so that folks can access information they would normally see on the website, but reading websites on a smartphone can be difficult. So the app has quick links, info, dates, times, etc for families and supporters of Misericordia to keep connected while away from a computer. The app is simply called Misericordia and it's available on iTunes and Android app stores for free.

Inspired by how easy it was to create the app and get it out there, I was inspired to create another app for Taize prayer at Mercy Center in Burlingame. Hundreds of faithful attend each month and bring little flashlights to be able to read the words on the song sheets in the dark chapel. Having the songs and prayers on a phone give them the lighting they need as well as links to more Taize information. It encourages young people to connect with the Taize France site, access the music of the prayer services and links to Mercy Center's other events.
As we get further into using the app the monthly prayers will be uploaded. We just started in August, so not too many are complete yet. Sr Jean Evans and Sr Suzanne Toolan are planning the prayer services.

Beyond being helpful at Mercy Center Taize, it can be used privately and with groups that want to have a Taize prayer around the cross but don't know how to plan it. They can access the music for the songs on iTunes and by buying CDs. The app is free to download. On the iTunes app store it is called TaizeMercy (one word) and on Android it is called Taize Mercy (two words).

I am working on a third app for Praying with Icons, but it is not ready to be published yet. Will let you know when it's out there!

Messages to: Genemarie Beegan rsm
 

Marian College is a Catholic integrated school for girls that combines high academic standards and a progressive approach to modern education with a genuine commitment to the values inherent in the traditions of two orders of religious, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and the Sisters of Mercy.

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Source: Tecca