Planning to be in Dublin during Holy Week? The Orlagh in the City Congregation which has celebrated Lectio Divina Mass at Baggot Street each Sunday since last November, at which all are welcome, will be conducting the Holy Week ceremonies here.

Holy Thursday:
8.00 pm Mass.
930 pm (approx) Prayer in the Garden

Good Friday:
2.00 pm Lectio Divina Introduction
3.00 pm Good Friday Service
4.30 pm (approx) Prayer around the Cross

Holy Saturday:
3.00 pm Afternoon retreat
8.00 pm Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday:
10.30am Mass

All are welcome.
 

Image: RTF. Used under licence

We welcome applications to volunteer at Baggot Street!

Volunteers need to be able to commit to 8 – 12 weeks between 22 January 2018 & 30 November, 2018.

Volunteer positions are open to Sisters, Associates and Friends of Mercy, to Single persons or couples.

Further details are linked to this item.

Applications will be accepted up to 30 April 2017.

Please send a simple Curriculum Vitae, including your preferred dates, to: Margaret Scroope rsm

Messages to Margaret Scroope rsm - Team Leader Administration & Finance

For the past month we have been praying for the peoples and places of our world affected by drought or flooding rains.

This week, as we continue to remember the people of Peru and in Australia who have suffered the devastating effects of torrential downpours, we pray also for the people of Colombia where at least 250 people have died, hundreds have been injured and entire neighbourhoods destroyed by flooding and landslides.

Post your own Prayer or Reflection in our online Chapel

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA
 

'Healthy Ocean, Healthy Human' is the topic of part 3 of this 12 week series.

Each week's reflection includes:

• Excerpts from Pope Francis (primarily from the encyclical Laudato Si')
• A video clip that you can watch (just hover your cursor and click the link to watch)
• An opportunity for action and prayer reflection

Download Part 3: A4 Paper Size (PDF) ; US Letter Size (PDF)

Previous issues are linked to this item.

Messages to: Bridget Crisp rsm - MGA Intern at the UN

The MIRP Guiding Team and Congregation and Institute Coordinators, together with Mary Reynolds rsm (Executive Director MIA) and Elizabeth Davis rsm (Congregation Leader Newfoundland and MIA Member Liaison), met from 27-31 March in Dublin.

At our gathering we read, reflected on and discussed the many statements of vision and action and the hopes from across the Mercy world regarding ‘the cry of the Earth and the cry of the Poor’. These responses are helping shape a vision for the future of Mercy globally.

Thank you for accompanying us this week with your prayers, thoughts and good wishes. MIRP Coordinators will be making contact with their Facilitators and MIRP groups within the coming week and further information will be published in Mercy eNews on 19 April, 2017.

Messages to: Anne Walsh - Communications Director MIRP

Using Pope Francis’ Laudato Si', this curriculum from the Carmelites is described as 'outlin[ing] a healthy path to human fulfillment by provoking and cultivating in ourselves, and especially in our youth, a way of living in greater harmony with one another and the Earth. An interdisciplinary secondary school curriculum, it offers a progressive and experiential learning design, so that the students, guided by the environmental sciences, the Word of God, and the richness of the Carmelite spirituality, will be able to integrate into their lives a comprehensive ecological awareness of responsible care of the earth, unique home for everyone'. 

The curriculum is available for download in English and in Spanish from the link attached to this item.

Our group (Advocacy Wisdom Circle) focused on genetically modified food and the risks to the natural blueprint of life on this planet. 

Our action will be directed to advocacy related to the wide-scale development and production of genetically modified seed, changes and modification in DNA structure of plant and animal nature that have harmful and destructive repercussions to all levels of life forms.

Messages to: Elizabeth Marrie rsm - MIRP Coordinator Newfoundland
 

Image: L-r: Mary Tee rsm, Rev Jean Smith, Diane Smyth rsm, Mr Pat Kennedy

Deprived of a place to call “home,” many people in today’s society live in financial poverty, in deep insecurity, vulnerability and isolation , without a fixed address, without a sense of connection and without a voice to represent their most basic needs. This situation is local, national and global.

Our Actions:

-To move my desire to respond to needy/homeless to concrete action even when overwhelming
-To be more present distressed elderly people moved to new places especially those with dementia
-To continue to facilitate families in efforts to help needy families at Christmas and other times 
-To support initiatives re homelessness in our local area by  individuals, groups and agencies
-To respond to questionnaires, sign petitions, write letters regarding poor and/or homeless
-To make efforts to “see” differently so as to not miss the moment- the Doors of Mercy wide open

Messages to: Elizabeth Marrie rsm - MIRP Coordinator Newfoundland

Image: Back row-L-R: Michelle Gibbons, rsm, Madeline Byrne, rsm, Gerri Stapleton, Mickie Pitcher, Bobbie Brennan, Agnes Brennan, rsm. Front row-L-R: Marie Crotty, rsm, Charlotte Fitzpatrick, rsm (Co-F)
Missing: Sharon Basha rsm (Co-F), Sheila Grant rsm

'Sr. Edia "Hermana Tita" López was living out her mission as a Sister of Mercy, seeking the best ways to serve the poor and disenfranchised of Immaculate Conception Parish in La Concepción on the western end of Panama, when she learned of a plan that would leave many far poorer.

She heard about a "public consultation" in the nearby town of Volcán, and along with religious in the Vincentian community where she was working in 2005, they went to see what it was about. Church and community leaders were shocked to learn that a company was planning to build 11 hydroelectric dams on the largest river in the area, Río Chiriquí Viejo...'

Source: Global Sisters Report

Messages to: Edia López rsm

The Sisters of Mercy Institute Leadership Team has consistently called for government policies to address climate change from our deep commitment to reverence Earth and to work more effectively toward the sustainability of life. We are therefore compelled to express our deep concern regarding President Trump's roll back of regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions.

Especially disturbing is the order to rewrite the Clean Power Plan implemented as a blueprint for reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants by nearly 30 percent from 2005 levels. It was the mechanism for the United States to meet its carbon emissions reduction targets under the Paris climate agreement....

Messages to: Institute Leadership Team c/- Lauren Albright - Institute Communications Office

Rahamim Ecology Centre, Bathurst and Mercy Ministries Far North Queensland are delighted to extend invitations to any interested persons across the Mercy world to the Rainforest Reawakening Retreat to be held 3-5 July at Seville Mercy Conference centre, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia.

This time of learning and renewal will immerse participants in the mystery of the living God, who dwells at the heart of the natural world...

Further details here (PDF)

Download the flyer here (PDF)

Messages to: Terry Power - Manager Formation & Projects, Mercy Ministries FNQ

The Religious Sisters of Mercy (Philippines) will hold their 8th General Chapter from 17-22 April following their Holy Week retreat.

We are invited to accompany the Sisters in prayer during this time.

Messages to: Marian Ladrera rsm - Superior General

The Mercy Leadership for Students, which is held annually in Philadelphia each year is one of the most inspirational conferences one could ever attend.

The students who come from Mercy schools throughout the United States are focused and action orientated young women keen to make a difference. Deirdre Mullan rsm (Congregation) who works with UNICEF has been helping the conference-planning committee for the past 10 years to expand and think globally. Each year she provides the students with vital statistics in order to help understand the plight of girls worldwide. During 2015-2016 Zambia was the country of focus as Angela Daly rsm had alerted her to the needs in the local school.

The students who believe firmly that Education is the Gift that keeps on Giving – committed to help build a small school which would enable students to continue their education after finishing primary school. Just a few weeks ago the picture of a newly constructed school arrived and has been shared with all of the participating schools. Sister Celestine contacted Deirdre last week to say- “ The project is complete and really beautiful. The pupils are so excited. I reminded them to pray for all of you.”

Messages to: Deirdre Mullan rsm

When Victoria Battel rsm, Vice President for Student Life and Mission at Maria College in Albany, New York ordered 400 copies of the booklet Passport for Humanity, she did not realize that she had pushed the sale of the booklets, which were released on March 1, 2017 to over 11,000!

Since then, the booklets continue to be disseminated worldwide and even the President of Ghana and his cabinet were given a copy last week by Doctor Tanya Trippett a leading oncologist from Slone Kettering in New York City.  In a world where there is so much harshness and unnecessary suffering, the little pocket passport is touching a cord. As someone said so eloquently – my race is humanity and this little booklet helps me to remember that. Any one interested in a copy please contact Deirdre Mullan rsm

Messages to: Deirdre Mullan rsm - Mercy to Mercy

'Apple has released a new tool to help highlight apps that will be rendered obsolete by the next major update to its iOS operating system. The tool shipped to iPhone and iPad users with the latest update, to iOS 10.3...'

Source, The Guardian

The mission at Maria College is to instill in our graduates a respect for the dignity of each person and the ability to transform learned skills into caring service. The ideal of “service to others” is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition and the ideals of the Sisters of Mercy, who founded and sponsor the College.

1882: Death of Mother Angela Borini in Oldham - foundress of Nottingham and Oldham.

Contribute a fact about the Story of the Sisters of Mercy in your congregation or institute to our online archive

'Capital punishment is abhorrent to most of us, particularly when a just person dies for specious reasons or to political ends...'

Listen to the Gospel read by Fr Eamonn O'Connor (Ireland)

Read the Reflection on the Gospel by Veronica Lawson rsm (ISMAPNG)

'Innovation in artificial intelligence and robotics could force governments to legislate for quotas of human workers, upend traditional working practices and pose novel dilemmas for insuring driverless cars, according to a report by the International Bar Association...'

Source: The Guardian

The quote for 4 April

'Catherine preferred to build bridges rather than erect barricades.'

-  Angela Bolster rsm