Hurra for Foundations!
Editor: On this, our 187th Foundation Day, as we move forward into our unfolding future, we remember and give thanks for our founding women, for the generations of Mercy people since, for all who are served through the spiritual and corporal works of Mercy and, in a special way, for those ministries established on 12 December:
1831: Foundation Day; Profession of Catherine McAuley, Mary Ann Doyle and Elizabeth Harley; 1839: First public clothing ceremony in Bermondsey, 1867: Foundation to Trim from Tullamore 1890: Foundation to Kingston, West Indies from Bermondsey, England; 1900: Aotearoa New Zealand's first Mater Misericordiae Hospital is opened in Epsom, Auckland; 1936: Foundation to Clevedon from Westbury-on-Trym (Bristol, UK), 1980: Opening of Novitiate in Americas from Brooklyn, New York, 2005: The four Congregations of Aotearoa New Zealand unite to become a single Congregation – Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand, 2011: Establishment and first day of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG).
- Post a prayer in our online chapel
- Post details here of other founding events that occurred on 12 December.
Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - CEO MIA
Vision in Action
Displacement of Persons
MIA Special Prayer Intention: Adoption of the Global Compact
Addressing Displacement of Persons is a particular commitment of MIA, one of two thematic outcomes from the MIRProcess.
We give thanks for the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration on 10 December by leading representatives from 164 Governments at an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in an historic move described by UN Chief António Guterres as the creation of a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”. MIA-MGA also signed on to the Joint Civil Society Message.
Post a prayer in our online chapel.
Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - CEO MIA
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Foundation Day
For our Sisters, Associates, partners-in-Ministry, Friends, Benefactors and Donors throughout the world, that on this feast we may experience our oneness in Mercy.
For the new Brisbane Congregation Leadership Team members who commence their term of office today.
Compassionate God, pour out your mercy on us and all members of the Mercy family.
Post a prayer in our online chapel.
Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - CEO MIA
Adapted from Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy
Polyptych with the Nativity. Rogier van der WeydenGreeting
Final Reminder: Send in Your Christmas Greeting
As we bring this year to its conclusion, we invite you to share your Christmas greeting with the global Mercy community.
Send in your greetings - text or text and image - by Tuesday, 18 December. The last issue of Mercy eNews for 2018 will be published on Wednesday, 19 December.
Messages to: the Editor
L-R: Sr Phil and Margaret (Staff) setting up for Mercy Day this yearMIC
Final Reminder: Volunteer at Baggot Street Between August and December 2019
MIA, welcomes applicants for its volunteer positions between August and December 2019.
Hours: 5 days per week (flexitime) which includes
-Up to 6 hours per day (not all in one shift)
-Evening duties (on roster)
-Weekend duties (on roster)
-Two days off each week (not weekends)
Further details are linked to this item.
Applications: will be accepted up to 15 December 2018.
Messages to: Avril Tyrell - Facilities Manager
Global Action
MIA-MGA at COP24
MIA has a delegation attending COP 24 working towards climate justice in response to ‘the cry of the Earth and the cry of the Poor’.
MIA has six key advocacy points for the government representatives at COP24, has signed on to the Peoples Demand for Climate Justice and is endorsing the outcomes of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and the Caritas State of the Environment for Oceania Report “Waters of Life, Oceans of Mercy
Messages to: Colleen Cloonan Swain - Women's Leadership Development and Advocacy Associate, MIA-MGA at the UN
MIA-MGA
Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF)
The programme is open to both Sisters of Mercy and Mercy affiliated lay women.
Women who may be early on in their ministry/profession and who will take their learnings and put these into action in the Mercy world within the next 10+ years are encouraged to apply for the programme.
Messages to: Colleen Cloonan Swain - Women's Leadership Development and Advocacy Associate, MIA-MGA at the UN
MIA Members
North Sydney
'The Offering', Monte’s Newest Artistic Expression of Mercy.
It is with great privilege and pride that Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney installed and blessed their newest significant artistic expression of Mercy – a bronze sculpture of Catherine McAuley, on September 21 at the College’s Mercy Day celebrations…
The sculpture is an interpretive work, exploring the history and charism of Catherine McAuley, bringing her story to life for the Monte community…
Messages to: Catherine Elliott- Monte Sant’ Angelo Community Relations Liaison
ISMAPNG
Online Exhibition: The Sisters of Mercy during World War 1, 1915-1918
In late 2017, the Institute Archives began to compile material for an online exhibition to mark the 2018 centenary of the end of the Great War. The exhibition titled ‘The Sisters of Mercy during World War 1, 1915-1918’ had been proposed by the archivists from the Union of the Sisters of Mercy Great Britain and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas…
Messages to: ISMAPNG Archives
ISMAPNG
God Will Lead Us
Elaine Wainright rsm introduces the prophet Baruch encouraging the Hebrew exiles with God’s promise of their return to and restoration of their land.
The latest article and a PDF of the 11 articles published this year are linked to this item.
Messages to: Elaine Wainwright rsm
Editor: We are grateful to Ann Gilroy rsj, Editor of Tui Motu Interislands magazine for permission to reproduce Sr Elaine’s monthly reflections. Support Tui Motu
Americas
Carlow University-Partner4Work Agreement Helps Students Earn Credits
*Articulation Agreement Develops Pathway for Students to Receive 6 College Credits.*“The purpose of this partnership is to develop a pathway for completers of P4W’s Professional Certificate in Information Technology (IT) Support to receive six general elective credits to begin an undergraduate program at Carlow,” said Rachael Afolabi Royes, EdD, executive director of Carlow’s Hub for Workforce Development and Digital Learning Innovation. “This partnership benefits the students by offering credit based on previously learned knowledge and skills, and benefits Carlow with a potential stream of undergraduate students.”
ISMAPNG
Pasta Necklaces Fit for Royalty Raise $8,000 for Stillbirth Research
A Melbourne schoolboy who gifted a gold-painted pasta necklace to the Duchess of Sussex on her recent Australian tour has donated $8,000 to Mercy Perinatal for research to help prevent stillbirth.
Gavin Hazelwood, helped by his mum and dad, set up a website to sell his handmade pasta creations after Her Royal Highness’ unique necklace received worldwide attention…
The six-year-old was inspired to help bring babies safely home following the loss of his baby sister Clara who was stillborn in 2014…
Messages to: Gavin Hazelwood
Denise Coghlan rsm with some of the participantsBrisbane
Building a Narrative of Decency
Did you know that Asia Pacific is home to around 40 percent of the world’s stateless people? A big part of that population comes from the nearly a million Rohingyas who have been displaced from Myanmar since the latest round of violence in 2017… As statelessness cuts across a variety of migrant populations, it really poses a bigger question: how can civil society respond to this growing concern?
That question framed the regional workshop on refugees, migrants and stateless people that was organised by the JRS Cambodia in Siem Reap on November 28 to 30 November…
Messages to: Denise Coghlan rsm - JRS Cambodia
Mercy Matters
12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is the Patron Saint of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas.
We wish all our Sisters, Associates and partners-in-Mercy in the Americas a very happy feast day
Gospel
16 December 2018. 3rd Sunday of Advent Year C
Luke 3: 10-18
‘The third Sunday of Advent used to be called Gaudete (be joyful) Sunday. It provided a mid-term break within a period of austerity or penance in preparation for Christmas. Advent is no longer celebrated as a penitential period, but rather as a reflective time of expectation and hope…’
Reflection
18 December: International Migrants Day
‘Migration has always been with us. From time immemorial, people have moved in search of new opportunities and better lives. Climate change, demographics, instability, growing inequalities and aspirations for a better life – as well as unmet needs in labour markets – mean it is here to stay. The answer is effective international cooperation in managing migration to ensure that its benefits are most widely distributed, and that the human rights of all concerned are properly protected’
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Quote
Words of Mercy
‘When mercy is lived, it becomes a form of real evangelization, because it transforms those who receive mercy into witnesses of mercy’
-Pope Francis, 29 November 2018
Brisbane
New website for Brisbane Mercy Congregation
Together with our partners in ministry, we work to realise the vision of Catherine McAuley and Ellen Whitty.
We are compelled by God's spirit and our tradition to work, both individually and corporately, to bring about a more just and compassionate world.
Technical Tip
How to Face Time a Group of People
Instructions for bringing family, friends or colleagues together from the facetime app on an iPhone, iPad, mac, or with iMessage.
About Our Website
Resources
New Library Categories
Two new categories have been added to the Library section. These are ‘Scripture’ and ‘Prayer’.
The writings of Srs Elaine Wainwright (ISMAPNG) and Kathleen Rushton (ANZ) that appear each month in Tui Motu and are published in MercyeNews, are collated into annual collections under ‘Scripture’. The Gospel Reflections for Year B by Sr Veronica Lawson (ISMAPNG) and a link to Sunday Scripture Reflections by Sr Barbara Moore (Americas) can also be found by searching ‘Scripture’.
Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy can now be found in the ‘Prayer’ category.
news
News items
Some news items fit well into two of our news categories and will appear in both.
For example, ‘MIA-MGA Emerging Leaders Fellowship’ appears in both ‘MIA News’ and ‘MGA News’, the Samoa Gathering report can be found in both ‘Member News’ and ‘Initiative Events’ and World AIDS Day in Nairobi appears in both ‘Member News’ and ‘International Days’.
Items only appear in ‘Latest News’ once.
WebsIte
Website Content and Functionality
This week’s updates and tips conclude our section ‘About Our Website’ for 2018.
From time to time next year, we will publish further helpful information about new content and functionality on our new website, soon to be three months old (Christmas Eve).
Meanwhile, all questions and queries are welcome.
Messages to: the Editor
PS. Remember to refresh the pages you visit to see changes made on our constantly updated website.
Further Resources
Worth Watching
Love Goes On
‘Love is patient, love is kind, never ending, never ending…
Bernadette Farrell’s song
Worth Watching
A First Glimpse of Our Magnificent Earth, Seen From the Moon
The first people to view our planet from the moon were transformed by the experience. In this film, they tell their story.
Watch the film online here (free)Worth Reading
Berta Cáceres: seven men convicted of murdering Honduran environmentalist
Seven men have been found guilty of the murder of the Honduran indigenous environmentalist Berta Isabel Cáceres.
Read the articleWorth Reading
COP24: A million lives could be saved by 2050 through climate action, UN health agency reveals
Taking bold climate action now, could help save a million lives and a lot of money by the middle of the century, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, launching a special report as part of the ongoing COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland.
Read article hereWorth Reading
The Yale ISM Review: 'Beatiudes'
The Latest issue (Volume 4.2 Fall 2018) of The Yale ISM Review is online. The articles and artwork centre on the theme of the Beatitudes. Among the treasures in this issue is an excerpt from Herménégilde Chiasson’s book-length poem, ‘*Beatitudes’.*
Read the issue online hereWorth Watching
Religious and Ambassadors Unite to Take on Fight Against Human Slavery
The global community remembered 2 December as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
View report hereWorth Knowing
Femicide across Europe : Theory, research and prevention
Femicide, the killing of women and girls because of their gender, was until recently included in the category ‘homicide’, obscuring the special features of this social and gendered phenomenon. However, the majority of murders of women are perpetrated by men whom they know from family ties and are the result of intimate partner violence or so-called 'honour' killings. This book is the first one on femicide in Europe…
Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.Send suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2018 to The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘Hurra for foundations, makes the old young and the young merry.’
Catherine McAuley, Letter to Cecilia Marmion, January 4, 1841
Mercy eNews
The online newsletter of Mercy International Association is published weekly, 48 weeks each year and distributed to subscribers via email.
For more information on the directors click here
