Imagining Leadership in a Global Community:
2019 LCWR Assembly, 13-16 August 2019
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From LCWR (Leadership Conference of Religious Women): ‘Each day religious life leaders are faced with questions about how their congregations can best serve the needs of the world today and into the future. The upcoming LCWR assembly will explore the emerging trends in society on the global and national levels, how these trends impact religious life, and what the trends suggest about how religious life can best respond to what the world needs of it.
Because this assembly is dealing with critical questions, LCWR will be livestreaming portions of it, enabling viewing by all women religious throughout the United States and beyond, as well as others who are interested in the proceedings.’
The LCWR Assembly Livestreaming Schedule is linked to this item.
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Vision in Action
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MIA-MGA
International Permanent Peoples' Tribunal Advisory Opinion: Fracking Violates Human Rights.
In May 2018, Spring Creek Project co-organized the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal Session on Human Rights, Fracking, and Climate Change. As the Tribunal was underway, we shared with you courageous stories from those on the front lines of fracking as well as expert opinions on fracking's profound damages to our environment and communities around the world…
Events & Programmes
Mercy Ethos July 2019 Programme ' A Wonderful Experience'
Twenty-eight staff and board members from Mercy education, health, aged care and spirituality ministries in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Newfoundland participated last week in a Mercy Ethos Pilgrimage to Baggot Street.
'The Pilgrimage was a wonderful experience', said Sylvia Williams rsm, Chair of the Mercy Education Ltd Board. 'Our ISMAPNG pilgrims were from varied backgrounds - health, welfare and education, however the experience was enhanced by the involvement of other pilgrims from New Zealand, Ireland and Newfoundland. The cross-ministry as well as cross-country experience was inspiring.'…
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MIA-MGA
Inaugural Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship Programme Soon to be Underway
Mercy Global Action is delighted to announce the commencement of the inaugural Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship on August 23rd in Cambodia.
Over the course of the next twelve months, ten very diverse Fellows will be challenged to think critically about the global reality of our world through the lenses of Mercy, Leadership, and Justice…
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Events & Programmes
Come Home to Catherine 2019 Programme
Monday, 12 August - Friday, 16 August
This programme offers an opportunity to pray with Catherine in her places and spaces and to walk in her footsteps through the city of Dublin reflecting on her life and ministry.
Places are still available in this popular programme.
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Peace and Harmony
Let us remember in our prayers the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August) in 1945. May the massive destruction, contamination and suffering caused be a reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare. Let us remember the victims of the mass shootings in three cities in the United States this past week and mourn the loss of 29 lives, the wounding of dozens of people and the shock and horror of multiple shootings.
May each of these events renew our commitment to pray and work for peace: between nations, among peoples and in our own hearts.
Post your prayer in our online chapel
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MIRP
Advance Notice: MIA Season of Creation Materials
Editor: In 2016, as resources during MIRP, we produced a Season of Creation calendar which was very well received and accompanying posters and prayer sheet.
In next week’s Mercy eNews we will release our new season of creation calendar as well as our updated posters and prayer page.
A ritual that has been specially prepared on the 2019 theme ‘Protecting the Web of life’ will also be available.
Members' News
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ISMAPNG
Sisters Explore Catholic Social Teaching
23 Sisters in Papua New Guinea from around ten different congregations have recently explored together the richness of Catholic Social Teaching in a course facilitated by Australian Sister, Anne McGuire rsm
The course, ‘Living Justly- Catholic Social Teaching’ is part of the Diploma of Pastoral Ministry administered and sponsored by ISMAPNG in partnership with Divine Word University, Madang…
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Americas
The Hill District’s Ms. Edna, a ‘prime example of what a good neighbor should be’
‘The first recipient of the Sister Susan Welsh Good Neighbor Award is Edna Council, a lifelong resident of the Hill District.. The Good Neighbor Award was created to honor the legacy of Sister Susan Welsh, rsm, retired president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy, and current board chairperson and founding board member of McAuley Ministries Foundation…’
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ISMAPNG
Beads Link Ladies from Shepparton to Uganda
‘From tiny colourful beads has grown a circle of friendship and love that has connected two communities on opposite sides of the world.
For the past seven years Shepparton's Mercy Place Aged Care pastoral carer Loretta Lilford has been visiting the Suubi Centre in the village of Lubanda in south-western Uganda as a member of the Kyabram-based charity Help Us Grow (HUG)…’
Source: Shepparton News
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ISMAPNG
Avoiding Foolishness: Elaine Wainwright rsm
Elaine Wainwright rsm says that human centredness can distort our capacity to recognise that Earth’s resources belong to all life. Sr Elaine writes of Luke 12:13-21: ‘The parable critiques the accumulation of resources into the hands of a few. Rather, food, clothing and a range of resources must be accessible to all in the human community…’
Download the article here
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The Congregation
MECPATHS Says 'No!' to Human Trafficking
A number of non-profit and statutory agencies have joined force to raise their combined voices against Human Trafficking in Ireland, with a particular focus on Cork. A phenomenon, for a long time associated with countries overseas, economic hardship and underground illicitness, its face has changed rapidly in the past years. Human Trafficking finds itself at home in Ireland, alive on the streets of Cork and very clearly Hidden in Plain Sight…
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Brisbane
Blessing of the Sister Catherine Statue
A fitting tribute
Thursday 1 August saw the blessing by the Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane of the much anticipated statue of Venerable Catherine on the McAuley at Banyo, Brisbane Campus of the Australian Catholic University.
Placed in a central position in the community courtyard of the campus and just behind the chapel, the statue is designed to be piece that invites engagement with the viewer. It depicts two figures – Catherine and a young girl - situated at eye level on a 1.2 metre plinth…
Mercy Matters
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Digital Life
10 incredibly useful iPhone productivity secrets
‘If you follow these tips, you’ll find that your iPhone can help you be more productive throughout the day—adding to the amount you can accomplish and the quality of that work…’
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Gospel
11 August 2019. 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Luke 12: 32-48; shorter form 12:35-40
'The longer form of today’s gospel brings together a number of loosely connected sayings of Jesus about trust and vigilance. Jesus addresses his disciples affectionately as a “little flock”. He tells them that there is no need for fear. God, their “father”, has delighted in giving them “the kin-dom” and they are to be generous in their turn...’
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Fact
On This Day
1955: Swadlincote Convent opened as a branch house of Bridge Gate, Derby
Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.
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MIC Gift Shop
Mercy Twister Flash Drive
The capless Twister Flash Drive carries the Mercy International Association logo on both sides.
The drive can be easily attached to a set of keys or neckstrap using the keyring provided.
International Days
9 August – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
2019 Theme: Indigenous languages.
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
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Reflection
Season of Creation 2019 – The Network of Life
‘We are taking advantage of this occasion and unite ourselves in prayer so that humanity may respect the planet…**We unite together to ask forgiveness…We thank God for the beauty and goodness of [God’s] creation…We state our commitment to the creation God has entrusted to us…we invite European Christians…**and every person of good will, to pay attention to the Season of Creation
-Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conferences of European Churches (CEC)
Press Release, 1 August 2019
Further Resources
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Worth Watching
Gurrumul - 'Wiyathul'
‘Celebrated by audiences at home and abroad, [deceased] indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was one of the most important and acclaimed voices to ever come out of Australia. Blind from birth, he found purpose and meaning through songs and music inspired by his community and country on Elcho Island in far North East Arnhem Land.’
Image: Stuart Sevastos CC 2.0
A live performance of Gurrumul’s 'Wiyathul' can be watched here
Lyrics in Language and English here
Watch the trailer of the film portrait of Gurrumul here)
Worth Watching
Families, Schools of Human Development: August Prayer Intention of Pope Francis
‘Let us pray that families through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly schools of true human development’.
Watch the prayer video here
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Worth Knowing
Called to Community
Fifty-two readings on living in intentional christian community to spark group discussion.
Free download)
Worth Reading
Father Michael Czerny, S.J., on Church’s Commitment to Amazonia
‘Jesuit Father Michael Czerny pointed out that, “as the Good Samaritan,” and through the forthcoming Synod on the Pan-Amazonian region, the Church puts into practice in Amazonia her commitment “with the compassion and justice of the Gospel.”’
Read the article here)
Worth Reading
Migration and the climate crisis: the UN’s search for solutions
‘Throughout human history, migration and climate have always been connected, but in the modern era, the impacts of the man-made climate crisis are likely to extensively change the patterns of human settlement.’
Read the article here)
Worth Reading
Stop Trafficking! Newsletter
The August 2019 (vol. 17 no. 8) issue is now online. This issue focuses on ways that human trafficking issues are highlighted by a colour marker.
Read the issue here)
Worth Reading
Extreme water stress affects a quarter of the world's population, say experts
‘Qatar, Israel and Lebanon top list of places with worst shortages, as climate crisis threatens more ‘day zeroes’ A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a measure of the level of competition over water resources, a new report reveals.’
Read the article hereSend suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2019 to: The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘You must not be concerned about the fruit of what you do. You must be generous in throwing the seed with open hands, without becoming discouraged when the fertile soil seems scarce… God, on the other hand, would have us sow generously, extravagantly, even wastefully - wherever we may find ourselves. We can afford to, too, knowing that God is the keeper of the harvest. We are mere sowers. As such, we need concern ourselves solely with this: how wide is the arc of our throw, how open our hands.
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Mercy eNews
The online newsletter of Mercy International Association is published fortnightly, 24 weeks each year and distributed to subscribers via email.
For more information on the directors click here