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'New Year 2020: A Reflection' by Mary Reynolds rsm
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Welcome back to all our Readers and a special word of welcome to those joining us for the first time!
As we face a new year and a new decade, we are aware of our many blessings and we are conscious, too, of the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor that continue to call for our attention. The Jubilee year that we have just celebrated was an opportunity to rejoice in the Mercy global identity that has been forged over the past 25 years. This was facilitated in no small part by our Mercy World website and weekly newsletter…
Mercy Global Presence at Christmas
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MGP
As Theology Shifts, Sisters are Making Christmas more Cosmic
Editor: Global Sisters Report featured Mercy Global Presence as their feature Christmas story, publishing the article on 23 December 2019. Read that article linked to this item.
‘The Mercy sisters are working to democratize the theological language around Christ and the cosmos through Mercy Global Presence, a program that uses art and ordinary language to examine otherwise abstract topics…’
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MGP
Cosmic Wreaths from South Africa
For epiphany our community decided to use the candles from the advent wreath with the following interpretation.
The amber candle was just behind the nativity scene. It represents our birth into this life so we are present at the nativity scene. The magi were represented by the other three candles. So we are bringing the energy of the birth of the cosmos (blue), the birth of the solar system (green) and the birth of Christ (red) into the nativity scene thus seeing the celebration of the birth of Christ, the magi bringing their gifts, as well as the light of Christ, given at Christmas (the candles), as a cosmic event.
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MGP
Gathering in Peru
Aurea Roldan rsm and Cait Wims rsm held their first meeting about Mercy Global Presence in Trujillo in December 2020. They will have a second meeting in February 2020.
Editor: We welcome photos and notes from MGP gatherings for sharing in Mercy eNews. Email these to: mgpfeedback@mercyinternational.ie
Vision in Action
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MGA
Final Reminder: MELF Applications Due 31 January
A reminder to all those applying for the MIA-MGA Emerging Leaders Fellowship that applications are due to be submitted on 31 January 2020.
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Australia's Devastating Bushfires & Newfoundland's Monster Snowstorm
MIA has joined with the Sisters of Mercy in Australia in prayerful support for the many communities directly impacted by the devastating bushfires burning across the country and for those affected by smoke pollution.
We invite our readers during the rest of the Australian fire season to use the ‘Prayer for those affected by Bushfire and Drought’, linked to this item (an adaptation of the prayer for rain provided during the month of November by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference). Please remember too our Mercy family in Newfoundland where a State of Emergency has been declared and Armed Forces personnel are helping dig out the city of St John’s from an unprecedented snowfall.
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Statue of Patrick Kavanagh on Dublin's Grand CanalEvents & Programmes
Ireland Pilgrimage
Bookings for the Ireland Pilgrimage close on 14 February 2020. If you are thinking about taking part in this first MIA guided pilgrimage journey, please contact us before that date.
Members' News
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The Congregation
The vital role of the Aisling Centre as it marks 30 years of community service
‘As the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen prepares to ring in the New Year on a positive note with its third annual Hope, Healing and Growth event on January 4, it will herald the start of an important milestone year for the Centre – its 30th anniversary.
Aisling is an Irish word meaning dream or vision and the dream of the Centre’s founding members was to address emotional needs by creating a safe and welcoming space in the heart of the community where people could find solace at difficult times in their lives…’
Source: Impartial Reporter
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Brigid Marnane rsm (l) & Mater staffThe Congregation
16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence in Kenya
On Friday the 6th of December 2019 we at Mater Misericordiae Hospital Nairobi Kenya played our part in our efforts to put a stop to Sexual Gender Based Violence by creating awareness through a 16 days of activism event. This was part of our efforts to end the scourge of SGBV (Sexual Gender Based Violence) and create awareness of the magnitude of the problem.
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Kathleen Erickson rsm (r) in 2017 with a former employee at the Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, TexasAmericas
Migrants Benefit from Mercy Sisters’ Ministry of Presence
‘WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mercy Sister Rosemary Welsh is a nurse and for the past 44 years she has immersed her ministry in the Latino culture.
Through the lives of thousands of migrants from Mexico and Central America as well as Texans of Hispanic descent, [Sr Rosemary] has seen in her work in Laredo, Texas, and for a decade in Guatemala, that the needs of poor people remain much the same today as they did in 1976 when she arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border…’
Source: Catholic News Service (CNS)
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Americas
Sisters Discuss Haiti's Progress, Stagnation 10 Years After Severe Earthquake
Marilyn Lacey rsm, Executive Director of Mercy Beyond Borders is among the religious sisters interviewed by Global Sisters Report on the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that devastated large parts of Haiti, including the capital of Port-au-Prince.
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Srs Rose O’Brien and Maria ComerfordThe Congregation
From Callan To Parramatta
On October 9th, 1888, nine Sisters, under the leadership of Mother Clare Dunphy, left Convent of Mercy, Callan to begin a foundation in Parramatta, Sydney…
[Last] year the Sisters celebrated their 130th anniversary and invited two Sisters from the Kilkenny cluster to go and join in the celebrations… The journey took 30 hours from door to door but the pioneer Sisters spent six weeks on a ship so we [Rose O’Brien and Maria Comerford] were not complaining…
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GB Union
The Miraculous Catch of Fish
As we prepare for our coming Chapter in April and reflecting on where the Lord is calling us now as the Union of the Sisters of Mercy, I came across this very challenging reflection on the Miraculous Catch of Fish.
“Jesus tells relative strangers to do about everything opposing their instinct and experience. Deeper waters from shore than comfortable; fish at a time that is unproductive, and undo all the usual clean-up work. Yet they did it.
Mercy Matters
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Resource
Mercy Partners Prayer Book
Mercy Partners has produced a Prayer Resource (10 sessions) for 2020 based on Laudato Si’.
Download the resource and guide for use here
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International Days
Chinese New Year
Saturday, 25 January will be the first day of 4717 on the Chinese calendar (also called the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival) in this, the Year of the Rat.
We wish all members of the Mercy Family who celebrate this day a very happy New Year.
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Digital Life
How Google Search Works (in 5 minutes)
A short video about how Google Search works, including how Google’s software indexes the web, ranks sites, flags spam, and serves up results. Watch the video linked below.
To learn even more about Google Search, visit here
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Fact
On This Day
1984: Foundation to Bridgewater, Tasmania from Rosanna, Victoria.
Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.
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Gospel
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
‘Most of the gospel readings this year will be from the gospel of Matthew. As with any story, it is probably best to read Matthew’s story of Jesus from beginning to end over a few days, entering into the drama and attending to all the elements in the story. Sr. Elaine Wainwright’s eco-rhetorical commentary on Matthew’s gospel invites us to read with attention to habitat as well as to the human and the holy…’
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Scripture
Ecological Readings of Scripture 2019:
Elaine Wainwright rsm
Collected writings published in Tui Motu in 2019 (11 issues) available for download.
Further Resources
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Worth Watching
Becoming an Intercultural Religious Life Community
Pat Murray ibvm begins her talk at 5:42 in response to a question posed by Maria Cimperman rscj at 5:32. Style of this Webinar is Q&A
Watch here)
Worth Reading
Stop Trafficking!
The January 2020 issue (vol 18 no 1) is now available. The focus of this month’s newsletter is the intersection of migration and human trafficking.
Read the issue here)
Worth Reading
Pope's Prayer Intention & Message for World Day of Peace
Pope Francis’ prayer intention for January is ‘Promotion of World Peace’. It supports his Message for the 53rd World Day of Peace celebrated on 1 January 2020
Watch/read it here)
Worth Watching
The Two Popes
Inspired by true events.
Limited cinema release - check locally- and available on Netflix.
Watch the trailer)
Worth Reading
In 2030, we ended the climate emergency. Here’s how
‘If words make worlds, then we urgently need to tell a new story about the climate crisis. Here is one vision of what it could look and feel like to radically, collectively take action…’
Read the article here)
Worth Knowing
You Will Have Light for Your First Steps -- LCWR 2020 Reflection Book
LCWR presents a new 2020 reflection book, You Will Have Light for Your First Steps. This collection of reflections written by more than 40 LCWR members builds on a line from the poem “Trasna” by Raphael Considine, PBVM. The poem challenges us to view this historic moment in religious life as a crossing place …
Order here by 1 March 2020 'Update', the Newsletter of LCWR, January 2020 issue available here)
Worth Knowing
'Time to Care': Oxfam
Unpaid and underpaid care work and the global inequality crisis.
‘This report outlines how global inequality is shockingly entrenched and vast, with the number of billionaires having doubled in the last decade. The report also shows how our sexist economies are fueling the inequality crisis and enabling a wealthy elite to accumulate vast fortunes at the expense of ordinary people and particularly poor women and girls.’
Download the report hereSend suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2020 to: The Editor
Members of Mercy International
“What is the New Year but the perfect place to live out what we learned in the old year?”
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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
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