Mercy Global Presence: Gift In This Troubling Time of COVID-19

Vision in Action

Final Reminder. Position: Heritage Assistant

MIA

Final Reminder. Position: Heritage Assistant

Mercy International Association is excited to be planning a significant visual and technological upgrade and revision of the Heritage Room displays.
A vibrant, creative, skilled person is sought to support this project and the overall sharing of the Mercy Story at Mercy International Centre.

Applications close 4pm GMT 3 April 2020.

MESSAGES TO: Anna Nicholls rsm Head of Heritage & Spirituality
Invitation to Join in a 1-hour Virtual Tour of the House of Mercy with Live Commentary

Events & Programmes

Invitation to Join in a 1-hour Virtual Tour of the House of Mercy with Live Commentary

While the red doors at Mercy International Centre may be physically closed in response to the COVID-19 virus situation, our virtual House is still open. Visit www.mercyworld.org for a wealth of inspiration and information.

Anna Nicholls rsm will be offering live online presentations where some of the stories told during a physical tour of Mercy International Centre will be shared.

MIA Prayer in Response to COVID-19

MIA Prayer in Response to COVID-19

The Centre is closed until further notice but our online prayer spaces remain open.
We invite you to spend time in prayer in the Baggot Street Chapel, at Catherine's Tomb in the Sacred Garden or to visit the Canonisation Cause Prayer Centre

Members' News

Q & A with Sr. Helen Amos: 'To be homeless is a health issue'

Q & A with Sr. Helen Amos: 'To be homeless is a health issue'

‘...In a long and distinguished career, Sr. Helen Amos has put the well-being of the community at the heart of her ministry. A Sister of Mercy for 63 years, she has been a teacher, health care administrator, community leader and advocate for those experiencing homelessness.‘

Source: Global Sisters Report

Listening with Australian Ears to the Voices of the Amazonian Synod

Parramatta

Listening with Australian Ears to the Voices of the Amazonian Synod

On Saturday March 7, at the Earthkin gathering in Parramatta, Mark O’Connor fms shared his reflections on the Amazonian Synod (October 6-27, 2019). Mark was present in Rome during the Synod and was privy to much of the dynamics behind the sessions and commentary during these weeks.

Being attentive to what was written in the Preparatory, Final and Post-Synodal Documents can help generate potential for renewal of Christian community…

Mercy Matters

28 March Earth Hour

International Days

28 March Earth Hour

Set to be the most important Earth Hour yet, 2020 is a pivotal year for the planet. Five vital climate events including COP26 - considered the most important since the Paris agreement in 2015 - are taking place across the globe this year with world leaders set to make decisions on environmental policy that will impact the planet for years to come.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A

Gospel

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A

‘Sunday’s readings touch into the most profound of mysteries, the mysteries of life and death. To hold a new born child or to see the sick restored to health is to experience the wonder of life. On the other hand, sudden death can bring unimagined grief and pain. The news this morning (March 23) tells us that 14,641 people have died from Coronavirus over the past two months…’

Lenten Reflection for the Fifth Week of Lent

Reflection

Lenten Reflection for the Fifth Week of Lent

Video Reflection from Catholic Health USA to which Mercy Health Systems in the United States belong.

The Annunciation - Praying with art - Geoff Wheaton SJ

Reflection

The Annunciation - Praying with art - Geoff Wheaton SJ

A reflection on Henry Ossawa Tanner’s ‘The Annunciation’ painted in 1898.

Further Resources

'As Mary Did' by Michael Herry fms

Worth Playing

'As Mary Did' by Michael Herry fms

‘May the blessing of Mary’s loving service be upon us.

May her courage and patience find a home in our lives.’

Image: Athens - The fresco of Annunciation on the facade of Metropolitan Cathedral by B. Antoniasis (1895)

Listen here Download the sheet music
After 175 years, Monroe IHMs going strong and teaching green

Worth Knowing

After 175 years, Monroe IHMs going strong and teaching green

‘Michigan's oldest established congregation of Catholic sisters made their mark as pioneering educators by opening a school in 1845. Now, 175 years later, they're teaching us how to live green.’

Read the article here
LCWR’s April issue of Update is Now Available

Worth Reading

LCWR’s April issue of Update is Now Available

‘How might our prayers and intentions be joined across congregations for the common good of the whole Earth community to help lift the spirits of a people, especially in the wake of closed churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship? What would happen if elder Catholic sisters ... were to unleash the power of their lifetime of prayer and contemplative practice to hold the safety and protection of all peoples across the world as a sacred intention?’ -- from "A Call to Spiritual Bonding,” by Elise D. García, OP (see page 2)

Read the April issue here LCWR First Weekly Reflection for these challenging times
Emerging Communities

Worth Knowing

Emerging Communities

‘Global Sisters Report introduces a four-part series on religious communities created after the Second Vatican Council; these groups may offer hints about what lies ahead for religious life.’

Read about these communities here
Dialogue on Querida Amazonia

Worth Watching

Dialogue on Querida Amazonia

UISG held a webinar on Querida Amazonia on 16 March. Watch the video here and download the documentation here

Sr Stan: Out of disaster and despair, good can emerge

Worth Reading

Sr Stan: Out of disaster and despair, good can emerge

‘What this experience teaches us is that as humans, we can only survive in interdependence‘.

—Sr Stan

Editor: Last week we brought you Lynn Ungar’s ‘Pandemic’. This week it’s Sr Stan’s article. If you have read/seen a thoughtful reflection about the pandemic worth sharing, please let us know here

Read Sr Stan's article here
Isolated but not alone: resources for Catholics

Worth Knowing

Isolated but not alone: resources for Catholics

The Tablet has compiled a listing of online resources for Catholics during the Covid-19 pandemic covering advice, liturgical resources, spiritual resources and resources for reading, watching, listening. The listing will be kept updated so may be worth checking from time to time.

See listings here

Send suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2020 to: The Editor

The Bottom Line

‘Let us be the women who attune our inner ear to the heartbeat of God, who listen for the whir of wings on the way to prayers, who find presence in the most empty spaces, who dance to bring the Holy to birth…’ Read more

—Sheryl Frances Chen OCSO, 'The whir of wings: the Annunciation in art and heart', 2017

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