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'Jesus Breathes the Spirit': Kathleen Rushton rsm
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Kathleen Rushton rsm explores the story of the risen Jesus breathing the Spirit on the disciples in John 20:19-31 and invites us to reflect on participating in God’s creation.
Sr Kathleen writes: ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take . . . but by the moments that take our breath away.” These words attributed to Maya Angelou, the American poet, singer and civil rights activist, relate the experience of awe and wonder as being intimately connected with our breath and with fullness of life…’
Vision in Action
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: For Needs of Our World
While we continue to ‘*encircle our world with our prayer, light, spirit of Mercy and care’* as the coronavirus sweeps the globe, let us also remember in our prayers the victims of other events including : the people of Vanuatu hit by a category 5 cyclone, the first nationwide truce in five years of war in Yemen, the fight against desert locust storms in East Africa and the impact of tornadoes in the southern United States.
Post your prayer in our online chapel
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Events & Programmes
Virtual Tours of Mercy International Centre
Year 7 students at Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College NSW (pictured) were among those members of the Mercy family to join in a recent virtual tour. Further Tours are offered on 16, 17, 20, 23 and 24 April.
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MGA
Further Update from Mercy Global Action
The Mercy Global Action monthly newsletter will continue to be published. This newsletter can be accessed on the Mercy World Website here
Our latest edition focusses on some of the implications of COVID-19 in terms of social, health and economic impacts. In particular, it highlights how people experiencing homelessness are impacted by COVID-19…
Members' News
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ISMAPNG
Singleton Mercy Aged Care Staying in Touch
Editor: An idea worth sharing & worth imitating.
When the staff at Mercy Aged Care realised that residents would not be able to have visitors for a while, they jumped into action! A letter campaign was quickly shared on Facebook with a great response from people far and wide.
The staff have asked the global community to send a letter or a postcard to the residents of the Singleton Mercy Aged Care to brighten their day. They are asking people to let them know where they are, a little bit about their lives and where they live…
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Pat Kenny rsm sewing protective masks
Americas
Sisters at Marian Woods Convent Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19
‘When the supply of protective masks at Marian Woods Convent in Hartsdale, NY became dangerously low, there was great cause for concern. Although orders for disposable masks had been placed well in advance, great demand due to the Coronavirus pandemic has caused long delays in shipping. Without these protected masks, the 50 retired Catholic Sisters in residence at Marian Woods and the staff that serve this at-risk population could be more vulnerable to the disease…’
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ISMAPNG
How the Institute is Adapting to the Reality of COVID-19
With the offices closed and face-to-face meetings and gatherings no longer being possible, Sisters and staff of the Institute are finding other ways of connecting with each other and continuing their ministries.
John Rochester, Communications Manager for the Institute, said like many others in the (general) community, the Institute has had increased reliance on communication platforms such as Zoom in the past few weeks with a schedule of webinars, reflections, prayer services and social gatherings.
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GB Institute
Mercy Sisters Lead Reflections on Stations of the Cross
Three of our Mercy Sisters, Noreen (Station 5), Brendan (Station 9) and Brigid (Station 13) took part in a series of reflection on the Stations of the Cross in St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham for Premier Christian Radio. You might like to access them for your own reflections.
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Eileen Boffa rsm, 2nd from right, & friends
Americas
Q & A with Mercy Sr. Eileen Boffa, Seeing Beauty, God in People Living on the Streets
‘Mercy Sr. Eileen Boffa remembers being nervous around homeless people before she started her ministry, usually crossing the street if she saw them on a corner and it was getting dark.
"No more," she said.
After nine years ministering to people on the street, "I know the goodness in all these folks," she said…’
Source: Global Sisters Report
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The Congregation
Holy Week & Easter
Editor: The Congregation website holds visual and text reflections: ‘A place Called Gethsemane’ , Easter Sunday Dawn Mass as well as in the main messaging area on the homepage.
Mercy Matters
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International Day
15 April: World Art Day
World Art Day, a celebration to promote the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art, was proclaimed at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2019. Visit an art gallery online today.
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Fact
On This Day
1847: Opening of Benevolent Institution for Aboriginal Children, Perth, Western Australia
1850: Opening of first Mercy school, St Mary’s, Auckland
1916: Death of Mother Camillus Dempsey, foundress of Whitstable Convent, Kent from Bermondsey.
Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.
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Gospel
Second Sunday of Easter, Year A
‘…we now recognise that the liturgical readings and prayers for each Sunday between Easter and Pentecost invite us into different movements of the one great symphony of resurrection faith. Today’s gospel tells of fear and joy and blessing. We bring our present experience of pandemic into dialogue with all of this…’
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Resource
Schenk's biography of Mercy Sr. Theresa Kane a detailed account of visionary's path
‘You can tell a book by its cover. The luminous picture of Theresa Kane on the cover of this volume (courtesy of makers.com [1]) portrays a beautiful woman of calm, confidence, vision and joy. Theresa Kane is a Catholic feminist with a powerful claim on the hearts and imaginations of all who want the Roman Catholic Church to be a community of sacrament and solidarity, equality and mutuality. Sister of St. Joseph Christine Schenk tells Theresa's story skillfully in meticulous detail, rendering such a visage all the more remarkable…’
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Reflection
Easter Mystery in Extraordinary Times
‘This Easter, may we comfort one another in grief. May we rage with one another against injustice. And may we come together — virtual as it may be — in the sure and certain hope of resurrection. Of a world transformed by our collective action. This Easter, let’s not forget Christ risen. Let’s not be afraid to hope.’
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Digital Life
How to Colorize your Old Family Photos – with Smartphone Apps or PhotoShop
‘Black-and-white photos are timeless, but learning how to colorize your old family snaps can give them a new lease of life….’
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Every Breath is a Resurrection
LCWR’s latest reflection:
‘We enter this Easter season aware of the many throughout the world who are struggling for breath. May our prayer be an act of solidarity with them as together we celebrate the smallest signs of resurrection within and around us.’
Download the reflection here)
Worth Knowing
'Phosphorescence': a book by Julia Baird
‘A beautiful, intimate and inspiring investigation into how we can find and nurture within ourselves that essential quality of internal happiness - the 'light within' that Julia Baird calls 'phosphorescence' - which will sustain us even through the darkest times…’
Read the review)
Worth Reading
On Praying in a Pandemic
Tina Beattie writes: ‘This time of krisis is a kairos moment. It may never be repeated. In all the dark mystery of suffering and death, coronavirus might yet prove to be the wakeup call that saved the planet. ‘See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.’ (Deut. 30:15). This may be our very last opportunity to choose life and prosperity for future generations. I hope and pray that we choose well.’
Read the article here)
Worth Watching
'Ode to Joy": Musicians from Rotterdam Philarmonic
Each musician is alone, at home, playing to an empty room.
‘Playing their hearts out in time with an orchestra they couldn’t hear for an audience visible only in their imaginations.’ (Melinda Gates)
Watch the performances here)
Worth Reading
Remembering our future: Pope Francis and the corona crisis
‘In a major interview published by The Tablet and Commonweal in the middle of Holy Week, Pope Francis shares with his British biographer spiritual wisdom about the meaning of the coronavirus pandemic…’
Photo: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
CC BY 2.0
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Worth Reading
The group of women religious proving that the church has no borders
The second of the two-part series has now been published.
(A link to Part One of this series was included in Mercy eNews Issue #857 (11 March 2020)
Read Part Two here)
Worth Reading
'When this is over': Poem by Laura Kelly Fanucci
‘When this is over
may we never again
take for granted
A handshake with a stranger
Full shelves at the store
Conversations with neighbors
A crowded theatre
Friday night out…
Send suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2020 to: The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘…We are therefore called to recognize, with new and deep emotion, that we are entrusted to each other. Never as much as today has the caring relationship presented itself as the fundamental paradigm for human coexistence.’ Read more
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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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