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No to Racism, Yes to Inclusion and Diversity
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Editor: In her introduction to this month’s MGP theme, ‘New Foundations in Mercy’, Elizabeth Davis rsm writes of the energy Mercy needs ‘to give us the wisdom and the courage to respond with new foundations’ to the ‘four negative forces intersecting in our world today’. Among these forces is ‘a resulting visibility of inequalities relating to systemic racism...’ Julia Upton rsm, in her theological imagining on ‘People and Deep Social Change’ last November, while alerting us to Ibram X. Kendi’s book How to Be an Anti-Racist, called on us all to ‘renew efforts to root out racism… to become an anti-racist’.
In her recent article published in Global Sisters Report and linked in this week’s Mercy eNews, Larretta Rivera-Williams rsm testifies to what it is like to be a black person: ‘This is the way I have navigated through life — never knowing from one day to the next when I'd be confronted with the next chilling encounter with racism.
Writing for this week’s Mercy eNews, Sheila Curran rsm suggests three behaviours we could each adopt to put an end to those chilling encounters. Her proposal: to listen - to black peoples, people of colour and Indigenous peoples’ experiences; to learn - by educating ourselves about the worlds of others, and to act - by addressing the racism in ourselves and ‘oppos[ing]the policies and institutional barriers that perpetuate and preserve the inequality that we still see all around us.’
Vision in Action
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: The Human Community
‘Triune God, by insistent word and compelling example, Jesus taught that love of God and neighbor was the one, central commandment. Help us in our time, place and circumstances to respect and appreciate the diversity of customs, cultures, languages, and races within the human family.’
Post your prayer in our online chapel.
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MGA
Reflections from An Outgoing Intern
When I gratefully accepted the opportunity to join the team as an intern I stepped into a world of justice ministry unlike any other I knew. After a decade of direct service in culinary arts, I had a lot of catching up to do in the unique field of advocacy. I spent many meetings jotting down acronyms to be deciphered later and leaning over to whisper a question or two. I found refuge in the support of the MGA team who guided me through every unusual day at the office…
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Events & Programmes
Virtual Tours of Mercy International Centre in July
A further opportunity to take a tour if you haven’t already made a virtual visit:
Dates: 3, 6, 7, 13 and 16 July.
Contact Sr Anna if you are interested in organising a special tour for your school, university, staff or community group.
Members' News
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Unsplash/Polina PortnayaAmericas
Mama, Please, I Can't Breathe!
The word of God confirms that we are capable of being destructive to one another. We have the capacity to be evil, violent and torturous.
For several weeks, my soul has awakened wearily around the midnight hour. The decibels of silence were deafening as time ticked slowly away and darkness was melted too slowly by dawn…
Source: Global Sisters Report
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Parramatta
RIP: Srs Sophie McGrath, Marie Anselm Gaudry
Two remarkable Sisters of Mercy, Sophie McGrath and Marie Anselm Gaudry, have died in the past week, each having made a significant contribution in their years of ministry, to the place of women in the Australian Church and to the ongoing formation of religious women and men in Australia and beyond…
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Americas
The ICCR Legacy Award
The governing board of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility is pleased to announce that the recipient of its 2020 Legacy Award will be Susan Smith Makos, Vice President of Social Responsibility of Mercy Investment Services.
The ICCR Legacy Award was created to honor those whose work has provided a strong moral foundation and an enduring record of demonstrated influence on corporate policies.
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Image source: YouTube videoAmericas
Mercy Housing Northwest Housing & Service Center Opens in Seattle
Mercy Housing Northwest, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the City of Seattle announced the official public opening on 24 June of Gardner House and Allen Family Center, which offer permanent housing and a one-stop service hub for King County families, particularly those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Take the Gardner House Virtual Tour.
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Parramatta
Mercy Formation Program for Staff Members Benefits Students
As students returned to schooling on site after their time doing remote learning they were all given a bookmark to remind them both of the Mercy value of ‘Hospitality’ and to follow in Venerable Catherine McAuley’s words to ‘Strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well”.
The bookmarks were designed by teachers Ms Allen and Ms Nakhoul as part of their project for the Mercy Formation Program.
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GB Institute & The Congregation
That Comfortable Cup of Tea!
Mercy Sisters Lynda Dearlove (the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy GB) and Deirdre Mullan (Congregation - Ireland) are both Trustees of the Arise Foundation, an organization co-founded by philanthropist John Studzinski and Luke de Pulford in 2015.
Recognizing that the abolition of all forms of slavery is a daunting task, and that frontline organizations are making a real impact where it is most needed, the Arise Foundation is focused on enabling exploited people to move towards liberation and creating the conditions for stronger laws to be implemented. It is a multi-dimensional, cross-sectional approach and it is working!…
Mercy Matters
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Digital Life
Camino de Santiago Virtual Challenge
The global COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many people who planned to walk the Camino this year can’t do that. The virtual challenge might be an option for some.
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International Days
1 July: 'Plastic Free July' Starts Today!
Be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics.
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Resource
Anti-racism Curriculum Guide
The Mercy Education System of the Americas (MESA) online Anti-racism Curriculum Guide for English and Social Studies (PDF) has been updated to include new resources (see yellow highlighted sections).
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Faith & Spirituality in a Time of Crisis: Ep 15 Racial Justice
The Rev. Ada Renée Williams is the Director of anti-racism and racial equality for the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. In this conversation Rev. Williams addresses anti-racism and what is required from the white community in order to undo the systems that erect and reinforce structural racism.
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Fact
On This Day
1896: Sisters invited to take charge of Hospital in Castletownbere, Co Cork
1959: Pittsburgh Sisters assume sponsorship of Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1977: Opening of St Catherine's Villa, Grafton - M Eymard Kennedy
1999: Mercy Pacific Hui held in Kaikoura.
2000: Sr.Patricia Bell, North Shields, England, enrolled first 8 children into Youth Mercy Associates.(YMA)
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Gospel
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Matthew 11:25-30
‘Today’s gospel begins with Jesus’ prayer of thanksgiving to God. The verb “to thank” in this instance has connotations of blessing. In this prayer of blessing or thanksgiving, Jesus contrasts those who consider themselves wise and intelligent with the truly wise ones, the “little ones” who know the daily struggle to survive, those to whom the secrets of God’s empire have been revealed…’
Further Resources
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Worth Watching
Steadfast by Craig Courtney
‘Lyrics by Susan Bentall Boersma. This anthem is a strong statement of faith expressed in an outpouring of praise for our unchanging, steadfast God, as illustrated by a comparison of God’s provisions for the people of Israel in the Old Testament and His care for us today.’
Watch/listen here)
Worth Watching
Textile Mountain: Video documentary
The Hidden Burden of our Fashion Waste
Textile Mountain exposes the social and environmental cost of the second hand clothing trade, tracing the path of our unwanted garments from recycling bins in Europe to landfills and waterways in the Global South.
Video in English with 10 subtitled versions available, including Spanish
Watch the video here (21:38))
Worth Knowing
A biblical approach to saving the planet
Hope Jahren is a geobiologist known for her work with soil science and fossil forests. Her second book is titled “The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go From Here.”
Find out more)
Worth Watching
Women Religious on the Frontlines
On 23 June, the US and British Ambassadors to the Holy See hosted *Women Religious on the Frontlines *to celebrate the service given by religious women. A panel illustrated three aspects of the ministries carried out by Religious Sisters. Remarks by Patricia Murray ibvm (pictured), Executive Secretary UISG can be heard here
A recording of the symposium can be viewed here
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Worth Watching
Commemoration of Signing of UN Charter
The UN Charter was signed 75 years ago on 26 June 2020. ‘Let us now realize the vision of peace, human rights, justice and development - of dignity for all.’
—Secretary-General António Guterres
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe. Photo 844146. Used under licence
Commemoration of Signing of UN Charter on UN Charter Day
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Worth Watching
Diarmuid O'Murchu at Liverpool Justice & Peace Assembly
Diarmuid O’Murchu’s talk ‘COVID-19, Justice and Spirituality - New Challenges for a Spirituality of Eco-Justice’ at the Liverpool Justice & Peace Annual Assembly on 29 June is archived online.
Watch the video here (24:46) Download the Assembly booklet here)
Worth Knowing
The Book of Kells: Exploring an Irish Medieval Masterpiece
Access this course for free for 6 weeks commencing 29 June.
‘On this course you will use the Book of Kells as a window through which to explore the landscape, history, faith, theology, and politics of early medieval Ireland. You will also consider how the manuscript was made, its extended biography and how it has affected different areas of the contemporary world.
Image: Folio 74r. Public domain
View the video introduction (2:39) Enrol in the course hereSend suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2020 to: The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘We must have the courage to act…We cannot afford to be a bystander. We cannot afford to have a neutral position. ..We should have a preferential position towards the oppressed. We are called to be with the oppressed rather than with the oppressor. The courage to act doesn’t come free. It is a costly courage…We might end up losing our privileges, or paying the price for the action we take. Each individual has to weigh up, in the context of the faith, of your church life, how you should act in these kinds of situations.’ Hear 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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