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MGP Poster Four— 'New Foundations in Mercy'
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The fourth and final of the Segment Two posters —'New Foundations in Mercy'— and accompanying guide for individual/group reflection is released today.
The last of the Regional Conversations on the poster themes will be held on 8 and 9 September.
Sisters of Mercy, all members of the Mercy Family and all who seek to be channels of God's mercy in our world in this time, are welcome to join the regional gatherings.
We look forward to welcoming you to the final Gathering of this Segment online.
Third MGP Regional Gatherings, 25, 26, 27 August
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MGP
From 15 Countries...
247 Sisters and partners-in-Mercy from Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Ireland, Peru, Kenya, South Africa, Philippines, Guyana, Papua New Guinea, United Kingdom, Chile, Cambodia, Honduras and the United States, participated in one or more of the three regional gatherings held last week on the theme ‘Mercy and Displacement of Persons’
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MGP
We Gathered Again...
Many voices spoke passionately and movingly of the challenges faced by displaced Persons. There were frequent references to the images on the poster of the homeless Jesus, the refugee children and the suffering Christ. Participants shared deeply from their feelings and experiences of being displaced, including being displaced from the Church.
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MGP
Join Us...
The fourth and final Gatherings will be conducted as large group conversations in all three Regions on the focus questions. Some time will also be spent on recalling the 8 themes in ‘Global’ and ‘Mercy’ that have been explored so far in Mercy Global Presence.
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Fourth Regional Gathering Information
Bookings for the final set of Regional Gatherings to be held on 8 and 9 September opened online on Monday, 31 August. We look forward to welcoming you at a Gathering.
Vision in Action
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MIA
A Tribute to Margaret Scroope rsm
By the time you receive this newsletter it is expected that Margaret will be back in Australia and working through her two weeks of isolation due to the pandemic regulations. We regret that it was not possible to acknowledge Margaret’s wonderful work at Mercy International Centre as well as we would have liked to have done. A Mass and staff function which had been planned had to be cancelled because of recent changes in the regulations around gathering.
However, an on-line gathering was held for the MIA Members, Directors and Staff to pray a blessing for Margaret and acknowledge something of her contribution to MIA…
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Season of Creation 2020
‘Creator of Life
At your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed and trees of every kind bearing fruit. The rivers, mountains, minerals, seas and forests sustained life.
The eyes of all looked to You to satisfy the needs of every living thing. And throughout time the Earth has sustained life. Through the planetary cycles of days and seasons, renewal and growth, you open your hand to give creatures our food in the proper time…’
Source: SeasonofCreation.org
Post your prayer in our online chapel
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MGA
Hope in a Time of Pandemic’ Issue Spotlight: Human Mobility
The Mercy Global Action COVID-19 Response Task Force report ‘Hope in a Time of Pandemic – Responding to COVID-19 through a Mercy Lens’ was born from a collection of stories and experiences of COVID-19 from around the Mercy World, tied together by a critical analysis of human rights and Catholic social teaching.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought most of the world to a stand-still and has fundamentally changed global human mobility. Governments around the world have introduced measures to “flatten the curve” of infections including travel restrictions, border closures, the suspension of labor migration and the slowing of migration processing and assistance to asylum seekers…
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Take a Virtual Tour of Mercy International Centre
Virtual Tours will be conducted on 7, 11, 13, 15, 19 and 20 September in preparation for Mercy Day.
Members' News
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Stock imageAmericas
Mercy Sister Augusta Reilly’s Advocacy for Baltimoreans in Recovery Recognized
‘Inspiring. Compassionate. Tenacious. Funny. Challenging. Vulnerable. Humble. Creative. Fearless.
Those are just a few of the ways people describe Sister of Mercy Augusta Reilly, who for nearly 40 years has dedicated her ministry in Baltimore to developing more compassionate and effective ways to support those fighting the scourge of addiction. While that challenging work usually goes unnoticed, Sister Augusta recently got some attention…’
Source: Catholic Review
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Aotearoa New Zealand
Mission Plan Aims to Form ‘Hearts for Mercy’
Plans to provide formation for all those involved in the new Ministerial Public Juridic Person are taking shape, says Richard Kerr-Bell, who works with Margaret Endicott rsm and Lorraine McArthur in the PJP Formation for Mission Committee.
The specific aim of the programme is to create a sense of whānau Mercy and to form hearts that will foster a commitment to mission. It is hoped that participants will be helped to ensure that the charism of Mercy remains authentic and vibrant within the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand…
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ISMAPNG
Mercy Making Dreams Come True
These nurses have a dream to bring residential aged care back to their villages in the Solomon Islands. Mercy Services is helping them bring that dream to reality.
Based at Singleton’s Mercy Aged Care, Monica Wale, Alice Tara, Hellen Poloso and Melvina Tango are the first nurses from the Solomon Islands to be accepted to complete an Australian qualification under the Australian and Pacific Training Coalition.
Also treading new ground, the Mercy is the first Australian employee to engage nurses in the program and manager Leesa Bigham couldn’t be happier with her new recruits…
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Send in Your Mercy Day Greeting by 22 September
Sisters, Associates, Communities, Ministries, Congregations and Institutes, as well as members of the wider Mercy network, are invited to send Mercy Day Greetings for posting on our mercyworld.org website. We look forward to posting yours!
Email your greeting to: mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie
Resources for the Season of Creation (2)
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Resource
Laudato Si' Retreat: An Introductory Immersion
The retreat organised by GCCM will include reflections on the encyclical, guided meditation, interactive exercises, time for personal reflection and journaling, and small group reflection.
Time and date: September 12, 9am - 1pm EDT (Your time here)
Details and Registration form are linked to this item
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Resource
Litany for the Earth
Composition by Barbara Bridge from the album ‘Our Common home’:
’God of Compassion, creator of all things
Pour out your Mercy, pour out your love!
Answer the cry of the Earth and its creatures:
Heal our common home’.
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Reflection
Meadow Meaning: A Reflection
Richard Hendrick OFm Cap who gave solace to so many in the early days of this pandemic with his poem ‘Lockdown’, has gifted us with a reflection for this Season: ‘Meadow Meaning’
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Resource
MIA Season of Creation Calendars & Posters
A reminder that the calendars & posters produced in previous years are still available and entirely appropriate for use this Season.
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Resource
Lens On Creation — Enfocando La Creación
National Catholic Reporter is publishing a series by photographer Paul Jeffrey in 'Earthbeat' every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can sign up to have these emailed to you or read them online.
National Catholic Reporter publica una serie del fotógrafo Paul Jeffrey en 'Earthbeat' todos los lunes, miércoles y viernes. [Puedes inscribirte](Puedes inscribirte para que te) para que te las envíen por correo electrónico o para leerlas en línea
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Resource
Respect for the Planet's Resources: The Pope Video
‘Let us pray that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner. No to plundering; yes to sharing.’
Mercy Matters
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gospel
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Matthew 18:21-35
‘The opening verses of this Sunday’s gospel reading have Jesus advocating limitless forgiveness (not seven but seventy-seven times). The parable that follows is anything but consistent, however, with this teaching and with the teaching of Jesus in the gospel as a whole…’
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FAct
On This Day
1920: Opening of Secondary School, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
1983: Institute of Our Lady of Mercy UK formed.
1984: Foundation to Chepareria from Cloyne
Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.
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Digital Life
Earth Challenge 2020
Earth Challenge from Earthday Network makes it easy for everyone to monitor the environment! Capture research quality environmental data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. The Earth Challenge app not only lets you engage in citizen science to record the environment around you, but it also provides you with the tools to help protect it.’
Download here: App Store; Google play
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity
‘The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) have released a joint document, “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond.” Its purpose is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.’
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Worth Watching
May Peace Become You
‘A benediction for courage to carry you. Written by Kelly Ann Hall and music by Shellee Layne Coley.’
Watch it here (2:11))
Worth Watching
Pope Francis: We cannot go back to old ways after the pandemic
Watch/listen here Pope to take his post-pandemic pleas to global stage)
Worth Knowing
Planet Earth's Piano Strings
‘Meteorologists have finally confirmed the existence of Planet Earth's piano strings - a chorus of continent-sized pressure waves that periodically sweep around the globe, covering it in a patchwork quilt of high- and low-pressure zones. First posited by a French scientist in the late 1700s, the waves have resisted detection for centuries until now, thanks to an exquisite new meteorological data set. "This is a really beautiful piece of work."
Read the article hereSend suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2020 to: The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘‘And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.
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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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