Foundation Day 2020

Berneice Loch rsm pictured in the Callaghan Room at MIC

Vision in Action

MIA Prayer Intention: Foundation Day

Prayer

MIA Prayer Intention: Foundation Day

As we celebrate Foundation Day, let us pray the Litany of Mercy/Letanía de la misericordia written for the Year of Mercy by Mary Wickham rsm.

Creator God-
Maker and Source of Mercy-
all praise to You.

Jesus –
exemplar and champion of Mercy-
all praise to You.

Spirit-
artist and animator of Mercy-
all praise to You…

Post your prayer in our online chapel

MESSAGES TO: Berneice Loch rsm CEO MIA
Human Rights Day Emphasizes the Tools to Build Back Better

MGA

Human Rights Day Emphasizes the Tools to Build Back Better

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, commemorating the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). At the heart of the Mercy World is the recognition of human rights, the human dignity of all and the rights of nature. By focusing on the protection, promotion and fulfillment of human rights, and by analyzing gender norms, different forms of discrimination and power imbalances, we can ensure that policies and programmes reach those most left behind

Send in Your Christmas Greeting

Send in Your Christmas Greeting

As we bring this year to its conclusion, we invite you to share a Christmas greeting with the global Mercy community.

Send in your greetings - text or text and image - by Tuesday, 15 December. The last issue of Mercy eNews for 2020 will be published on Wednesday, 16 December. Email: mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie

Members' News

Casa de Misericordia Opens on Mercy Day

Americas

Casa de Misericordia Opens on Mercy Day

The opening and blessing of Casa de Misericordia followed seven months of preparation – locating a house, arranging a two year lease with the parish and diocese, emptying and refurbishing space which required a lot of attention, and most important, forming relationships with countless people with whom the community will collaborate in working with migrant persons.

Casa de Misericordia is located in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish near the U.S. Mexico border…

MESSAGES TO: Judy Carle rsm
A Day of Great Joy for the Institute

ISMAPNG

A Day of Great Joy for the Institute

On Saturday, 14 November, in Kaugia, Papua New Guinea, Meryline made her profession at a Mass at the Holy Spirit Church. At the same time, Michelle and Mai took their final vows at a Mass at the Ursula Frayne Memorial Chapel in Melbourne. While they were separated physically by thousands of kilometres, they and all of those watching the livestream of the Melbourne ceremony, were joined together in a wonderful prayerful spirit…

Sisters Provide Shelter, Clean Water After Hurricanes Hit Central America

Americas

Sisters Provide Shelter, Clean Water After Hurricanes Hit Central America

Diane Clyne rsm, Director of Development for the CCASA (Caribbean, Central America, South America) Mercy community was among those religious interviewed for this story in Global Sisters Report. Sr Diane shared the responses of Mercy people and the needs of the locals impacted by Hurricanes Eta and iota.

‘The biggest needs are food, potable water and medical supplies…’

Our Call to be ‘Sowers of Prophetic Hope’

Aotearoa New Zealand

Our Call to be ‘Sowers of Prophetic Hope’

Saturday 12 December marks Foundation Day, 189 years since Catherine McAuley and two of her young companions took vows in Dublin as the first Sisters of Mercy.

It is also, by both thoughtful planning and good fortune, our own Foundation Day, marking 15 years since Sisters of Mercy in New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa agreed to merge their historic four Congregations and become one…

STEngineers Handsfree COVID Stations

ISMAPNG

STEngineers Handsfree COVID Stations

The Santamaria College Attadale (Perth, Australia) Year 7 STEngineers students have been working on an engineering task. The girls researched, designed, built, and tested a hands-free hand sanitising station. The station had to be in line with the ‘Everyone – even when well – can help slow the spread of COVID-19’ government campaign.

It was a challenging task. The girls were provided with a budget of $30. They had to choose resources from the Bunnings website, design a structure, and then the even more difficult task -constructing it…

Mercy Matters

On This Day

Fact

On This Day

1822: Birth of William McAuley - Catherine's youngest nephew (died in New South Wales, 1904)

1888: Commencement of home visitation ministry, Parramatta

Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.

 3rd Sunday of Advent Year B

Gospel

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B

John 1:6-8, 19-28

'The first section of today’s gospel reading comes from the prologue of John’s gospel and offers comment on the identity of John the Baptizer. The second section revolves around a question that has already been answered in the prologue. In other words, the reader knows the answer to the question posed by the characters in the second section..'

12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

International days

12 December, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

‘May the people of the Americas, who were blessed by the appearance of Our Lady at Guadalupe on this day in 1531, be renewed in their hope and strengthened in their efforts to build a more just society.’

Source: Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy

Apple Redesigns Accessibility Hub, Launches Videos on New Features

Digital Life

Apple Redesigns Accessibility Hub, Launches Videos on New Features

‘On Thursday – December 3, which is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities – the company launched a redesigned Accessibility hub, detailing some of these features in products such as the iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad. The site is divided in four sections: Vision, Mobility, Hearing, and Cognitive, each with several examples of features that may be useful to people with disabilities.’

A Lens on the Works of Mercy plus Works of Mercy

Resource

A Lens on the Works of Mercy plus Works of Mercy

'A Lens on the Works of Mercy: Clare Agnew and her Legacy' is the culmination of a research project by Annette Schneider rsm, undertaken during the three months from mid-January till mid-April, 2019, at Mercy International Centre, Dublin. Read more

'Works of Mercy' - a copy of the line drawings by Clare Agnew illustrate scenes of the early Sisters of Mercy engaged in the Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy in Ireland in the 1830s.

Servant Leadership: Marie Michele Donnelly rsm

Resource

Servant Leadership: Marie Michele Donnelly rsm

What does it mean to be a servant leader? What does it mean to be a Mercy servant leader? This session reviews the characteristics of a servant leader, which can include listening, empathy, healing, stewardship and more.

Further Resources

For a Life of Prayer: Pope's prayer intention for December 2020

Worth Watching

For a Life of Prayer: Pope's prayer intention for December 2020

‘We pray that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer.’

Watch it here
Unititled [This is what was bequeathed us] by Gregory Orr

Worth Watching

Unititled [This is what was bequeathed us] by Gregory Orr

‘This is what was bequeathed us:
This earth the beloved left
And, leaving,
Left to us…’

Watch it here (1:49)
 Come, O Come, Emmanuel [Acoustic Sessions]

Worth Watching

Come, O Come, Emmanuel [Acoustic Sessions]

‘O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear…’

Watch/listen here
The Social Life of Forests

Worth Reading

The Social Life of Forests

‘Trees appear to communicate and cooperate through subterranean networks of fungi. What are they sharing with one another?’

Read the article here
LCWR 'Update'

Worth Reading

LCWR 'Update'

The December issue of ‘Update’, the monthly newsletter from LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) is now online.

Read 'Update' here

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

The Bottom Line

‘In the dark days in which we live, there are bearers of light and hope. Joy arises from realizing there are many among us who notice the brokenhearted and afflicted…These are God’s agents of justice and hope. They are Emmanuel, God-with-us.

The poet, Theodore Roethke, writes: “In a dark time, the eye begins to see.” Perhaps this difficult time reveals the deeper meanings of our Advent prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus.”…’ Read more

—Bryan Massingale

Mercy eNews

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