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On Earth Day, Engage with MGP Earth Themes
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Earth Day (tomorrow) and Earth month (April) are ideal occasions to explore or re-visit the richness and variety of MGP materials on Earth themes: ‘Earth and Integral Ecology’ (Segment 1), ‘Mercy and Degradation of Earth’ (Segment 2) and ‘Presence to Earth’ (Segment 3).
The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are collaborating with a number of Catholic organisations, including Catholic Climate Covenant and Global Catholic Climate Movement, in a 21-day Catholic Environmental Justice Challenge from 23 April - 16 May. You might like to find out more & register here
Vision in Action
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Earth and Integral Ecology
Holy Earth and Cosmos, I thank you for your wonder and magnificence.
Sacred Nature, I honor you, I come before you to listen.
Holy Suffering Earth, all creatures, my brothers and sisters, I pray to live with compassion and respect for you. Open my heart to all this day, Amen.
from the Reflective Prayer prepared by Anne Curtis rsm (Americas) for the MGP theme ‘Earth and Integral Ecology’ (Segment One)
Post your prayer in our online chapel
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MGa
Earth Day 2021: Restoring Our Connection to Earth
International Mother Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. This year, coinciding with the Super Year For Biodiversity, we focus on ‘Restoring our Earth’. We are ever-reminded of the need to shift towards a more sustainable economy and increase ambition to reduce our carbon footprint. We continue to educate ourselves and advocate for policies that stand for people and Earth over profit…
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MGA
Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) Making Strides Towards Carbon Neutrality
In the research of Jemima Welsh, graduate of the inaugural Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship, we are encouraged to envision ways in which the Mercy community can meaningfully contribute to the impact economy. She states, “Simply put, where traditional capitalism puts the attainment of profit before all else, the impact economy represents those emerging financial structures and institutions that also take into account the social and environmental impacts of their transactions…
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MGP Theme 'Compassionate Heart' Available 28 April
Resources on our third Integrated theme 'Compassionate Heart' will be published on the MGP microsite next Wednesday, 28 April and linked from Mercy eNews
Bookings for the May Pentecost Week Gatherings will open here on our website on Monday, 26 April and be linked from Mercy eNews on 28 April
Members' News
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North Sydney
Smashing the Glass Ceiling is Part of the Learning
‘Gender inequality has been permanently banned from one of Sydney’s independent Catholic school for girls.
Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College has enforced a stern policy around gender inequality.
The school’s inspiring principal Nicole Christensen has her sights set firmly on ensuring “that the next generation of women know how to smash the glass ceiling by smashing the stereotypes that perpetrate it”…’
Source: Australian Financial Review (AFR)
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Americas
Mercy Sister Interviewed About Human Trafficking on Today Show
Jeanne Christensen rsm, Justice Advocate on Human Trafficking for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, was featured on the Today Show recently in a segment about the important ministry of religious addressing human trafficking and other forms of modern day slavery.
Watch the video clip (07:46)
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Australia and Papua New Guinea
Mercy Connect’s Virtual Experience Provides Unique Insight
Sisters Lorraine Phelan and Carmel Daley (pictured) recently had the opportunity to experience Mercy Connect’s Virtual Reality (VR) application ‘IMERCYVE’.
With one in five Australians living with disability, with many requiring specialised care and support to ensure their ongoing health and wellbeing, Mercy Connect commissioned the Virtual Reality (VR) application ‘IMERCYVE’ to increase empathy and understanding by embodying the user in a first-person lived experience viewpoint of a person living with a disability…
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Schmalz's sculpture in Rome. Image used under licenceAmericas
Catholic Sculptor’s Work to be Part of COVID-19 Memorial at Ohio Hospital
‘YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (CNS) — In an announcement that marked the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy Health — Youngstown and the Mercy Health Foundation — Mahoning Valley said a permanent memorial is planned to honor victims of the pandemic and those who cared for them…
A central element of the memorial will be a bronze sculpture by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, titled “When I Was Sick,” featuring a patient representing Jesus and lying prone….’
Source: Catholic News Service (CNS)
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Australia and Papua New Guinea
Santa Maria's Virtual Language Assistant
Over the years at Santa Maria College Perth we have hosted many Italian language assistants. They come from Italy for a term and help out in our language classes. However, when COVID hit, this was no longer possible.
WAATI, the Western Australian Association of Teachers of Italian, came to the rescue and introduced a new initiative – a virtual assistant. This gave us the opportunity to work with an Italian assistant via online platforms…
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Americas
Serving Those in the Shadows, Sisters Follow in Footsteps of Women Long Gone
Mercy Sisters JoAnn Persch and Patricia Murphy, well-known in the Chicago area for their persistence in spotlighting the needs of migrants, and who also helped found the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants, feature in this, the second of a two-part article in Global Sisters Report, ‘At America’s Door’. Part Two focusses on the service of Religious Sisters to immigrant communities.
Mercy Matters
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Resource
In Praise of Communion: Poetry as a Healing of What Divides Our Heart
An online program from Mercy By the Sea Retreat and Conference Centre in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of National Poetry Month, the world’s largest literary celebration
Date: Saturday, 24 April. Time: 10:am - 12:30pm US/EST. Click here to see the time and date in your local area.
Cost: US$35 per person. Currency Converter
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Resource
Calling to New Horizons
From April 26 to 28, 2021, the National Association of Vocation/Formation Directors (NAFVD) Canada will hold an online conference via Zoom on the theme “A Call to New Horizons.” Keynote speakers include Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz, Sr. Margo Ritchie, csj, and Father Daniel Horan, ofm. Facilitation will be provided by Elizabeth Davis, rsm. Among the workshop presenters are Newfoundlanders Brenda Peddigrew rsm, Anne Walsh (MGP Grassroots ministry contributor, Segment One) and Miriam Martin pbvm whose song 'Steadfast Love' is among the list of resources in Good Reading for ‘Faith Traditions & Mercy’ (MGP Theme One, Segment Two).
Details about the speakers, facilitators and the 9 workshop presenters and registration details are linked to this item
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RESOURCE
A Message of Hope and Challenge in a Planetary Emergency
Nellie McLaughlin rsm (The Congregation) will give an online talk on zoom ‘A Message of Hope and Challenge in a Planetary Emergency’, as part of the Elizabeth Prout Bicentenary Lecture Series.
Date and Time: 29 April at 7pm Irish Time. Click here to see the time and date in your local area
Cost: By donation
Contact: katrina@drumalis.co.uk
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Resource
New Publication: We Cannot be Silent!
We Cannot be Silent! by Deirdre Mullan rsm and Catherine Prendergast dc, offers an opportunity to pause as we reflect and try to make sense of these times. Set in the context of a journey, We Cannot be Silent! invites the reader to reflect on the journey taken by the sixteen-year-old pregnant Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth. The Visitation story provides an opportunity for the contemporary reader to gain insights into what motivated world leaders from across the globe to journey to the United Nations to develop the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementation progress since!
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Fact
On This day
1836: Foundation to Tullamore from Baggot St - Mary Anne Doyle
1870: Foundation to Clifford, South Yorkshire from Bermondsey - Sr Teresa Kearney
1929: Opening of boarding/day school, Lesmurdie, Western Australia - M Teresa Rielly
1990: Opening of Mercy House, Glen Innes; Mercy Parklands Hospital, Ellerslie
Contribute a fact from the story of your Mercy congregation, institute or federation, to our online archive.
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Gospel
4th Sunday of Easter, Year B
John 10:11-18
'The liturgy for Good Shepherd Sunday invites us to reflect on Jesus as the noble or good shepherd of the believing community. “Shepherd” in its literal sense is not really part of our 21st century vocabulary, and yet we use it metaphorically, as a verb or as a noun. Its verbal form connotes care and compassion, protection, guidance and tender relationship. In John’s gospel, Jesus rightly claims for himself the title “good shepherd”.... '
Further Resources
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Worth Watching
Pause//Evermore by Salt of the Sound
‘I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.’
-Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
Watch/listen here)
Worth Knowing
Guide for Foresight in the Social Change Field
Seeing the world and its possibilities.
‘Activities and exercises to assist you in making foresight thinking actionable in your organization and your own social change practice.’
Available in English and en español
Download it here)
Worth Reading
‘Inequality virus’ threatens ‘catastrophe for all’ unless crisis can be overcome together
‘‘The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to “an even more unequal world”, the Deputy UN chief said on Thursday, speaking at the closing session of the Financing for Development (FfD) Forum, with many lower-income countries now seeing development gains reversed. ‘
Read the article here)
Worth Knowing
Gonzaga University to Launch New Climate Center on Earth Day
On Earth Day, April 22, 2021, Gonzaga University will officially launch the new Gonzaga Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment. Details of how to attend the launch can be found here
Visit the Center hereSend suggestions and contributions for the ‘Worth’ Section 2021 to: The Editor
The Bottom Line
‘When hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes sweep away illusions of self-sufficiency, we are reminded how much we need one another, how much we depend not only on people, but also on the larger web of life. We treat people with a different kind of respect when we consider that they might someday be pulling us out of the rubble. We treat the rest of life with a different kind of respect when we consider that without it, we wouldn’t be here at all.’
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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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