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Foundation Day: Hurrah for Foundations!
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On 12 December, Sisters of Mercy and Mercy women and men around the world celebrate the Foundation Day of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. How could Catherine and her two companions, Mary Ann Doyle and Elizabeth Harley, have possibly imagined what would grow from the small beginning they made in returning to the House of Mercy on Baggot Street after taking their vows as the first Sisters of Mercy?!
Were they really conscious of 12 December 1831 being a significant new beginning? Or were they more conscious of having taken a significant next step in ensuring a future for the Works of Mercy already commenced by Catherine many years before, and in which Mary Ann and Elizabeth were already engaged? Whatever was the reality for them, the day 12 December, provides Mercy people with an opportunity to reflect on beginnings and be deeply grateful for the generous commitment of these three women in establishing the Order.
Vision in Action
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Programmes
Volunteer at Baggot Street in 2022: Submit Your Interest
Programmes
Volunteer at Baggot Street in 2022: Submit Your Interest
Mercy International Centre in Dublin, Ireland is preparing to open to our international community for a full schedule of programmes in 2022. To assist with hospitality and programming needs, MIC is excited to welcome volunteers to Baggot Street once again. We know many of you were planning to stay in Dublin in 2020 and some hopeful to volunteer in 2021. The staff appreciates your patience and commitment as we paused the volunteer programme to comply with COVID regulations here in Ireland.
At this time, we would like to invite all who are interested to apply to volunteer at Baggot Street during the 2022 calendar year. In reviewing our programming schedule and additional commitments, MIC is able to offer the following dates to potential volunteers:
- February 22 - April 13, 2022
- April 20 - June 4, 2022
- August 8 - Sept 15, 2022
- September 25 - October 25, 2022
- November 1 - December 10, 2022
MIC is able to offer accommodation to two volunteers during each of the date ranges detailed above. Some flexibility in arrival and departure dates can be accommodated. For the months not included in the above timeframes (January, most of June, and July) MIA is not able to offer accommodation due to programme commitments. Therefore, we will not be able to host volunteers during those months.
Mercy International Centre kindly requests that you consider volunteering at Baggot Street during 2022! If interested, we ask that you respond to this invitation by completing the form linked here and email your resume or CV to heritage@mercyinternational.ie. MIC will work to coordinate the schedule and finalize dates as quickly as possible. To ensure that we are able to coordinate volunteers’ schedules, please respond to this request by Tuesday, December 21st.
We look forward to welcoming you to Catherine’s home!
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www.janrichardson.comPrayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Wise Women also Came
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Wise Women also Came
So often during Christmas, we reflect on the experience of the Magi. Jan Richardson thoughtfully reminds us of the women who would have tended to Mary during the birth. And so we reflect…
Wise women also came.
The fire burned in their wombs long before they saw
the flaming star in the sky.
They walked in shadows, trusting the path
would open under the light of the moon.
Wise women also came,
seeking no directions,
no permission from any king.
They came by their own authority,
their own desire,
their own longing.
They came in quiet, spreading no rumors,
sparking no fears to lead to innocents’ slaughter,
to their sister Rachel’s inconsolable lamentations.
Wise women also came,
and they brought useful gifts:
water for labor’s washing,
fire for warm illumination,
a blanket for swaddling.
Wise women also came,
at least three of them,
holding Mary in the labor,
crying out with her in the birth pangs,
breathing ancient blessings into her ear.
Wise women also came,
and they went,
as wise women always do,
home a different way.
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
1869: Foundation to Davenport, Iowa from De Witt - M Borromeo Johnson.
Contribute a fact from your Mercy congregation, institute, or federation, to our online archive.
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Global Action
Mercy Global Action Reflects on COP26 Participation
In November, a Mercy delegation, consisting of Mercy International Association staff, Mercy Global Action staff, and members of the MGA Task Force on Climate and Water, attended COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The Mercy delegation arrived in Glasgow prepared with a range of advocacy materials, including a Position Statement, spotlight flyers highlighting experiences from around the Mercy World, and a social media campaign.
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prayer
2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C
“Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has called us to look into our hearts and to bring the compassion and mercy of God to our troubled planetary home. Care of our common home and of all that inhabits our planet is both a gospel imperative and an urgent call to the whole human community. Our courageous pope gives extraordinary leadership in this respect...”
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Advent Gathering & Foundation Day
Our next Advent Spirituality Night will be hosted this Sunday, Foundation Day, and will feature a special reflection on Catherine McAuley. Together, the Mercy world gathers virtually for a night of spirituality on each of the four Sundays of Advent at 9pm Dublin Time (find your local time here). To register your interest in attending one or more sessions, please complete the Google Form here. Click the button below to view last week’s recording.
View the Advent Webpage)
Worth Watching
New Mercy Stories Series
The Western Province (Ireland) has produced a number of Podcasts in which Sisters from the province share their life stories with focus on mission and ministry. In episode one, Margaret McHale shares what drew her to Social Work. She tells of her involvement with teenagers in Ballina, and how her heart was touched during her post-apartheid experience in South Africa. Margaret has been working for the past twenty years with the Traveller Community in Castlebar.
View Episode One)
Worth Knowing
MIA Virtual Women's Christmas Retreat: January 6
Mercy International Association is pleased to announce a virtual celebration of Women's Christmas which will take place on Zoom on Thursday, 6 January 2022. Women’s Christmas is an Irish tradition to mark the Feast of the Epiphany. The retreat will uncover stories of the women who made a great impact on the birth of Christ, and explore the journey of the Magi. MIA would like to invite all within our Mercy community to gather virtually to pray, reflect, and celebrate together the gifts and challenges of this past year. Email programmes@mercyinternational.ie to register.
More Information)
Worth Reading
MGA Mercy Migration Mapping Reminder
The MGA Task Force on Migration launched a project to map our global presence and action for migrants, refugees, and all people on the move. Complete the Survey: Mercy Migration Mapping - EN; Mapeo de migración de la Misericordia - ES. The deadline for the survey is Friday, 17 December 2021.
More Information & SurveyMembers of Mercy
Members of Mercy International
Members of Mercy International Association share the passion of their foundress, Catherine McAuley, to bring mercy to people who are poor, sick and uneducated.
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Mercy eNews
The online newsletter of Mercy International Association is published weekly, 48 weeks each year and distributed to subscribers via email.
For more information on the directors click here
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