Prayer Service for Remembrance Day
Mercy International Association is pleased to offer a prayer service resource in celebration of Remembrance Day, 11 November. In remembering the life and legacy of Catherine McAuley, we in Mercy are called to look to the future of Mercy with hope.
To download the prayer service, please click the button below. All are welcome to use and adapt this resource to meet their community or ministry needs. Questions can be directed to the Heritage and Spirituality Team at programmes@mercyinternational.ie.
Prayer Service: A4 here and US Letter here
Vision in Action
Mercy International Association
MIA Welcomes New Board Member & MGA Welcomes New Intern
Mercy International Association
MIA Welcomes New Board Member & MGA Welcomes New Intern
Ms Yvonne Camacho has accepted appointment to the Board of MIA. Yvonne is from the United States and is currently on the Board of Mercy Housing, a ministry to address housing issues for low-income families and seniors in the U.S., and the board of Mercy Investment Inc. In both venues, she brings her strong commitment to issues related to women and diversity as well as an excellent financial and audit background. We look forward to welcoming Yvonne to the November meeting of the Board.
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Mercy Global Action welcomed Catherine Edwards of Adelaide, Australia as their new intern this month. Catherine has a Bachelor of Laws and International Relations with a minor in International Development, in addition to a Diploma in Languages in French. She is a proud member of the Young Mercy Links South Australia, a previous research assistant with ACRATH where she developed a course module for university students identifying instances of modern slavery, and a member of MGA’s Migration Task Force. Catherine writes “I would like to thank the support that I have received from the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy Australia and Papua New Guinea for being able to take up this position. Particularly Sr Meredith Evans RSM, who, without her continual support, I would not be the person I am today. I am excited to learn and grow throughout this internship, and I already feel very welcomed by the MGA team.” Welcome to MIA, Catherine!
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Women of Iran
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Women of Iran
Mercy International prays this week in solidarity with the women of Iran. It was one of Catherine McAuley’s foundational beliefs that women are pillars of our society. As a woman of great vision, Catherine actively empowered women, especially those experiencing oppression and marginalization. Today, Mercy around the world continues to empower women and it is in this spirit, we hold the women of Iran in prayer. We reflect on the words of Iranian Poet Simin Behbahani:
You want to erase my being, but in this land I shall remain
I will continue the dance as long as I sustain
My verse as vast as a meadow, its universe rooted in my homeland
In the world of ghazal, I’m a fleet-footed galloping gazelle
I speak as long as I’m alive; fury, roar and revolt
Your stones and rocks I fear not; I’m flood, my flow you can’t halt
I don’t veil my hair. I’m not Gordafarid nor do I pretend
I’m not the woman your deceit can lock up in your fortress end
I’m lightning; my silence will not adorn the sight
I’m prelude to thunder, till then I illuminate the night
Your arrow may give my eyes strain but in chasing me it’s flying in vain
My back not to bow. My head isn’t Esfandiar’s, I vow
I said what I said to defy or to cry; come what may
It’s the voice that shall remain I’ll wither away
Aging and ailing, my steed still on my side
Horseback no longer moves me; it is the dream to ride.
Translated from Persian by Sheema Kalbasi
Mercy Matters
Fact
On This Day
October 19, 1924: Foundation to Clonbur, Co Galway from Ballinrobe, Co Mayo.
Contribute a fact from your Mercy congregation, institute, or federation, to our online archive.
Mercy International Centre
2023 MIA Programmes
Mercy International Centre is eager to announce a full offering of programmes scheduled for 2023.
As you plan your retreat or pilgrimage for 2023, please connect with MIA’s Heritage and Spirituality team who can assist in booking your programme. For questions or bookings email programmes@mercyinternational.ie or ring MIC at +353.1.661.8061.
Mercy International Centre
Advent Retreat at MIC in Dublin!
This three-day retreat will provide participants with space to step back from the day-to-day and focus on preparation for Christmas, the birth of new stirrings, and a deeper calling to connection. We will explore the Gospel messages of the Advent season and the journey of the Magi from searching to discovering. Residential: €385 Non-residential: €185.
Further Resources
Worth Watching
Laudato Si' Documentary: The Letter
Pope Francis wrote an “encyclical letter” called Laudato Si’. It encourages us to see how “everything is connected.” The way we treat the Earth, our common home, is a reflection of how we treat each other. Caring for each other means caring for the home we share. Watch the documentary and learn more about how you can take action.
Watch the Video
Worth Reading
Mercy Works: First Nations Focus
Mercy Works, a Mercy ministry in Australia, has produced a First Nations Report that profiles several inspirational indigenous partnership projects in which it is involved in Australia. Read more about Mercy’s empowerment of First Nations women and children in the edition linked below.
Read the Reflection
Worth Reading
St. Hildegard of Bingen: A Visionary
Sister Eloise Rosenblatt (Americas) offers a reflection on St. Hildegard of Bingen. Sr. Eloise reflects “What gifts Hildegard enjoyed cannot have been unique to her. They must reflect the vitality of a very creative, continuously self-educating religious community of women. She must have inspired a whole community as their animator.”
Read the Reflection
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
