Announcing Cohort 3 of the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship
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To mark International Women’s Day, Mercy International Association is thrilled to announce the ten women who will form the third cohort of the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) 2023-24.
The Mercy Fellowship, grounded in the three pillars of Justice, Leadership, and Mercy, uplifts women to become transformative feminist leaders who empower others, enable creativity, and facilitate mobilization around the collective goals of Mercy.
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Vision in Action
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Mercy International Association
CEO Transition: Farewell to Berneice Loch rsm
Mercy International Association
CEO Transition: Farewell to Berneice Loch rsm
Last week, Mercy International Association farewelled our fearless leader and CEO, Berneice Loch rsm. Berneice has carried the Mercy mission and ministry through the COVID-19 pandemic and paved a strong path for MIA to continue into the future. Berneice, words cannot express our gratitude! We wish you every blessing on your journey.
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Patricia O’Donavan rsm has transitioned into the role of CEO of Mercy International Association over the past six weeks. The staff and Board of Directors warmly welcomed Patricia who officially began her role on 1 March. Patricia, thank you for accepting the invitation to lead Mercy International! A welcome message from Patricia to the Mercy World will be offered in the next issue of Mercy eNews.
Photo: Sr. Sheila Carney presents Sr. Berneice Loch with a gift on behalf of the Board of Directors.
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: International Women's Day
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: International Women's Day
Mercy International celebrates and prayers in the spirit of International Women’s Day! We continue our Lenten Spirituality Reflection Series this week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with special reflections focused on women. View reflections from Paula Anamani rsm and Elizabeth Donahue. Brenda Peddigrew rsm’s reflection will be published this Friday.
Together, we pray…
May the God of Eve teach you to dance, May the God of Hagar bring you comfort in the desert,
May the God of Miriam bring companions to you when you struggle, May the God of Deborah teach you courage for your battles,
May the Christ who knew Mary and Martha show you the way of balance, May the Christ who healed the bent-over woman heal your pain,
May the Christ of Mary Magdala send you out to proclaim your story, In the name of Christ who is the memory and hope of the future.
Amen.
Prayer from Niluka Perera, Sri Lanka
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
March 8, 2019: The first Cohort of Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellows were announced from Mercy Global Action!
Contribute a fact from your Mercy congregation, institute, or federation, to our online archive.
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Mercy Ministry
Medical Center’s Blue Dot Human Trafficking Initiative
The United States Secretary of State presented the 2022 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons to two organizations this year including Mercy Medical Center’s Blue Dot Human Trafficking Initiative. The initiative was commended for “its innovative and holistic approach to the care and wellbeing of victims of human trafficking.” You can learn more about Mercy Medical Center’s program here.
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Mercy Global Action
Mercy Global Action: UN Parallel Event
You are warmly invited to our parallel event for the Commission on the Status of Women, "Digital Engagement as Key to Women's Empowerment and Feminist Leadership" which will be held in-person on the 11th Floor of the Church Center, and virtually on Zoom on Monday 13 March 2023, from 4:30-6:00 PM New York time (find your local time here). The event will feature participants in the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship.
Further Resources
Worth Watching
The Pope Video March: For Victims of Abuse
This month, Pope Francis requests prayers for victims of abuse. He says, “Asking for forgiveness is necessary, but not enough.” Pope Francis reflects on abuse, “especially to those committed by members of the Church” and asks that we pray with him for the victims. The Pope invites the Church itself to be “a model of concrete actions to repair the horrors they have suffered and to prevent them from happening again.”
Watch the Video)
Worth Reading
Mercy Law Resource Centre Releases New Report
Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) in Ireland released a new report Mental Health and Social Housing Supports. MLRC provides legal advice and representation to individuals and families facing housing difficulty. They write “In 2022, our solicitors responded to an average of 47 new requests for legal assistance each month, providing advocacy support, legal information, advice and full legal representation in public law cases…Through this work, we have observed barriers and obstacles faced by people with mental health difficulties in securing suitable social housing supports, and, where required, in accessing emergency homeless accommodation. The purpose of this report is to identify and examine those barriers and present practical recommendations for change.”
View the Full Report)
Worth Knowing
UN 2023 Water Conference: March 22-24
In 1977, world leaders, water experts and policymakers from around the world gathered in Mar del Plata, Argentina, for the UN Water Conference. Almost 50 years later, the global community will come together from 22 to 24 March in New York for the second ever UN 2023 Water Conference. “Water is a dealmaker for the Sustainable Development Goals, and for the health and prosperity of people and planet. But our progress on water related goals and targets remains alarmingly off track, jeopardizing the entire sustainable development agenda.”
Learn More about the UN Water Conference)
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