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Celebrating Mother Earth Day: April 22
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The United Nations has designated April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day to recognize the importance of the Earth and its ecosystems as our common home that we must work together to protect.
Vision in Action
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Mercy International Centre
Spiritual Directors Retreat in Dublin this July
Mercy International Centre
Spiritual Directors Retreat in Dublin this July
Are you a Spiritual Director or Chaplain in need of a retreat?
Join the Spiritual Directors Retreat at Baggot Street from Sunday, 23 July through Friday, 28 July. Facilitated by Carole Carmody, rsm, this five-day retreat will provide sessions for spiritual directors to explore more deeply what it means to listen for the movement of God in everyday life. There will be intentional time for renewal to address the weight carried in spiritual accompaniment and training to explore new possibilities.
Residential: €575 (Accommodation & Meals Provided)
Non-Residential: €290 (Lunch Provided)
For further information, please email the Heritage and Spirituality team at programmes@mercyinternational.ie.
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Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Earth
Prayer
MIA Prayer Intention: Earth
Mercy International celebrates and prays in the spirit of Earth Week. On 22 April we celebrate Mother Earth Day and our connectedness to the earth and her resources. May we each be called to strengthen our relationship with Earth and find new ways of protecting and advocating for our planet.
Together, we pray…
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
Prayer: Pope Francis, Laudato Sí.
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
April 19, 1844: Foundation to Kinsale from Limerick - M Francis Bridgeman
1885: Sisters begin ministry in Ennis workhouse
1927: St Patrick's Cathedral Secondary School Aotearoa New Zealand was opened and blessed.
Contribute a fact from your Mercy congregation, institute, or federation, to our online archive.
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Mercy International Centre
Recording of Mass Available
To mark the occasion of Catherine McAuley being declared Venerable on 9 April 1990, a mass was celebrated in Baggot Street Chapel. The recording of the mass can be viewed at the link below. MIC is grateful to all who attended both in-person and via live stream. It was wonderful to celebrate Venerable Catherine McAuley with all in our Mercy world!
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Mercy International Centre
New Catherine McAuley Bronze Statue
A new Catherine McAuley bronze life-size sculpture has been completed with research assistance from the Mercy International Team. The artist, Julie Squires, has shared images of the bronze form at the entrance to Catherine McAuley College in Medowie, NSW (Australia). She writes “The sculpture has been a huge success in terms of its appeal for the students and the community, with the youthful Catherine being very relatable for the students.” Thank you, Julie, for bringing Catherine to life in a new way for Mercy students and all who pass by the statue!
Further Resources
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Worth Watching
Pope Video: For a non-violent culture
The Pope Video for April encourages each of us to resolve to strongly support non-violence. As the Pope says, “Living, speaking, and acting without violence is not surrendering, losing or giving up anything, but aspiring to everything.” This year marks the 60th anniversary of St. John XXIII's Encyclical Pacem in Terris, and Francis brings the message of this encyclical back to the forefront by reminding us that “Any war, any armed confrontation, always ends in defeat for all.” The Pope requests: “Let us make non-violence a guide for our actions, both in daily life and in international relations”.
View the Pope Video)
Worth Reading
Mercy Investment Services: Fund helps women access clean water solutions
“Globally, research has shown that women spend a collective 200 million hours gathering water each day and 266 million hours daily traveling to or looking for a safe place to use the bathroom. Through an innovative program of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Mercy Partnership Fund has supported WaterEquity’s Global Access Fund, which provides loans to high-performing financial institutions for the exclusive purpose of supplying microloans to millions of people who need access to water and sanitation.”
Read the Full Article){kind=logo}
Worth Knowing
2023 Season of Creation Theme and Symbol
The theme for 2023’s Season of Creation is Let Justice and Peace Flow! The symbol for this year will be a mighty river. The one-pager states in-part: “As an ecumenical family, we can engage in these actions and contribute to ensure that the web of life is preserved and cared for. Through prayer, practical advocacy and sustainable actions, this 2023 Season of Creation can prophetically renew our ecumenical unity and care for our common home. May we journey together in communion as the people of God to let justice and peace flow!”
Read the One-Pager)
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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