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Journey with us this Advent Through the Lens of Mercy
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Advent is the four-week season before Christmas during which we make preparations for the coming of Christ. The word Advent itself comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”. The season of Advent is a time of waiting, listening, transformation and hope.
Advent begins this year on Sunday the 30th of November. During the four weeks of Advent, we will be sharing a weekly reflection series on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
Our first reflection is available now on the theme of waiting in Hope.
Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM, Outgoing Head of Mercy Global Action
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Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Sr Angela Reed RSM departs Mercy Global Action
Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Sr Angela Reed RSM departs Mercy Global Action
Sr Angela Reed RSM, Head of Mercy Global Action (MGA) - the justice arm of Mercy International Association (MIA), will be leaving her post at the end of this month.
Angela has been Head of Mercy Global Action for almost 10 years.
We are taking over the space that we would usually devote to MGA in Mercy eNews to do justice to the incredible legacy that Angela leaves us with.
In this section you can read a tribute from our CEO Mary O'Donovan and a commendation for Angela from Sr Sheila Carney RSM, Chair of the Board of MIA.
Elsewhere in this section you can read an interview that Angela did with us over the Summer while she was with us in Baggot Street.
You can also read some appreciation posts from Angela's colleagues in MGA and from some of the Graduated Fellows from the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship Programme.
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Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Interview with Sr Angela Reed as she departs Mercy Global Action
Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Interview with Sr Angela Reed as she departs Mercy Global Action
When Sr Angela Reed RSM was a child, she dreamed of being a teacher. It was something that she imagined doing for the rest of her life. She never anticipated that her life would instead be about accompanying women and children impacted by domestic violence, homelessness and human trafficking and being an international advocate on their behalf.
Angela never saw herself as having a vocation to religious Life but an encounter with a Mercy Sister when she was 16 changed the pathway of her life.
Read more in our interview with Angela which was recorded as she announced her departure from MGA. Speaking about her time with us she said, "I have been absolutely privileged to hold this role and to have met so many good people doing such amazing work - both on the ground at the grassroots level but also at the Advocacy level. I have had some opportunities to really engage with people who are really really making an effort to change systems. It’s been quite an amazing journey."
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Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Mercy Global Action team pays tribute to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Mercy Global Action team pays tribute to Sr Angela Reed RSM
We invited some of Sr Angela Reed's colleagues in Mercy Global Action to share their thoughts and their appreciation as Angela departs MGA at the end of this month.
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Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
MELF Fellows say thanks to Sr Angela Reed RSM
Farewell to Sr Angela Reed RSM
MELF Fellows say thanks to Sr Angela Reed RSM
We invited two of the graduated Fellows from the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship to share their reflections and their appreciation for Sr Angela Reed RSM as she departs from Mercy Global Action.
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
27 November 1893
Foundation to Des Moines, Iowa from Davenport - M Elizabeth Butler
28 November 1884
Foundation to Grafton, Australia from Bermondsey - Sr Stanislaus Simson.
30 November 2006
The inaugural Catherine McAuley Lecture is delivered by Dr Alice Sinnott rsm.
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Opening Doors - Youth
Save the Dates for our Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage 2026
We are delighted to be able to share the dates for our Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage to Dublin in 2026. We look forward to welcoming young people from Third-Level Colleges and Universities from across the Mercy World from Tuesday 28th to Friday 31st July 2026 (inclusive).
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Communications
Final Communications Café takes place for this year
The final Mercy Communications Café for 2025 took place on Zoom on 19th of November 2025 and focused on social media use in the Mercy World.
We invited some communications practitioners and experts from the Mercy World to share some of their tips on using social media to tell stories from the Mercy World and to engage people in their mission and ministry.
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Mercy Global Action
MGA's Cecilie Kern attends the Second World Social Summit in Doha, Qatar
MGA's Cecilie Kern attended the Second World Social Summit in Doha, Qatar from from the 4th to the 6th of November. Building on the legacy of Copenhagen’s landmark 1995 World Summit for Social Development, this event convened heads of state, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, academia, private-sector experts, and other stakeholders to renew global momentum for social development, justice, and inclusion in line with the 2030 Agenda.
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MIA
Essential Works begin at Baggot Street
The essential works have now begun at Catherine's House, 64a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. The House was closed to the public at the end of September and all of the staff have been offsite since the end of October. The keys were handed over to the construction company earlier this month so as the work could begin. We hope to be back in the House in July 2026. Keep an eye on the home page of our website for ongoing updates including a detailed FAQ on the work which will be available in early December.
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Heritage
Discover more about Mercy on our heritage portal
Preservica is our online heritage portal designed to provide access to a wealth of primary sources related to Catherine McAuley and the foundation of the Sisters of Mercy. This portal aims to inspire the Mercy World by showcasing a selection of digital images from MIA’s extensive archive. Why not have a browse of our content today?
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Pittsburgh Mercy President and CEO Jaime Dircksen Blessed and Commissioned
On 17th November the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy in collaboration with trustees from the Pittsburgh Mercy Board of Directors and members of the Pittsburgh Mercy Executive Leadership Team (ELT) welcomed Jaime Dircksen to her position as president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy with a special service that included a blessing with holy oil and laying on of hands.
Worth Reading)
Worth Reading
Rebirth of Mercy in Gort
The former, historic Convent of Mercy in the South Galway town of Gort is getting a new lease of life because this building has been selected for a substantial grant that will allow a whole new development to take root there.
Worth Reading)
Worth Watching
Leo from Chicago - the documentary
The Vatican Dicastery for Communication presents the documentary "Leo from Chicago," with interviews, footage, and images that trace the history and explore the roots of Robert Francis Prevost in his native United States, including in-depth interviews with Louis and John Prevost.
Worth Watching)
Worth Knowing
Celebrating 180 Years Since the Arrival of the First Sisters of Mercy in Australia
A Mass will be celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth on 8th January 2026 to mark 180 years since the arrival of the first Sisters of Mercy in Australia and to give thanks for the tens of thousands of women and men who have been inspired by by Catherine McAuley’s expression of Mercy in the years that have followed.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Knowing
Sister Ana María Pineda receives the Peter Hinde Peace Prize CRISPAZ 2025
Sister Ana María Pineda received the Peter Hinde CRISPAZ Peace Prize at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, on 15 October last. She was recognized for her lifetime dedication to serving the Latino community and for her ongoing efforts to preserve the memory and legacy of the Martyrs of El Salvador.
Worth Knowing)
Worth Reading
COP30 ends without agreement for phasing out fossil fuels
The halls of COP30 are empty, and as the final gavel fell, there was a sense that something essential had slipped away. What began with remarkable promise under Brazil’s presidency concluded instead with "disappointment, and, for many, the unsettling feeling of having watched the multilateral climate process take a step backwards".
Worth Reading)
Worth Watching
Remembering Catherine on the anniversary of her death
Catherine McAuley died on 11th November 1841. Mercy Associate Anne Reid led us in a moving reflection on Catherine's last days and hours. This was recorded in the room where Catherine died and at her grave.
Worth Watching)
Worth Reading
Dipping Into Hope: An Anchor in Stormy Waters
Inspired by his ministry in a Dublin city centre parish and his time spent overseas with people from different cultures and creeds, author Fr Alan Hilliard has written forty reflections rooted in an outlook of hope. Each reflection tells a succinct story using often recognisable situations taken from everyday life. Each of the forty reflections are accompanied by photos taken by the author.
Worth Reading)
Mercy eNews
The newsletter of Mercy International Association is published monthly and distributed to subscribers via email. If you have any queries about the newsletter, please contact mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie
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