This year’s Lenten observance was something of a watershed in my life.  Mercy International Association sent out an invitation entitled: ‘Soup and Substance: Let’s Live Lent!’  The title intrigued me.  ‘Sounds good,’ I said.  ‘I’ll be there.’

Was I duly informed about global poverty?  Was I inspired by the content of this Lenten luncheon effort?  Was I challenged to think and reflect beyond the confines of my own small country?  To all three questions, I most certainly strike a strong ‘yes’ note.

Prior to my attendance at Mercy International, my knowledge of world poverty was based on hearsay.  What I have seen on a big screen this Lent has opened my eyes to the prevalence and degradation of poverty world-wide.  Also, I have been inspired by the compassionate presence and engagement of Mercy sisters, in places of appalling living conditions, throughout the world.

Messages to Miriam Thérèse O’ Loughlin rsm c/- Mary Kay Dobrovolny rsm Assistant Director - Heritage & Spirituality

Preparations are under way by Civil Society to look at ways we can motivate governments to commit to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Representatives of a variety of civil society organizations, secular and faith-based, met in New York recently to discuss a possible broad based coalition in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as we enter into a 10-year review. Deirdre Mullan rsm is part of this working group.

The Briefing Papers for April speak to the issue:
Briefing Paper 1: Possible Mechanism for Producing a Civil Society Shadow Report on MDG Progress
Briefing Paper 2: UNDP Countries Overview Financial and Technical Support (Feb 2010)

Messages to Deirdre Mullan rsm - Director MGC

Prayers through the intercession of Venerable Catherine McAuley are asked for: Margaret McManus, Ruan and Margaret and all those whose names are on our prayer list.

Messages to:
Anne Hannon rsm - Vice postulator Europe and Africa
Sheila Carney rsm - Vice postulator Americas
Mary Duffy rsm - Vice postulator Australia, New Zealand, Philippines

Sisters of Mercy have been present in Romania since 1990 when Mary Rose Christy rsm (member of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of the Americas) was moved by a television programme that revealed the horrors experienced by children in orphanages there.  She relocated to Romania and worked in an orphanage for four years. 

During her time ministering in an orphanage, Mary Rose discovered that many of the children had parents who were still alive.  She then established an association to help at-risk families keep their children.  This association is Romanian-American Association for the Promotion of Health, Education and Human Services (ARAPAMESU) and it provides a variety of programmes to address poverty.  Less than 2% of the children served through this association end up in orphanages. 

In 2005, Mary Rose received an award for her work in Romania, and the San Francisco Chronicle featured an article on her.  In more recent years Mary Rose has returned to the United States because of health reasons.

Messages to Mary Kay Dobrovolny rsm - Assistant Director Heritage & Spirituality

Editor: The Lawside Romania Fund is this week's featured Mercy website

With deep sadness, the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland mourn the sudden death of Sister Kathrine Bellamy on March 23, 2010.  Sister Kathrine’s legacy is a rich and deep one.  We are grateful for her gift of music composed and played and taught, for her leadership within the community at large and within our Congregation, for her love of history, for her commitment to interdenominational action for justice, for her passionate love for our Congregation and, perhaps above all, for her ministry with poor people. 

Kathrine was linked with Mercy globally through her many contacts with sister archivists as she composed the history of Mercy in Newfoundland in her book, Weavers of the Tapestry.  She presented our story at Trocaire in Dublin in 1981 and the story of our founder, Sister Francis Creedon, at an international archivists’ meeting in Dublin in 2003.

Messages to the Sisters of Mercy Newfoundland c/- Madonna Gatherall rsm

Last week, two young women, Merilyn and Doreen, from the East Sepik Province braved the perils and uncertainties of travel in PNG to come to the Highlands in Goroka to commence their two year novitiate stage of training as a Sister of Mercy.  They were accompanied by Sister Margaret Roni with whom they had lived over the past twelve months as Enquirers in Kunjingini.   For both young women this was their first trip outside their home province and a flight from Wewak to Madang by plane was a new and exciting experience for them.

Messages to Pat Wood rsm

1869: Independence Iowa founded from Davenport - M Francis Monholland
1883: Death of M Vincent Haire Foundress of Brooklyn
1978: Inauguration of Aged Care Services by Perth Congregation

A Prayer Service for Sisters and Associates on the theme 'Two Men in Dazzling Garments appeared to Them' [ Mary Magdalen, Joanna and Mary Mother of James] Lk 24:4b has been provided by Kathleen Murphy rsm.

The Prayer Service can be accessed from the homepage of the mercyworld.org website and is linked here.

Messages to Kathleen Murphy rsm

The Lawside Romania Fund is managed by the Sisters at the Convent of Mercy, Dundee, Scotland who consider the work they do a 'privilege'.

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