After several weeks of hard work on the part of a few NGOs who visited UN Missions, the UN General Assembly declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right.

I would like to thank all those who sent faxes and messages to your individual country missions. I know that the Mercy response was magnificent with many of our students and associates doing a major part to get this through the General Assembly. Indeed Catherine McAuley who declared that Water is Free Beverage, would have been proud of the Mercy response - See Water is Free Beverage, a small booklet produced by MGC in 2009, which outlines water abuses in relation to bottled water.

General Assembly declares access to clean water and sanitation is a human right – (28 July 2010)

Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights, the General Assembly declared today, voicing deep concern that almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water.

The 192-member Assembly also called on United Nations Member States and international organizations to offer funding, technology and other resources to help poorer countries scale up their efforts to provide clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for everyone.
The Assembly resolution received 122 votes in favour and zero votes against, while 41 countries abstained from voting.

Messages to Deirdre Mullan rsm - Director MGC

Mercy Day (Friday 24 September) will be celebrated with Mass at midday followed by dinner at Mercy International Centre.

Any Sisters of Mercy who would like to celebrate with us are welcome. Those visiting Ireland for any reason are particularly welcome.

Please contact us by 17th September.

Messages to Sylvia Williams rsm - Assistant Director Administration & Finance

This week we invite you to explore the second section of the new web platform The Centre. In this section, you can tour the centre, read about its history, check out the 2010 programmes still on offer and the programme calendar for 2011, see the conference and accommodation facilities, visit the gift shop, consider a donation and find all our contact information.

Messages to Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

On a day when the clouds threatened rain but Mullaghmore still looked its best, local people and invited guests assembled at Star of the Sea, Retreat & Conference Centre for the blessing and official opening of the Peace and Meditation Garden. Master of Ceremonies Mr Peter McHugh said 'Mullaghmore owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Sisters of Mercy who have been in our midst now for almost a century. They have been a praying presence among us and today they share with us another gift, this beautiful garden which they are making available to us, for peace, quiet prayer and meditation'.

Messages to Breege Donohoe rsm

Editor: Star of the Sea is this week's featured Mercy website

On the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (July 16, 2010), two lovely young women, Sr. M. Vianney Garcia and Sr. M. Grace Cuyos publicly professed their religious vows at the Our Lady of the Redeemer Parish, Tacloban City , Philippines. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Most Rev. Isabelo Abarquez, D.D., the bishop of Calbayog and concelebrated by religious and dicoesan clergy. The community sisters, family and relatives of the honorees graced the occasion. Both of them were grateful to God for their gift of vocation and asked the Our Lady of Mercy and Ven. Catherine McAuley to continue to intercede for all their intentions especially for the grace of perseverance in this chosen vocation.

Messages to Marian C. Ladrera rsm

This past week’s news has brought the tremendous tragedy of flooding in Pakistan and India to the attention of the world, and, as Mary Reynolds rsm points out in the lead article of this newsletter, climate change due to the impact of humans on the environment is a significant contributing factor. In another part of the world—the small South American country of Bolivia—many people are suffering from drought, which is another manifestation of climate change.

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

Editor’s Note: Last week in the article on Mercy ministry in India, the “More” button was inadvertently omitted. Access the full article here.

1822: Catherine's cousin, Anne Conway Byrn died leaving four children in Catherine's care

1890: Sisters return to Buenos Aires from South Australia - M Baptist MacDonnell

... For humanity to enjoy its full dignity, an adequate supply of clean water is indispensable. Although the earth is abundant in water, only 2.5% of the waters on our planet are fresh water, and most of this is locked up in ice and snow. While global population is growing and the consumption of water doubling every twenty years, continental rainfall is holding steady. This means that water will continue to get scarcer, a cause for major global concern...

Star of the Sea retreat and Conference Centre, Mullaghmore, Co Sligo Ireland is a centre for retreats, conferences and holidays.

This section of the website incorporates a Virtual Tour of Mercy International Centre which has been created in Flash. The virtual tour is a combination of visuals and music. Throughout the Mercyworld.org website a speaker icon is used to indicate when you should turn on your speakers to hear audio or music.

While the four video clips that comprise the Virtual Tour commence playing automatically, they can be controlled by the user. Clicking on the parallel bars (II) at the beginning of the track under the video clip will pause the video. You can fast forward or rewind the video by clicking and dragging on the playbar.