There is an old tradition that originated with the Iroquois Indians (who lived in what is now New York State along the St. Lawrence River) called the Great Law of the Iroquois. It holds that it is appropriate to think seven generations ahead (a couple hundred years into the future) and decide whether the decisions they make today would benefit their children seven generations into the future.

Well, believe it or not, we can now introduce you to some of the youngest members of the 7th generation of Catherine McAuley’s nephew Willie. 

Messages to Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director  

December Report 1:  Launch of Human Development Report at UN Headquarters Putting People First!
The first Human Development Report argued that measuring progress only in economic terms is factually and philosophically wrong.

December Report 2:  Human Development Report 2010
In 1990 UNDP published its first Human Development Report, with its newly devised Human Development Index. The premise of the HDI, considered radical at the time, was elegantly simple: national development should be measured not simply by national income, as had long been the practice, but also by life expectancy and literacy.

Remembering World AIDS Day - December 1st

Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2010 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.
According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.3 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2009 some 2.6 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 1.8 million people died from AIDS.
The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.  

Messages to Deirdre Mullan rsm - Director MGC

Prayers through the intercession of Venerable Catherine are asked for the following persons:
Peter,  a 41/2 year old, Fr Martin, Patrick, Loni, John, Art and all those who have asked for our prayers.

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
 

To celebrate Foundation Day (December 12th) when Catherine McAuley, Anna Maria Doyle, and Elizabeth Harley made vows as Sisters of Mercy and thus established the Mercy congregation, Mercy International Association is hosting an afternoon of music, prayer, and meditation on icons, from 2pm - 5pm.

The event is free and open to the public.

Bookings to Madeleine O'Hanlon - Receptionist MIA
 

MIA is currently recruiting for two positions:

1. Assistant Director Global Action
2. Mercy International Centre Volunteer

Eligible persons, both lay and religious, are welcome to apply.

Messages to Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA
 

An invitation is extended to all members of the Mercy network - Sisters, Associates, Colleagues, Family and Friends - to post Christmas Greetings on the mercyworld.org website, a practice now in its ninth year.

Christmas Greetings can be posted directly onto the new Mercy site up to and including on Christmas Day. Many Sisters, Associates and Friends have already posted greetings. You can read these simply by clicking on the leaves on the Mercy tree.

To post your greeting, click here and follow the prompts.

Messages to Communications

In fall of 2007, Mercy Medical Center received the largest philanthropic gift in the hospital’s history to construct a new, $400+ million, 20-story hospital. Three years later, construction of that hospital—The Mary Catherine Bunting Center—is nearly complete and will officially open its doors on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010.

Featuring spacious, private rooms for all patients; a 2-story atrium lobby, and state-of-the-art operating rooms with advanced technology, including robotics, the Mary Catherine Bunting Center is also a testament to Mercy’s commitment to the environment and to finding ways to enhance patient recovery

Messages to Kevin Parks - Mercy Medical Center Marketing and Media Relations

Editor: The Mary Catherine Bunting Center is this week's featured Mercy website

 Nine members of our Mercy family travelled to El Salvador Nov. 29-Dec. 6 as part of a 50-person delegation commemorating the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of four U.S. churchwomen who were working with those who are poor and oppressed in that Central American country.

Messages to Pat Kenny rsm - Institute Communications

In 1959, Sisters of Mercy from Providence Rhode Island (USA) and Belize (Central America) established the first foundation in Honduras, located in La Ceiba.

Today there are six Sisters of Mercy who live and minister in Honduras, all of whom belong to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, CCASA Community (Caribbean, Central American and South American Community).

Their sponsored ministries include Casa Corazón de la Misericordia (a home for children with HIV/AIDS), Instituto Maria Regina (a secondary school), and Misericordia Tejedoras de Suenos (a women’s development initiative). In addition to ministry through these organizations, the Sisters of Mercy in Honduras minister in a parish setting as catechists in the mountains above Puerto Cortes.

Messages to Mary Kay Dobrovolny rsm - Heritage

Sisters of Mercy from three different Mercy families have been involved in ministry in Sudan since 1993.

The first to move to this war-torn country was Maureen Limer rsm from the Federation of Sisters of Mercy Great Britain (Sunderland Congregation). For three years from 2005 through 2007, she was joined by Cathy Solano rsm from the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia (Melbourne Congregation). In 2009, Kathleen Connolly rsm, a member of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas (West Midwest Community), arrived in Sudan.

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

1869: Foundation to Davenport, Iowa from De Witt - M Borromeo Johnson
1894: Death of M Agnes Graham, Foundress of Ballarat/Colac, Victoria

'In the calm of the cave a new Light shone upon the earth. The Word became flesh and Glory shone across the world giving new hope to all God’s people'.

 Prayer Service for Christmas 2010

Editor: We invite you to contribute your prayer services, powerpoint reflections, liturgies, poems and scripture reflections for other Mercy groups to use in other parts of the world  to celebrate Christmas. Once received these will be accessible from the Home Page of the mercyworld.org website. We warmly encourage new contributors as there is such a demand for these prayer resources. Contributions to Mercy News

The Mary Catherine Bunting Center - a striking addition to the Baltimore skyline, an eco-friendly as well as patient-friendly facility, a technologically-savvy center of healing, and, most of all, a testament to the dedication of the Sisters of Mercy to the people of Baltimore.

A review of compact digital cameras from inexpensive through to more advanced.