“Human rights of trafficked persons are often not the primary consideration in the pursuit of effective criminal justice responses to trafficking,” Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children said, presenting her report to the Human Rights Council recently.

She urged States to prosecute trafficking and related acts using a human rights-based perspective. In order to effectively combat and prevent trafficking in persons, it is essential to criminalize the conduct of trafficking and related acts through “clear, enforceable and comprehensive” legislation, while ensuring effective protection of the victim.."

The Report of the Special Rapporteur is linked to this item. To access the news summary, click here.

Messages to: Aine o'Connor rsm - MGA Co-ordinator at the UN

Together with our Mercy Sisters, Associates and Colleagues in the United States, we mourn the violence and tragedy in Aurora, Colorado and in Oak Creek, Milwaukee, and join in prayer for the victims, their families and friends, and for the troubled perpetrators.

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

With Catherine McAuley's vision as our shared inheritance, MIA is called at this time to promote the vision in ways that are creative, life-giving, appropriate to the times and sufficiently compelling to claim Catherine as a canonised saint. Read complete article here.

Prayers through the intercession of Venerable Catherine McAuley are requested for the intentions of all those on the prayer list and, in particular for Susan Sullivan  whose name is newly added to the 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

Editor: In a marvellous article written in Irish and English (for those of us who can't read Irish), Baptist Leen rsm reports on the celebrations held to mark 85 years of Coláiste Ide Boarding School for Girls. Baptist tells how the speakers at that event traced the history of the establishment of the college, the work of the Sisters of Mercy in nurturing its growth until handing it over in 1996,  and how ' “Cháirde Choláiste Ide” took up the baton and have admirably kept up the tradition, the Gaeilge and the Mercy ethos go beo bríomhar (alive and well) in this stronghold of the west, bail ó Dhia orthu! (God bless them)....'

Messages to: Baptist Leen rsm

On the 23rd June, Sr Noreen led a memorable day at St Mary's Convent, Handsworth for the Associates, on Catherine and the Eucharist.

This was one of the 7 Mercy Associate Regional Retreat Days arranged around the country. The theme of the days was “Catherine and the Eucharist”. We choose this theme because of the 50th Eucharistic Congress.

The text of the talk can be accessed here.

Messages to: Cathy Edge rsm - Institute Web & IT Co-ordinator

They came from all corners of Savannah to pay tribute to a woman who dedicated her life to St. Vincent’s Academy — packing the Saints’ gymnasium Tuesday night to play an alumnae basketball game in honor of Sister Pat Coward, who is leaving the school for another job after 29 years.

The longtime coach, teacher, athletics director and assistant principal has taken a job with the Sisters of Mercy in North Carolina and will leave SVA in August.

Messages to: Pat Coward rsm

Editor: St. Vincent’s Academy is this week's featured Mercy website

On July, 28, Sisters of Mercy and Mercy associates from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, participated in a prayer service followed by a rally at the close of a three-day summit “Stop the Frack Attack.” This was the first national protest to stop dirty and dangerous fracking. Sister Deborah Troillett (Institute Leadership Team), one of the speakers at the prayer service, invited participants to join in praying the Ecological Our Father (see page 4 of attached pdf).

Messages to: Institute Justice Team
 

The Institute Justice Team (IJT), Mercy Investment Services and Mercy Global Action at the United Nations (MGA.) joined in an intervention to halt the recent violence in Peru related to a proposed gold and copper mine. The IJT participated in a meeting with Peruvian Ambassador Harold Forsyth to express concerns over confrontations between mine protesters and police that resulted in five deaths. Many more people were injured. The group’s agenda included a demand to end the violence and an investigation into the intimidation of mine opponents.

Further information is linked to this item.

Messages to: Marianne Comfort rsm

The Sisters of Mercy, Parramatta, Australia in their Tenth General Chapter (2010) said:

We wish to respond mercifully
to our suffering earth and its most marginalised peoples,
particularly Aboriginal and Torres -Strait Islander peoples, asylum seekers and refugees

As a response to this statement, the Sisters of Mercy, Parramatta were concerned that we would have a voice on Justice Issues facing our country and the world. Recently a submission was sent to an expert panel that was set up by our Prime Minister re the impasse on Australia's policy asylum seekers and refugees.

To read the submission, click here

Messages to: Marie Butcher rsm
 

‘Within the universe, our planet Earth, with all its wonder, beauty and fragility, is a meeting-place of the divine and the human. We are called to walk this path of chaos and order with open minds and confident hearts, if we want to reach something new.’ From the reflection.

This month's issue of "Imaging Mercy Today" highlights a theological reflection series which depths our evolutionary journey..."to have restored to us our cosmic origins is a gift beyond measure." (Thomas Berry)

Messages to: Katrina Fabish rsm - Congregation Leadership Team

On Pentecost Sunday, May 27th Galilee Community was joined by a large gathering to give thanks and celebrate ten years in ministry. The occasion was blessed with glorious sunshine and all who came had the rare experience of having to take shelter from the sun’s rays. It proved to be a time of sharing faith, food, fun, and sun, the perfect mix for a most enjoyable day.

Messages to: Sisters of Mercy Galilee Community

"As the biblical wisdom writers say ‘there is a time for everything’, and now seems to be my time for returning to Catherine McAuley," writes Jo O'Donovan rsm.

She continues, " Busy with teaching responsibilities, and in an eager desire to be modern, I was loathe to immerse myself in nineteenth century theology-spirituality, wondering what I would learn? But now that I have more time, reading Mary C. Sullivan’s The Path of Mercy: The Life of Catherine McAuley (Dublin:Four Courts Press, 2012) helped me to realise that the core of Christian faith transcends the passages of time and classifications.

In the lives of great servants of God, such as Catherine, we touch once again aspects of that core, and that is why the Church considers people like her venerable and even saints, and recommends them to us as exemplars of what it means to be Christian..."

Messages to: Jo O’Donovan rsm

Special training helps chaplains reach beyond hospital walls

CENTRAL, U.S. – The grief of losing a loved one, anxiety after receiving a frightening medical diagnosis, worry over caring for an aging parent – these aren’t necessarily medical problems but they are certainly spiritual ones. Now Mercy patients have an additional place to turn when they need spiritual care alongside physical care. It’s called e-chaplaincy, and it allows patients and their families to reach out to chaplains for prayer and support via email.

“For someone who is up at 3 a.m. worrying or unable to break away from work to schedule an appointment, e-chaplaincy allows them to reach out at their convenience,” said Julie Jones, executive director of mission and ministry at Mercy. “We want to make sure our patients have spiritual support at all times.” ...

Messages to: Sonya Kullman - Mercy Springfield Communities

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is holding its national assembly this week (August 7 to August 11 ) in St. Louis, Missouri. Please continue to hold the staff, leadership and members of LCWR in prayer.

The prayer  for LCWR can be found here.
 
Messages to: LCWR

1837: Catherine's niece, M Anne Agnes McAuley died, Baggot St
1877: Foundation to Dalby, Queensland from Brisbane - M Rose Flanagan
1892: Opening of Mercy Hospital, Clinton; House opened at Wynnum, Queensland - M Wilfred Trotman

The handcrafted embroidered bags and cushion covers are made of 100 % black calico cotton, which is strong and serviceable. They are made by unemployed illiterate adult women in Winterveldt, South Africa. Purchase of the bags and cushion covers will help the women to buy the materials to continue the project, which has won a prestigious award in South Africa.

Details of how to order these beautiful pieces are linked to this item

St Vincent's Academy is the oldest continuously operating Mercy school in the United States.

For one hundred sixty six years Saint Vincent’s Academy has endowed the corner of Abercorn and Liberty Streets in Savannah, Georgia. During these years the Sisters of Mercy have educated thousands of Savannah’s young women in the finest tradition of a Catholic educational institution.

The history of the world in pictures and sound - told in two minutes! A remarkable reflection that makes one pause, think, remember...and question.