A special E-news bulletin will be sent out on Mercy Day (Monday, 24 September) with the regular Mercy E-newsletter being distributed on Wednesday 26, September.

We welcome stories and images from your Mercy Day celebrations to include in the Wednesday 26 September Mercy E-news (Issue 484) or in the following week's on Wednesday, 3 October (Issue 485).

We particularly look forward  to receiving reports of any Good Cup of Tea events celebrated on Mercy Day.

Messages to: the Editor

Celebrate the 185th Anniversary of the Opening of the First House of Mercy (MIA)

You are invited to the celebration of the Eucharist at midday, followed by lunch, at Mercy International Centre, 64A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2.

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

RSVP please by 20th September by phone +353 (0)1 6618061 or email

Messages to: Madeleine O'Hanlon - Receptionist MIC

This week's reflections have been prepared for us by John Reynolds (Brisbane Congregation) and Priscilla Kohlhase rsm (Aotearoa New Zealand).

As you read each of their reflections, you are invited to consider and to share:

How has your own Mercy story expanded and changed over time?
Who is Catherine for you, today?

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

"The formal acknowledgement by the church of Catherine’s holiness won’t, I dare say, or I hope, change how we who know her and love her will regard or relate to her. She who shied away from being called Mother Superior and from being deferred to as foundress would certainly not want her proclaimed sainthood to alter our relationship to her. But being raised to sainthood would give her a higher profile, we might say, would make her known and available universally in a way that she is not now. And so, when I was asked to accept the appointment as vice postulator, I did so because I believed that the work of seeking Catherine’s canonization is worthwhile work taken up to benefit the members of the Church universal." Sheila Carney rsm, Vice postulator Americas. Read the complete article here.

Prayers through the intercession of Venerable Catherine are requested for the intentions of: Nicholas, Yvonne Eden, Pauline Clayton and all those who have asked us for 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

Editor: A reminder that a prayer resource suitable for use on Mercy Day, created by Annette McCartan rsm (GB Union), member of the International Canonisation Cause Committee is available for use. Download the Prayer Service here (pdf).

The Mercy Day Greetings already received have now been posted online and are linked to this item.

All members and friends of the Mercy network are welcome to publish Mercy Day greetings on the mercyworld.org website. Greetings - text only- should be sent to mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie by September 21st to make sure they are published in time for Mercy Day.

Se invita a todos los miembros y amigos de la red de la Misericordia a publicar saludos del Dia De La Misericordia en la pagina Web. Saludos - en formato de texto solamente - deben ser enviados a mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie de aqui al de septiembre para cerciorarse de que sean publicados a tiempo para el Dia De La Misericordia.

Messages to: the Editor

MIA joins all people of good will in praying for dialogue and reconciliation in those parts of our world where there is sectarian tension, conflict, or continuing violence.

Mercy Global Action and Presentation Justice Network co-organised a meeting at McAuley Centre Baggot Street on 28th August, 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to report back on the Rio + 20 Conference and to plan for continued action on the issues arising. More than 30 people attended, representing many religious Congregations in Ireland, Sisters of Mercy, Presentation Sisters, Trocaire, Irish Sisters of Charity, Columban Missionaries, CORI, Spiritans, Daughter of Wisdom and Edmund Rice Foundation.

A full report is linked to this item

Messages to: Mary Purcell - Assistant Director Mercy Global Action

..In an effort to curb bullying, Mercy and HealthTeacher – an online curriculum resource – are launching the first-ever interactive, pro-social mobile game. Awesome Upstander! is designed for elementary-aged children. It encourages them to race through a school cafeteria and bathroom to help rescue a target from a bully. Along the way, players must collect enough friends to stand up to the bully together...

“We see children who used to enjoy school come to dread it,” said Dr. Fred de Miranda, Mercy Clinic pediatrician. “It can affect their grades and make them stop taking part in activities they once enjoyed.”

Messages to: Laura Keep - Mercy Media Contact

Editor: Awesome Upstander! is this week's featured Mercy site

Te Kete Atawhai is a newsletter produced three times a year by the mission staff of Tiaki Manatu Mercy Ministries Trust, for Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand.

Features in this 7 page issue of Te Kete Atawhai include the following:
Young Mercy adults – a dream come true
At a celebration to mark Mercy Day this year, a group of Young Mercy Adults will be commissioned as members of this newly formed group. The young women, between 18 and 20, are either doing tertiary studies or in their final
year at McAuley High School in Otahuhu.

Forum has Mercy folk brainstorming for the future
What will Mercy’s ministries look like in 2025? That was the question which set the background for  a forum last May, held at St Mary’s Convent in Ponsonby for almost 60 directors and managers currently involved in the ministries of the Sisters of Mercy throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.

White-water champions, carrying Mercy into the future
That was the message from Congregation Leader, Anne Campbell rsm, in her reflection at the Mercy Forum.

Messages to: Katrina Fabish - Communications Contact, Congregation Leadership Team

At the beginning of August  Helen Nolen rsm rang me from East Timor to say that there was a ship- HMAS Warramunga- coming from Perth, Western Australia to Dili, East Timor and the ship’s Captain was prepared to take any materials free of charge to Dili. Helen’s request to me was - could I find any desks and chairs for the three Kindergartens in a place called Maliana (where Helen has moved since I was in East Timor last year.) The kindergartens had no furniture.

The only problem with Helen’s request was that it was school holiday time when she spoke to me. So when school resumed for Third Term I had exactly ten days to try to fulfil her request!

To read the report of this wonderful combined Mercy effort, click here

Messages to: Breda O'Reilly rsm
 

The 31st annual Mercy Secondary Education Conference will be co-hosted by McAuley High School and Mother of Mercy High School in Cincinnati, Ohio and held October 5-6, 2012.

The theme of the conference is "Compassion and Service, Inspiring Servant Leadership in the Queen City".

As a service to the conference, the brochure for the conference with the program and hotel information can be accessed here and it is posted on the Network website.

Messages to: Corinne Raven rsm - Network for Mercy Education

In this article Sheila O'Gorman rsm reports on the active involvement of many Sisters of Mercy in organisations and activities that are addressing the issue of sex trafficking. These include contributing to the submissions by APT (Act to Prevent Trafficking), the Turn Off the Red Light Campaign, Ruhama, as well as to the Joint Oireachtas (national parliament) Committee on the upcoming review of legislation on prostitution.

Messages to: Sheila O'Gorman rsm

Editor: The September issue of Stop Trafficking of which the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are one of the co-sponsors, can be accessed here

The latest September newsletter from ACRATH can be accessed here

1855: Foundation to Brooklyn, New York from New York - M Vincent Haire
1954: Foundation to Gurteen, Co Sligo from Swinford, Co Mayo
1961: Foundation to Carmichael, California from Tralee, Co Kerry
1983: Opening of Aiseiri Alcoholic Treatment Centre, Cahir - Eileen Fahey rsm
1988: Catherine House for homeless women, Adelaide, South Australia - Anne Gregory rsm

The Network for Mercy Education offers the prayer linked to this item (pdf) as a common prayer that might be said in Mercy schools and by all who share in the ministry of Mercy secondary and elementary education. The Network wishes all a very blessed Mercy Day and gives thanks for all the celebrations and remembrances for this special day.

Filled with challenges, levels, hidden objects and fun sound effects, Awesome Upstander! is designed to engage children just like other popular interactive games while promoting social good. The adventure introduces the concept of “upstanders” – people who safely and positively intervene in a bully situation – through a fun and entertaining play experience. Studies suggest it only takes the support of three bystanders to change the dynamic in a bully situation

How to unfriend someone and other Facebook tips.

Source: Tecca Weekly