Today is Election Day in the United States when a president will be elected whose choices and decisions will impact the world.

MIA joins with our Sisters, Associates, Co-workers, Colleagues and Partners in Ministry in the United States in praying for the new president the blessing so beautifully crafted by the late John O'Donohue:
 "May the gift of leadership awaken in you as a vocation,
Keep you mindful of the providence that calls you to serve..."

Source: 'A blessing for One who Holds Power' in Benedictus: A Book of Blessings, John O'Donohue, Bantam Press 2007.

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

Editor: In the words of Marianne Comfort, Institute Justice Team, 'The Sisters of Mercy certainly haven’t been sitting on the sidelines during this election season.They have been educating others about how faith shapes our role as citizens, exploring “hot-button issues” among voters, registering people to vote and speaking out for policies that support persons who are poor...'  To read the article, click here

Sunday, 11th November marks the mid feast of the Season of Mercy. For many of us it is THE day to celebrate the Cup of Tea, recalling Catherine’s wish that the Sisters would have a good cup of tea when she was gone. Sharing a cup of tea provides the opportunity to tell stories, recall memories and awaken in ourselves a deeper awareness of what Mercy means in our lives.

Why not visit www.mercyworld.org and click on the icon Good Cup of Tea to access information and resources for celebrating the event.

MIA greatly appreciates the fundraising that many groups organise in conjunction with the event. Last year, these efforts raised €90,000. With your help, we hope to make it €100,000 this year.

The funds this year are particularly focussed on the work MIA engages in opposing human trafficking, a work that continues Catherine’s ministry of supporting vulnerable women and women at risk. For further details on this work, click here

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

God of all nations and peoples, holy ones of every age have given you the offering of their lives. We, too, long to live in the way of holiness and justice. Join our love with theirs, as we place our prayers before you. Source: Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy, p.832

Prayers with the intercession of Venerable Catherine are requested for the intentions of: John Snowden 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
Caroline Ryan rsm - vice postulator Australia, New Zealand, Philippines

At its annual retreat in October, Mercy Education Project Board President Dave Parr unveiled a plaque for a new Theresa Blaquiere rsm Merit Award. The award will be presented each year to a student in the women’s program who has demonstrated the ability to overcome adversity and make a contribution to the community.

Sister Theresa, who recently completed her term as Board President and Chair, was scheduled to attend the meeting but died unexpectedly on October 5th.

Messages to:Maureen Mulcrone rsm - Director, Development & Marketing

Mercy Medical Center Baltimore has received the Women’s Choice Award from WomenCertified® distinguishing it as one of the 2012 America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience...

“The Women’s Choice Award is based on criteria that examine female patient satisfaction, what women say they want from a hospital. This includes quality communication with doctors, how well nurses and support staff respond to patient needs, cleanliness, etc. This award reflects the long tradition of the Sisters of Mercy and the efforts of everyone at Mercy Medical Center to best serve our patients,” said Thomas R. Mullen, President and CEO of Mercy Medical Center...

“From Mercy’s recognition by U.S. News & World Report as a top hospital, to our Nurse Magnet Designation, to being named One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, and now, the 2012 Women’s Choice Award, this has been an outstanding year of success and achievement for Mercy,” Mr. Mullen said...

Messages to:

Twelve mission officers at colleges and universities within the Conference for Mercy Higher Education (CMHE) met for a four-day retreat on October 14-17, 2012 at the Cranaleith Retreat Center in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The officers discussed their vision for their roles on their respective campuses and within the Conference in years to come. Guided by facilitator Mary Trainer rsm Center Director, the group used images to describe the evolution of their roles and then developed a list of essentials for the sustainability of the role in Mercy higher education.

A list of the attendees can be accessed here (pdf)

Messages to: Moya Dittmeier - Executive Director, CMHE

The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy is a good time to celebrate special Mercy occasions, and this year we celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Sr Immaculata Devine and McAuley House’s 105 years of Mercy education. On Saturday 22 September, the Sisters gathered at Iona Convent, Pretoria, for the first of the celebrations – Sr Immaculata’s sixty years of religious life. Immaculata’s two grandnephews were guests of honour, having made the journey from Limavady, County Derry, to represent the Devine family...

The second special occasion was on Tuesday 25 September, when a eucharistic celebration was offered to give thanks for McAuley House’s 105 years of dedicated education. In 1907, Bishop Millard requested the Sisters of Mercy in Mafeking to make a foundation in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. The Sisters opened a school next to Holy Trinity Church and across the road from the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1964, it was decided to move the school to larger premises a few kilometres down the road. So Braamfontein Convent became McAuley House, now situated in Parktown West...

Messages to: Colleen Wilkinson rsm

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—It cruised up and down roadways all over the Ozarks for 11 years, bringing health screenings like mammograms directly to patients who needed them. After logging 146,000 miles, though, Mercy needed to replace the original Wellness on Tour Mobile Health Bus. With the new bus now carrying out the mission, it’s time for the old bus to get its next assignment...

Project H.O.P.E. plans to drive the bus to the coast and load it on to a ship that will take it to Nicaragua. It goes out equipped with a mammography unit and exam tables. “The mobile clinic will provide Project H.O.P.E. the ability to care for the poor in rural areas of Nicaragua who would not normally receive it due to lack of resources,” explained Kim Bradley, president of Project H.O.P.E. “Although we’ve been providing care for a number of years, it is limited as the makeshift clinics are not conducive to medical procedures. The mobile unit will provide doctors a sanitary environment in which more in-depth procedures can be performed.”...

Messages to: Sonya Kullman - Media Contact Mercy Springfield

'November is here again! ‘The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ is moving towards winter and the evenings are long and dark', writes Camilla Hunt rsm in her reflection, "Season of Remembrance", linked here, which is accompanied by the lovely track "Goodbye My Friend", composed and sung by Jan Novotaka.

We are reminded of our global reality in our different experiences of the earth's seasons. While these depend upon where we live and minister,  our celebrations are always shared.

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

1841: Death of Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
1928: St Catherine's Orphanage transferred from Geelong to Highton - M Margaret Mary O'Brien
2011: Inaugural International 'Good Cup of Tea' Event

The Congregation's Canonisation Committee has prepared a year-long programme which may help you to participate in the Year of Faith alongside contemplating the faith life of Catherine McAuley. The November prayer service, the second in a series of nine, is now available online and linked to this item.

The mission of the Conference for Mercy Higher Education is the preservation and development of the core Catholic identity and mission of Mercy higher education in accord with the spirit, mission, and heritage of the Sisters of Mercy.

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. The Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy and photography. The video competition, entitled Small World In Motion encompasses any movie or digital time-lapse photography taken through the microscope.