Over this weekend the MIA Board and MIA Members are meeting at Mercy International Centre. Let us keep them and their deliberations in our prayers.

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director

Catherine was always aware that “everyone called to God's service should be happy” and that “we should never falter in our confidence that God will make all things turn to the best.” To her He was surely a God of Mercy and compassion. He is the same God of Mercy and Compassion to us.
Anne Hannon rsm -Vice postulator Europe and Africa. Read article here.

Prayers with the intercession of Venerable Catherine McAuley are asked for all whose names are in our hearts and on our prayer list. In particular, we pray for: Willie Martin, Sr. Annette D'Amico, Margaret Brawley and all those whose names are on the MIA prayer lis and in our thoughts.

Anne Hannon rsm - Vice postulator Europe and Africa
Sheila Carney rsm - Vice postulator Americas
Caroline Ryan rsm - Vice postulator Australia & PNG, Aotearoa New Zealand, Philippines

In a moving tribute to the late Sisters Mary Gallagher and Lupe Domingez Stump, columnist David Lauderdale, in the Island Packet online, recounts the efforts of these two Mercy sisters who 'bridged both the language and societal barriers, for both sides' in meeting the needs of the poor of Hardeeville, Charleston. The Sisters established a thrift store then a food pantry amongst other practical works, but  might best be remembered because 'they touched the untouchables, and saw the unseen'.

Read the article linked to this item.

Messages to: 
Pat Kenny rsm - Institute Communications Office
David Lauderdale - Columnist

27 participants from as far afield as Perth and Townsville in Australia, and Dunedin and Christchurch in Aotearoa New Zealand, gathered recently at Te Wahanga Atawhai Mercy Conference Centre Wellington, NZ, for the 2013 Mercy Archivists’ Conference which is held biennially. Archivists were not only from congregation archives but also from Mercy facilities...

The full report is linked to this item.

Messages to: Stephanie Kitching rsm - Congregation Archivist Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand

St Mary's College Ipswich, Queensland celebrates 150 years of Mercy education this year. A number of events were planned with St Mary’s Primary School for the wider community, and specifically our Past Associates, between the 1st and 5th May. May is the month of Our Lady after whom both schools are named, and the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Ipswich on the 1st May 1863. Of particular interest is The Celebrating 150 Years of Mercy exhibition on display at the Ipswich Art Gallery until June 10.

Further details are linked to this item.

Messages to: Deirdre Young - Principal

Editor: St Mary's College Ipswich is this week's featured Mercy website

Hope for Life is an Anti Retroviral Clinic run under the auspices of the Sisters of Mercy. In this article Christine Jacob rsm who manages the Mercy Clinic in the Winterveldt, traces the work of Hope for Life which dispenses Anti Retro Virals (ARVs) to more than 1,600 patients: helping patients to live more productive lives.

Messages to: Christine Jacob rsm

How are we to be in mission?’ the Sisters of Mercy asked themselves at their 2009 Chapter. ‘In energising, collaborative leadership’ was part of the answer they gave. A glimpse of what such leadership may look like came last month as more than 100 of our own sisters - from Aotearoa New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Chile and Australia - gathered for a three-day hui, invited some of their lay leaders to join them for a day.

Huihuinga Whakaaronui Tuarua took place over three days in April in Wellington as sisters gathered, joined on the second day by partners in mission from incorporated Mercy ministries in Aotearoa...

On the second day we relished Mary Sullivan rsm’s keynote presentation on Catherine McAuley, ‘Getting Up Again’ and ‘Laying Down our Lives’. She began by quoting Isaiah, “How lovely on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news”. And Mary was the bearer of good news to us...

Messages to: Katrina Fabish rsm - Leadership Team

The Sisters of Mercy at St. Mary’s Nenagh have had in their safekeeping a Chalice and Paten dated 1589 which was presented to them on their first arrival in Nenagh in 1854 by the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr. Daniel Vaughan...

To ensure their continued protection and to share the ancient beauty of this Chalice and Paten the Provincial Leadership Team SCP have approved of their donation to the National Museum for permanent display...

Messages to: Ailish O'Brien rsm - Communications Co-ordinator

The association of Women Scholars of Religion and Theology (WSRT), founded in 1992, has published a special volume of SeaChanges in order to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

For an account of the first 10 years of WSRT from one of the founders, Elaine Wainwright rsm, click here.

For an article by Veronica Lawson rsm and Elizabeth Dowling rsm "An Earth Community Being Shattered by Displacement": Mercy Perspectives, click here.

Messages to:
Elaine Wainwright rsm
Veronica Lawson rsm
Elizabeth Dowling rsm

'Mercy Sister Mary Patricia Garvin opened day three of a global gathering of women religious leaders here exploring the gathering’s theme of effective service leadership.

In a talk entitled “Graced Companionship: A Metaphor for Religious Leadership Today,” Garvin used Jesus at the primary model for leadership. She called him a graced companion “par excellance!”

“He was a transformational leader who offered vision, energy, challenge and courage to those attracted to his own way of being with and ministering to God’s people,” said Garvin, who teaches psychology and provides counselling at Creighton and Seton Hall Universities...'

Source: NCR Online

Messages to: Mary Pat Garvin rsm - Institute leadership Team

1848: Foundation to Loretto, Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh - M Catherine Wynne
1862: Building of St Mary's Convent Ponsonby, Motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy Auckland, is completed. Sisters still live and minister on the site.
1883: Sisters from Tralee began work in Fever Hospital, Listowel, Co Kerry

The following additional resources on Catherine McAuley by Mary C Sullivan rsm are available on mercyworld.org:

Getting Up Again” and “Laying Down our Lives”: The Enduring Work of Mercy (PDF)

Sharing Christ's Merciful yoke of Solidarity (PDF)

Catherine McAuley's Last Illness and Death (VIDEO)

Catherine McAuley and the Following of Jesus Christ Today (VIDEO)

A Conversation with Mary C Sullivan (VIDEO)

Reflection on the Life and Spirit of Catherine McAuley (AUDIO)

St Mary’s College is a Catholic, secondary college committed to the education of young women in the Mercy Tradition. The educational experiences offered are holistic and designed to be values-based and life-giving.

A new global index,The Social Progress Index, measures the extent to which fifty countries provide for the social and environmental needs of their citizens. Fifty-two indicators in the areas of basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing, and opportunity show relative performance in order to elevate the quality of discussion on national priorities and to guide social investment decisions.