Messages Received from the Mercy World #6

September 19, 2014

Thank you to all who have sent messages for Mercy Day and for the 20th Anniversary Celebrations (23-29 September, 2014). We are hoping to hear from many of our Mercy family and friends over the coming weeks. Send your messages to: mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie

We, the community at the Mater Convent Brisbane, Australia, send our greetings and best wishes to our Sisters and Mercy friends and colleagues throughout the world. As we gather and celebrate Mater Mercy week, here in Brisbane, we will remember you all in prayer.

Michaeleen, Marie Therese, Christine, Mary, Margaret, Teresa, Clare, Rita, Vonnie, Brigid.

Dear Mary

Shall be with you all gathered in Dublin during Mercy week ahead of us. An important moment in our ongoing Mercy story.

Blessings and Prayers
Elaine (Wainwright)

Dear Mary,
I’m so sorry I won’t be physically there with all of you – but I certainly will be online.
It’s wonderful that you’ve made this available on ‘live stream’
Greetings and blessings on all of the celebrations,

Ruth Egar rsm
Adelaide
Australia

Dear Mary and Sisters all

From away down in faraway NZ, loving prayerful congratulations on your Celebrations. I was fortunate to visit MIC in 1995, and have very happy memories. Mary, in Jan 2009 while at MercyMount in Sydney, I went to Parramatta with some Mercy Srs to hear you !

God bless.
(Sr ) Marie Poff

Dear friends in mercy, friends of mercy and friends for mercy,

In this coming week which holds gently in its centre our Mercy Day 2014, God’s gifts of time and space seem to glow with special radiance. On Tuesday night, Earth enjoys the spring equinox in the south and the fall equinox in the north – day and night are in complete harmony on every part of our Earth. On Wednesday, our Jewish sisters and brothers begin to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the new year. They remember that moment when God created the world, and, as co-creators, they commit to heal, repair and transform the world (Tikkun Olam). And all this week, in word and song and gesture and image, we celebrate our connections in global Mercy – we who as Sisters of Mercy, Associates and partners in ministry share a common Mercy journey in the footsteps of Catherine McAuley.

May this joyous week be a source of energy, vision and wisdom for all of us as we remain “centered in God, for whom alone we go forward or stay back.” Let this be for us a time of renewal of our promise to co-create with our God, renewal of our commitment to find balance in the sacred and diverse community of all creation modelled for us by the Risen One, and renewal of our trust in the every-present Spirit among us.

Bendiciones de la misericordia y la alegría/Blessings of mercy and joy,

Elizabeth M. Davis, rsm
For the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland (in Canada and in Peru)

Greetings to all Sisters of Mercy around the world, but in a special way to those who prepared the Special Celebration. We know that it required a lot of work and planning. Thank you.
We look forward to joining in through the wonders of technology, since we cannot be there in person. The wonderful people of our parish as well as the children in the school will join with us as we celebrate.

Sisters of Mercy
Ascension Parish, Melbourne, FLORIDA

On this occasion of the 20th Anniversary of Mercy International Centre in Baggot Street, we would like to send our congratulations to the members of the Congregation near and far. The sisters from Ardee, Co Louth came to serve the people of Ascension Parish in Melbourne, Florida in 1961 by staffing a new Catholic school and are still serving there after 53 years.

Thousands of students from the area have been educated at this outstanding school that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in Washington as an exemplary school. The sisters who have worked at the school are Sisters Monica Ryan, (first principal), Assumpta Finn, Rosarii Carville, Immaculata Knox, Francis Mc Geough, Pius Fahy, Regina Sweeney, Maria Fitzgerald, Josephine Hawkes, and Joseph Barden. In 1964 Sisters Monica Ryan (principal) and Regina Sweeney opened a new school on Canova Beach. As well as teaching in the schools, the sisters taught Religious Education to public school students, preparing them for the sacraments and giving them a foundation in the faith. From the time the sisters arrived in Melbourne the spirit of Catherine McAuley was evident in all of their ministries, and the people in the local area responded with great enthusiasm to the leadership and inspiration of the sisters.

As time moved on the sisters became involved in further ministries, such as facilitating Scripture groups, Renew Groups, Parish Council meetings, Home/School meetings Diocesan Sisters’ Council meetings, Building Communities of Faith, Mercy Associates, Children’s Choir to name a few .At present there are two sisters active in the parish – Sr. Joseph Barden working in School Development and Sr. Immaculata Knox working in Pastoral Care since 2006.

On Sunday Sept. 21st Holy Name of Jesus School will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Sister Monica Ryan who now lives in Ardee Ireland has been invited to participate in the festivities, since she was its first principal.

During these days of celebration in Baggot Street, we are happy to be joining in those celebrations and keeping the vision of Catherine alive in our Community, school and parish.

As we celebrate the
Feast of our Lady of Mercy
we pray for Catherine’s continued
help and guidance
as we work together to bring
God’s mercy to our world.

Love & Blessings

Sisters of Mercy Western Province

Warmest congratulations to all Sisters of Mercy, especially those in Australia for all you have done, are doing and will do to spread God's word of loving compassion and infinite mercy in our world. Happy Mercy day and happy celebrations in Baggot Street.
Love and blessings
Marleen Flaherty

Our community of Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey, USA, sends warm greetings to all of our sisters and brothers in Mercy throughout the world. Last year we celebrate 125 years of Mercy at our school. We are truly blest to have several sisters on staff and are equally blest to have a community of active and retired sisters in residence on our campus.