Imagine: the Seventh Person Might be You

Sit back for a moment and consider this: There are approximately 7.2 billion persons on our planet. Approximately 1.1 billion persons have no access to clean and safe water.

Think about how many times you encounter 7 people in a given day – and imagine that one of them cannot drink or use clean, safe water. Imagine that the seventh person might be you.

The United Nations promotes the conviction that access to clean and safe water is, in fact, a human right.

Chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that even a cup of water given in Jesus’ name is a mark of discipleship.

All of us – Sisters, Associates, Partners-in-ministry and co-workers in Mercy desire to respond in a practical and compassionate manner to those in need. Our Sisters on the ground in poverty-stricken countries describe the suffering of those who do not have clean water. We still remember the images from Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the lives, land and water in Tacloban, Philippines.

Mercy International Association (MIA) is presently engaged in a €20 million endowment campaign to ensure the House and Works of Mercy continue to respond to those in need. Guaranteeing the right to clean, safe water is one of four focal points in the campaign.

What would happen if each one of us (approximately 8,000 sisters, 5,000 associates, more than 250,000 co-workers) contributed the equivalent of €7 to the MIA Endowment Campaign, in honour of every seventh person without access to clean, safe water?

To learn how to do so in your country, contact Mary Waskowiak rsm.

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Thumbnail image: A young resident of Tacloban, Philippines, walks through some of the damage and debris left byTyphoon Haiyan. UN Photo/Evan Schneider. Used with permission